We Can Be Anything
Things are happening here in Seattle. They’ve been happening for years, but this past weekend, at Norwescon and elsewhere, the tempo picked up speed. A year or two ago, SJ Tucker prophesied, “Someday, people will look back on this time and this Tribe and wonder what it was like to be us.” Last week provided a preview of that future pondering.
So what’s it like to be us? Pretty damn good.
As so often happens, hard times have turned trouble into treasure. Economic upheavals and storms of stupidity have brought out the best… and sometimes the worst… in us all. There have been breakings and partings and tears… and yet, as with Pandora’s infamous box of horrors, there’s a bright and shiny prize at the core. This past weekend, I saw people who’ve spent far too much time in the shadows blaze forth with dazzling intensity. We have no shortage of Shiny in this Tribe of ours, but the wattage just surged these past few days.
The brightest star among us this weekend was Torrey Stenmark, whose Na’Vi make-up dominated the convention. She’s worn the garb before, but seemed to truly live it at Norwescon. She couldn’t take five steps, it seemed, without someone wanting a picture of - or with - her. At one point, a couple of non-con-goers spotted her, squealed “AVATAR!” and gingerly approached to ask Torrey, “Um, do you charge for pictures?” One young woman was celebrating her birthday that night, and she grinned like a Joker henchman as her friend snapped several digital mementos of Torrey and the birthday girl. Torrey had won a couple of awards for her costume that night, but to me that acclaim seemed secondary to the response she got outside the masquerade contest. The highlight, as I understand, came during a moment I missed: Entering a concert-in-progress by Vixy & Tony, Torrey walked in just as they were about to begin the song “Anything” - a song inspired by and dedicated to Torrey herself. Announcing her victory in the costume contest to a packed audience, Torrey (I’m told) received a well-deserved ovation and many intrigued photographers. Following on that, the song itself must have made a lifetime memory for everyone involved. Congratulations, Torrey! You literally shined this weekend, and we love you dearly.
Shanti might not have been blue, but she blazed this past weekend as well. A dancing fixture of our various gigs, she released a preview of her debut album, Fragile Dreams, at Norwescon. Playing to a full crowd - and backed by Sunni, Betsy, and last-minute savior Rob Lindfors - our dear Leannan Sidhe proved how rich the musical element of our Seattle Tribe has become. Selling through her whole run of discs, Shanti had to run out and make more in order to meet the demand. Congratulations, Shanti! Your rising storm is subtle yet clear.
One of my favorite people in the world got his spotlight too this year. Bryan Syme and I met three years ago this past weekend, chatting between panels during my first year as a guest at that convention. A few days earlier, Sandi and I had noticed his art table in the Dealers Room, decked out with bright beasts and supple girls. We’d been impressed with his artwork then, but wound up even more impressed with the man himself. Bryan’s quiet intensity clicked with us both; we wound up talking for hours on Sunday, and became close friends almost instantly. Since then, he’s literally become part of Sandi and me, tattooing us both and illustrating Arpeggio, Ravens in the Library, Goblin Markets and Powerchords. Bryan and his wife Tabitha also share their Monday night gaming group with us - the group that’s turned Sandi into an enthusiastic gamer girl. Bryan’s artwork has been a part of Norwescon for years; this past weekend, though, things really took off. Bryan sold damn near every piece he’d had for sale, enjoyed his first year as a noted pro, and shared his considerable skill and talent with numerous admirers. Congratulations, Bryan! You kick ass, and folks have noticed.
The greatest pleasure this weekend, though, came from seeing my Beloved shine. Sandi has spent years in other people’s shadows, lending her quiet power to more obvious luminaries - me included. This year, though, she made her first major showing as a pro in her own right… and damn, did ever she run with it! From debates about dramatic POV to lessons in open-hearted love, Sandra Damiana Buskirk radiated grace and passion. Her photographic skills made their usual appearance too, but Sandi’s greatest moments set HER near center-stage. Holding her own with longtime pros, Dami impressed people who’d never heard her name before. Congratulations, Beloved! It’s a joy to see you shine.
