12 Minutes with John Leith
Photographing the Artists of the Satori Group 10 of 15
Photography and Q&A by LaRae Lobdell
Guest blogger Cassandra Bell
As “The Satori Group” continues it’s run of it’s newest feature “reWilding”, we start to understand the immense value of pushing boundaries and eradicating invisible lines between viewer and performer. No one knows this better than John Leith, the man behind “The Chicken Man” in “reWilding“- which is about an outsider’s journey into an isolated wooded community “not too far north or too far south of anywhere.”
Check out the dates for reWilding, and get to know John Leith a bit more below!
Get to Know John Leith!
PS: When you were young, did you imagine you would be on this particular journey in life? Why or why not?
JL: I did not imagine I would be on the road that I am on, and this remains mysterious to me to some extent. The how’s and why’s of how I got here. I sometimes wish I could have guidance conversations with my young self, though I would probably really be grasping for things to tell young John. And maybe that is because I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. Mostly.
PS: Who or what inspires you the most in your personal life? And in your professional life?
JL: The people who inspire me are the ones who have the strength to INSIST on actions and beliefs grounded in their hearts and love and creativity. People who stand their ground despite tidal social forces. Insistent in their compassionate beliefs and actions and creativities. You find these people in the arts. You find these people working in social programs, fighting for social justice. And I think it is terribly difficult to live that way. I marvel at them. These people inspire me. This action of compassionate INSISTANCE inspires me both artistically and how to live.
PS: What do you fear the most?
JL: Change, fear, loss. Because change is hard,,, duh, and fear can immobilize/disengage you from life. Fear is a bad winding road of nastiness leading to lots of other types of snowballing badness and nastiness. I am not so “woo-woo” to think we don’t need fear, but it serves us better as a passenger and not driving the car. Fear wants to drive my car. And, of course, loss is awful and the fear of it is something that can keep you awake all night.
PS: What’s next on your horizon?
JL: After reWilding, I will be perusing more original story telling and performance. Writing. Looking for my creative “in” amongst my world of collaborators and allies and artists.
Go see John as “The Chicken Man” in “reWilding”!
Go see “reWilding by Martyna Majok at the Satori Group in Seattle, March 1-17, 2013.
