ramblings of a raconteuse

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  



aka) I’m the resident “artsy farsty nerd” ;)

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Warning:  You are about to embark on something really sappy,  but since Valentine’s Day was this week, I thought it’d be appropriate for me to talk about LOVE.  



More specifically,  I’m going to tell you about finding the amazing person I decided to spend the rest of my life with, and why I believe that “true love” actually does come when you aren’t looking.  Like, at all.  I know that it’s a cliche, but it was true for me and who knows, it might end up being true for you too. 

I have a number of single girlfriends and one of them asked me the other day how I met my husband and if I had any advice on how to find “the one.”  

I told her that I really had no advice on how to look for that “special someone” because I was doing everything but looking when I met Barry.  In fact,  I was just coming off of a relationship with a drummer…one of many that I dated over the years (yes, I was a real “band-aid”  like Penny Lane from “Almost Famous”),  and it was a tumultuous relationship that I was really messed up over.  Finding someone else was the last thing on my mind. 

How did my husband and I meet? I was his waitress.  

Fast forward a month or so and we went on our first date, and having had the tortured drummer off of my mind, I was actually able to focus on this incredible person I had met. 

I’ve never really talked about this before, but by many of society’s standards we shouldn’t work as a couple.  Or at least, that’s what one might think.  He’s 18 years older then me after all.  But from our very first date it worked and we just clicked.  I knew he was older then me, I just didn’t know by how much, and I honestly didn’t care.  All I knew was that I had found someone incredibly interesting who I could talk to about politics, religion, filmmaking, and art.  We had all of our passions in common and it felt amazing.


At one point I stupidly broke up with him for a night convinced that it wouldn’t work because our age difference was too great.  Ironically, I went and saw “Love Actually” that night and quickly realized I was a freaking moron.  If society at large had issues with our relationship, that was everyone else’s problem and not mine.  And to be fair, no one had actually given me a hard time about dating an “older man,”  it was all in my head. 

I asked a girlfriend of mine who was married to a guy 16 years older than her if she had any advice about adverting the potentially prying eyes of the judgmental masses. 
She told me, “as soon as you are totally ok with it, no one will even notice.”  And she was right. 

The moment I gave a big middle finger to the world about fitting into the box of what society tells us is normal, I felt empowered and incredibly lucky to have found the person who was my absolute best fit in this world.  And because this moment begs for a cheesy saying…he does in fact, complete me.

What’s hilarious is that because I’m half asian I still look like I’m in my early 20s.

Barry and I have a joke we used to crack up over when we lived in our old apartment.  Every time this one couple got in the elevator and saw us holding hands they would go silent and stare at us.  Once they left we’d laugh and impersonate them saying “Oh, there goes that nice man with his adopted asian daughter again.”  We love it when things like that happen because we’re planning to write a romantic comedy one day about the hilarity that often ensues.

Almost 9 years together now and nearly 6 years married,  every single day is more and more fun. We are a perfect match, and if I had judged it from the beginning and not had an open heart, I might have missed the best thing that has ever happened to me.

So, I guess I’m sharing this with you all just to say that you never ever know when you’ll meet the perfect person for you.  But if you keep an open mind and look past any preconceived ideas about what you *think* true love will be like, then you might just find it.  

Happy Valentine’s ;)
xoxox hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

aka) I’m the resident “artsy farsty nerd” ;) 

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I’ve been choir geek forever.  I started singing in a group at my church when I was 5 years old.  I then joined a children’s chorus when I was 8, sang in every choir I could in high school, and then majored in “jazz voice” in college.  I am a full fledged choir geek and music nerd.

 Here’s a video for proof:

Part of my love for NBC’s “The Voice” comes from my background in music and the other part, the absolute pure joy of seeing people do what they love and chase their dreams.  I have the utmost respect for these people because as an actor, that’s what I do every day, and every day I get closer to my goals just like they do.

 I’m not going to lie, every single episode makes me cry and this is coming from a girl who really dislikes most reality television.  

