It takes time. A long time. It takes time to get anywhere in this beautiful country we live in. It takes time to travel. It takes time to pack. To sleep. It takes time to get to know somewhere, people, yourself. The one thing I can be sure of, whatever it is I am trying to achieve will take some time. Nothing comes quick or easy or ever goes exactly to plan. I just wrapped in Philadelphia on the movie Miss Atkins’ Army (working title). I knew there would be a week in the middle when I was ‘on hold’ – the term given to an actor told to stay town just in case you’re needed, which you never RARELY are. – and I knew therefore I’d have some some time on my hands.  As coincidence would have it,  my first short film I directed, ‘The Break’ was to play just a few original colonies* away  at the Richmond International Film and Music Festival during this gap.  Being on hold meant I was able to attend the screening and throw another edition of Voltage, my pop-up nightclub born in RVA just the year prior. It was an intense day that became two.  Prepping the party, introducing my film and then DJing into early hours of the next morning. Incredible talent from as far as Italy and as local as Richmond graced the stage and we delivered to a killer crowd. The Richmond trip turned into an unexpected celebration as we were awarded the Audience Award for Best Short Film. Combined, the Break & Voltage represent years made up of (often) agonizing hours of preparation. That, my friends, is why we play. Why we dance. Hard. I’m so proud of the team that brought the film to life with me and we are working to make it available online as soon as we can, so watch this space. Knowing I would be on the East Coast for some time meant I was able to play 4 gigs over the two weeks —  two parties in Philly with a new promoter, donnerstag,  who is now a friend, (we even wrote a track together during a 4-hour challenge we set ourselves, so keep an eye out for that soon) and a kickass party at Warehouse on Watts alongside the epic Christian Martin of Dirty Bird, and finally a return to one of my all time favourite clubs for Residents Night at Flash in DC for a Cinco de Mayo gig. I pulled in some killer DC DJs, for a Voltage takeover of Flash’s first floor. As always it was a popping night that pushed all the way on to 4am. Now, as I sit here on a plane, flying back to Los Angeles to reunite with my family who I miss like crazy, I am feeling grateful for the knowledge that time presents not just hours, but opportunity, to be filled with whatever it is that fuels your engine. It’s taken me years to look at these stretches of time as a blank canvas, availing itself to whatever I want to throw on it. And now, time has brought me back to my loved ones where I intend to dissolve for however much time I am able to do so. Fill every minute, it’s time well spent. 

*I’m taking my immigration civics test this week! Results forthcoming.