Finite, Precious Moments
Creativity has no bounds but sometimes it takes a break. Eva Moon, comedian, songwriter and author, came up empty for a time after her BRCA gene mutation diagnosis and preventive surgeries. “Accepting wasn’t easy and I had to take a pause,” she claims.
A flurry of emotions gave way to her song “Where Are You My Dancing Girl.” The lyrics depict the end of a reality – and the beginning of a new journey. “At the deepest level I had to let go of the past and grieve for it, in order to take on my new future,” Eva adds.
She took some time to reflect and to risk. Skydiving at 13,000 feet gave way to peace, not fear. “As I fell back to earth, I thought about how finite life is. And how really knowing there’s a limit makes each moment even more precious and amazing.”
On Transformation
Previvors and those newly diagnosed find healing in her works. Transformation is at the core of these stories, songs and speeches. Now, six years after her surgeries she is more determined than ever to tell stories that inspire. “My sense of humor helps me with stress. It informs how I explore the puzzles in life.”
In First You Jump, a musical play in five stories, the common theme is until you jump, you won’t learn if you can fly. One of them, “Geppetto’s Funeral” depicts Pinocchio, struggling with the choice to return as a child puppet or to take on what’s next as a middle-aged man.
“We cannot know how change will alter our choices. But if we let fear stop us, we’ll never know what we’re capable of.”
On Intimacy
As a sexy, cabaret-style of performer, Eva worked especially hard to preserve her image after her BRCA preventive surgeries. “Intimacy changes. Double mastectomies and more take a toll,” she says. “I want women to know that sex may be different. It’s scary because they can’t know how they’ll respond in advance. But even if it’s different, believe me, it can still be good.”
“Women should not feel guilty about feeling sad about the changes in their bodies. Appearance and sensuality are part and parcel of who we are. It’s not trivial to worry about these things. Or to grieve for what we’ve lost and can’t get back.” Her care and concern for women struggling with these issues are expressed in her play The Mutant Diaries: Unzipping My Genes.
Her husband is her rock and biggest fan. “Like me, he was shaky, too, during my most difficult days and weeks after BRCA surgeries. When I wrote “Ta-Ta, Tatas” I found my voice again – and he laughed again! Time may heal eventually, but creativity is a huge shortcut.”
On Self Expression
As an artist and performer, Eva relies on her intuition to connect with others. Creating is not about perfection or failure. It’s about self-expression. “It is everything to me,” she claims.
Here’s what she knows for sure:
- Everyone is a creator at heart. If you make up a recipe, write a poem, sketch or draw, or make up songs, don’t judge yourself . Just let it out and see where it takes you.
- It’s okay to protect yourself, too. “You don’t have to share, too soon. Cherish your ideas. Take time to restore,” Eva says. That’s what she did to begin her new beginning.
No Bounds
In the past couple of years Eva took up the ukulele and organized a monthly community sing-along. She is writing a novel about Pinocchio (watch for it in bookstores next year). Her bounty of ideas and her courage to make them real continue to entertain and to engage the best of who we are and who we are becoming.
