I hope each and every one of you are having a wonderful festive holiday season, regardless of what you celebrate (…or don’t celebrate!). Personally, I try to make the holidays about spending time with the people I’ve neglected throughout the year while touring. I’m not a fan of the consumerism surrounding the season, although in the past I have enjoyed many a wonderful pre-holiday shopping busking day. These days, however, I get too cold easily, I’m often too busy or booked with other events performing to get back out there on the street to do some winter shows. This year, I tried valiantly to make it out on the street to remind holiday shoppers to stop and smell the roses, but, sadly, I ended up being caught up in the frenzy of the season myself!

winter busking isn't for the faint of heart!

I do think, however, it is important to take some time out to do something selfless is important   during a season where price tags and purchases demonstrating degrees to which we love one another take precedence.  Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to work with the lovely Mariatu Karmara in a fundraiser for her charity, The Mariatu Foundation. It was my first foray into event planning. Typically, I’m hired to perform at events, but, having spent enough time in the industry, I figured that when Jason Dudek of Accountable Development Works asked for my assistance, I could do it. And, we ended up having an amazing night: held at George Brown College, our fundraiser, “Hope in Action” managed to raise quite a bit of money despite the prohibitively cold weather. I was invited to speak on behalf of ADW and screen films I had made while working in Africa last year (for those of you interested, you can check out a reasonable version of my short, ‘What is Development’ here on Youtube).  Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll cut together the video of my talk. Although…how would that reflect upon a website for a mime artist?

Speeeeaking of work, which is probably why you are reading this, you’re all probably anxiously awaiting any updates about future tours and new work. Well.. currently, I’m in a ‘professional development’ phase, which means, of course, I am working on some AMAZINGLY exciting new material, collaborating once again with my talented prop-builder on something wickedly cool and new, as well as firming up my winter tour that will begin in March! As it was, over the holidays, I got picked up to perform in a wonderful film that is being directed by an amazing director, and that is being shot by a DP who has worked for Guy Maddin! It’s been a great process and I’m excited by the final piece when it reaches completion. I have a feeling 2012 is going to be a good one!

While I’m loathe to make ‘resolutions’ at an arbitrary time of year, I wonder: what are YOUR plans for 2012? Mine involve reaching some fitness goals, building some new material and lining my career up for growth and change. I like to look at it as an overall process as opposed to a final goal that needs to be met. So much less pressure, don’t you think? Still, whatever your goals happen to be, I wish you all wonderful luck and hope you have a GREAT New Year!

Hey folks! It’s been about a week since my last update; life’s been crazy! The season has wound down, I had a pretty darn awesome time hosting wonderful folks surrounding TO Buskers, like Dave and Gracie from Flame Oz, and Peter Rabbit,  and now that my house is empty again, I feel like the season truly is over! ….well, that and the autumnal chill in the air. What gives, Toronto?!
Since I’ve been quite busy playing host, I haven’t had a proper sit-down to post the winner of Photo of the Weekend for the Toronto Buskerfest edition. I had a wonderfultime this year, performing my brand new act for everyone. It was lovely to have such awesome support as I work on new material for my hometown crowd and I’m really stoked with the new bits I discovered with your help! This year, I gifted postcards with every $5 donation and they appeared to be quite an overwhelming success.Expect more postcards soon, with a variety to choose from!

I received a LOT of photos and positive feedback from you, my awesome fans, and it was so hard to choose which photo to take the cake (so to speak!), so I cheated, and picked two photos. Because I CAN! First up, as you can see from the top of the page, is Brian Stahls’ awesome shot! Next up, is a shot from a gent who gave me a CD on the last day of the festival, but failed to give me his name! So, to the anonymous awesome person who provided this GREAT action shot: thank you!

It’s been such a fantastic journey with this new character and I’m excited about where she is going.

As for me, now? Well, I’m putting together my winter tour for this year, getting back into training, continuing to do shows while I can as the weather holds out, but, most importantly, I’m enjoying the beautiful autumnal weather by getting outside and on my bike around the city! Toronto is my very favourite place in the world and, call me biased, but I think it’s the prettiest in autumn. Before I head off out of the cold, chasing summer, I will take a moment to enjoy this amazing time of year where our local landscape really shines it’s brightest. 

Talk soon, folks!

