YES! I say yes! Reading this late but at just the right time when I have a 500-page draft to tackle rewrites on, and I don't want to twist the joy out of it with over-thinking and do-gooding and all that. So, yes, I join the pact. Yes yes yes yes yes
My goddess , you nailed it Courtney … thank you so much for this blast of inspiration ☄️ I saw a lot of the footage and need to re-find it. Being in love with Paris helps for sure. But your take on saying oui 👍 is the perfect message. Merci mille fois!
"...there is another part of creativity, a realm where our thoughts and dreams are roving and spontaneous and totally joy-filled. That is the realm where...'every idea is oui.'" --> This is just the writing pep talk I needed this morning! Merci!
Love, love, love this! The Opening Ceremonies was unlike anything I have ever seen, or frankly, could have even imagined. Thank you for this piece, this encouragement to say "oui"!!
It was sheer chaos, madness, brilliance and had me laughing and scratching my head, eyes wide with wonder and WTF, and finally tears of joy for Celine. It was everything everywhere all at once and a complete mind f$&k. Viva la France!
Clothilde welcomed the American banker into her well-appointed office, sure he would be suitably impressed by one of the best views of Paris that La Défense had to offer. It was always easier to secure a loan, she'd discovered from past experience, when it looked as if you didn't need it. But he muttered, "nice view," perfunctorily, and she was actually offended for her beloved Paris. No one, and that means no one, didn't take a moment to drink in the panorama, it was always an ice-breaker for the kind of conversation that was absolutely essential to lubricate a French business meeting. But the American seemed anxious to get to the point, offering terms that were positively usurious. His greedy arrogance irritated her, but she didn't let on, as she discreetly glanced at his business card again. She would show this "JD Vance" how a "femme d'affaires" like her negotiated. Clothilde suggested they move to the couch to have apéritifs and further discuss terms, and his expression indicated reluctance until her eyes locked on his. She glowered him for 30 seconds or so, just enough for him to reply in the robotic voice of the newly hypnotized, "Of course, I'd enjoy that." That tone out of the mouths of her incipient prey always caused a stirring in her fangs, as they readied themselves to descend.
"Not so fast," piped up her couch, who heard the telltale click of her teeth. "Make sure he signs the loan papers before you feed. At the usual terms."
"Of course, darling," replied Clothilde. "The usual terms," meaning that the "loan" would never be repaid. In fact, this gambit had guaranteed the best views in Paris for centuries, now.
Could not think of a better way to illustrate the very principle of the pleasure of letting one's creativity fire on all cylinders. (Although, in my case, that often seems to happen best when I have some kind of restrictions to work with. I could happily spend my life writing to prompts!)
Love the French who never go with the tide. If you saw I Am Céline Documentary - and then witnessed her performance in Paris - she gets a gold medal for possibility +
I live in Paris and WOW OUI OMG MON-DIEU! I was in raptures. The sequence of "musicians" (workers with hammers and saws) and dancers on the scaffolding of Notre Dame is what brought my first round of tears. I watched every.single.second and was, am, SO PROUD of France. This ceremony was vintage France, the best of France, the "joie de vivre" that's so very French.
Not to belabor the metaphor, but those of us who live close to the Seine might offer an additional lesson about writing. It was NOT easy to live with the couple of months of insane construction, barricades, severe transport disruptions, denied access, etc., not to mention the helicopters (otherwise very rare here), police vans EVERYWHERE, and MANY tough-looking guys (and some gals) with AK-47s striding along the pretty Paris streets -- all of this also having been part of creating that Opening Ceremony. Everyone was bitching and complaining, and you literally couldn't get to your normal places. But when I saw that Opening Ceremony, I thought, Oh wow -- it was worth it. Every bit of it, worth it.
So maybe the next time our life is "wrecked" for the sake of our art....
Thank you for this comment! My elderly father in law lives right near the Pont d'Alma and his quality of life is not good because of all the going-ons, but he's taking one for the team, as it were!
PS: I have shared Courtney's post with so many friends already! And am printing it out to tack to my wall along with a couple of choice photos from the Ceremony. I love how you translated that incredible esprit to our OWN creative work.
This is a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the horrified World Conservatives dressed like the Spanish Inquisition crossing themselves horrified...
It was over the top batshit crazy, SO French and so fun. I said OMG at least 1,000 times. I loved it.
I am having fun with my novel and some of the new ideas bring a real burst of playful, fun energy when I think about them. I feel that readers will LOVE the new scenes. You helped me break free into fun-land during that workshop where you helped me with some of my plot elements. So thank you!
My fave part of the opening ceremony other than seeing how fun it seemed the Olympiads were having was the 'blood' bursting out of the Hotel Dieu, the metal band each member to their own platform, and the completely whacky 'dancers' on top of those giant pogo sticks. I could go on...why choose a favorite! Go Jolly!
Also, think back to any other opening ceremony you remember. None, right? Using the Seine and the city made this so memorable and so of the place. The parcour athlete traipsing across rooftops and n'importe quoi was just so whacky and fun. All weekend, I've been thinking about Paris in a new way.
