Recently I created an art page on Facebook. Among the contents is a spicy video of my lesbian art. I didn’t think much of it at the time, until I received an onslot of people inviting me to be their friend.

I love that our community reaches out in friendship however I was a bit apprehensive about some of the invitations I received. They always tell you to be cautious of this but at the same time, I don’t want to give people the impression that I’m unfriendly either as this is not the case. I did accept a few friends that were either fellow artists or gay/lesbian. It was the straight man with a long history of Christian education and a couple of people from foreign countries that made me skeptical. None of which were interested in joining my art group. A beautiful woman with broken English emailed me with several personal questions and I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a scam. How did I even know that it was even a woman on the other end?

Even though our country has become much safer in this regard there still are people out there who are looking to harm. The video definitely received attention. I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring LGBT art into the mainstream community. It would be nice if people became desensitized enough so that when they see a same sex couple walking down the street hand in hand they don’t have to make a big deal. My partner and I frequently get an assortment of comments and cat calls and I’m happy to contribute to changing this.

In the end, I decided to change my personal profile set up on Facebook. Its unfortunate that I won’t have the opportunity to meet so many great people but at least I’ll feel safe.

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK
www.artontheoutside.ca

Spicy Lesbian Video

Last Thursday I found myself in a writing course called, Finding What You Didn’t Lose:
Excavating the Writer Within. In all honesty I signed up on a whim after seeing a poster in the OUTside night club. I didn’t really read the poster too carefully and didn’t realize when I registered that I had just signed up for a workshop that involved poetry.

I’m a little shy by nature and when I arrived that evening I realized I did not know any of the group members. To make matters worse, many of the group members seemed to belong to the same pen club. In our first exercise, I found myself feeling rather self conscious when I learned that we were going to share what we had written. I floundered a bit before I got up the courage to read my poem. I thought it was terrible however the group of nine LGBT folks received my feeble attempt at prose very well.

I’m not sure what I had expected from the nine members of the LGBT group. Did I actually think that they would judge me for my writing skills? They did anything but. They made me feel comfortable and welcome, not only did they refrain from criticisms but they complimented me on my work. Imagine such an warm and generous group!

Even though poetry isn’t my passion I managed to get through it and actually have to admit that it was quite enjoyable. Ray McGinnis, author of, Writing the Sacred, was a great facilitator with some very creative ideas for writing. His expertise coupled with such awesome participants made it well worth my time.

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK
www.artontheoutside.ca

This past weekend was pretty quiet in Regina. Other than football there was not too much going on in the city. I spent a relaxing weekend with my partner. Saturday night we did dinner and a movie. We went to the movie, The Proposal and although my partner is not much for romantic comedies she loved this one. For anyone who needs a good laugh, this movie is hilarious.

On an entirely different note, I’d like to congratulate Caesar Melons, also known as Dani Havlorson, on being crowned the nineteenth emperor at Regina’s Coronation Ball last weekend. I’ll be looking forward to catching a drag show that Caesar will be hosting monthly as part of his duties as emperor.

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
http://artontheoutside.ca
Regina, SK

Darlene Gate is a well known artist from Regina. Primarily working in acrylics, she has a flair for colour and emotional composition. Darlene specializes in large scale pieces using nature as her inspiration. Her enticing landscapes are anchored by a hint of realism. She loves communicating through art and says she hasn’t found anything like the thrill of creating a piece and having people feel emotion through it.

To experience Darlene’s art check out her upcoming show Outside the Box at the Cathedral Freehouse beginning October 1 until December. She will also be participating in the the Regina Federation of Artists exhibition on the October 31 weekend at Wascana Place or check out her website at http://www.darlenegate.ca

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK

I was talking to Dani Halvorson the other day. Perhaps better known by her stage name, Cesar Melons. Dani is a drag king who will be performing at the 2009 Coronation festivities in Regina this September.

Dani admits she has always had a weakness for performing and entertaining people. Stepping into character gives her a sense of liberation. “Becoming someone else for a little while is always fun,” she says.

If Dani is voted emperor, she would be responsible to host one drag show every month as a means of raising money charity. A portion of the money will go to the charity of Dani’s choice and another portion to the College of Monarchs for the purpose of providing bursaries to GLBT students.

Voting for the event takes place on Sunday, September 13 from 1- 6 p.m. at the OUTSide club. (Don’t forget to bring your license in order to vote.) The rest of the festivities will begin on September 17 – 20 with the Coronation Ball taking place on the 19th at the West Harvest Inn.

For more information, check out Coronation 2009 on Facebook.

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK

Blow Your House In is an exhibition that will be taking place at the Regina MacKenzie Art Gallery from September 12, 2009 to January 3, 2010. It will be featuring some of the Australian artist, Vernon Ah Kee’s works based on aboriginal life in Australia. Ah Kee describes this collection as confrontational and intense. It deals with history, contemporary living and demonstrates the complexity of aboriginal life in Australia.

Vernon Ah Kee’s art fills me with a sense of awe and intrigue. His large pieces combined with his bold statements strike a chord within me. Although the challenges of being an aboriginal minority aren’t entirely the same as being a GLBT minority, we do share some commonalities in that we all want to feel free to be accepted for who we are, everywhere and all the time. I’m looking forward to his exhibition.

Dawn Kress
Art on the Out Side
Regina, SK

Not only is this statement a popular belief held by many paleontologists but it is also the name of a Regina band.  I asked Ila Wenaus, who plays trumpet and synth in the band, why they chose the name.  She explained that it fits with the bands view of life.  She admitted that the seven members of the band are science nerds.  A lot of their songs being based on scientific principles and paradigms.  The band has been very influenced by revolutionary thinkers and major historical events.  One of those major historical events has been the scientific discovery linking birds to dinosaurs.

