Keep at It

**A little August Inspiration!

Just Dance

** Don't stop laughing, don't stop dancing, don't stop being inspired.
This is YOUR life - make it count! You're alive...so get up, and DANCE :))

Imperial Dreams

Before English John Boyega reached super stardom in 2015 with the American franchise ’Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ as one of the main characters; he was the leading man in an independent film called ‘Imperial Dreams’in 2014. Garnering 2 nominations and another 10 wins that year, this Drama really shed light on the struggles of young African-American men who live in the ghetto. Boyega’s journey stirs the audience, feeds them inspiration and builds immense vitality when we see how courageous he really is! 

Written and directed by Malik Vitthal, and starring also the multi-talented KeKe Palmer, this film has a lot of punch and isn’t the usual conclusion. The ending was a bit abrupt for me, and it was a bit reminiscent of 'The Pursuit of Happiness' starring  Will Smith and his son Jayden Smith, but all in all, it was good to see more of a positive story coming from public squalor.

Another one down in the 'Netflix Originals' books!

Under the Shadow

‘Under the Shadow’ Dramatic/Horror of 2016 was Superb! Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards and another 9 nominations and 11 wins that year, it’s easy to see that I wasn’t the only fan of Iranian/British Writer/Director Babak Anvari.

This was Anvari’s first Feature Film and it was absolutely Fantastic! The story in it self was very simply told but was woven together by many symbolic and key elements that helped the audience not only relate to but also invest and root for the stories’ main characters. Set in Iran during the 1980’s and filmed in Jordan, the struggle to keep fear and anxiety away during a repressive and never-ending war, was enough to put any person in their right mind ‘on-edge’. 

Beautifully shot, and framed with simple camera movements, Anvari made it wonderfully easy for the believability of terror to slowly creep into viewers’ minds. I loved the quiet moments and close shots and I found that even though the story was quite simple, it was also sensationally terrifying and those are qualities every filmmaker who wants to evoke any emotion (in this case fear) would aim to achieve! It’s always about the story! After that, the pacing, the acting, and the execution of crucial moments puts it all in perspective.

Kudos Anvari! Thanks for your inspiration!

Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing

**So you've fallen, and you scraped your knee...don't worry...you're gonna' heal just fine! Trust the experience...trust the journey...everything's gonna' be alright :) Enjoy the words of Stevie Wonder xx

Find Your Way

**A Little Inspiration today ... You WILL find your way ... don't give up xx

Inspiration

Every now and then we are touched with wonderful inspiration. It comes in the form of many things, a smile, a song, an experience - and sometimes in the form of great articles. This story comes as great a time as any and speaks of a young teenaged boy from a rural town in Sierra-Leone who only receives electricity once a week and because of his pro-activeness, dedication and hope for a better life, a bigger dream - he taught himself to make positive changes. Be a part of this movement - pass it on - inspiration for a better world! :))

You are Enough - Cold Tangerines

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the book or play ‘Cold Tangerines’ you may want to read on a bit further. ‘Cold Tangerines’ is about celebrating the extraordinary nature of everyday life; or in other words capturing, embracing and realizing all moments within your life that you deem to be non-spiritual are actually quite spiritual after all.

Based on the book written by Shauna Niequist whose inspiration was to bring hope to those heartbroken, bored and unsatisfied this collection of stories was adapted into a play by my dear and talented friend Lynn Downey Braswell. After 3 years of writing and re-writing, having script readings and loads of discussion over coffee, Lynn was able to transform this story into every woman’s story - celebrating the beauty of everyday life and in turn offering courage, strength and healing.

If this noble yet empowering project isn’t tickling your fancy at this point you may just need to attend the play yourself which runs from May 30th till June 29th of this year. If you feel that you’re a ‘Bom-chicka-wow-wow’ chick whose got it all together all the time but know someone that may benefit from this lovely play then help by donating or spreading the word.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/littlecandle/cold-tangerines-the-play

Producer Betsy Roth, Director Karissa McKinney and Playwright Lynn Downey Braswell continue to enjoy the journey of bringing this life-changing story to life to all of us. The message being one of ‘YOU ARE ENOUGH’, enjoy this creative gift; be inspired; and help these young ladies bring one of their many dreams to healthy fruition. For more information feel free to visit: wwww.littlecandleproductions.com  or  www.facebook.com/ColdTangerinesThePlay@ColdTangThePlay.