But there is something about “The Voice” that’s different.  The show is about taking what is unique and amazing about someone and helping it flourish, not about forcing them to fit into some cookie cutter industry mold.  I absolutely LOVE it.  There is no finding the people that are the worst singers so that all of America can laugh at them.  No one is tearing these singers down, it’s solely about building them up.  

If you don’t watch this show, I totally suggest that you start…that you at least watch the “blind auditions” aka) first four episodes.  And no…I’m not endorsed by NBC or “The Voice,” I’m merely an uber fan who wants to share the love, happy tears, and some joyous music. 

Sing on Nerds! Sing on! 

oxox hels

tweet me at: @helslevy

browse me at: helennasantoslevy.com

email me at: contacthelenna@gmail.com 

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

aka) I’m the resident “artsy farsty nerd” ;) 

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I love zombies. 

I say this with no embarrassment.  I freaking love zombies. 

Now, I have to let you all know that this is definitely not going to be the most intelligent or interesting blog post I’ve ever written, but damn it’s going to be full of enthusiasm.  Also….I’ve had a couple of dirty vodka martinis so you know the truth is going to roll out…

I have been a huge horror film fan ever since I was a child when I saw “Firestarter” with Drew Barrymore for the first time.   I was hooked. I can honestly say that I remember all of the horror films I watched like “Omen” and “Friday the 13th” way before I can tell you what kids TV shows I watched.  Yup, horror films were where my childhood brain liked to live.  Yes, this is somewhat disturbing, but I’m sure anyone who knows me will say that I’m pretty much the most happy go lucky person they’ve ever met…usually… LOL ;)

But, back to zombies…

I don’t know why I love them so much.  I mean, I’ve watched all of the documentaries about how zombies came into mainstream media and I’ve done my research on Romero and the zombie craze, but I still can’t figure out where my love for the genre came from.

(Yes, I’m a zombie riding a bike…)

I could get all deep into what it is about our culture and it’s facination with the zombie tale and folklore, but let’s face it…I’m two martinis in…instead I’m just going to show you this video…

(yup, click on the picture for zombie craziness!)

I also love apocalyptic and post apocalyptic stories. Case in point “Feed” by Mira Grant is definitely the best book I’ve read in FOREVER, and I’m salivating over the next Resident Evil movie. I also can’t wait to see my friends in season 2 of Machinima’s dope ass zombie web series “Bite Me.” 

And truth be told, yes I’m one of those actors who would love to get their Emmy or Oscar, but deep down I’d be just as happy being in a kick ass zombie flick. Well…almost. 

(zombie at the take out window)

(zombie trying to eat Jesus)

Wishing you all action packed zombie dreams…

Love your faces! #nerdsuite!

xoxo

hels - @helslevy on the ol’ twitta

aka) Helenna Santos Levy

P.S. Yes, those pictures are all of me…I’m a zombie every year for Halloween ;)

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

See I may not have a crazy amount of trivia in my brain about comics and characters, but I definitely have my fair share of geek out knowledge when it comes to anything Joss Whedon and also… zombies.  There are other things I geek out about too, but those are the 2 major fields of my geekdom.  And can I just say…. Cabin In The Woods?  Hellz YES!!!

#geekgirlscreate and #nerdsunite OH YEAH!!!

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at:  

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at: 

Ok, so what’s the deal with Mr. Brainwash?  Why am I obsessed?  Why did he sign my shoulder?  And why did I get his signature tattooed on my body?

Okay, FAKE OUT!  So I didn’t actually get his signature tattooed on my shoulder, that would be ridiculous and slightly too “fan girl” of me…slightly.  

But really, what is it about Mr. Brainwash that makes me so incredibly excited? 

First I should start off with who the heck he is.

