If you missed it, you missed a great show! It was so much fun! The performances were stellar, the body paint was awesome and the art was something to behold! Here are some photos! These images/videos are not really safe for work and/or young eyes due to bodypainted models in thongs/pasties and some adult language.
See the rest of the intro videos from the event by clicking Here.
If you missed this one, Mark your calendars for July 30, the next big event!!
Or at least, let’s go to Youtube and see some new stuff…. It’s video week! The parade video/picture slide is finally finished! HURRAY!
The rough cut of “Calling All the Magical People” is the soundtrack We rushed to have this version done by the parade, but I went back and redid some vocals, etc afterwards. I’m hoping the mastered version will be available for purchase within the week. I just couldn’t put off sharing this any longer.
IF you can’t see the video above, you can view it by clicking HERE
I’m going to try to break up my newsletters from now on so they’re not so daunting and come a little more frequently. By the time I get around to writing to you, I have so much to share, I fear I will fry your brains. In light of this problem, I have discovered an interesting solution! The “publish scheduling” option of wordpress!
In my next newsletter, I’ll have something fun for Derby for you. Do you have any off the wall photos or videos from Derby? Annual Derby Festivities ? I am compiling a parody youtube slideshow/video and could use your help…I am compiling a parody video/slide show that shows the other side of Derby – the drunken mayhem, the mud wrestling, chaos, traffic, and some of the fireworks, crowds…weird.. can you send your off the wall derby photos/videos?
Send them to ddcsubmit@gmail.com along with your written permission to use them. I will not be making any money off of this video. I will be posting it on Youtube for my Derby blog on my website. I will list your name in the info on youtube.
Thanks!
Annnd, enough of the past: Looking to the future:
May 29, 2011 at Saint’s Skybar in Louisville: I”m presenting a fantasy of poetry, pop culture, visual art and body paint! I can’t wait for you to see the five head to toe body paint designs I dreamt up (applied by international fashion designer Genna Yussman) and the two models wearing my poetry in calligraphy by Jen Grove. In anticipation, we recently did a photo shoot for upcoming fashion magazine Black and Grey by Bil Brown. I’ll be performing with guests Truth B Told, Raanan Hershberg, Jessica Neamon, Mamakitty Southwood and Tony Smith. Pop music, high energy performance poetry, projected abstract videos, a juried art show and more. This is going to be one of the most exciting and sexy events this summer! Don’t miss it! Tickets and more are available now at Brown Paper Ticket, the awesome sustainable and environmentally friendly ticket service. Click Here . This event will probably sell out and has limited seating, so get your VIP reserved seating areas today for just a couple dollars more per person! Ten percent of proceeds go to Breaking New Grounds, a local non-profit focused on creating jobs with sustainable urban agriculture.
As I move in some new directions and “break new grounds”, I have once again been reminded that people seem to think that I just push forward with ease as I follow my joy and create my heaven on earth. They comment on how easy it comes for me and remark that I am fearless. These are absolute untruths. I work very hard to make things happen. I sacrifice a lot of simple pleasures, stability and other things that most people want in order to achieve the things that I do. I deal with people who wish to attack me because I stand out. I have to combat (with the help of friends sometimes) doubt, fear, insecurities like everyone. I have to remind myself of the following: “There will always be opportunities to worry, to fear, to doubt, to hand over my power – but I will not give it. I am responsible for my experience and I plan to enjoy it. ”
I give you all permission to use my mantra if you feel it will help you in facing the difficulties that come our way day to day, tempting us to fear, to doubt, to give in and not claim our birthright, our heaven on earth. As a whole, we are all only as strong as our weakest brethren.
