Chasing New

San Francisco, CA | January 5, 2023 | By Alexandra Meda

In the spirit of pushing against the new year, new me, without fully honoring and holding on to what was already great about old me, my brain can’t turn off a memory that is leading to a million and one thoughts.“We are designed to repeat our mistakes until we fully learn the lesson,” a former friend and colleague once said in an attempt to console me as I whined about being in the same situation for the third time in the last five years. And to this day, I carry that with me and do believe that until we fully process a lesson and activate a change-- we are bound to repeat the same mistakes. And this is precisely the cost of not reflecting and honoring what we have gained and learned and grown— especially after a long, hard year.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom— repetition is not so bad, huh? We know something is inherently powerful about repetition, right? We hear it all the time-- a habit takes 14 or 21 days to form; it takes practice, practice, practice, etc. But how do we harness that power before it drowns us and we burn out?

How do we gain a little control over these larger-than-life experiences that sculpt and possibly even scar us forever?  Is that what building practice is? Learning from mistakes and building a method to transform that is repeatable? Teachable even? How many of us spend the time required to implement that change? In our constant chasing of new and novel, have we unincentivized the magic of trying something out until it is the opposite of overwhelming or challenging-- until it is as natural as muscle memory?

All of that leads me to wonder, what is NEW?  Is it that feeling after you take a shower? Or get so buzzed from encountering a new idea or a new song? Or is NEW being rebellious and saying fuck you to what came before in any shape or form? I know I am always chasing new. New Artists. New Plays. New Ideas. New Forms. New Processes. Something that tickles. Something that rings true. Something that feels from the future but of this moment, and maybe most likely profoundly historical. It helps me feel essential and as if I have a real purpose. For some, the draw of new might be the cool factor; for others, it's simply an opportunity to be first. This is why we consider Luna a place for exploration and development. A place of constant trying. A place where we know failing will also be pretty constant too. Luna is a place designed to expose an idea before it is ready. 

After twenty-three years of trying new, I don’t think I or we are so much searching for new as in new-new. For now, we are learning that it is enough, more than enough, to be in a place of detailed finesse. Focused on adding nuanced layers on top of what we know-know.

This is how we begin to recognize where we have built expertise. Expertise doesn’t come overnight, but it also can sneak up on you, requiring a mindset change to wield with proper potency. So continuing to use Luna as an example here, our challenge has been how to tell the story of how we became experts at collaboration of all forms while we were building original performances for the last 23 years. But first, we had to understand that we had become collaboration experts-- does that make sense? We had to remind ourselves of the value in our bones because we have been internally experimenting with and honing something for over two decades.

That something is the basic and obvious truth: time is inherently valuable. And in turn, repeated mistakes also have value because they taught us significant lessons that we can now share so others don’t have to repeat them on their own. 

It is hard to articulate the depth of learning -- but with the right storytelling, you can unpack for someone else-- the value you hold because of how and what you have invested in. So here is my attempt: we have learned how to build and sustain teams over long periods. We have also gleaned that changeover in your surroundings, your team, your inspiration points, and your processes is necessary and must be deeply planned as part of the team-building process. What has a sunrise must also have a sunset-- and it's best if you are a part of building that sunset instead of just having the lights go out. 

This thinking and reflection required to arrive at the most simple way to communicate what we offer and how it should be valued does take a lot of time. So, let this be your reminder: take the time for yourself to reflect.

Can you think about an area in your life at that phase— The tipping point? At the very edge of transformation? At the place of turning a true expert? Being an expert doesn't mean having all the answers-- it just means the ability, because of previous experience to cope, survive, adapt, navigate, to pivot without breaking. Write about that. Poke at it. Because at a certain point, we must transition and differentiate where we have built expertise and where we are instead focused on nurturing continued learning—a deepening vs. a broadening space. I think Luna is in a place of deepening for 2023. We are building layers on years of learning rather than clearing the slate and exclaiming, “ new year, new me.” So, Where are you? 

If you need help and support in navigating your creative practice, crafting the narrative for a project at work, or are seeking work and need to tell your story better, get involved with our replays and our upcoming courses. Or, simply reach out for some cheerleading by emailing us.