The name also plays on the evolution of their songs and music.  Ila explained that they usually try to pick a theme for a song first and the end result is a collaborative effort between the band member’s perspective on that theme.  The group brings together an eclectic assortment of musical backgrounds including everything from 80’s hair metal, to instrumental post-rock, hip hop, modern classical and even some latin grooves.

Birds Are Dinosaurs will be debuting their new album at the Distrikt Nightclub Friday, August 28th.  Doors open at 9 p.m. and the opening act is a local band called The Lazy Mk’s.

Dawn Kress

Art on the Out Side

Regina, SK

At 4:30 this morning I found myself driving home through a misty rain with a smile on my face.  Anyone from Saskatchewan can attest to the awful hours one must keep when traveling by plane from the prairies.  This was one of those early morning flights connecting to Calgary with a final destination of Seattle.  I had just said goodbye to my partner of six years.  She will only be gone for a week but this morning driving home in the rain and darkness I missed her already.  I smiled as I thought about the adventure she had embarked on.  The course she is about to take is nothing short of life altering.  There is no doubt in my mind that she will not only return feeling refreshed and renewed but she will have achieved a new level of personal freedom.

I remembered what it felt like when I returned from my first Soltura workshop.  Elated is probably the best description I could give.  No one could possibly wipe that smile off my face that first week I was back.  Even my aloof dog noticed the change in me and was sure to curl up beside me wherever I went.

I look forward to her return although I already know that she will not breath a word of what transpired in those five days.  Even though I will try to pry information from her she will not divulge a thing.  It seems to be that way with anyone who goes to a Soltura workshop.  No one will ever ruin the experience for another person in case they ever decide to attend the workshops for themselves.  All I can say is that its the most unique adventure in personal growth that I have ever had and I recommend it to everyone.  Just for the record, I’m not the only one who has been awe struck by these workshops.  Regina has the largest group of Soltura participants in Canada.

If you’re interested in joining the Regina masses, check out their website for more information at:  www.soltura.org

Dawn Kress

Art on the Out Side

Regina, SK

This weekend I found myself at the most unusual wedding.  It was a ranch wedding complete with a huge tent in lieu of a hall and a bonfire instead of the stereotypical dance.  Sitting around the fire I struck up a conversation with a successful business man.  He began telling me about the lessons he’s learned on his road to success.  He explained that its important to plan out steps but never get attached to any particular outcome or you may be in for a lot of frustration and disappointment.

Interestingly enough this wasn’t the first time I’ve heard this message.  My recent trip to Toronto Pride was a mixture of blessings and disaster.  The trip was well planned but the challenges arose one after the other. For example, my partner who had come along to help me set up my booth ended up getting sick.  The day of the parade it rained long and hard leaving us to battle the water leaking through the tent.  Who would have thought to ensure that the tent was waterproof prior to renting it!  At first I was terribly frustrated and disappointed until I was able to shift my thinking and embrace the many blessings I received despite the fact that the trip didn’t go quite as I had planned.  What stood out for me more than all of these unexpected challenges was the people we met because of them.

A woman who practices Reiki offered to help my partner with her ailments.  Amazingly enough by the following morning my partner was feeling great.  We met another Torontonian who, out of pure kindness, brought us towels and plastic bags to fight the water leakage.  We made interesting friends and business acquaintances that we dined with almost every night.  Despite the challenges, in the end it was the people who made it an incredible experience.

The trip to Toronto Pride was anything than what I had expected.  I worked hard at planning and organizing the trip and it was a difficult lesson for me to realize that attaching outcomes to my work could only lead to disappointment.  Since then, I have become more open to letting things unfold however they need to.  It really puts the adventure back in my business.

Having the courage to step outside of your comfort zone and start along a new path can be challenging but very rewarding at the same time.  Despite the challenges that I have faced and still face today, I do not regret taking the leap.  If you are someone who has been wanting to change your life’s path, whether it be though a career change or otherwise, remember that the challenges that you face along the way will help you to grow and paradoxically, will often become a strength for you in the future.

On a side note, for anyone who has considered going to the Toronto Pride celebration I’d highly recommend it!

Dawn Kress

Art on the Out Side

Regina, SK

Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut wanting to do something different?  You don’t know what you want to do or if you even have the courage or means to do it but you can’t stop thinking that you’d rather be somewhere else.  You brainstorm for a while only to find that you have a good excuse as to why you can’t do any of those things that might possibly lead you out of the rut you’re in and make you happy.  You reason that you can’t afford it, you don’t have enough education and you can’t see yourself back in school, you’re not smart enough or you’re just too old…

A year ago this is where I found myself.  I hated my job in a corporate environment, wishing I could find something that would leave me feeling deeply satisfied with life.  After a quick inventory of my skill set and passions I decided to dust off my pencils and give it a shot.  I had always been artistic as a kid and was able to draw a portrait with a perfect likeness by the age of sixteen.  One thing led to another and I found myself pursuing a career in art.

One of the challenges I faced was to let go of my old corporate habits and social beliefs.  In the beginning I kept putting myself in that familiar corporate box worrying that I didn’t have what was required to be a successful artist.  I tried to confine myself to rigid schedules and somehow fit creativity in a 9 to 5 regime.  This continuous habit of judging myself based on the rules and timelines of the business world left me feeling frustrated and discouraged.  Since then I’ve learned that you cannot put creativity in a box and I don’t fit so well in one either.

Now that I’ve left the safety and security of a 9 to 5 job, I’ve not only begun to learn the fundamentals of creativity 101 but the world has opened up to many new and exciting adventures, challenges and lessons.  If you’re somebody who’s entertained the idea of pursuing your dreams stay tuned for more of these lessons on taking the plunge next week.

Dawn Kress

Art on the Out Side

Regina, SK