We all have a greater purpose in life. It is more than just survival. We all have dreams. Some lost. Some fulfilled. Some on the horizon. Part of the pull inside each one of us is to find our “Ikigai” in this lifetime.
What is Ikigai? Ikigai is the Japanese word for our “Reason for Being.” It is what drives the spirit. It is that soul call within, unique to each of us. It is that reason that inspires our will to live, to express, to serve, to grow and to flourish.
We reach our Ikigai when we combine 4 powerful, driving-force elements: 1.) What we are passionate about. 2.) What we are good at. 3.) What the world needs. And 4.) What we can get rewarded for. Some of us have one, two or three of these combinations. But when these 4 elements come together under one sun, we have found our unique purpose for being alive, for why we were put on this earth.
I know that my own Ikigai lies somewhere in the realm of helping others to find their own. The arts provides me the way. And more specifically, theatre provides the medium.
In this fully original, intimate and interactive theatre workshop and eventual performance, we will together explore the concept of Ikigai, use it to create powerful, personal and engaging theatre, and then share it with both a live, local audience in Los Angeles, California as well as a national and international audience via live-stream.
Your donation (in any amount) will not only help to pay for the costs of the event (and earn my eternal gratitude) but will also give you (and whomever you wish) personal access to the live-stream performance in August (at a date and time to be announced soon.)
In addition, 10% of all donations will go to VetZero, an organization that helps veterans in need. My best friend from summer camp back in the late 80s during my undergraduate days, Tommy Zurhellen, an English professor at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, walked 2,866 miles across America alone in the summer of 2019, to raise awareness on veteran suicide and veteran homelessness in our country. Go to www.VeteranZero.org for more information on this amazing organization, to donate directly and/or to order the limited addition of Tommy's book chronicling this incredible adventure called, THE LOW ROAD-Walking the Walk for Veterans.
In a time when the world is waking again to a new day, people are yearning to reconnect to others. The hibernation is over but our often-painful isolation gave us much time to ask ourselves what really matters. I am hoping that this performance is inspiring to all who participate in it, in any way of their choosing. We are an interconnected world. And every ounce of energy and compassion goes a long way.
To me personally, theatre is the hope in the heart that gives me a reason to get up in the morning. And my wish is that in some small way, this project, culminating in a performance that you can attend from near and far, gives you even just a tiny light of inspiration that helps to ignite your own fire. I want to encourage your own desire to be of service to the world, your own drive to take care of your family, your friends, your community and your life and perhaps even help you along the way in discovering your own Ikigai.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for whatever contribution you can make.
Warm and Loving Regards,
Josh G.
