How to celebrate
and why it matters
It is so easy to forget to celebrate. The mere act of recognizing accomplishments and completions of projects sends armies of endorphins coursing through mind and body alike. And what is a celebration if it’s not shared?
Celebration 1 - Health
I’m starting with congratulating my body celebrating a victory over COVID which gripped me for ten days since Mother’s Day. I won’t linger on this one too much except to say that my mantra was - Be gentle to yourself, sleep plenty, eat little, be present to whatever is going on and take all of the medicine your wife gives you.
The brain fog was the worst part and it left me incapable fo writing for about a week. But in the spirit of focused attention, I focused on healing rather than guilt-tripping myself.
Celebration 2 - At The Movies
One thing I was able to accomplish was to keep editing my new documentary film “Kaval Park”. For some reason, the brain fog affected my writing, but not the cognitive ability to edit. Perhaps because of the mechanical nature of the process. I’ve been working on a deadline set by my friends at Bulgarian Cultural Society PCHELA.
“Bogdan, it’s been six years since we started the project. We’ve got to wrap it up.” And I listened and agreed and bunkered down. The film was originally slated to be released and go on a tour in 2020. The gap in time benefited the film tremendously and the new edit is far more streamlined. The intention is for the film to be a celebration and I edited it like that. Admittedly, it has been a blast.
Next Thursday, we’re pre-pre-screening “Kaval Park” to our friends at PCHELA down in Los Angeles. Then, over the summer we’ll do the subtitles (contact me if you want to take this on) and will do a sound mix and mastering. The goal is to premiere the film in November and to go on a USA and Canada tour shortly thereafter.
The film is my longest so far clocking in at 1 hour and 33 minutes.
Celebration 3 - Short Stories
In addition to helping me say more with less, work on clarity and hone my craft, the Midweek Pick-Me-Ups are connecting me to you regularly. We’ve been sharing them across social media and it looks like more and more people are reading them.
This Wednesday we’ll be sharing “guest” pick-me-ups, so if you feel like it send me your creation based on one of the prompts. The idea is for this to become a standard practice every last Wednesday of the month.
Celebration 4 - Reimagined Film Production
This one is long time in the making. We finally put together a website for film production featuring some top talent we work with. The vision behind the website is to attract top paying clients who value creativity over status quo filmmaking.
Watch the reel and find out more at FILMABEE.com and do keep us in mind and/or recommend us to potential clients.
Celebration 5 - “Eurydice” part 1 is finished
We saved the best for last! Six months since “Eurydice” became an obsession, 81 pages, 16 chapters and 23,603 words later, I’ve completed writing Part 1. I’m sharing bellow the names to the chapters for the fun of it.
BTW, Ian Russell, a narrator from England has recorded the first three chapters and upon listening to them last week I started pacing, thanking the Gods and dancing ecstatically. Hearing the words been spoken and his interpretation of the text gave me even more fire to do whatever it takes to get this novel in your hands.
Eurydice - Part 1
Big Bang Bazookas
White Dove
Nightingale Night
A Note
Uprooted
Topsy-turvy
The Canonization of Unlikely Saints
The Shackling of Eurydice
Ashes
Skin
Drops & Reflections
The Dance of Aurora
Full Moon Feather
Mutiny
T(h)ree
Canary in a Coal Mine
I propose we make it a habit to share our celebrations more often than not. What are you celebrating? Let me know in the comments so other readers can join in the celebration.
Follow the pen, follow your heart!
Bogdan