Stepping out of the spotlight

[Ciel]

After a great deal of thought, I've decided Ciel Grayve, songstress extraordinaire, will be taking a hiatus from the performance spotlight.  This may be a few months, it may be indefinite.  That much has not yet been decided.

 

It's been a long ride.  Ciel started performing regularly with the Celebrations of the Twelve Jancis would host every month, and later co-hosting along side Nathan Telluride for monthly themed shows.  Both of them have been nothing but extraordinary to work with.  There was the first annual royal ball, and a Starlight Celebration ball at the Sanctum of the Twelve. 

 

While I've enjoyed them all for various reasons, there is an inevitable decision which has to be made once things stop being fun. 

 

Some people don't realize how much planning and time go into these things, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who can lay out an entire song or three in macros in short order.  I've tried to do this, it's a pain, and I don't have nearly the inspiration to be half as original as so many RP performers who are out there now. 

 

There is also a crap ton of other variety shows, themed events, some monthly, some weekly.  I don't know how anyone performs in several of these per month without burning out, one show per month does my brain in. 

 

With such a glut out there, as one of the early entrants into the realm of IC entertainment on Balmung, I hate to say but it feels like we're no longer needed after a while.  We've left our mark, and we've helped to elevate others to the popularity they enjoy now.  Many of them started with the Celebrations and monthly themed Shows and grew from there to host some of their own events, or to find themselves in demand.  That's awesome for them, but it's kind of like watching your kids leave home, too.

 

As for Ciel, for those who know her, she's not being put on a shelf altogether.  I'm simply narrowing her focus for now, and hoping that sparking more interest on a personal level will help me find the drive to put her back out on a stage one of these days.  For now, her absence from the spotlight will be largely for the sake of helping her husband with his business, and looking forward to motherhood.

[Marcy]

Ciel, I just wanted to thank you for all the work you have done to keep the entertainment scene going on Balmung. I have an enormous amount of respect for the foundation you and other veterans have laid, and it was the show hosted by you and Nathan that has sparked the interest in IC performance for me, and I am sure, for many others. It has been an absolute pleasure knowing and working with you, however brief.

 

Burnout is real, and breaks can be a wonderful thing -- I wish you many stories, adventures, and development. There is so much more to RP than the stage :love:

[Telluride]

We hate to see you step down, Ciel, but you have been a fixture of the bard community as long as I ever knew there was such a thing, and while I know you sometimes might have found the events stressful, I could not have asked for a better cohost, or a more fitting foil for Nathan. Your presence will be missed, but I wish you all the joy you can find as you change focus.

 

There will always be a place on the stage for you, when you wish to claim it.

 

*throws a bouquet of roses to you*

[Caspar]

I haven't been able to attend your events, but others have talked really positively about them and the threads were impressive. I hope that taking some time to relax and wind down will give you the energy you need to do something truly fun for yourself first and then others in the future, and hopefully then I'll be able to see it.

[Nebbs]

Well done you cool bear!

I get the whole organisation side. Go be free make RPs and maybe don't struggle when you are kidnapped for impromptu performances.

 

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[Warren Castille]

Chiming in on the love-fest. I've said it to Ciel in character and I'll say it OOCly here too: The amount of dedication and investment you've poured in for these events is astounding and a benchmark for others who do similar things. I can't imagine how much work goes into wrangling and organizing and keeping everything on task, but I guess it's not that different from being a stage manager in real life? Still, you've done a tremendous service to both the performer niche and the community as a whole, so thank you for your sacrifices.

[Ciel]

Wow, you guys. Thank you so much, your words mean more than you may know. When it starts to feel like drowning, and things feel discouraging,  it's nice to know all that time and effort wasn't wasted. Thank you, I mean that.