This Norwescon seemed to be good to almost everyone. Rob Carlos (who astonished us all last year with a literally psychic portrait of Sooj… a person he didn’t know existed) scored a Guest of Honor invitation for a future convention. K Kevin Wily got richly-deserved time in the spotlight for his own achievements. Inky strutted her Baroness bartender stuff, while Tierney and Cat brought Ember Days to the convention. We got to spend time with old friends - James, Jules, Camille, Scotty, Kelly, Beth, Andy, Ogre, Mickey and more - hang with a few happy acquaintances, like Francesca, Jen and Quintus, and make a few new ones, like Liz, Powell, Lee and Gummi Bear. Gummi, in particular, is a treasure. His story is not mine to tell, but the man he is today is proof of the magic we all shared this weekend: the inner magic with which we survive, prosper, and sometimes even shine.
As I’ve so often said, the greatest magic is not some cartoon superpower or infernal art. It’s not a product we buy or a spectacle we watch from afar. In a world where we’re told every day how special we are NOT, magic is the force of what WE CAN BE. It’s the art of changing the reality we are given into the reality we achieve. It’s not easy, it’s not soft, and it’s all too often absent from our lives.
To hell with a lack of such magic in our lives.
In ignorance and fear, we often turn away from our potential, or squander it for someone else’s gain. Especially these days, when well-funded campaigns strive to keep us scared and powerless, that magic seems ephemeral. It’s so easy to lose hope - to surrender up to fear, indulgence and division. But we must NOT surrender. We must stick together, nurture one another, and claim our future from despair. Sometimes, sadly, that means letting people go, losing precious things or habits in the name of greater health. Most of all, though, it means BELIEVING IN YOUR POTENTIAL and CLAIMING YOUR POWER… not taking them as prizes stolen from other people, but recognizing them as legacies you had inside yourself all along.
The other night, Sandi told me, “Denial of joy is not a virtue.” She’s right. This weekend, we shared joy in our Seattle Tribe. Let’s recall that legacy in the months ahead. Let’s carry it, feed it, and illuminate the rest of the world with our light. May we be generous where others remain greedy. May we soar, not alone but in unity.
Like Bowie said, “We can be heroes.” Not for one day, though, nor for one weekend, but for as long as we choose to be.
This past weekend, at Norwescon and elsewhere, our Tribe blazed. Stars awakened. Hopes paid off. Sure, there are luminaries and powers greater than we are. There always will be. But this weekend revealed the incandescence we achieve when love and work pay off. As Vixy sings, “we can be anything.” Artists. Aliens. Dreaming healers. Stars.
Congratulations, everyone. Y’all rock. Thank you for being You.
Even when life feels hard, we live our dreams when we believe it is so.
So what’s it like to be us? Pretty damn good.
As so often happens, hard times have turned trouble into treasure. Economic upheavals and storms of stupidity have brought out the best… and sometimes the worst… in us all. There have been breakings and partings and tears… and yet, as with Pandora’s infamous box of horrors, there’s a bright and shiny prize at the core. This past weekend, I saw people who’ve spent far too much time in the shadows blaze forth with dazzling intensity. We have no shortage of Shiny in this Tribe of ours, but the wattage just surged these past few days.
The brightest star among us this weekend was Torrey Stenmark, whose Na’Vi make-up dominated the convention. She’s worn the garb before, but seemed to truly live it at Norwescon. She couldn’t take five steps, it seemed, without someone wanting a picture of - or with - her. At one point, a couple of non-con-goers spotted her, squealed “AVATAR!” and gingerly approached to ask Torrey, “Um, do you charge for pictures?” One young woman was celebrating her birthday that night, and she grinned like a Joker henchman as her friend snapped several digital mementos of Torrey and the birthday girl. Torrey had won a couple of awards for her costume that night, but to me that acclaim seemed secondary to the response she got outside the masquerade contest. The highlight, as I understand, came during a moment I missed: Entering a concert-in-progress by Vixy & Tony, Torrey walked in just as they were about to begin the song “Anything” - a song inspired by and dedicated to Torrey herself. Announcing her victory in the costume contest to a packed audience, Torrey (I’m told) received a well-deserved ovation and many intrigued photographers. Following on that, the song itself must have made a lifetime memory for everyone involved. Congratulations, Torrey! You literally shined this weekend, and we love you dearly.
Shanti might not have been blue, but she blazed this past weekend as well. A dancing fixture of our various gigs, she released a preview of her debut album, Fragile Dreams, at Norwescon. Playing to a full crowd - and backed by Sunni, Betsy, and last-minute savior Rob Lindfors - our dear Leannan Sidhe proved how rich the musical element of our Seattle Tribe has become. Selling through her whole run of discs, Shanti had to run out and make more in order to meet the demand. Congratulations, Shanti! Your rising storm is subtle yet clear.