Love, Light, and blessings to send you through your dreams <3
Sometimes, it’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday. That’s exactly what I’m doing in many areas of my life, but I also recently had to make a tough decision to let go of my baby of the past three years: Sub Rosa, the Gypsie Courtyard. Weekly production, booking, hosting was becoming too much for me, and I found myself unable to really pursue my own art forms and be such a supporter of everyone else at the same time. I am capable of and wanted to host higher quality shows, but found it hard while I was locked into the weekly duties of taking care of Sub Rosa. It’s been coming for a while. I have been struggling to keep it going because I know it means something to the people who were involved and came regularly and it meant something to me. You all mean so much to me. I wanted to keep it alive for you all, but had to know when to let go and follow where my heart was leading. Thank you for the amazing and overwhelming response of support I have gotten so far. I have met so many amazing talents over the last three years and believe in each of you so much. You’ve all touched me, blessed me and filled me up with wonder and good stuff. You all have such exciting journeys ahead of you if you just believe in the whispers from your heart that guide you. I will continue to produce events on a less regular schedule with a main focus on developing my performance art and hope to work with many of you in those events. I will be posting calls to artists, performers, models, etc for different productions. This is the first one: My next show is Poetry, Pop, and Paint and the information for the call can be found here on facebook : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=188781017831980
In other news, the debut of my song Broken went so well! Thanks to my partner, Jada Parks for her photography and inspiration and to Nick Peay for the perfect music! Artography was such an awesome and fun event produced by Kenn Parks, and I was very happy with the response! I wish I had set up a webcam as suggested by my friend Tim to stream people’s responses to the web. Some people were creeped out to the point of being unable to look in my direction. One woman leaned in to tell me that I was very brave. Others let me know how much they enjoyed it, and I met some really awesome artists, creatives. Kenn did a great job at creating an event for people to mingle, appreciate art, and I foresee some awesome collaborations coming out of it. I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to do more living exhibits in the future. Here are some awesome photos by Tim Valentino of VU (pronounced View) Photography and Joe Mays and a phone video by Tim Druck. Enjoy! I am still working on the parade video footage and photos to share with you. Hope to have them done by the next newsletter.
On another note, I’ve found myself in a place where people that used to scare me with bullying or by holding their approval/love over my head no longer scare me. I’ ve found them raise their heads and try to surface with the type of behavior that would have used to make me give in or try to defend myself or try to make everything “ok” . I’ve found it quite liberating to realize that I’ve come to a place where I don’t really care what they think. I’ve found that the more I tried to shine, the more of a target I became. Somewhere in my journey, I overcame a need to prove myself to haters, people who wanted to hold me back and decided to let my actions speak for me. I am human like everyone else on a path of learning, trying to figure out who I am, go for my heart’s desires and learn how to best be me. Part of that process includes falling, making mistakes. We all do. If we didn’t, none of us would learn to walk..we’d still be crawling around on the ground. Some of us aren’t happy with just learning to walk. We want to fly. The further you are from the ground, the harder you may find yourself falling. It’s far too easy to weigh ourselves down with our own judgment and criticism. The last thing we need is a bully or someone we trust/care about to continually grab on to our legs and try to pull us back down. The truth is it has never really been them holding us down that keeps us from flying…it’s our failure to push off of them and leave them behind. It sucks that they are lonely where they are, but maybe if you continue to rise, they will see that they can, too. My favorite quote this year has been “Do not speak about your greatest gifts…Leave the talking to others.” I’m trying to make that my mantra. You’re either for me or against me and if you’re against me, the past is your home and I’m not looking down / back as I rise. The people I now find myself surrounded by and consider friends that have shown me real love/support, inspire me to continue to rise, and actually care about my well being/happiness and I theirs are more precious to me than gold, and the others are..well, people….people I once knew. It’s hard to say goodbye and walk away from the habit/desire of giving others your power and letting them make you feel bad about yourself or scare you into giving up on flying, but definitely a hurdle worth leaping over. So, raise a glass with me and toast to the liberation of saying good bye to the fears of yesterday!!
Hello all my beautiful inklings, magical people and godlings! Just when I thought I wouldn’t have a big show until January, I was asked to co-produce and perform in a show on December 11 at the Rudyard Kipling in Louisville, Kentucky.
Prepare your minds! On that fateful night, Cirque Airotic aerial burlesque troop and I bring you BLACKJACK!
