New Show Announced: Wonder Women!
Let’s Make Good Productions presents !WONDER WOMEN
As always, we are spreading EMPOWERMENT through a night of music and visual art!
$10 cover / $8 artists
Hosted by me! Kat Leonard
Featuring live music by: Roveena, Arlene Music, and Emily Rockarts
Visual art and live painting by: Carla Casanova
Friday February 9, 2018
7:00pm-9:30pm
The Painted Lady
218 Ossington Avenue, Toronto
New Show Announced: NEDIC
I’ll be doing a wee 10-min snippet of Myselfie here in support of NEDIC! And there will be many other amazing performers too!
Feb 2, 2017 7:30-9:30pm
Comedy Bar 945 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Join the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) for a fun evening of art! From 7:30-8, we will be showcasing visual pieces in the lobby, and from 8-9:15, there will be a show consisting of music, films, poetry, and more!!! Come enjoy some amazing performances, raise awareness about eating disorders, and celebrate Eating Disorder Awareness Week!
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online or $5 for students at the door with ID.
People Profile: Viktoria Dunker
Meet Viktoria Dunker:
Artist, designer, sprite of the universe.
I met the bewitching Viktoria Dunker over a double-espresso latte with a squirt of hot chocolate, and I got more energy from her in our short exchange than I did after slurping my drink down with a slab of rainbow cupcake. My world has been more vibrant and vibrational ever since. She is an enchanting force that absorbs experience, churns it with an elixir of magic and inspiration, and explodes with the kind of genius creativity that spins the world like a galvanized disco ball.
What is your career? My favourite definition of “Career,” according to the Online Etymology Dictionary is from the 1530s, which refers to “a running (usually at full speed), a course” (especially of the sun, etc., across the sky). I feel that this is an apt analogy to what I consider my career to be. Not so much a predefined entity, but rather a momentum- a trajectory in a general direction toward the unknown.
Is it the same as your passion? Yes
What is your passion? Living a life based on discovery and flowing reflection rather than one of attachment and sentiment.
What are the greatest challenges and greatest rewards of your career? Remaining consistent enough to keep “it” together; remaining diverse enough to create inspiration and opportunity. I tend to meet a lot of people, and it can become both very exciting and overwhelming. It’s a challenge, bringing my presence, truth and highest mind (sometimes they are in conflict with one another!) to respectfully meet those along the way with the attention they deserve. It is a challenge that some of them have not been getting what they have needed and they try to latch on their attachments at the first sign of reciprocity. It’s a challenge that on the other end of the spectrum, can exist a cold, disengaged sense of entitlement that will never acknowledge what you are bringing to the game of life. The reward to navigating this is discovering trends on the human condition while catching glimpses of people’s depths and exchanging momentary intimacy that sheds light on the best places that we can go as we edge into an uncertain future in these vastly changing times.
What is your advice to others embarking on similar career? Meditate. Become personally aware. Go to the core of things rather than fixating on details. Stay alert and develop an instinct for taking the proper action at the proper time rather than following a however-many-step plan. At the same time, make lists of the practical actions you must take to fulfill certain aspects of your visions and keep as organized as possible. You wil find the balances in the fluxes.
Respect that there are also going to be times when your life is a complete mess. It’s alright to hit the bottom, but always get back up the minute you feel yourself hit the floor. Your best creative work is likely to follow if you catch the wave straight away.
Take nothing personally. Take everything personally.
Stay open to the signs the universe and your unconscious are offering you. They are in constant communication through the conduit that is you.
Keep discovering greater levels of personal truth with which to bond your integrity. It’s not always easy, but you will find ever-greater levels of happiness and fulfillment as you continue to do so.
Be open to life’s experiences as they come and go, but be very picky about who you spend your time with and discerning about what you do. You absorb a bit of everything you encounter and more of what you engage.
What does it mean to be an artist? It means tapping into the ceaseless flow of rhythm within and around you and bringing forth that which resonates most deeply with and from your core. You’re not just making pretty things. You’re opening your senses wide while seeking magic so that you may give others the opening to do the same.
5 years ago, did you expect to be where you are today? Not exactly.
Why, why not? I really had no expectation for the future, and continue to remain fairly present. I just wanted the journey and me to take each other. It’s been a ride.
Where will you be in 5 years? Have you ever seen the film Lucy? I’d love to achieve ubiquity through all the dimensions. But if I must settle for a flesh and bone existence, I’d be happy with just being able to saunter through life, openly loving and experiencing genuine compassion and recognition with everyone I meet. We’re lucky to live in a time and a place where we don’t have to struggle for our survival. I can’t think of a better way to spend day to day life than feeding people, body and spirit . I would love to be in a position to manage my personal resources to help people learn to manage their own in order to sustain their living and thrive on their dreams.
What would you say to your 8-year-old self? …Be kind, for you never know how a small act will impact a whole life. In turn, follow your intuition and explore: you never know when turning left instead of right will change your destiny.
