The Kleptomaniac's Guide to Recovery

Melania Trump

Must I say more? Poor Melania has been the crux of many jokes this past week, as uncanny similarities were seen between her speech at the Republican National Convention and Michelle Obama's speech four years ago. Rather than adding insult to injury, I'm just going to point out a very, very important lesson from this whole debacle:  it is incredibly important to give credit where it's due, when it's due.

Like other recovering kleptomaniacs out there, I've done my fair share of stealing. On (very rare) occasions, I've stolen things simply because I enjoy testing the system. In writing for this blog alone, I know I have taken lyrics from songs and morphed them this way and that to prove a point, sometimes giving recognition where it's due, but not in a systematic or consistent way. I think Melania's mishap is a reminder that we must always respect ownership, whether it be ownership of an idea (citation) or the ownership of an item (payment).

This past week, I've had a slew of songs coursing through my brain. I am going share lyrics from these songs and take this opportunity to cite as best I can. Care to sing along with me?

 "All I need is someone beside me to have and to hold, someone to love me as we grow older." ¹ 

"Born on the opposite sides of the sea, we are as different as people can be."²

"Your looks are laughable, unphotographable, but you're my favorite work of art."  ³ 

"I realize all my blessings; I'm grateful to have you by my side."⁴

Oh look, I quoted all love songs. Love songs have been prattling along in my brain and on occasion passing through my lips. Perhaps it's because most songs are love songs (an educated guess) or perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I'm falling in love? Regardless of your interpretation, he is really knowledgable in the kitchen.

The Business of Recognition

Growing up, I never considered how important it was to buy the CD, single, DVD, rights. In my head, I was just a girl earning $5.35 at Baskin Robbins, and you were a multi-million dollar maker, looking for a bit more cash to exploit. The more and more I experience as an artist, however, the more I veer away from that naive view towards the arts. 

I'd like to say that I perform for a living. However, I spend a lot of my time applying for profit share or free productions, simply because there is a lack of funding in the arts. As your groceries are food for your stomach, your experience of art is food for your soul. I remember thinking, "why should I buy this album when I'm not sure I'm going to like it?" When you order at a restaurant, you always take that gamble. Artists can't just dish out and settle a fee post-hoc, depending on how much the art was appreciated.

Who among us doesn't listen to the radio, or watch the tele, films, or youtube every single day? The input of intellectual, musical and artistic ideas is everywhere, and yet it is not universally appreciated. These people who create substantial ideas cannot eat on praise or popularity. Moreover, the most popular celebrities should not be exploited as a means for money.

Last night, I had the privilege of watching a documentary on Amy Winehouse. The docu highlighted her introversion, her unsettled childhood, her love of jazz and raw lyrics, and her undesired rise to fame. In interviews after the release of her first (lesser known) album, she said she just wanted to write music; she didn't want to become famous because she wouldn't know how to deal with it. A handful of years later, as "Rehab" brought her international fame, her life spiraled into a cycle of drug and alcohol abuse, perpetuated by the incessant probing of paparazzi and social speculation and ridicule. Through her substance abuse, she showed that her self-understanding came to fruition. She really didn't know how to deal with fame, and nobody in her inner circle provided her the support and advice that she needed to survive.⁶

There are so many lessons to be learned in life, and I am perpetually learning and gaining and changing and growing (that sounds like a Sondheim lyric, and if it was, I would've cited properly, I promise). I guess the main lesson I practiced here was to veer conversation away from your potential boyfriend so people forget that you referred to him earlier in the blog.


Peace out, Young Lovers⁷