Color Me Feliz: Catching up with Carrie Klewin
There is so much more color in my life.
Thanks to Spain.
Thanks to the artists here that create beautiful clothes,and jewelry, and paintings, and art.
Art everywhere.
Art on the street, theatre in the streets, dancing in thestreet, in the parks and plazas…
Playgrounds that spark the imagination. (Oh how the kidswill suffer with the homogeneous choices available in the US…)
Parks. Glorious parks with fountains and statues.
A giant menina, an international symbol of Madrid, in the Three Kings parade
And the people here, mostly military spouses from around theworld, that flood my world with rainbows of personalities, cultural exchanges,and friendship.
I live in a kaleidoscope. Fragmented pieces of color thatdance and blend, creating irreplaceable pictures.
I have been forever changed.
We managed to take a trip back to the states over Christmas.
Carrie and family in Orange County, CA
It was surreal. I was overwhelmed with the wide-open spaces and the overflowing stores. I returned to Spain even more appreciative of the lifestyle we have here, and the opportunities for intercultural exchange.
The clock ticks toward the end of our adventures here.
You may recall that I once had an awake daydream about living in Spain, and more than 20 years later it came true. This may be fate or destiny or just sheer luck, but these three years have activated in me a deep desire to create and to connect.
I want to absorb all of the pieces of this kaleidoscopic country.
My curiosity grows with every road trip, with every meal shared amongst friends, with every new phrase learned.
I continue to teach at the Transforming Arts Institute (TAI)university here, although this next year will be a new challenge for me teaching the class in Spanish since the program has changed from mastering acting in English to bilingual, to now strictly Castellan. I’m looking forward to the challenge, and have applied for a FLO personal development grant to fund tutoring to support my Spanish-language tutoring that I’m sure will be necessary and helpful to the process.
Carrie teaching acting skills in English to young Spanish students
I have been fortunate to teach a variety of theatre classesfor the International Institute of Madrid. The students have taught me a lotabout the local theatre scene, and about the perspective of American theatrehere in Spain.
American Space asked me to give a workshop for a youngtheatre group that adapts contemporary stories, using theatre to strengthen theirEnglish skills.
Along with teaching a variety of acting classes andworkshops, I also started a monthly cooking class for international militaryspouses. It’s a source of indescribable joy. All of the spouses take turnssharing culturally rich recipes from their home countries. - exchanging tricksand tips for creating beautiful food.
We are heading into our fourth and final year here in Madrid. The clock ticks towards the final countdown. The sabbatical wanes.
I’m already feeling the panic. What will I do when we go“home”? And where will “home” be?
Let’s be real here for a minute. Life is still happening.Three small kids need constant attention, which for an artist can be draining –to the point of not having enough surplus energy to create. You take your lifewith you wherever you go.
But there have still been surges in creativity.
Pirate themed birthday preparations with handcrafted pirate ship and attack dinghy
I’ve also been putting my theatrical expertise to work whilediplomating by creating themed parties. I like to think of them as immersivetheatre. We have hosted a couple of rowdy Halloween parties.
And for my birthday this year, we planned a prohibition, suffragettes speak-easy, complete with secret entrance and password entry. These are all parts of my artistic personality, and it has been great fun putting the new skills into play with the old ones.
On a more professional level…
How to Teach a Play,
available in January 2020
I will be published in a book in January.
It’s a collection of practical exercises to use in theclassroom when teaching plays. I’m honored to have been chosen to contributeand am really looking forward to reviewing the other submissions from mytalented colleagues.
And finally, I managed to execute a large portion of theStage Directing Resources website that has been sitting on the top of my to-dolist for a few years. It’s still under construction, but making this kind ofheadway has led to a few exciting conversations about potential collaborationsin the future.
I gather pieces for the kaleidoscope of my life in my hands,in my memories. I plant them in my children.
The clock is ticking.
The mental preparation for the next move is alreadyhappening, the shift is subtle but ever present. I wonder what toll will ittake? How long will it take to be settled again in a new community? How willanother move affect my need to create and share stories about bettering theworld.
Carrie and family at Sanfermines
in
Pamplona, Spain
Do I have more answers now?
I think the answer is yes.
Because there is so much more color in my world now.
P.S. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to reflect for the past three years on my experience as an artist living abroad. I haven’t been able to journal very much recently, so this has been an awesome opportunity to reflect on my time here, and consider my plans for the future…
xo ~Carrie Klewin