Sometimes nobody in your immediate circle will like you. It’s a very big world, so don’t squander your power and talent with doubt and insecurity.
Knowledge sheds light on the darkness of fear. And if your knowledge scares you, you have much to learn. Discover ideas in words. History in personality. People in actions. Learn what hunger and nourishment truly mean.
What would you say to your 80-year-old self? Tell stories of the past so that the present generation inhereting the gift of the world in which to define and divine for their own may make clearer sense and sensibility of it. Unless you’ve given in and decided to become a cyborg- in which case, put your mind online and develop the ability to package your stories into metadata and learn to reduce their complexity into universally understood allegory (with charts and matrices!), you might be on your way out. But continue to be mindful of the fact that others are just coming in and need guidance. For the love of good, please don’t shut up and shut down.
Never stop uncovering fresh, inherent truth in nature and experience.
And yes, it hurts, but it’s only going to hurt more if you don’t put coconut oil on it and dance!
How lucky are you and why? I’m lucky that social and material success never came before succeding at developing a strong platform of principles and ethics, and a relationship with karma. Mind you, these things are perpetually in the working, but I think it’s extremely important to mature with them and allow them to guide and prioritize how you wish to spend your energy in this limited mortal plane before simply chasing a means to an end.
I am extremely lucky to be the person I am, imbued with the unique understandings that I have in life- as we all are! Somehow, I’ve managed to pull through some incredibly trying times without becoming a total jerk. And even at times when I act like one, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to continue evolving from a life of being surrounded by intolerant people, to ones who are alright with me periodically making really weak and ignorant mistakes, knowing that somewhere down there, growth is happening and awareness is cultivating. I’m lucky to be surrounded by others who are also making conscious attempts to grow and better the world with themselves. I’m also really fortunate to realize that my path becomes part of the path of everyone I touch. As long as I keep my heart and mind in the right place, in open communication with one another, my growth becomes somehow part of yours. Vice versa. So thank you.
I’m lucky to have made plenty of mistakes to keep learning from.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I’m actually extremely shy…
What makes you laugh? Elusive moments with butterflies, absurd coincidence, ironies that seem too good to be true and the voices inside my head. A LOT of things make me laugh, and it often comes out in really bizarre contexts and lasts way too long. Usually while I’m alone in public places…
What is fun for you? Lalligaging in nature like nothing matters. The barely sensical, synesthesia freestyle sputterring in my mind like quantuum torrets, existential banter, dorks, nerds, geeks, finding that thing that makes a super serious person crack a glimmer of a smile. Yoga in trees. Drunk parkouring. Adding random people on social media, never talking with them, then years down the line having absolutely life-altering experiences with them. Watching people evolve. I’m down for lots.
What makes you question humanity? Any time a person acts divisively- out of fear- instead of summoning the courage, strength and foresight to proceed through life with acts of love. Other acts of oppression. Watching science performed artlessly and art sciencelessly. Compartmentalized thinking, victimizing, and sabotaging attitudes displayed cyclically.
What is your favourite quote? It’s so hard to choose, because not only is humanity in constant communication with each other, but the Universe is in constant communication with each of its constituents- including us. It’s hard to pick favourites when life is but a stream.
Twist my rubber arm, here are a couple from a book called “The Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm:
“Love is not primarily a relationship to a specific person; it is an attitude, an orientation of character which determines the relatedness of a person to the world as a whole, not toward one “object” of love. If a person loves only one other person and is indifferent to the rest of his fellow men, his love is not love but a symbiotic attachment, or an enlarged egotism. Yet, most people believe that love is constituted by the object, not by the faculty.”
“If I perceive in another person mainly the surface, I perceive mainly the differences, that which separates us. If I penetrate to the core, i perceive our identity, the fact of our brotherhood. This relatedness from center to center – instead of that from periphery to periphery – is ‘central relatedness’.”
Is there anything else you’re involved in that you’d like to plug or point our attention to?Yes! www.fatedesigns.net … this entity is pretty much inseperable from me at the moment.
Please provide something originating from someone else that you find particularly inspiring. Check these books out!
“Art of Loving” – Erich Fromm “Man and His Symbols” – Carl Jung “Seven Mysteries of Life” – Guy Murchie “War of Art” – Steven Pressfield “Secret Teachings of All Ages” – Manly P. Hall
Also, have a gander at these Manly P. Hall lectures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isPvvtsBYUA&list=PL2BDEFDA5573BE6F7
Thank you for your time and attention.
______________________________________________________
To Viktoria I would give all the time and attention I have to give. I find her endlessly fascinating and spiriting.
