I premiered a theatre piece at Perth Fringe World called My Greatest Period Ever this year. It is a synopsis of how I used the principles of the book The Optimised Woman to make music and just live life in general. It was half stories and some theory/facts and half songs that all reflected one of the 4 phases associated with the menstrual cycle.
Menstruating people have 4 phases in a month. As a cyclical creature, you can do whatever you want whenever you want but you have 4 opportunities to make the most of. I do, and I make music much better! As well as life decisions, commitments, relationships etc.
The show sold out and was nominated for several awards.
It took out the Martin Sims Award, quoted by Fringe World to be “the top prize of the Festival, recognising the best new Western Australian work in the Festival that is destined to succeed on the world’s stage.” Wahoo! Still dining out on that. We will either go to the UK or South Africa next year.
One of the songs from the show is ‘Kali’s Lament’ a song I wrote as part of I Heart Songwriting Club. This song has become a proclamation in honour of destruction and the good it can bring. The song is my experience of the pre-menstrual week and how this actually the best time to be creative.
Lots of people experience this time with difficulty and feel like they’ve become a psycho cow. I feel sure that if people were nice to themselves, stopped trying to be all things to all people and gave themselves time to be creative (in the garden or anywhere), then they wouldn’t feel as grumpy! (I’ve scheduled a writing week during my creative/PMS week in Bright, Victoria and have written 3.5 songs yay!)
We can’t be blooming all month.
When you consider what we’re doing on the inside (preparing to tear down the proverbial walls) – I think it marks an opportunity to find some congruence and to express that creatively feels good.
“My Greatest Period Ever is straight-up empowering” – Amnplify
