A.D.D. Has Had Its Way With Me...

OK, fine, I broke tradition. I didn't start a post with a purty landscapey photograph, but I led with a funny animal photo. That just tells me that I'm not afraid of change! Right? A cat delivering a Rock BottomTM on a little lab puppy... near a backyard swingset, no less! You know how dangerous backyard wrestling can be! I mean, pets watch WWE on the TV, then take it to the backyard, and sometimes they can get hurt! Because, gosh ding durn it! WWE guys are professionals! It is not in vain that they say, "Do not try these things at home!"

Reckless pets. Man, I hope that puppy didn't end up paralyzed.

So, yeah, there's that about it.

Hey, remember that one time I was writing a blog post and making it up as I went?

Oh, yeah... it's RIGHT NOW.

So, because no one reads this, I feel safe in revealing my deepest, darkest secrets... so, here goes... *ahem*...

Umm... hmm, lemme think...

Holy crap. I am...

THE MOST BORING PERSON ON THE FACE OF GOD'S GREEN EARTH.

No, no, that can't be true... there must be a deep, dark secret of some kind I can embarrass myself with... hmm...

Well, I tend to take a dump about six times a day... yeah, you probably already figured that one out yourself... Umm... Well, I don't always wear the rubber bands on my teeth, like my orthodontist wants me to... no, that's not even a "shallow, light" secret... umm... Well, I secretly think I'm far better at acting than I'm sure I really am... no, that's just run-of-the-mill narcissism... nothing deep or dark about that. I already confessed that I sometimes sleep in the buff...

Man... no deep, dark secrets to reveal? Sheesh...

Oh well, color me boring, then. If I think of anything, I'll let you know.

So, my acting class in Hollywood is amazing. I really like my coach, probably all out of proportion. And I'm trying to figure out why. I think it's because he's quickly come to "represent" something. You know, symbolism can be powerful in a person's life, yes? He's like a door or something, leading to someplace new and amazing, that I want to go. And it's bigger and more intimidating than I had even begun to expect. Seriously, last night's class, he was working with two sets of actors, on scenes they were working on, and it was riveting. I watched him working with them, leading them to places they hadn't even fathomed before, as far as how to work with their characters and the dialog, and my initial reaction was feeling a wild mix of emotions, such as how glad I was that I wasn't the one up there, and how I empathized with their obvious inability to see what he was trying to lead them into (without just giving them the answers), and mortification on their behalf... and it was all I could do to throw the brakes on that, shake myself, and say, "Hey, Dave, you idiot... pay attention! He's trying to teach us all something here! Don't let the lesson pass you by because you're too busy feeling bad for the actors up on the floor! This is what you're paying him for!"

Does that make sense? Man, I took classes in San Diego for 18 months... I thought I was doing well. I thought I was getting the hang of it all. I got up to this Hollywood class and I realized that I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole could go. I shouldn't feel bad for the actors being stretched to the breaking point before my eyes... I should envy them the experience... take everything I thought I knew, and chuck it... or cling to it and ignore the possibilities of what could be...

By the way, that's his picture up there. His name is Rob Adler, and I'm pretty sure he's a genius.  Here's his IMDB page. The funny thing is, I can tell he's not particularly fond of me. For a number of reasons, I kinda got off on the wrong foot with him. Those of you that know me know how intense and inquisitive I can be. I ask tons of questions, and I feel a compulsion to "figure things out". The term for that in acting parlance is "being stuck in your head", which is counter-productive to any form of higher-level intuitive acting training. Thankfully, Rob knows how to deal with folks like me, but it must be patience-trying for him. I'm one of "those guys"... hopefully, a few months of work will see me free from this mental prison and turned lose on stage and in front of a camera in ways I'd always dreamed were possible. I'm witnessing him do it for others in the class, but no one else is as mired as I am.

I know, Paula... this whole "acting thing" has its' teeth in me. I can't help it... there's something that happens inside me when I see really well-done acting and film-making. It touches me in a powerful way... and I really want to be able to do that to/with others... be a consummate story-teller...convey things to people in a way that impacts them. I know, from experience, what that feels like. I want to be able to do that. Where does that desire come from? Is that desire mutually exclusive from a God-friendly desire? I don't feel like I'm turning my back on Him by wanting to be a world-class actor/story-teller/communicator. I actually feel like it may be a path that leads me closer to Him... but it's new. It's an unknown. I haven't "figured it out" yet... it's a door that has been opened and it reveals a vista I haven't seen before. It's a bit scary... but there's something adventurous about it. Diving into something I haven't thoroughly mulled-over yet...

Rob represents that door to me, at this time. It sucks that I've annoyed him already... I'm hoping that a few steady months of keeping my head down, doing the work, learning and experimenting, will create more of a mutual bond, but even if it doesn't, I know I'm in the right place.

Wow, that was a ramble... I shouldn't write when I'm super sleepy... my edit function is apparently easily-disabled when I'm pooped.



All that to say, yeah.

Currently reading a book called Thief's Magic, by fantasy authoress Trudy Canavan. After a shaky start, it has settled into a wonderful read. I'm about 60% through with it at the moment. There could be a book review of it in the near future! Also, I'm pondering a new Wagnervana comic strip... fingers crossed, eh! My plate is full... actually, instead of a plate, it seems a better analogy for the way I work is a bingo ball tumbler... I have all these ideas and thoughts and projects and potential projects bouncing around in my ADD-riddled brainpan... occasionally, one thing will spit out and I'll do it... or it will fall onto the floor and bounce under the couch, never to be seen again. In this way, things do get done, but far more seem to either eternally-tumble about, or get lost and forgotten...

Real or photoshopped? You decide.

OK, I'm done. I've inflicted enough literary meanderings upon you for one evening. I still haven't thought of any juicy, embarrassing secrets to spill.. perhaps if you ask me a specific, potentially-humiliating question in the comments, I'll feel compelled to answer it and reveal my foibles and idiosyncrasies to all!

Ask away!

Thanks all for now.

Dave the Yutz