I’ll be dealing up 21 delicious acts that make everyone a winner including singers, dancers, comedy, magic and more Can you beat the dealer at her own game?
Tickets are only $12. That’s a lot of entertainment for less than $20! The imagery on this one is going to be beautiful, and two of the aerialists will dangle amongst the audience!
Va Va Vintage is finally done.The after party was the most fun I’ve had at karaoke in years. It was pretty much entire bar sing along night. Thirty of us sang Bad Romance, Love Shack, Bohemian Rhapsody…all the sappy party songs..but it was a whole bar of friends and strangers at one with each other. It was one of those rare moments of bliss, where everything else disappears. It makes me a little sad as I hear Boyz II Men singing “hard to say good bye” in my head. It was an awesome cast and show. That’s one of the signs I was slated for show business, though. When I was a child, my favorite thing was going to summer camp and being family with everyone for a couple weeks and then moving on. I made some amazing friendships through the production, and deepened some old ones. I also had to answer a bazillion times that Mike Nusser is not my husband, even though we dance together very well.
Speaking of Mike Nusser. He’s one of my favorite beloveds and we often sing together at my weekly variety show Sub Rosa: The Gypsie Courtyard. We decided to release a recording of us singing his song Suicide last Monday with Larry Doyle on harmonica. I was sick, and the recording is live, so it’s a little rough….but that’s real, and sometimes that’s the best part of Sub Rosa: how raw it is. There’s even a fun little bit of banter at the beginning of it. I think Mike was a little jealous that I was in deep conversation with national poet and beloved Truth B. Told, who was also there and I have video to prove it.
The Free track from Nusser and I is available to listen to at my Reverb Nation page. It is free to download and take a piece of Sub Rosa with you if you are a member of my email newsletter! (If you’re receiving this in your email from ReverbNation) If you aren’t, don’t worry. You can go to my page and sign up or you can go to www.divinityrose.com and sign up! (If you’re receiving this email from ReverbNation, there should be a link at the bottom of this email to download it!)
And don’t forget, I have a contest going right now where you can win $50, one of my new T-shirts and a copy of Diaries of a Godling: The Promise (my graphic novel). All you have to do is help me gather magical people for the end times! We want no one left behind!! You can join my street team at my ReverbNation and click on the mission on the right hand side of the page for instructions on how to use the widgets to gather people and be tracked for the prizes.
January 8, 2011, Divinity Rose as a Doomsday Lover. Even in the end times, the show must go on! This hilarious and sexy burlesque is set in post apocalyptic times and stars zombies, showgirls, a reporter and YOU! It is highly interactive and you want to get your tickets before they sell out! You can buy a ticket or you can buy a whole table so you and your survival crew can sit right up front amidst the action. It also features entertainment from some of Louisville’s favorite performers such as Jaime Duvall, Mike Nusser, Jorena Faulkner, Cyndi Snow, and a zombie fashion show by Rachel French of Venomiss designs. Tickets can be bought ahead of time at http://www.art-sanctuary.com
So much news! I know! I am on a busy journey, and I am so grateful that each of you are on the rise with me!! The path our hearts lead us on send us ever upward, closer and closer to the bright star that guides us! Hearing from you keeps me alive and going even when the times get tough! Write to me and let me know how your dreams are progressing!
Love, Light and Blessings to send you through your dreams!
The last week has been ripe with reminders. When we are ready for a change or to play on a new level, the universe sometimes responds a little quicker than we are ready for! Things are yanked right from under our feet and if we allow ourselves to get too spooked or freaked out while mid-air, we don’t even realize there is a much softer mattress waiting for us to land on!
I don’t really have a full newsletter ready, but I did want to pop in and share the awesome news! I have been asked to emcee and perform at VA VA VINTAGE in November. The Va Va Vixens are Louisville’s very own Burlesque troop and run one of the hottest shows in town. Dance numbers, swings, aerial silks, contortionists and more! I will open the show, perform throughout it, and close it with the curtain call – all with my own original material and songs! These shows always sell out, so don’t miss it!