Mr. Brainwash (aka. MBW) is “a pseudonym for Thierry Guetta. According to the Banksy directed film Exit Through the Gift Shop,^[1] Guetta, who lives in Los Angeles, California, began as a proprietor of a clothing store and videographer who evolved into a street artist and gallery artist after being influenced by the street artists he documented through video over the years.^{[1] (Wikipedia)”}

If you are unfamiliar with Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and street art in general, I would ABSOLUTELY suggest watching “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”  It’s a phenomenal film that for me, raises all sorts of intriguing questions like: What is art?  How do we create celebrity?  How do we as a society endow things with meaning, and why?  I blogged about it after meeting Mr. Brainwash for the first time during Oscar season, and holy nuts do I love that film.  

Seriously.  My “artsy fartsy nerdy” self is totally turned on by it. 

Case in point…this video:

My husband Barry and I had been a fan of Mr. Brainwash’s work long before we even knew who he was.  We would often take photos of his street art during our date days in LA.  It wasn’t until seeing the film and meeting him that our appreciation for his work expanded into full on admiration. 

Now, to be fair, a lot of people think he’s not a “real artist,” and that he just rips off the talented street artists that he’s learned from.  Another argument is…

 “Since the release of the film Exit Through The Gift Shop, there has been much speculation that the film and story of Mr. Brainwash are a hoax concocted by Banksy and Shepard Fairey themselves…

The Times of London noted that “The blogs buzzed with rumours: that Mr Brainwash is nothing but a front for Banksy; even that he is Banksy.”^[12] Fast Company concludes “The whole thing, it’s clear now, was an intricate prank being pulled on all of us by Banksy, who has never publicly revealed his identity, with Fairey as his accomplice. … [His work] looks like Banksy trying not to look like Banksy…”^{[13] (Wikipedia)} 

So in other words, it is entirely possible that the anonymous Banksy who has no public face, could in fact be Mr. Brainwash and vice versa…. Confused?  

Watch the film.  Seriously.  It’s awesome. 

Now, I’d like to raise a couple of points as to why I think Mr. Brainwash is brilliant.

1)  If Guetta truly is the artist aka) Mr. Brainwash, and the story behind how he became a street artist as told in the film is true, I hands down love his artwork.  In fact, his posters are hung everywhere in our condo. 

Yes, while his artwork absolutely draws on Andy Warhol, Shepard Fairey, Banksy etc… I see his art as a new spin on those that influenced his work.  And don’t get me wrong I LOVE Warhol, Banksy, and Fairey.  But like many creatives, I think that there aren’t necessarily any new ideas, just different ways of recreating what has already existed. 

Yes, I agree that he might lack the “polish” of artists who have meticulously studied and perfected the craft and “earned” their prestige, but I still think he’s brilliant.  Shepard Fairey lays it out pretty well in this video, and some peeps also chime in on what they think “art” is, which is definitely one of my favorite topics to debate:

Despite these arguments,  I have to admit that the rawness Mr. Brainwash draws from is pretty incredible and endlessly inspiring. 

To me his brilliance is that he holds up a mirror to the very idea of “art.”  What is art really?  Why do we think one thing is art and something else isn’t?  He evokes a visceral reaction in people whether it be good or bad, and to me that’s the sign of a true artist.  His work brings about discussion, debate, and healthy argument. 

(Yes, this is a rubber Darth Vader!)

Now on the flip side…

2)  If Mr. Brainwash is completely made up by Banksy…perhaps he IS Banksy, or perhaps not… whatever the case, that would be the ABSOLUTE BEST work of art ever created.  It would in fact be “walking street art.”  It would have taken the very essence of art, the idea of celebrity, and pop culture, mixed it up and puked it back in our faces.  And we are eating it up!  What’s more, is that many people believe that even the film Exit Through the Gift Shop is a hoax, and there are some very compelling arguments as to why that’s the case. 

If the emergence of Mr. Brainwash as a pop culture phenomenon is completely fabricated and one big “fuck you” to society, well then, I think that is genius.  His name after all is Mr. Brainwash….

(pic from the Huffington Post)

Yup, I’m a fan.  Whether he’s real or not, a “true artist” or not…( and really who decides that anyways?),  I’m a die hard Brainwash Babe.  

