Funkbuster

Depending on what you’re using to read this you may or may not see the animation, or you may see it a couple times. So I’m providing a couple ways to view it.

Embed:

Direct link to the animation on Vimeo if you can’t see the embed (and for higher resolution).

A GIF:

Some years ago I learned a fun exercise geared toward helping novice improv performers “shake off the day” and get into a good mindset to begin improv class. My teacher Tara, stated that this exercise was also good for moments when you weren’t feeling so great.

It’s physical, you have to stand up. It starts with something easy, then adds in a bit more complex part that kinda kick-starts your brain. But it’s really simple, easy, and silly.

I’ve used this over the years for when I’m a little anxious and want to refocus, or to generally bust out of a low energy or low motivation time. Or when I’m just overwhelmed. When I’m in a funk. Hence I’m calling it “The Funkbuster”.

Tara never named this, so I’m taking a liberty here. Thanks for teaching me this Tara. I hope you don’t mind The Funkbuster name, but it’s better than “the crazy arm thing Tara taught me” which I was calling this in my head.

I’ve taught my daughter this too, and I don’t think she uses it for herself. When we’re together and she’s experiencing a funk or worrying about things. We always end up laughing in the end.

Animation wise, this isn’t my best work. I’m happy with how loose everything is, but I don’t like how there’s what I would call timing issues. I can’t get the animation to end the way I want. And I don’t like how pause between the two animations when the first turns off and the second kicks in. See if you can notice it if you didn’t before.

I may have to commit to doing this all in one file in Procreate. That way I’d have the specific control I’m looking for. Maybe for the next animation.

Perception of ourselves

I read this quote in Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk.

I doodled the original quote…

It’s sitting with me for two reasons. One is yeah, that is damn true. The mind is a weird. “What will people think” is a limiting belief for me, and many others. Digging into it, it’s “what will I think other people will think”. The mind is weird.

The second reason this is sitting with me is look at the date from the original quote. 1902. It is from over a hundred years ago. Before cars, phones, tv, internet, and social media.

Social Media is a machine that capitalizes and profits on this line of thinking.

A question or you

What is a skill you’d like to learn and why? Hit reply and let me know.

Meanwhile

I missed an issue of this newsletter. I haven’t heard from my customer service department about any complaints, lol. But I was struggling to get this issue out.

I changed the idea for the animation three times. One idea is good, and I started working on it. But it wanted to be larger than I had the mental energy for. I might revisit it later. Another idea I started on is great, but I tabled it to go back to the Funkbuster. It’s called RAIN, and it’ll be in the next email, likely.

I moved my online stuff around, and started a new project.

Where Light Gathers. I’ve had this domain for years, and never really knew what to do with it. I’m interested in the Digital Garden concept, so I started making one here. I need to tend to it to add more seeds and grow them into ideas to think and draw on.

I moved my articles back to my website, switched the tech stack from carrd to Blot and dusted off an old design I borrowed stole from a kind and interesting person named Manuel. He helped me with the typography & design on my site.

Lastly, I changed the design of my micro blog and re-wired it to send everything I write there to go to twitter automatically.

That’s a lot of info. That’s a lot of technical mumbo jumbo. That’s a lot of tinkering. All true, but I just like messing around with this stuff. Arguably I could have not done all this, and shipped the newsletter or done other creative work. I want to tinker all the time, and that’s OK.

If you’re reading this and you ever want to start your own site, blog, micro.blog, digital garden, or other weird internet thing let me know.

I like to tinker, and would like to help you let your freak flag fly. I am your weird internet friend.

Rando photo

I took a couple random photos recently that I really like.

My dog likes to bury her head under pillows when she naps, and I just happened to catch this angle when I stepped away from my desk to grab a coffee one morning.

My Doge likes Doge. Such comfort. Much naps. Wow.

I had a stressful day at work recently, so I went for a drive up the coast. I parked to walk by the ocean and saw this heart. It made my day.

Way to bury the lede

I got invited to perform my 5 minute standup set again. I’m happy that performing venues are slowly and safely reopening. And I’m looking forward to performing again.

There’s external motivation for me. If one can entertain or make the audience laugh it feels good.

But more importantly, doing these performances is terrifying. Getting up there and expressing oneself creatively in the moment is a great way to expand ones comfort zone. That’s rewarding to me too. More than the external motivation, honestly.

If you’re in or near Portsmouth New Hampshire on August second, come check it out.