Melanie Testa

The Avant Gardener

The Avant Gardener by Lindsay Katt

Last night my Good Man and I met up with a friend, ate a delicious meal together, then headed to Joe’s Pub, for the NYC premiere of The Avant Gardener by Lindsay Katt, watch the trailer, here (I made it into the trailer!). WOOT! Check out Lindsay’s Music page on FB too.

I remain consistently amazed that I placed myself as a Genderless Fairy, in a MOVIE. As in, I have a mention in the INTERNET Movie Database. 

See the glittery awe? That misty dew of OMG, Yes? I got to play the part of The Genderless Fae, again. In person. I got to watch Lindsay’s movie and listen to Lindsay sing.  

I got to walk the streets of New York City, as The Genderless Fae.

I hold every instance of artful engagement -like this- in very high regard. Our fellow humans need to -see- the touch of the freak. We need to see the embodiment of showing up and having fun with it. We need to see people doing ‘the thing’ that makes their heart sing. Conformity is encouraged at every turn. It is hard to remain independent.

But, it is great. And fun. And worth it.

I am listed as, ‘Melanie Testa as The Genderless Fairy’.

In. a. Movie.

And the thing is, the motto of the movie, the underlying message of The Avant Gardener is, ‘You can tip-toe through life and get safely to death, or you can really live.’ 

I mean, I said YES, to this part, during a year where I committed to saying, Yes! ‘Yes, I want to paint my body gold and flit on camera!’ Yes, I will pose in magazine articles and participate in video content online, go to Berlin. Yes, I want new people and different things in my life.

It was one Heck! of a year. 

To see myself in this project. To allow myself to feel Lindsay sing on a beautiful night, in the summer, with my Man and friends?

It was magic. 

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Year of YES!

The Avant Gardener

This has been an amazing year. After loosing the book contract I realized my world had become very small. I assessed what I might like out of life. I began looking around and questioning what it could mean to be an artist in NYC. I told myself to start saying yes. I had misgivings, it can be scary to say yes, to do things, to meet new people. 

Having been diagnosed with cancer has allowed me to open a dialog of what it can mean to be female and to be breastless, in a breast obsessed society. It has allowed me to begin talking about body love, confidence, a strong sense of self, and body positivity.

We have just one body in a lifetime. Some of us are diagnosed with a body altering disease, or we get into an accident, fall into gaining too much weight for our own liking, or any number of other particulars. Whatever that is for each of us, we each have a battle to face.

What I have discovered over these last few years, and this year in particular is, it is all OK. This is a reflection of being human, having a body and, hopefully, learning to love it, no matter what.

Who would have thought at the beginning of this year that I would have been asked to travel to Berlin for a fabulous photoshoot with Esther Hasse and Uta Melle or take part in a music video called The Avant Gardener with Lindsay Katt.

Who would have thought that saying, ‘Yes!’, could be so much fun?

I hope you too might say a few, ‘Yes’s!’. Love your body, put down the worry, whoa and anxiety. When asked, try saying yes more often. You never know where it might lead! You too, might get to dress up as a genderless faerie and make a dream come true!

Life is so good!