Have you felt them? The tremors rumbling through our worlds? The tremors that shake us up and expose the cracks in our foundations so we may build stronger foundations?
I have. The last couple of weeks seemed excruciating for me, and not just for me, but for many that I have been in contact with. I saw many things suddenly uprooted, people fall away, and thought the shaking would never stop, But when it did, I was able to look around the ruins and see the strong pillars that were still standing in my life.
More than ever, I found true friends, great guidance and true blessings to be all that is real. The quakes only served me in showing me where there were weaknesses. They gave me a chance to examine myself, those I surround myself with, what my world consists of right now and what needs to be realigned. On a grander scale, the shake ups in our collective world such as oil spills give us all the opportunity to come together to do the same thing.
What kind of practices and thought patterns is it time to let go of?
I am ever grateful for the opportunity to learn more about humility, to embrace the beautiful friends I’ve been surrounded by who look to support me as much as I do them, and who truly are my saving grace.
One of my most surprising shake ups was the loss of Diamond’s Pub and Billiards as a venue on Mondays. It was due to circumstances outside our control and it came as a tremendous shock. I am grateful for the amazing year that we had there, the opportunity it gave us to grow, the great staff there who supported us (especially Jared Matthews, the bar manager). Within 24 hours, though we were blessed with a new venue: Zazoo’s Bar and Grill right down the road on Bauer Ave. Come join us there on Mondays to celebrate Louisville Sub Rosa.
Doubly blessed, and just in time, we were guided to a new venue on the Indiana side of the river: Steinert’s Grill and Pub on 401 E Main in New Albany is our new home on Thursday nights! They also have $1 domestic longnecks..They have a great stage and lighting that allows us to do a more theatrical/vaudevillian show like we wanted!
Due to some technical difficulties, the “Dead World” video was not released this past week. We had a great party with cast/crew and were able to peruse some raw footage…. The actual video release will be end of July/early August..The Leo choose our party as a staff pick with a nice write-up and shared a great photo by Tim Druck! We’ll be release the actual video in early August.
Here’s a reel of clips, outtakes, and behind the scenes I put together
On another note, I’ve always loved fire, fire spinning and dancing, and have only twirled a fire baton before… Recently I’ve added simple poi fire spinning to my skill list, thanks to the great teachings of David Droopy Sherrer….During a show at Zazoos recently, James Milby caught me on video! Check it out
Amidst the shake ups, I’ve gotten to get some great fun time in:
I got to meet an awesome metal working artist by the name of Kotah Moon at the Crescent Hill Art Festival…Check out some of these awesome and inspiring pieces made from all recycled materials! Some of them are made from Industrial incinerators, air compressor tanks, and even old 57 Chevy Trucks…I want the fiery one for my birthday in October!! (HINT) Check out more about this awesome artist at http://www.kotahmoon.com
Coming up:
Mondays at Zazoo’s in Louisville
Thursdays at Steinerts in New Albany
Sub Rosa Summer Carnival – July 17 at Diamonds Pub and Billiards in St. Matthews of Louisville, Ky…hosted by Divinity Rose with super talented Tyler Thurman and Tonights Entertainment, Danny O day, Shawna the Dead, and fire by Rebecca Foley Helleman
I am scheduled to perform Friday July 30 at Fright Night Film Festival and Sci-Fi convention in Louisville, Ky. You won’t want to miss this appearance, as it is a teaser for the theatrical stage show I am putting together and hope to release this fall! I plan to release two new tracks/performances and rumor has it the Va Va Vixens will be dancing!
Release of Dead World Video – Looking like August 5 will be the release of “Dead World” music video….
I can’t believe it’s already been almost a month since I was able to last send out some love to you, my beautiful little godlings …Please forgive my absence. I’ve been very busy indeed creating some wonderful new gifts for you.
There’s a lot to share, so I’m going to split it up into a couple posts!