Please take the time to check out Viktoria’s links. The Manly P. Hall lectures indicated above explore the therapeutic value of the great art. It is worth a listen. “Art is something that the artist must do.” I feel that. I am also making it a mission to read every book on her list.:)
Please explore www.fatedesigns.net wherein you will find a visual splendour originating from Viktoria’s genius. I’m gonna get me some leggings stat and put some coconut oil on it and dance ! 🙂
May you all have a glorious day of exploration and brilliance. Enjoy the world with all the vigour you can muster. Be a creature of purpose.
Lots of love, everybuddy! 🙂
WonderFest 2014: Spreading Empowerment Through Art!
Here it is! The official call for artists and empowerers! Let’s continue our contributions to a positive and creative world!
WonderFest 2014 happens Sunday April 6 at Revival in Toronto Canada! Hope to see you there!
More info at WonderWomenWorld.tumblr.com<//
WonderKids: Songwriting Workshop!
Presented by Let’s Make Good Productions
and One Parent Families Association
When: Sunday July 14, 2013 and Sunday August 11, 2013 2pm-4pm
Who: Suggested ages: 6-13
Where: The Central, 603 Markham Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada
How: $10 per child per session or $15 per child for both sessions
$7 brunch special offered by The Central for parents to enjoy
What: Parents of workshop participants expected to stay onsite and merrily eat while the children participate in the songwriting workshop. When the workshop is done, children and parents will enjoy a performance presentation of what the children created during the workshop.
Event Outline:
-Intro/welcome for participants and parents; performances by workshop leaders.
-Kids break off for workshop; parents remain in dining area for brunch/relaxation.
-Workshop involves: Improv session to warm up to play and experimentation; intro to songwriting- demonstration of song structure and lyric play; kids break off into groups to work on a song for presentation.
-Kids and parents reconvene in main stage dining room area for final presentation of songs the groups came up with.
– If time allows, there will be an open mic for further performances by participants should they wish to continue being stars.
-Extro/goodbyes
Workshop leaders are singer/songwriter/performers:
ArlenePaculan.com
KatLeonard.com
BryanPickell (brytunes.net)
MattGerberMusic.com
Limited spaces. For reservations and more info:
letsmakegoodmail@gmail.com
www.WonderWomenWorld.tumblr.com
Empowerment through art-artist call!
If you can be in the Mississauga (GTA) area August 14, 2013 to help spread empowerment through art, we want to hear from you! Deadline for submissions is June 30, 2013.
WonderFest Report Day 4: Wowza!
Oh, man!!! There is so much of the spreading of empowerment through art happening during WonderFest that I feel I can’t do it justice in prose!
For fuller details on our experience, see our WonderWomenWorld blog!
In a nutshell, Day 4 brought us:
Workshop: Turning Wounds Into Wisdom lead by Nova Browning Rutherford.
The group learned to accept the discomfort of change, to focus on actions that lead toward our goals and values, and that life is in fact long and not short therefore we have plenty of time to figure things out and follow our path!
The Workshop group!
Super Men Concert! Wowza Wowza what a lineup of talent to digest! The evening was jampacked with music and words to move the soul, friendship to fill the heart, and laughter to jiggle the belly!
Arlene and I with the wonderful Super Men!
Which brings us to tonight! Tonight is the WonderFest finale: Wonder Women in Concert! Gladstone Hotel 7pm (doors) 8pm (show) with art displays, videos, vendors, a special comic book photo booth for all, and of course the lineup of Wonder Women! I’ll be performing my new song Love Mania! Wakawakawakawaka! We hope to see you there spreading empowerment through art!
The foundation of friendships is a force for mountain moving! (Arlene Paculan and I, WonderFest co-conspirators!)
WonderFest Report-Day 1!
What a wonderful kickoff!
WonderFest Day 1 was a huge ball of fun and success! It started out with Arlene and I interviewing and performing on Rogers Daytime Peel! Arlene and I both wore turquoise– and we didn’t even plan it! Sonia our host wore boots to match us– again not even planned! We were meant to be on Daytime on this day to spread empowerment through art as well as hues of blue! 🙂
Even my socks and the rim on Arlene’s boots matched the Daytime set! I mean, come on! What a wonder! 😀 You can watch our video segment here: Kat & Arlene on DayTime!
In the evening we headed to The Central for the first free workshop of the week: Business Planning for Artists with Heather Hill! We had an intimate group of lovely attendees! Heather Hill is an easygoing and compelling workshop leader with engaging personal anecdotes and effective tangible knowledge to share. The tools and advice shared by Heather is applicable to all business types, and the information was soaked up by the mix of musicians, filmmakers, massage therapists and producers alike!
I couldn’t be more proud to be part of such a great evening and start to a wonderful week of wonderment at WonderFest! We still have 3 more free workshops and 2 concerts to celebrate during WonderFest!
Tonight we meet at The Central again for a night of collaboration and open mic performances! Sign up is at 7pm. Hope to see you there!
Happy WonderFesting, everyone! May you always feel empowered to make all your dreams come true!
For full details on WonderFest’s events, visit: www.WonderWomenWorld.tumblr.com
love KAT