Hi Everyone,
Needless to say, it’s been yet another confusing week as this historic Seismic shift, across our planet, continues to evolve. For those who have always been against the concept of hate (of any kind) record numbers show that these are also such revealing days too.
While politics may have been the initial trigger, it is clear to those who have always embraced truth, inclusiveness and human empathy, that something far bigger, if not perhaps even ultimately transcendent, is at play. Thousands of you have risen up an taken to the streets. I stand with you in solidarity. Well, metaphorically at least. But there’s the rub and at the center of my little story, here.
For those of us who are in the (a-hem) last chapters of our lives…who think we can only watch? Well, read on!
As a long-time activist, beginning in the 60’s. I’ve been increasingly grappling with my own personal limitations and the fact that demonstration is, just in the physicalness of it all… indeed, a young(er) person’s fight. After all, when the chips finally land where they may, this is the world they will inherit, not me-- as I move on to whatever my personal destiny is. At least that's what I told myself.
Increasingly, after years of trying my best to spread the news about the enormous power of personal creativity, I’ve recently been asking God, if I’d done enough?
See, when I left the airwaves after an almost legendary decade-long run, I was exhausted, and emotionally spent. Mind you, NOT because of doing the actual work. That was a blessing, a privilege and an honor.
No. It was untimely the toll of being behind the entertainment iron curtain, well before the internet offered new choices and transparencies, today’s performers now enjoy. My observing how its then-toxic microcosm cocktail of fame, covert temptations and greed had, over time, seeped into the lives of many around me, saddened my heart deeply.
In an environment of dishonesty, cruel manipulation and continual distortion, the division between ethics and justifying ratings had already become so blurry that the line was indistinguishable. So, I quietly said bah-bye now.
Yet, even then, it didn’t take much forethought to see its trajectory. One that sadly, is playing out right now, as I sit here sharing with you here and in my last book RIGHTSIZE UP.
Anyway…point is, Increasingly I’ve been wrestling with God, asking him point blank, “Are you done with me? Is this still MY war to fight or have I accrued enough points to sit this one out?”
The answer came quick, of course, in the gut of my stomach. ---that toxic perfect storm kind of feeling ---somewhere between fear, denial and guilt…I hate when that happens! Dang! Like it or not we are responsible for the light we ask for.
So, very long story short, I began to blindly build yet another ark (don’t ask…it’s a longstanding habit I have of flinging myself off preverbal cliffs).
I blindly took a retail space (which I shared with you all). It was something which I could ill afford, but it mimicked what I’d once done 30 years ago in Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
The old “build it and see what happens” is great in your late 30s. But now in my mid 60s? OMG! Just the sheer physicality of it was a challenge and I’m in relatively good shape…FOR MY AGE.
So, I built another "ark" and named it Lifestyle Lab.
I knew it was about personal creativity and I’d even booked classes thinking that, like in Chagrin Falls, that’s what I was SUPPOSED to do. Sold out. Yay!
Then…Bam! COVID hit. Boo!
Classes canceled. Rent’s due. The abyss looms. Son of a b…%$#@
The good news was, I thought maybe God had, in fact, given me my free-pass answer, saying, “LOL, just testing kiddo, good work in the faith department. Nah, you may go.”
I therefore, turned out the lights in the now completed studio. I went home, replied to all my potential students and simply pretended that it didn’t exist at all… lalalalalal!
Out came the kitchen Aid, and on went the oven! I’m Italian. So when in doubt, cook!
It would be another few weeks of overeating and binge watching until it came to me that all efforts and hard labor in this new studio may, in fact, not be in vain? They weren’t being crushed BECAUSE of COVID, but in fact, maybe it was being made ready FOR COVID? Wait! What?
As I was visiting with my friends, Netflix, Hulu and Prime, it was suddenly made clear to me that if ever there was a time for me to lend my quirky little ‘you-can-do-it' voice, maybe it was now?
But how? It would be ridiculous to preach to an empty studio—I’m crazy but I’m NOT insane. "I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille?"
“OK,” I said to myself, "I’ll do video blogs.” Um, yeah, that’s a swell idea, when suddenly anyone with a smart phone is shooting impassioned segments in front of (very ugly) bookcases. OMG! ….merchandize people!
PLEASE DON'T GET ME WRONG. I love that we're embracing social media as a communal connection device now. But how about a few positive "HOPE" stories too?
Fast Forward: The minute I put it out into the universe, I ended up in a meeting with a friend, who was in sales at a local Network TV station.
I asked, “Are we missing the ball here? Shouldn’t we be doing more positive stuff than just covering the conflict? Maybe we need to think more counter intuitive?”
Well evidently, God had trodden into that board room right behind me.
I said, “Look, for what it's worth, I’ll partner with the Network and lend the CL voice if you think we can get a few spots on air as part of the daily news broadcast. I’ll even executive produce the whole thing too, as long as they’re not political and simply offer a few productive tips that can inspire, keep folks a little safer, prompt a little giggle or two and more importantly, remind folks of the enormous power of their inherent personal creativity…then I’m in!” I heard my breath, that's a big "ask" for a network.
They said YES! And they said YES without skipping a beat.
I got in my car, looked up through my sunroof and said “Oh, I get what you’re doing here!” Give you the tools!
We quickly put together a local crew. Great people who were totally into the “cause.”
Drumroll Please:
On Thursday June 4th, on-camera...for the first time in almost 18 years, I uttered the words, “Hi everybody, I’m Christopher Lowell.” For another historic moment in time there I was, much as I’d done for Discovery Channel, during 9/11. Major goosebumps!
(Just another example that Where There's Fear, There Is No Creativity!)
SO...once they’re finished being edited, I’ll post a link where you all can view them.
No! This does not mean I’m making a comeback nor that I’ll ever do another ‘conventional’ TV series again. Been there--done that.
However, if you like what you see, (not me, OMG! Binge eating much???) I mean the “content,” and are willing to do your part by spreading a little moment of hope with the link I’ll provide, then, if you like them, I’ll do them. Deal? It’s up to your response. If you like them, then we can make more. If you don't? I'm still good with the guy in the sky!
These new spots are due to air in early July and if you're already part of our christopherlowellhome.com family you’ll get the news first plus a few extras.
So “The upshot” here? (other than, ‘please be kind, I’m not a spring chicken anymore’?) is simply this:
God is NEVER through with us! EVER!
So there ya have it.
Have a good week. Dial down the fear noise. (By now, you should know how to stay safer).
Instead, dial up the kindness and try to be the light in the room even if you're the only one. Remember it's not about "sides" it's about LOVE.
Stay busy and productive my fellow warriors of creativity!
We can do it!
Later,
CL