YES! I say yes! Reading this late but at just the right time when I have a 500-page draft to tackle rewrites on, and I don't want to twist the joy out of it with over-thinking and do-gooding and all that. So, yes, I join the pact. Yes yes yes yes yes
My goddess , you nailed it Courtney … thank you so much for this blast of inspiration ☄️ I saw a lot of the footage and need to re-find it. Being in love with Paris helps for sure. But your take on saying oui 👍 is the perfect message. Merci mille fois!
Thank you for reading!
Oui! Oui! Oui!
I love this! Adding to my mantras
"...there is another part of creativity, a realm where our thoughts and dreams are roving and spontaneous and totally joy-filled. That is the realm where...'every idea is oui.'" --> This is just the writing pep talk I needed this morning! Merci!
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Oh wow! I was at the Kinderhook Books event too. So magical, right?? Best space and best people!
Love, love, love this! The Opening Ceremonies was unlike anything I have ever seen, or frankly, could have even imagined. Thank you for this piece, this encouragement to say "oui"!!
It was sheer chaos, madness, brilliance and had me laughing and scratching my head, eyes wide with wonder and WTF, and finally tears of joy for Celine. It was everything everywhere all at once and a complete mind f$&k. Viva la France!
Clothilde welcomed the American banker into her well-appointed office, sure he would be suitably impressed by one of the best views of Paris that La Défense had to offer. It was always easier to secure a loan, she'd discovered from past experience, when it looked as if you didn't need it. But he muttered, "nice view," perfunctorily, and she was actually offended for her beloved Paris. No one, and that means no one, didn't take a moment to drink in the panorama, it was always an ice-breaker for the kind of conversation that was absolutely essential to lubricate a French business meeting. But the American seemed anxious to get to the point, offering terms that were positively usurious. His greedy arrogance irritated her, but she didn't let on, as she discreetly glanced at his business card again. She would show this "JD Vance" how a "femme d'affaires" like her negotiated. Clothilde suggested they move to the couch to have apéritifs and further discuss terms, and his expression indicated reluctance until her eyes locked on his. She glowered him for 30 seconds or so, just enough for him to reply in the robotic voice of the newly hypnotized, "Of course, I'd enjoy that." That tone out of the mouths of her incipient prey always caused a stirring in her fangs, as they readied themselves to descend.
"Not so fast," piped up her couch, who heard the telltale click of her teeth. "Make sure he signs the loan papers before you feed. At the usual terms."
"Of course, darling," replied Clothilde. "The usual terms," meaning that the "loan" would never be repaid. In fact, this gambit had guaranteed the best views in Paris for centuries, now.
Could not love this more— you are too fun!
Could not think of a better way to illustrate the very principle of the pleasure of letting one's creativity fire on all cylinders. (Although, in my case, that often seems to happen best when I have some kind of restrictions to work with. I could happily spend my life writing to prompts!)
Love the French who never go with the tide. If you saw I Am Céline Documentary - and then witnessed her performance in Paris - she gets a gold medal for possibility +
Oui, a milion times OUI to this one.
I live in Paris and WOW OUI OMG MON-DIEU! I was in raptures. The sequence of "musicians" (workers with hammers and saws) and dancers on the scaffolding of Notre Dame is what brought my first round of tears. I watched every.single.second and was, am, SO PROUD of France. This ceremony was vintage France, the best of France, the "joie de vivre" that's so very French.
Not to belabor the metaphor, but those of us who live close to the Seine might offer an additional lesson about writing. It was NOT easy to live with the couple of months of insane construction, barricades, severe transport disruptions, denied access, etc., not to mention the helicopters (otherwise very rare here), police vans EVERYWHERE, and MANY tough-looking guys (and some gals) with AK-47s striding along the pretty Paris streets -- all of this also having been part of creating that Opening Ceremony. Everyone was bitching and complaining, and you literally couldn't get to your normal places. But when I saw that Opening Ceremony, I thought, Oh wow -- it was worth it. Every bit of it, worth it.
So maybe the next time our life is "wrecked" for the sake of our art....
Thank you for this comment! My elderly father in law lives right near the Pont d'Alma and his quality of life is not good because of all the going-ons, but he's taking one for the team, as it were!
PS: I have shared Courtney's post with so many friends already! And am printing it out to tack to my wall along with a couple of choice photos from the Ceremony. I love how you translated that incredible esprit to our OWN creative work.
This is a breath of fresh air in the midst of all the horrified World Conservatives dressed like the Spanish Inquisition crossing themselves horrified...
Oui! I am so here for this creative energy and approach <3
It was over the top batshit crazy, SO French and so fun. I said OMG at least 1,000 times. I loved it.
I am having fun with my novel and some of the new ideas bring a real burst of playful, fun energy when I think about them. I feel that readers will LOVE the new scenes. You helped me break free into fun-land during that workshop where you helped me with some of my plot elements. So thank you!
My fave part of the opening ceremony other than seeing how fun it seemed the Olympiads were having was the 'blood' bursting out of the Hotel Dieu, the metal band each member to their own platform, and the completely whacky 'dancers' on top of those giant pogo sticks. I could go on...why choose a favorite! Go Jolly!
Also, think back to any other opening ceremony you remember. None, right? Using the Seine and the city made this so memorable and so of the place. The parcour athlete traipsing across rooftops and n'importe quoi was just so whacky and fun. All weekend, I've been thinking about Paris in a new way.
Yes! The city was the leading character!
Merci, merci! Just the post I needed today. Let's do this!