Day 50 - Capture, Challenge, and Broaden it!

·        Capturing  - How do we capture new ideas?  Journaling, collaborating, reflecting, experience new “rock your boat” activities

Idea? Uhm ... Everyday, I practice; singing, dancing, and acting. I learned a lot those painful practice procedures. But I am sure if I could call it idea. In my notion, idea is closer to brain work, not physical work. Anyway, I got many things by practice. 

1) I go to gym everyday, and find what kind of workout is good for performer. I don't lift dumbbells although I am skinny. I always strengthen my feet, ankle, calf, hamstring, and abdominal muscles. I believe those muscles help stage performer to stand straight and move well. 

2) I record my voice to digital recorder. I hope to speak English better and better, and I found practicing vowel sound is more important than consonants. Vowel defines regional accent. 

3) For singing, I found loosening my lips and jaws is the most important. 

·        Challenging – Ideas occur when old and new compete.  The process of discovery is critical to creativity – what about failure, extinction or evolution?  How do you allow personal or organizational failures? 

1)  After sickness, I found I need to have strong legs, and abs. I tried to have big upper body like Hollywood actors. Big Deltoids (shoulder), Pectoralis major (chest), and biceps & triceps (arms) are symbol of Hollywood men. I am not. I am more mime artist or dancer. I wish to look good, but I don't need it.  

2) For improving English, I used to emphasize every consonant in every word. At that time, I didn't have voice recorder. I practiced until full memorized. But it sounded awful.

3) For singing, I tended to practice only singing higher. I am baritone, but after practicing, now I can go to Bb. However, the sound was not clean, and sometime it was off-note. So, I turned down volume and loosened everything in my mouth.

 

·        Broadening/Surrounding – How do increase creative stimuli in your life?  Are you selective?  Do you consider where your most creative places and moments are and why?

1) How do I increase ...? Keep going to the gym, and perform some movements I couldn't do before. Sometimes, I look at mirror to see how beautiful my body is (hahaha). Where ... and when ... ? On the stage, in class ... ? Maybe. How about Youtube? I keep thinking about broadening my performance in Youtube. 

2) I just need to keep recording my voice. I thought about mimic great actors such as Peter O'toole, Richard Harris ... etc. Or taking auditions and being in production. 

3) I thought about my concert. I am taking Cabaret singing class, and it is really enjoyable. Maybe after Spring semester, I could have Big Fire's concert? Maybe. It could stimulate my creativity.  

Day 50 - Seven Ways to be Creative

I am taking classes at EMU.
And I found the goal of classes is defined by teacher's strength or perspective to the subject.

Last semester, I took "Personal Narrative" class before with Decky.
Her focus is "verbal" performance. (Thanks, God for she is a performer.)
So, She cares how to communicate with voice (with meaning and written words)

This Winter, I am taking "Personal Narrative" with Anita.
She is talented at physical performing, but I cannot tell she is a performer, but she is a scholar.
And her focus is "linguistic". So, written words seemed to be close to her.

Two years ago, I took "Personal Narrative" class with Anna Deavere Smith.
She is a professional performer or actor.
In her class, written materials are not important.
She only cared how to convey the words, emotion, and the weight of materials.
"How" was more important than "what" or "why".
And her focus was not only verbal but also kinesthetic, and I liked her way.  


Who am I?
and how can I teach?

Day 43 - Action plan

"Pick one or two important items for each list and create an action plan to implement them in your lives."  (Depending on the items you may be able to implement quickly or you may need to implement in stages.)

"Organizing files"

1. Buy a external hard drive
2. Move all the files from my laptop to the hard drive.
3. Check the files - delete or edit them - save something worth
4. Build my teaching plans - for my career (teacher), I would write my unique teaching plans based on the files.