One of my favorite people in the world got his spotlight too this year. Bryan Syme and I met three years ago this past weekend, chatting between panels during my first year as a guest at that convention. A few days earlier, Sandi and I had noticed his art table in the Dealers Room, decked out with bright beasts and supple girls. We’d been impressed with his artwork then, but wound up even more impressed with the man himself. Bryan’s quiet intensity clicked with us both; we wound up talking for hours on Sunday, and became close friends almost instantly. Since then, he’s literally become part of Sandi and me, tattooing us both and illustrating Arpeggio, Ravens in the Library, Goblin Markets and Powerchords. Bryan and his wife Tabitha also share their Monday night gaming group with us - the group that’s turned Sandi into an enthusiastic gamer girl. Bryan’s artwork has been a part of Norwescon for years; this past weekend, though, things really took off. Bryan sold damn near every piece he’d had for sale, enjoyed his first year as a noted pro, and shared his considerable skill and talent with numerous admirers. Congratulations, Bryan! You kick ass, and folks have noticed.
The greatest pleasure this weekend, though, came from seeing my Beloved shine. Sandi has spent years in other people’s shadows, lending her quiet power to more obvious luminaries - me included. This year, though, she made her first major showing as a pro in her own right… and damn, did ever she run with it! From debates about dramatic POV to lessons in open-hearted love, Sandra Damiana Buskirk radiated grace and passion. Her photographic skills made their usual appearance too, but Sandi’s greatest moments set HER near center-stage. Holding her own with longtime pros, Dami impressed people who’d never heard her name before. Congratulations, Beloved! It’s a joy to see you shine.
This Norwescon seemed to be good to almost everyone. Rob Carlos (who astonished us all last year with a literally psychic portrait of Sooj… a person he didn’t know existed) scored a Guest of Honor invitation for a future convention. K Kevin Wily got richly-deserved time in the spotlight for his own achievements. Inky strutted her Baroness bartender stuff, while Tierney and Cat brought Ember Days to the convention. We got to spend time with old friends - James, Jules, Camille, Scotty, Kelly, Beth, Andy, Ogre, Mickey and more - hang with a few happy acquaintances, like Francesca, Jen and Quintus, and make a few new ones, like Liz, Powell, Lee and Gummi Bear. Gummi, in particular, is a treasure. His story is not mine to tell, but the man he is today is proof of the magic we all shared this weekend: the inner magic with which we survive, prosper, and sometimes even shine.
As I’ve so often said, the greatest magic is not some cartoon superpower or infernal art. It’s not a product we buy or a spectacle we watch from afar. In a world where we’re told every day how special we are NOT, magic is the force of what WE CAN BE. It’s the art of changing the reality we are given into the reality we achieve. It’s not easy, it’s not soft, and it’s all too often absent from our lives.
To hell with a lack of such magic in our lives.
In ignorance and fear, we often turn away from our potential, or squander it for someone else’s gain. Especially these days, when well-funded campaigns strive to keep us scared and powerless, that magic seems ephemeral. It’s so easy to lose hope - to surrender up to fear, indulgence and division. But we must NOT surrender. We must stick together, nurture one another, and claim our future from despair. Sometimes, sadly, that means letting people go, losing precious things or habits in the name of greater health. Most of all, though, it means BELIEVING IN YOUR POTENTIAL and CLAIMING YOUR POWER… not taking them as prizes stolen from other people, but recognizing them as legacies you had inside yourself all along.
The other night, Sandi told me, “Denial of joy is not a virtue.” She’s right. This weekend, we shared joy in our Seattle Tribe. Let’s recall that legacy in the months ahead. Let’s carry it, feed it, and illuminate the rest of the world with our light. May we be generous where others remain greedy. May we soar, not alone but in unity.
Like Bowie said, “We can be heroes.” Not for one day, though, nor for one weekend, but for as long as we choose to be.
This past weekend, at Norwescon and elsewhere, our Tribe blazed. Stars awakened. Hopes paid off. Sure, there are luminaries and powers greater than we are. There always will be. But this weekend revealed the incandescence we achieve when love and work pay off. As Vixy sings, “we can be anything.” Artists. Aliens. Dreaming healers. Stars.
Congratulations, everyone. Y’all rock. Thank you for being You.
Even when life feels hard, we live our dreams when we believe it is so.