what is inspiration? motivation? What is that is within us that makes us want to do something, acquire something, act upon something. there is a drive within each of us that is there

recently, I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" staring the always unreal Meryl Streep and the always good (but lets be honest, this was really Meryl's movie) Amy Adams. For the handful of you out there who have not seen this wonderful film, it follows the life of Julie Powell, a New Yorker complacent in her job looking for new inspiration and landing upon the idea of blogging while she conquers the behemoth that is Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", all 524 recipes in a mere 365 days. This is actually a true story, I remember reading about it years and years ago. The movie's B-story (or A-story, depending on how you look at it) follows Julia as she changes her life around from the complacency of being the wife of a diplomat and follows her new passion for cooking while living in Paris. Now I have always been a fan of Meryl Street and of Julia Child*, so I was thrilled to finally see this film, especially after running into the production crew filming around town many times.

Now firstly, the movie made me want to jump on the first plane and head right back to gay Paris (and if it was a time transport plan that could direct us to the earlier part of this century, that would be ideal), as when I went there last year, I fell in love. Not just with the people (and one in particular! Bonjour Etienne!), but with the culture and the museums, the cafes, the joie de vivre that truly exist there. I need to go back soon...but that's another story...

The thing that really got to me during the film was the passion within these characters, mostly that of Julia. Now look, the wife of a diplomat, she didn't realllly need a job and especially not in 1950's Paris where she could go smoke her ciggies and drink her martuni's all day without a care in the world, but she did. She chose to do something, to follow her passion, and to also make a name for herself in the predominantly male-led culinary industry. There was a fire within her, that drive and passion that we all strive to have within our own respective industries. As you loyal reader(s) know, I have had my fair share of jobs in the past, some freelance, some contract, some good, many bad. I have one now that I love, and I don't just love it because it's in the events and theatrical industry, one I believe that I excel in, but because of the people I work with. My bosses are these two amazing guys who have that passion, that fire, that drive. It's so inspiring to surround yourself with this energy, because it makes you focus in on all that is positive and good. I feel like I am working harder and stronger because that fire has been lit within me, and I know that it's going to help me reach my potential and go past it.

And then I will take that fire and use it to make boeuf bourguignon.

*according to my parents, I used to sit and watch "The French Chef" with Julia all the time, and some of my first words were "Bon Appétit!". I recall seeing a home movie of me at 7 or 8 in the kitchen cooking, doing my best Julia Child impersonation...if my parents didn't know then...


















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