As a writer and director here at Windsong Productions, I am driven by the search for Inspirado. It’s what fuels everything I set out to accomplish creatively. Whether it’s directing and producing theater in town, music directing shows for other companies or my day-to-day writing and directing with Windsong; it all begins with Inspirado. And so…I search for it.
A lot.
All the time.
Sometimes when I should probably be doing the work that the Inspirado is supposed to be helping me create.
Earlier this year my good friends Travis Sheridan and Gina Becker moved to St. Louis. Travis was the host of Pecha Kucha, a global event organized locally by Creative Fresno. Basically, a theme is selected and presenters put together twenty slides they are given twenty seconds each to talk about each slide. It makes for a fun, quick presentation. When Travis moved, I was invited to host Pecha Kucha. I jumped at the opportunity and Fresno Pecha Kucha 16 is why this event is so great.
Last night was a night chock full on Inspirado. The theme was “Music” and we couldn’t have asked for a more diverse, talented and emotionally connected group of presenters and audience members. Seriously, events like this remind me that Inspirado really can come from anywhere.
- the connection made between a sunflower and music
- the meeting of passionate and talented photographer and our passionate and talented local music scene
- the revealing of an audience member’s pure moments of mispronounced bliss
- the philosophy of Tupac and so much more
- a rock and roll girl and her rock and roll dad
- a primer on the history of the fresno music scene
- the realization that comes from seeing so many iconic rock logos back to back to back
- the way music can be used to change and inspire a community
- a musician’s journey to greatness through his musical influences
- a piece of performance art in the form of the Evolution of the Death of the American Love Song
- Chuck Leonard in a dress
- Kim Burly in a dress playing the valved trombone
- the excitement of watching people just make it up as they went along
- the excitement of filling an awesome venue like Fulton 55.
And so I take that Inspirado. Channel it, distill it and pour it into the work of Windsong for the week. And the work doesn’t become work. It sort of just needs to be done. It begs to be done. Otherwise…where else would the Inspirado go?
