2016 was a hell of a year
Fuck politics and jobs and apocalyptic internet uprising I did a couple big feature films, a couple wonderful indies, a couple small roles in projects I believed in⦠I fell back in love with the thing that made all the bullshit worth it
I lived outside of contract Finally
I got the back of my head shaved for $5 in Albuquerque. I fell in the kind of love that made you realize you sometimes never fell out of it I realized the importance of my emotional health I realized the sensitivity of my mental health I watched my favourite person write her living will and made peace with the inevitability of death I gained more respect for life
Can I give you some advice? I earned it myself.
Donβt smoke. Everyone that smokes cigarettes will tell you not to start. Stop biting your nails. Stretch everyday. Call your grandma. Whomever you have now thatβs not conveniently close but still contactable, contact them Shout. Just do it. Whenever. Trust yourself. Be alone. Itβs really uncomfortable sometimes and thatβs when itβs important. Celebrate the people that inspire you. Study the ones who intimidate you. Write love letters. To yourself, to God, to your dad or mom or best friend or someone whose heart you hurt. Tell people how you feel. Donβt drive if you think youβll have ONE drink. It doesnβt matter if youβve been up and running around since 6am. Drop your car off before your 4pm coffee because maybe you want a glass of wine and to take a walk, and police are hungry Thank people for their service. Maybe you hate the military, but an elderly man in a veteran hat spent months with no communication in a ditch writing a monthly letter to the woman he loved, and she spent months waiting by the mailbox. He probably had to burn leaches off his body with cigars he never smoked just to return to her lips alive and scared and damaged but free Say thanks. Pray. Thereβs no way to do it wrong. Write. The more you do, the better you get Itβs not about getting better Itβs about being genuine What else? Oh yeah.
Love them. Itβs scary. You feel bitter. Youβve been hurt. Love. Love hard and brave and choose every day to fight for freedom, redemption and celebration Every day should be the holidays it you do it right