If you are curious about what the heck I’m talking about in this blog post and you are in the LA area, you should definitely go to his Art Show 2011.  It’s four floors of awesomeness.  Just make sure that you give yourself time to look around because what at first just seems like an onslaught of colorful randomness, actually gives way to some pretty deep comments on society if you let it.  

In fact, “instead of the show solely being his artwork, MBW orchestrated an open call for any artist to come in and make their spontaneous mark on the space.  The result is truly a large group show, of which none of the art is for sale. It’s simply to experience and enjoy, temporal and truer to the very nature of street art and graffiti. 

‘I feel like it’s important to show street art. This is our world; this is their world. It’s all about sharing; it’s all about love. I don’t want to hurt anybody, I just want to try to build and help more and more people, this is the way that I live and this is my life,’ MBW shared on the inclusion of other artists for the show.”

(Juxtapoz Magazine)”

And side bar: When we went to his show  he had been standing all day signing autographs and was incredibly kind and sweet and appreciative of all of the people supporting him.  A drunk girl even ruined his fab installation based on the Star Wars Storm Troopers and all he said was “Oh, we’ll have to fix that tomorrow.  May the Art be with you.” 

No matter what the “real” story behind Mr. Brainwash is, I choose to see a man who is doing what he loves and making the world a little more beautiful because of it. 

(pic from Juxtapoz Magazine)

Love him or hate him, I think Mr. Brainwash is here to stay, and I for one am grateful. Yes, life, Mr. Brainwash, is in fact beautiful. 

xoxox

hels 

aka) Helenna Santos Levy 

Written for my weekly Friday blog post at: 

aka) I’m the resident “artsy farsty nerd” ;) 

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I’m sitting in YVR waiting to catch my plane back to LAX feeling super emotional.  Airports are always a cathartic place for me.  To me they are a symbolic bridge showing me where I’m going vs. where I’ve been both literally and figuratively, and each time I visit my parents my ideas of home and growing up start to shift.  

Going back to Vancouver also always makes me really nostalgic and I start thinking about the life I’ve lived so far and the choices I’ve made.  Who I am now vs. who I was last time I visited. I feel like I always end up experiencing a kind of “New Year’s Resolution” type reflection of things and I take stock of all of the things in my life.

Right now I feel like I have my feet in two places.  I’m an adult who “plays” for her career, and I surround myself with other like minded sandbox dwellers, storytellers and truth-seekers.  Because of that, I think that no matter how old I get, my Peter Pan instinct will always be the brightest light I follow.

This trip back, like usual, I feel a little older, a little wiser, and the Peter Pan instinct inside of me got a few more glimpses of the “adult world.” 

Also visiting my family was especially emotional for me this time.  My grandmother has had Alzheimer’s for a number of years now, and this is the first trip back where she had a hard time recognizing me.  Once she remembered who I was it was like I had my old Granny back,  but then my next visit I had to reintroduce myself again.  I know that each time I go back, her condition will progressively worsen, and I am doing my best to prepare myself for it and enjoy each minute I have with her.  

She has been like a third parent to me my whole life.  My grandmother helped raise me and I owe so much to the lessons she has taught me and the love she has given me.  

Growing up is hard.  Being away from family is even harder as time goes on.  But I know that fully living my life and pursuing the path laid out in front of me is what my parents want for me most.  They want me to be happy. 

My father is an incredible man who lived through World War II as a child in the Philippines and has taught me so much about not taking life too seriously because things could always be worse, and my mother is literally the most amazing woman and best mom I could have ever hoped for.  She has a kindness in her heart that is matched by few. 

I have 2 half sisters and 2 half brothers who I am so grateful for who even though they are almost double my age, have always made me feel like an equal.

And I have a husband that I am flying home to who is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Period. 

I truly have the best family.  

Everyone always says that home is where the heart is and I’m learning that my heart can have different sections set aside for each person, each time of my life, and each place. It’s all home to me, and I keep it safe, nestled within me.  We weather storms together and dance joyously together in my “Peter Pan getaway shoes.”  

And now…home is coming with me to Los Angeles on Alaska Air Flight 706. 

xoxooxox

hels 

aka) Helenna Santos Levy