In 2021, I spent a semester training at The Second City in Chicago. For a number of reasons, it wasn't the fantasy funny girl fall I had in mind, but through the ups and downs I learned one thing for certain: I LOVE making people laugh.
I'll never forget my first day of class. I sat down on the big wooden steps in the Training Centre, looked up, and immediately saw Catherine O'Hara's headshot smiling down at me. All the usual suspects were there: Eugene Levy, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, GILDA - but Catherine O'Hara took the cake for me.
Every day, no matter how scared I was to walk into that classroom, I'd look up at Canada's Queen of Comedy and remind myself that everyone was a beginner once: even Catherine. Big growth comes from big swings and, if I ever wanted to achieve my dreams, I had to run towards the danger.
Near the end of my Chicago adventure, Catherine O'Hara was honored at the Governor General's Awards. Noah Reid sang a cover of 'A Case of You' and Catherine's reaction was so stunning and pure. I saw a woman who loved deeply, took risks, and had an absolute riot along the way.
Watching her career retrospective gave me so much hope. She wasn't in every movie or TV show and her path was anything but linear, and yet every single role she played was iconic and undeniably HERS. Her work was fearless and authentic and unhinged. The Queen of the Lady Goblins. There was truly no one else like her.
If I could have even a quarter of the career she had, I'd be over the moon. Her path reminds me that there is space in this world for the Lady Goblins: the bold, the brave, the utterly ridiculous. I've carried Catherine in my heart since that semester in Chicago and I know I will carry her with me forever.
Thank you for everything. I wish I could have told you in-person. 💖
#catherineohara
Anxiety and I have had a relationship for years and I'm proud to say that my anxiety has never been more well held than it has been in this past 11 months.
Much like when you finish reorganizing a corner in your home that's not functioning, your eye will find the next project that needs work. And the work of anxiety (and mental health) is never done.
I've worked so hard on myself and I still feel like I come up short. Multiple concussions have taught me to be abundantly present and to draw boundaries to protect my sensitivity and empathy. This week, I've been reminded that you can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try.
But here's the beautiful part: even when you're being way too hard on yourself, there will always be people there to remind you that you are loved and right on track. I guarantee you that there are so many more people in the world than you even realize who are SO grateful you exist exactly as you are.
So yeah: you can't please everyone. And that sucks. But trust me when I tell you that you are doing great and you are more than enough.
And if all else fails, you can still put on a rhinestone top, hit the karaoke bar, and belt out some Lion King with your friends.
It helps. Trust me. 🫶
Goshhh this song means the world to me. I don't know how Waiting on an Angel entered my life, but for over a decade, it's been an absolute mainstay for me. ✨
I remember a music director in Seattle pulling out an old guitar at a callback and asking if I could play and sing something for them. This was this first song that came to mind - not because I thought it was what they wanted to hear, but because it made me feel at home in myself.
Certain songs become "touch trees" in your life: when you hear the opening chords or let the melody move through you, there's a sense of recognition - not only of the person you were when that song first touched you, but also of the places you've travelled and how much you've grown.
I recognize myself every time I sing this song and, stumbling across this clip today, I feel affirmed in how important it will always be to me.
Thank you for the music, @benharper . 🫶
Caught in my natural habitat, laughing up a storm. 🌪️
The best night with the best company. Thank you for having us @elevation_pics and @telefilm_canada , and thank you to the most beautiful date in all the land @emilystranges 💛
Don't miss Shook. @amy4syth and @saamertime are endlessly charming and embodied and it is a goddamn pleasure to watch them play together. 🫶
