Tripping the Light Fantastic Many years ago I came across the phrase, "once a junkie, always a junkie." It meant that even though you may have cleaned up, on some level you are still addicted to heroin. There is an element of truth in it and I'd like to apply it to being a dancer, artist, writer, poet, musician. Because I think some things in your life change the way you see the world. As a student once told me, "I've got The Eye." I don't know if that deserves caps, but like a mystic taking the path into deeper and darker realms the shadings that you develop in observing the world can not be dropped and left behind. It's in your system or DNA or neural pathways; whatever you want to call it. Once you begin exploring a level of art-making, especially if you are creating a type of art-making you begin to shape a "belief system" (I need a better word, gestalt?) that you weigh and judge other attempts at the craft. When you first begin you create a standard at which you set a mark, then as you become more deeply entrenched you realize that there are broader definitions of the areas you work in. And yet, once you've begun: you can't walk away. Let's say you are a visual artist, perhaps photography. You learn about composition, framing, color rendering, lighting and all the other bits and pieces of the craft. Then, let's say, you drop it! You decide to have babies, gain 40 pounds, you are surrounded by laundry and dirty dishes and yesterday's lunch boxes. Ten years go by. You still have The Eye. You've been tainted, scarred, tattooed, branded - use any term you like, you can't shake those prior experiences. You - are - still - an - artist. Once a dancer, always a dancer. 50 years old, flat feet, graying hair and a grandmother - you watch a movie like Dreamgirls or Chicago and you still mentally critique the level of technique, question if it's successful, does it "work." You can walk away but you can't leave it behind. You may not be writing poetry or acting on the stage or playing the piano any more -- you are still what you are: an artist at heart. Happy Valentine's Day to all my lovely artists ... I still believe in you.