Popping in to give you guys a couple of media links, as well, to let you know my sites and times! I will be performing at the usual digs by the LCBO, or, closer to Scott St., or, by Le Papillon, all weekend! I generally take a dinner break somewhere between 5-6pm, but, who knows what will happen today, as it is the BIG ONE.

Coppelia, found on Flickr - ©dtstuff9, all rights reserved

Check out a couple of interviews I’ve fielded:

NOW – Statues and Liberty: Mime-based artist Kate Mior’s career isn’t standing still

Evi-Dance Radio: Sunday, August 21st, Ted Fox and his crew chat up Kate Mior about corporeal mime, busking, and the creative process

Inside Toronto: Street Performer finds International Success

Finally, I’ve got some schwag this year! For every $5 donation, you will get an awesome postcard! It’s got it’s own QR-code AND is ready to send via post to your loved ones! For $10 donations, you can receive your own autographed Marie Antoinette fan! Just like the one I use in my show!!

Lastly, be on the look-out for Coppelia!

I have two more days left in Kuala Lumpur. It’s been a lot of fun here! So much so that I’ve been lax in updating the blog! I admit, however, that I’m starting to feel a little homesick from being on the road so much right before the holidays, so I was really delighted to have had an awesome dinner last night with two friends from my Ryerson film school days. We dined in a restaurant that is actually a furniture store and had a really good chance to catch up on things. It’s really neat to see friends from those early years later on and it’s really nice to share in successes and reminisce about how amazing it is to have achieved those goals we had set for ourselves way back when!

It was nice to have a bit of familiarity while on the road. Sometimes it can get so lonely out here, especially when you know there are people that you miss waiting for you to come home. Speaking of which, I am so looking forward to a special holiday this year and am *really* looking forward to experiencing some snow! Anyone else super stoked about the winter holidays?

So, I’m sick with what we thought was mono, but, seems like is just a bad stupid cold that won’t go away. How inconvenient for traveling. At least the doctor gave me liquid codeine for the plane ride, which is a step up from the usual gravol/vodka combo I take for long flights (ha ha).

Thanks to the majesty of Air Canada, I ended up having an unexpected lay-over in LA, so I got a chance to check out the local scene there.

Now, I’ve performed in the states here and there, I’ve worked with many American buskers who are wonderful and talented people who have great shows! So, when I went down to the Hollywood strip to check out the street shows there, I was very surprised by the aggressive, angry and jerky folks down there.

I chatted with a dude dressed up as Barney (the dinosaur, folks, the DINOSAUR) who was fairly amiable until I dropped the wrong name, and eventually, when we worked out our opinion on the individiual, he resumed his amiable attitude (hey, I’m stretching it here) but, very skittish about the idea of me coming to work, which is fine. I understand competition and all that…but…really? Buddy even refused to give me his name. Now, I’m used to people giving me sass since I’m a chick, and it’s still pretty rare for chicks to work the hard street, but, honestly, maybe I’m spoiled, or maybe I’m in a different class (I suppose I am since I was en route to a festival in Singapore) but holy hell the rudeness from this jackass was beyond. He ended up giving me the brush-off so he could return to work, which was fine, I got what I wanted from him.

After watching several performers, it dawned on me that Hollywood blvd. is very similar to Toronto’s Yonge and Dundas Square, except, we all (the buskers that is) take care of each other and are respectful of each other. The folks in Hollywood are desperate jerks, to be frank. Which makes sense because, with the exception of a couple people, the acts sucked. Hard. It’s a shame to work in an environment where it’s dog-eat-dog. While traveling abroad, I have experienced and encountered that type of work environment, but, it just made me sad. At one point, I thought of coming back with my gear and starting a war, but then I thought…what’s the point? I’m too old, I’m not hungry enough anymore. I realized that it may seem like a luxury to be nice to performers passing through, it may be because I’m not desperate or hungry anymore that I can afford myself the time away from the pitch for someone else.

But no. Most places I’ve been have been warm environments (well.. until I start making more money than the average performer on that pitch), that have had positivity and support among the buskers. Even when performers are poor and hungry, they aren’t assholes. You don’t have to be an asshole to other people.
So.. Hollywood Blvd. Shitty buskers with shitty attitudes. It’s a shame, really, because it doesn’t have to be that way.