The House of Ash

At our last COTE Ensemble meeting we spoke of our New Years Resolutions and how when you put them up on a social networking site or a blog, you're holding yourself publicly accountable to get it done. So, here we go...

... Holding myself publicly accountable:

listen more/see more/write more/continue to watch COTE take on a life of its own and flourish/continue to watch PGPC take on a life of its own and flourish/get smart(er) about finances/start learning an instrument (piano and guitar)/exhibit photography/read the classics/read more fiction/read EVEN more nonfiction/voice lessons/book Law and Order: SVU/do an arts and theatre rehabilitation program with incarcerated people/create work that encourages thoughtful dialogue/get back in touch with good friends from yonder years/rid myself of unhealthy and dead relationships/create my own "1000 places to see before you die"- blog it/finish a collection of short plays/once and for all - do something with this blog/step it up - work off broadway and regionally/ stop being afraid to ask for more $$$/attempt to see all of the work and shows my friends are doing/workshop new pieces/study psychoanalysis/finish all my sentences/challenge myself/associate with people who challenge me/work with the Culture Project/finish reading all of the books in my current library/host a "dinner party" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dinner_Party)/do my part to see more women empowered and more positively represented in the theatre world/ have a vegetable garden/study Arabic and Italian/be more present/post 1 blog entry per week/Stop cussing... use more colorful vocabulary (though the occasional "fuck" is totally fine)/find and join political group that's actually doing something - be active/work on my relationship with food and my body/assign specific times in the day to do e-mail and phone business so it doesn't take over my life/be more physically active/ let her go/let them go/ lose iphone addiction/be more present/learn about astronomy/learn about astrology and what the hell "birth signs" actually mean/travel to 3 new places I've never been before

and the longer reaching stuff:

own a feminist-progressive book store and cupcake shop/direct and-or write a play that starts a revolution (or at least a riot)/get a cedar tree tattoo/run a groundbreaking cultural organization/have an art or photography installation at a gallery or museum/visit the "1000 places to see before you die" (according to the 2007 edition of the book...apparently there is a new edition every few years)/grow my hair super long and then shave it all off and allow it to grow back in its natural color without ever dying it again/foster cats/adopt a child/be part of the movement that ends violence against women


That's all for now.

Happy New Year!

My OCD, list making and workaholic nature go in hyper mode this time of year... New Year, Birthday etc...

As we approach the end of 2010, I like to take a look at my 2010 resolutions and see what was NOT done. I've managed to cross out the things I accomplished this year and revisit some of the others for 2011. Of course, many of these things cannot be done by one person alone and are parts of a larger goal for which my work (and activists fighting for peace, equality and justice) must address. As for the things I didn't get to (doing SOMETHING with this blog) well, it will happen in 2011.

Lose 20 pounds; See Co-Op Theatre East grow and flourish; See more shows that my friends are in or part of; Be more assertive in relationships and financially; Dance; Stop allowing distorted views and expectations of "femininity" dictate the way I see myself; Write; See GirlPower take on a life of its own; Visit a new museum each month; Make theatre that changes and inspires people; Create work that encourages thoughtful dialogue; See all of my friends/colleagues achieve their dreams; Be present; Perfect my Arabic; Stay inspired; See more women directors and playwrights represented in the commerical theatre world; Be more diligent about responding to e-mails in a timely manner; Finish "What to do in case you miss the Rapture"; Spend more time out doors; Learn how to love my body and stop criticizing it; Shoot more photos;Do something with my blog; Read the books I haven't read on my bookshelf; Start research project on young competitive dancers; Visit places that I've never been; Stop cursing... use more colorful vocabulary; Get rid of clutter; Post one tweet a day for COTE (@cooptheatreeast); Perfect what sometimes feels like lackluster listening skills; More funding for the arts and small theatre companies; End Violence Against Women; More action/Less talk all around.

The "body" stuff is interesting to reflect back on because while I haven't lost 20 pounds, I am working on a much healthier mental approach to body image issues. I still have a ways to go. Hopefully I can continue to adopt healthier eating habits in 2011 and beyond.

...and while we're at it, let's take a look at random life aspirations from 2009. (http://ashley-marinaccio.blogspot.com/2008/06/random-life-aspirations.html). 95% which I hope to still do. Gotta make a few of these things happen in 2011, starting with finishing all those books on my shelf. =) Perhaps, I will end the year getting rid of the clutter.

Mom - Oh yeah, I have an autographed copy of Abbie Hoffman's book, Steal this Book...

Ashley- Wait. WHA? How?

Mom - I went to his book signing up near Columbia, right before the big anti-war march in DC

Ashley- Why didn't you tell me any of this?

Mom- You never asked

Ashley - Ma, you were so cool...