My plan for the next forty days is this:
Completely revamp my life
The problem is, I come up with this exact same plan every week. And I get excited because-- imagine how much I could accomplish, if, like my friend E-- I schedule every bit of my day and follow the schedule to the letter.
At least that's what I thought E did. She emailed me once, in advance of a visit to ask when and where and for how long. She apologized for being so structured, but said that was the only way she could function.
I wrote her today to ask for advice on exactly how to be like her.
She wondered if I had mixed her up with someone else.
"I constantly feel behind," she said.
It cracked her up that I thought she was someone who could teach me about organization.
The truth is, I know a ton about scheduling and organizing and I do it very well in my business life. But when it's me holding myself accountable to...me, I'm a slacker.
Which is part of the reason I'm blogging.
What I'm going to try, starting tomorrow is to dedicate a minimum of 2.5 hours daily to the solo-pieces I'll be performing in July. I'm not talking nose-to-the-grindstone all of the time. 30 minutes of that will be doing vocal exercises as I get ready for work, or do housework, or drive (avoiding the staccato exercises that can make me light-headed). I really like Ariella Vaccarino . Let me know if there are other downloadable Mp3s you'd recommend.
45 minutes will be combined with my daily walk/run where I'll also be listening to a current recording of the piece I'm working on (I record the entire piece in a monotonous voice so that when performing I don't fall into a groove and recite the script rather than feel it ((Ann Randolph's advice)). I carry a little recorder to note ideas that come to me while I work out. I'm sure I look completely nuts running and talking to myself, slowing down every-so-often to speak into a handheld device, but I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains next to a woman who posts signs warning people that the DEA is recording the license plate numbers on everyone who drives past her house, and an old man who lurks behind trees with a shotgun aimed at anyone who walks their dog off-leash, sooo I'm in good company).
That leaves an hour and fifteen minutes to write and move through the piece. This time, instead of writing until it's 'perfect' and then adding movement, I'm going to write on my feet.
In addition, I'm going to go to take drop-in improv classes at The Fun Institute which are terrifying and fun and will make me very brave.
AND
Rehearse with my troupe starting this Sunday.
AND
Work with a director in two weeks when I should be off-book.
Here's something else that helps:
In order to be a great artist you have to be willing to be a bad one -- Julie Cameron The Artist's Way
(Thanks, K!)
Tomorrow is day one. See you then.
xo
Completely revamp my life
The problem is, I come up with this exact same plan every week. And I get excited because-- imagine how much I could accomplish, if, like my friend E-- I schedule every bit of my day and follow the schedule to the letter.
At least that's what I thought E did. She emailed me once, in advance of a visit to ask when and where and for how long. She apologized for being so structured, but said that was the only way she could function.
I wrote her today to ask for advice on exactly how to be like her.
She wondered if I had mixed her up with someone else.
"I constantly feel behind," she said.
It cracked her up that I thought she was someone who could teach me about organization.
The truth is, I know a ton about scheduling and organizing and I do it very well in my business life. But when it's me holding myself accountable to...me, I'm a slacker.
Which is part of the reason I'm blogging.
What I'm going to try, starting tomorrow is to dedicate a minimum of 2.5 hours daily to the solo-pieces I'll be performing in July. I'm not talking nose-to-the-grindstone all of the time. 30 minutes of that will be doing vocal exercises as I get ready for work, or do housework, or drive (avoiding the staccato exercises that can make me light-headed). I really like Ariella Vaccarino . Let me know if there are other downloadable Mp3s you'd recommend.
45 minutes will be combined with my daily walk/run where I'll also be listening to a current recording of the piece I'm working on (I record the entire piece in a monotonous voice so that when performing I don't fall into a groove and recite the script rather than feel it ((Ann Randolph's advice)). I carry a little recorder to note ideas that come to me while I work out. I'm sure I look completely nuts running and talking to myself, slowing down every-so-often to speak into a handheld device, but I live in the Santa Cruz Mountains next to a woman who posts signs warning people that the DEA is recording the license plate numbers on everyone who drives past her house, and an old man who lurks behind trees with a shotgun aimed at anyone who walks their dog off-leash, sooo I'm in good company).
That leaves an hour and fifteen minutes to write and move through the piece. This time, instead of writing until it's 'perfect' and then adding movement, I'm going to write on my feet.
In addition, I'm going to go to take drop-in improv classes at The Fun Institute which are terrifying and fun and will make me very brave.
AND
Rehearse with my troupe starting this Sunday.
AND
Work with a director in two weeks when I should be off-book.
Here's something else that helps:
In order to be a great artist you have to be willing to be a bad one -- Julie Cameron The Artist's Way
(Thanks, K!)
Tomorrow is day one. See you then.
xo
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