The thought of giving light and dark equal billing is fascinating to me, because when you think about it, where would they be without each other?
by Guy Camilleri
Now that our clocks have been set forward, living in Venice has just gotten that much better due to an extra hour of light, aka Sunshine! This additional time to revel in the sun is significant to me because, at heart, I’m an outdoors kind of guy. Well actually, I need to be outdoors on a regular basis or else a cloud of darkness finds it’s way into my mind and body.
But with the Spring Equinox on its way, I’m already adjusting my schedule for evening surf sessions, paddle tennis and walks on the beach. Then on Tuesday, March 20th, night and day (dark/light) will be given its day so to speak when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of night and day are nearly equal.
The thought of giving light and dark equal billing is fascinating to me, because when you think about it, where would they be without each other? How would we differentiate light without dark or a foreground without a background?
And, just to check in, are you aware of how light and dark advance and retreat in your life and what effect, if any, does it play on your mood?
Personally, if I don’t administer a daily dose of light to me on a regular basis, I find myself slipping into a state of negativity (darkness). This negativity manifests itself as a form of Resistance, and before you know it, I’m in the loop of rejecting the very things that keep me in a state of joy (light).
But then again, if it weren’t for Resistance, what would we have to compare the joy we experience when in the light against the experience we have when a cloud of negativity (dark) hovers above us.
In my line of work (actor, acting coach, and poet), we encourage each other, and we are invited to become consciously aware of what we are experiencing at the moment, be it light or dark, or when the two coincide (laughing/crying).
This type of practice is liberating because we can label the feelings while experiencing them thoroughly without forming an attachment to them and then falling into the trap of trying to play any kind of end result.
Ultimately, this practice is to discover if those feelings are in service to the immediate task at hand, the writer’s words, director’s vision and our artistic vision. If they are, then that momentum usually can plow through the negativity to reunite with joy on the other side.
Once back in the groove we can witness light and dark walk hand in hand into the sunset, only to start all over again, tomorrow!
Guy Camilleri is a Venice-based actor, acting coach, and poet. He teaches regular classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings at the Electric Lodge, in Venice. His private coaching specializes in creating characters for film, television and stage, audition preparation, self-taped auditions, original reels and career consultation. To audit, enroll in a class or book a coaching session, go to www.guycamilleri.com. Follow Guy on Instagram @guy-camilleri and Facebook.