I released Diaries of a Godling: The Promise on March 14, 2010 and have since sold out of the first run. In celebration of the release, we held an awesome show called Poets, Prophets and Punks and I was tremendously honored and blessed to be able to share the stage with some amazing talent such as Ron Whitehead, Touch Armor Class, Truth B Told, Jimmy Besseck, Huh Robots, Revenge of Ricky Williams, Rhyan Sprague, Lot 13 and Justin Hilton, and Grant Wallace. I wish you could have all been there! Now you can at least see some of it. With the help of Matthew Blake Wallace, the video clips are now available for viewing online! Don’t miss the opportunity to see so much amazing talent! Check it out here! (Click “See all” on the right).
Then, all through May, I led a space pirate invasion on Louisville and the surrounding Derby Celebrations. We got down on more than one dimension during our “Space Pirate Disco”. I will upload my performance as soon as we can figure out how to convert the video, but here are some awesome photos
I hope you’re all doing well and pressing ever forward in your adventures to find the treasures that will make up your kingdom Don’t forget to check out the post following right on the heels of this one
Send this post on to family, friends, who you think might enjoy the awesome videos Share the videos on facebook, or other social networking sites
I just wanted to make a quick post to say Happy Holidays to everyone. I am so grateful for all of the wonderful support and friendship over the last year. It has been an amazing year. I swear I’ve lived 5 lifetimes in the last 12 months. … Such is the way of the phoenix, I suppose.
For the holidays, I’m just going to share some pieces here that I don’t believe I’ve posted before. Some of them are darker pieces, as I’m bound and determined to love and accept my dark side with the light. I hope in the coming year you will also realize and accept the parts of you lurking in the shadows and allow them to feed your passion’s fire.
I hope you enjoy them Let me know which is your favorite at divinityrose at gmail.com
Spiritually Aroused
“I love them..
The sacred speakers of the God words.
The ones who rip us apart as they weave prophecies and spit fire.
The ones who continue the hunt for holy no matter how mad it makes them.
The ones who ride insanity like the dirty whore she is until they are done with her and send her on her way to tease another poor poet who is hungry with lust for the divine.
They make my breath catch, my heart beat, my loins burn and my eyes roll back in the back of my head in a fit of uhhhh.
yeah, I’m spiritually aroused. ”
Phoenix Forged
“In the fires that burn those who are caught sleeping
I am forged, springing forth stronger and brighter than ever.
The trials that many cry about
Are the rites of passage
That afford me the secret wisdom
I have sought for.
I emerge pure and shining,
Illuminated from within
To light the world around me
As I fly to the west.
Digging in, I grasp the earth with
My still smoking talons
And take her with me for a ride
That leads nowhere and everywhere
In the blink of an eye. ”
My Two moms:
You called her crazy.
She called you a liar.
You cut me with your words and ring,
She killed me with sugar and spice
before abandoning me again.
I hate you both
I love you both
I am you both.
ebb
“Within me beats a primal drum
A sound that’s only felt by some…
Those who are still enough to hear
the music that’s unheard by ear.
I feel an ebb. I feel a flow
I’m fed by what there is to know.
I twitch my pen to watch words fall,
I utter sounds to shatter walls.
My seed within you sprouts new growth
your heart’s desire: a sacred oath.
The earth rumbles when I sigh
Waters rise as I learn to fly.”
Poet or a Prophet?
“Am I a poet or a prophet, or just a pile of misplaced words and magic chords who’ve become unjust lords as they run through the wires once forged by liars who used to scream a lot about hellish fires.
I’ve journeyed far, I’ve journeyed near, running from this thing called fear, swayed by every jaunt and jeer, waiting to be in the clear..reaching for that next mountain top, will it never stop?
I’m waiting for the sky to drop.”
Techno lies
“Technology helps us lie…
Pills mean you don’t have to cry.
Superman can really fly,
and it takes so long to die.
Everyone can spell,
and no one goes through hell.
Push a button if you fell
It’s true, your broken thoughts can sell. ”
That’s it for now, I guess. See you next year Can’t wait to see/hear about your next recreation of yourselves. I know you’re gonna be fabulous…just as soon as you realize you already are…
Well, I’m am super pleased to announce that the development of Diaries of a Godling is underway.
