Committed to non committal commitment

[UncleNateG]

The idea of keeping a journal scares the crap out of me. When I was a child my parents always encouraged me to keep a journal to record my thoughts and experiences, so that I could always look back on what I had done. Hmm, keep a written record of all the f'd up stuff I think about, write down the things I experience, O.K. I think I'll pass. That is what my God given memory is for. When you are the youngest child by 9 years and already have to pay for crap that your older siblings did you don't provide any additional cause for concern. If I truly thought that my journal would not be read and was safe from prying eyes I might have kept it, but then it would have seemed quite a bit like masturbation, usually a completely selfish act. Which is fine except that in this case it would have been like doing it under the dining room table and leaving the evidence, it will unquestionably come back to haunt you someday. I don't particulary care for being judged, the idea that you are reading this and making judgements about my spelling (which sucks), my grammar (which is questionable) and what I have to say, is uncomfortable. Possibly made more so by the fact that we in all probability don't know each other. If I continue to do this and you continue to read, you may get to know me, but what do I get out of the deal? We'll see. So I'm doing this to push myself, I have no fear of getting up on stage with scripted lines and making them my own. "outside in then out again" is circular, hard for some people, easy for me. "inside out" is a straight line, no return.

We were doing monologues in our workshop and the coach stopped me at the beginning and ask me if I was about to tell a real story. "Well, no" telling a real story is like putting my life on display in un edited fashion. Way uncofortable! Unless we're friends my personal life is none of your damn business. Now, I'm getting to know my 'shopmates and I consider them friends, but this is practice for performance. My Idea is an escape from reality not re-living it for the pleasure (or not) of the masses.

So, I'm starting a journal, we'll see how it feels.

 

[UncleNateG]

I'v been in and Elvis mood

Thank you, thank you very much to those who suffered through or glanced at and bailed on my Journal. I am a big fan of Elvis Costello's music and I find that when I listen to his music I tend to be introspective. And feeling the need for introspection I loaded the CD player with 5 Costello discs and the Prince disc with the title of the symbol he changed his name to, hit the random all disc setting and proceded to drive from Richmond to Durham. As I sang my self hoarse I considered the juxtaposition and contratiction of my enjoyment for being in the Lime light, and my desire for personal anonymity. I have been told I am very photogenic but I would much rather take pictures than be photographed. I always thought of myself as an artist as being detached and objective (probably the audtor/accountant in me) but the idea of the photographer resonated. As the photographer you are frequently the center of attention, "Hey everybody look at me!" Click, but what you put on display is not the personal details of your life, it is the connection or knowledge you have to the lives of those connected to you. How close is that to gossip? It's a kind of sneaky feeling, that I'm still not sure I'm OK with. If you tell a story, a true story, and change the names to protect the guilty, (the innocent should have naught to fear) have you betrayed a confidence? Sorry Pam, I told your story.

 

[UncleNateG]

30 days short of a year!

Improv YES! journal, not so much...

Once upon a time there was a small coalition of improvisors who were committed to bridging the gap or stradling the divide between short form and long form, and it worked for a short while. Some fell prey to arrogance (or arrogant peer pressure) Some (like me) fell prey to the clock, as there were just not enough non work hours in a week to meet all of the non-work commitments. Well, I'm back in the saddle and I'm going to enjoy the ride.

I am actively playing short form at ComedyWorx in Raleigh and actively playing Harold with DSI in Chapel Hill. I know there are others out there playing on both ends of the court. If there are pitfalls you've come accross, drop me some knowledge to help me navigate.

As I continue to grow and learn I'll try to check in from time to time to share my thoughts and insights.