"Strengthen body like a dancer"

1. Go to gym twice a day
2. 1) Morning gym time - I'd rather workout muscle build
    2) Evening gym time - I'd rather focus on stretch and dacing.
3. Video recording my movement
4. Build up my choreography
   - movement
   - time
   - space
   - shape ....
5. Adapt them to plays, images, music ...
6. upload to Youtube

Day 42 - Things I could take out of my life

 "Things you could take out of your lives to make room for creative activity."
 "Things you could add to your life to stimulate creativity."

1. Books I don't read anymore - Kindle (or i-Pad) could replace it? or just make it organized with labeling?
2. Toys my sons aren't playing anymore
3. Clothes I don't wear anymore - Do I need to buy new clothes?
4. Carpet - I wish to have wooden floor or big floor mat
5. White walls - I wish to have colorfully painted walls or walls with mirrors
6.  Comupet files I wrote many years ago, but never look again - Store and re-check them in different storage.

* I choose #6.

Day 29 - My Dreams

I dream these;

My students at Willow Run High School make a theatre production; a beautiful and great one.
And they travel all around the city, state, and even this country.

I give a nice presentation in any Theatre conference, and meeting people and networking with them.

Making a new theatre production with my friends in my department;
Meriah, Jenny, Deviin, Erin, Emily, Donald ....
Create new performances and sell them.

I sing and dance in many Broadway shows, even in club shows.

Building teaching plans and making classes about Theatre and Dreams.

I just dream those today. ...

Day 29 - Steve Jobs ... Dream Boy

Do I wish to buy and own an i-Pad?
Yes.

Why?
It is cool. I don't think I need it. But if I have one, I would think it;
"Now, I am one of them"

I don't have anything Apple made.
It's expansive.
But I always wish to have one.
That's why me and my sons always visit Apple shop when we go to mall.

I beleive people buy i-Pod not just because they really need it but because they dream to own the world;
the world of technology? the world of new medium? ...

When I studied Theatre, my theory teachers told me "build a new world"
I saw one person (her name is Ariane Mnouchikine in Theatre du Soleil) made a new world in Theatre.
How about Pina Bauch? ....? Uhm... she built the world in Theatre not making new world.
But Mnouchikine makes new world.

Someone wrote Steve Jobs sells "Dream" not technology.
The dream is about the new world.

Did you ask my new world? 

Day 29 - Dragged

Oh, I am way behind the schedule.
I was supposed to finish Autobiography last week.  hhh

Here are more of my Creative Autobiography

9.  What are the obstacles to this ambition?

I don't have class now?
Or
I don't have my concrete teaching plan?

10. What are vital steps to achieving this ambition?

1) Gather people or be in where people gather
2) Share what I want to teach
3) Find spaces for regular lesson

11. How do you begin your day?

Giving a ride for my second son to his pre-school

12. What are your habits? What patterns do you repeat?

Smell scent of my body
I touch my hands with my nostrils

13. Describe your first successful creative act.

I directed a church skit; it was a short mime. My actor mimed urinating toward the cross.
And one of bible teachers banned to play it. He thought it was blasphemy.

14. Describe your second successful creative act.

Another church skit. I directed a scene and asked my actor to throw the Bible on the ground.
He said he couldn't.

15. Compare them

The both were not accepted by others, but I always try to be against symbolism.
Religion created symbols, and they could lead us dangerous faith.
I felt I was not defeated by them

16. What are your attitudes toward: money, power, praise, rivals, word, play?

Money should be spent. Keeping it can be dangerous.
I am nervous if I have big numbers in my bank account.

If it can result pure admiration or adoration, I would have it.
People would listen to me if I have it. To me, using appropriate language is power.

I wish to have more and more and more and more ...
but it is like a poison. There will be no satisfaction.
I really like to get applause after performing.
Sometimes, I wish to be free from it.

It is good to think I am not the one. Rivals make me think it. They makes me humble.

I try not to say much ...

I wish to do all day long

17. Which artists do you admire most?

His name is Robert Lepage, Bryn Terfel.
Her name is Ariane Mnouchikine, Anna Deveare Smith, Mary Overlie.

18. Why are they your role model?

They are director, musician, teacher, and activist.
They make me look up.