Student Blog: You Are You, They Are They

YOU ARE YOU THEY ARE THEY

Accepting we have a uniqueness that forms a perfect ensemble

"You are you, they are they" -- A phrase that seems simple and obvious, but I think it is a sentence we should analyze day by day.

As humans and artists, we tend to look outside and observe what other people have and we don't, and this turns our light off.

These last months while creating our device show, I observed how we were more than 15 people working for one goal but each of us was completely different with different strengths and ideas and luckily there was not a moment where I doubted about myself or felt insecure, but I think this is because I've been working on this awareness day by day. I had such a joyful experience learning from my friends and bringing to the table what only I could bring.

And I wanted to write about this because I think is so easy to forget about our unique light by comparing. But, what if we bring together our different and single lights to do a bright full community?

Spending time with yourself, getting to know you, what you feel comfortable doing, what are you good at, what requires more effort, is essential. When you know you as a human you can feel more comfortable going into the room presenting yourself and saying "I AM THIS" and this helps to being more open to see the other people as they are and bringing together everything to build a safe and a beautiful space.

Also, when you go to see a show more than 1 time and the same character is played by different people, and there is something magical that happens that both times is different but so authentic and you cannot compare, because even if it is the same character and the same lines, the authenticity that each actor brings is wordless.

There is always in the room someone that is good at dancing, or directing, or you name it and sometimes we may feel with temptation to compare ourselves but we have to always remember that we are humans, we are doing the best that we can, and if you are in the room doing what you love and learning, that is more than enough.

We don't need to be the best at everything. I agree that it is important to work and be more prepared always in the process, but YOUR PRESENCE IS ENOUGH, just by saying what you want to say and externalizing what your heart wants, you are leaving your touch that only you can give.

Acknowledging the fact that maybe the person in front of me is better at choreographing and that I am good at something else, helps us create a beautiful ensemble where we each bring what makes us unique and instead of seeing it as a "comparison or a loss" and we see it as a complement, an add, and as another part of the puzzle we can shine brighter and have a rich experience.

Thanks for reading me, Have a nice day and a nice month!

- Claudia Quintero, a Mexican and passionate girl.