Character development, design and sounds.
Sub Rosa continues to grow and pick up new places to gather. This is super exciting for me, because I am able to give some of the opportunities to others as I move forward with Diaries of a Godling.
Yesterday, I spent the entire afternoon with the very talented Mathieu Blake Wallace to produce this special gift.
(Don’t forget you have to come over to www.doggeddreamcreations.com/divinityrising to see any pictures or listen to the Music! – Also – spread the call for Magical People – send this track to all your friends / family through facebook/twitter/bookmarking!)
Who is this Faith chick anyways? The chick that can carry me is my new hero.
In all seriousness, it’ s been a year packed into the last couple weeks. When the engine in the Rv died, I decided I would have faith and trust where I was led. Within two days, a miracle occured! Someone that I met in a bar two years ago found me on facebook and added me as a friend. He saw my status about finding alternate transportation and offered me a car! (FOR FREE!!!) It was such a blessing! So, back on the road, I”ve been able to keep to the schedule of getting Cody involved with summer day camp, and keep the Show going! Speaking of shows, Sub Rosa: The Gypsie Courtyard has really been growing exponentially every week! It’s so amazing to see so much local talent coming together to make it what it is! Check out the recent interview that I didabout Sub Rosa and my other projects on Derby City Film Chat by clicking here.
I’ve really been finding a new found trust and faith in what Spirit has spoken to my heart. Everything that I have needed has come into my life with record speed lately. I was speaking with a friend about it last night and it really comes down to a few simple steps.
Ask.
Surrender.
Be Willing to hear the answer.
Be Still enough to see the answer.
Receive.
Follow.
When we approach life in a state of surrender and service, we find our cups running over with boundless blessings to help us accomplish our goals.
I’m in the process of getting my video camera cleaned, so I have not made a new video for this week. However, I wanted to share a video I made of my friend Ulysses Jess Sandidge in my RV before the engine died.
Enjoy!
I also wanted to share some random quotes from this last month’s journal, as I haven’t done that in a while.
“It really is great to be reminded that all that exists is this moment and we choose in every moment which way to travel with our thoughts.”
“Who am I to hold back anything? I am human and our purpose is to give to each other.”
“Strobe light sky with lightning.Mother nature gives it to me hard and fast in quick spurts. The rain is coming down.”
“The seeking soul will find a hole from one place to another in search of what they wish to know.”
“I look back over the journey I’ve taken – the trials, the tribulations, the rites of passage – and I realized: I asked for it. I asked for it all, and here I am something new, but still me.”
“Here we are in Heaven, surrounded by beautiful people.”
“Don’t trade your soul for a pebble
Or play games with that ole’ devil
Just stay true to your heart,
and you’ll win right from the start.”
“This past year has really led me crawling, clawing my way to creating my own boundaries – to close down to being an individual again – full of my passion, full of me. For I am a world, and what I allow into this world changes me.”
“Sometimes, I cry.
When I take a look at what you said
And hear the ghosts within my head
and realize I don’t have a bed,
Sometimes, I cry.”
“The first step to life, is to realize you’re dead.”
“What we are at our core will ripple outward into our life.”
What about you? What miracles have you noticed in your life in the last year? How have you grown? What revelations have rocked your world?
Leave me a comment, and share this post via facebook, Twitter, etc.
May 29, 2011 at Saint’s Skybar in Louisville: I”m presenting a fantasy of poetry, pop culture, visual art and body paint! I can’t wait for you to see the five head to toe body paint designs I dreamt up (applied by international fashion designer Genna Yussman) and the two models wearing my poetry in calligraphy by Jen Grove. In anticipation, we recently did a photo shoot for upcoming fashion magazine Black and Grey by Bil Brown. I’ll be performing with guests Truth B Told, Raanan Hershberg, Jessica Neamon, Mamakitty Southwood and Tony Smith. Pop music, high energy performance poetry, projected abstract videos, a juried art show and more. This is going to be one of the most exciting and sexy events this summer! Don’t miss it! Tickets and more are available now at
