Well hellooooooo. It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last thrilled you with my writings and thoughts and blabbings on. Let me fill you in. Hold on to your hats, it's going to be an exciting read. Woooo, you may just explode from the excitement. Are you ready? Okay.
Well ... first off there have been a couple of birthdays. Yay. My very cool sister had her 40th, which is a very impressive achievement I reckon, and scarily enough it isn't actually all that long until my 40th ... only a few years ... oh my god, I am almost 40, that means I am almost old! I shall have to remember to grow up one day.
At the other end of the age scale my amazing niece Makhala turned 7 yesterday. We had a party here on Sunday for it, which was a very quiet, calm affair with 15 six and seven year olds running around. It was awesome though, and even the 6 million blows to the head with helium balloons couldn't wipe the smile off my face. Great fun. We gave Mak a keyboard for her birthday, so can't wait to use, I mean hear her playing that.
I also went to the Eltham Craft Market last weekend for a workout. What's that? A workout at a market? Surely I jest. But I jest not, there were gale-force winds and rain and there was little old me clinging on to my tent in the hope that not only would it not break or fly off, but if it did that it didn't take me with it ... and if it did take me with it, hopefully it would come down somewhere near my house.
Than earlier this week I went out to Mulgrave to visit Albany Rise Primary School, which was great fun. The kids gave me a wonderful reception when I went into the classrooms, which always helps in me getting straight into fun mode with a little bit of the crazy. So I had a ball out there, and once again some amazing drawings were done by the kids. Even one dog I think it was with his eyes popping out of his head. Awesome.
So that is it from me for now. My bathroom is just being painted ... for the third time since we have lived here ... I think someone in the house needs to stop farting in the shower and making the paint peel off the walls.
Have a great week everyone, and keep living the dream.
Stay Gold.
Wally
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Scoping out Mt Scopus and visiting Lily and Dale
Well helllooooooooooo! I'm back, haha, I'll be back. You have to read that in an Arnie accent, or it makes no sense at all, well the last bit at least. All of it in an Arnie accent might sound a bit weird, especially the well helloooooooooo bit!
Anyway, it's great to be back. I've been away from typing here for a while, and it's great to see such a huge crowd waiting to see me again ... Hi Mum, how are you? Actually, I don't think even my mum reads this. Oh well, it might make her think I am even weirder if she did!
It's been a great couple of weeks since I last wrote. I visited two schools, Mt Scopus College and Lilydale Primary School.
Mt Scopus was first. I visited there last year, as the Grade 4s were doing a unit of work on Humour. i thought it was just the best thing ever. they look at all different types of humour, at different senses of humour, and more. They go deeper than just looking at funny movies or spending the day on You Tube like I do ... whoops, I have said too much. Anyway, they are doing the unit again this year with the new Grade 4s, so I was invited out again to do my thing, and I had an absolute ball again. Those kids are a great audience, and they offer as much as they take humour-wise, so it was a really great experience.
Then last week I was out at Lilydale Primary School for a couple of days, drawing with the kids out there. Again I had a great time. On the first day one class in particular was perhaps the best audience I have ever had in terms of response. I'm sure they laughed when I breathed one time, and it wasn't even with a whislte nose or anything, just a normal breath! It wasn't really like that, but they did have some great laughs, and as a consequence I upped the crazy a little bit more as I fed off their response.
It's an interesting point actually. I find that two things get me acting more "out there" and a little bit crazy. One is when I get a great response. It spurs me on to get more laughs. The other is when I get no laughs at all. My response is I'm going to get you guys laughing one way or another and I up the crazies. One of the things I am working on is just having the crazy there no matter the response, just because I let go of my inhibitions and go for it without worrying about looking silly. That is when I am at my best and most relaxed and probably funniest as well.
This is one of the great things about performing in one way or another. You always learn, and can always improve on what you do. If you rest on your laurels you won't get anything out of it. You should always be looking for new and exciting ways to get your message across.
The other thing to remember, and I have found this out, is that the same jokes and routines won't always get the same response. I guess this follows on from the Mt Scopus different sense of humour focus. I can do one thing in one class and get a great response, and in the next the kids will sit and look at me like I'm some kind of weird boring guy. This doesn't mean the material is bad, it just means you need more up your sleeve, more ways and means to entertain. It may even mean you strike on something brand new in that moment. I am learning to not be afraid to try things as I go along. All that can happen is that I don't get a great laugh, and I sometimes get that anyway!
So go for it. Take risks. Fall flat on your face sometimes, but have a great time doing it, get up, and go for it all over again.
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Wally
Anyway, it's great to be back. I've been away from typing here for a while, and it's great to see such a huge crowd waiting to see me again ... Hi Mum, how are you? Actually, I don't think even my mum reads this. Oh well, it might make her think I am even weirder if she did!
It's been a great couple of weeks since I last wrote. I visited two schools, Mt Scopus College and Lilydale Primary School.
Mt Scopus was first. I visited there last year, as the Grade 4s were doing a unit of work on Humour. i thought it was just the best thing ever. they look at all different types of humour, at different senses of humour, and more. They go deeper than just looking at funny movies or spending the day on You Tube like I do ... whoops, I have said too much. Anyway, they are doing the unit again this year with the new Grade 4s, so I was invited out again to do my thing, and I had an absolute ball again. Those kids are a great audience, and they offer as much as they take humour-wise, so it was a really great experience.
Then last week I was out at Lilydale Primary School for a couple of days, drawing with the kids out there. Again I had a great time. On the first day one class in particular was perhaps the best audience I have ever had in terms of response. I'm sure they laughed when I breathed one time, and it wasn't even with a whislte nose or anything, just a normal breath! It wasn't really like that, but they did have some great laughs, and as a consequence I upped the crazy a little bit more as I fed off their response.
It's an interesting point actually. I find that two things get me acting more "out there" and a little bit crazy. One is when I get a great response. It spurs me on to get more laughs. The other is when I get no laughs at all. My response is I'm going to get you guys laughing one way or another and I up the crazies. One of the things I am working on is just having the crazy there no matter the response, just because I let go of my inhibitions and go for it without worrying about looking silly. That is when I am at my best and most relaxed and probably funniest as well.
This is one of the great things about performing in one way or another. You always learn, and can always improve on what you do. If you rest on your laurels you won't get anything out of it. You should always be looking for new and exciting ways to get your message across.
The other thing to remember, and I have found this out, is that the same jokes and routines won't always get the same response. I guess this follows on from the Mt Scopus different sense of humour focus. I can do one thing in one class and get a great response, and in the next the kids will sit and look at me like I'm some kind of weird boring guy. This doesn't mean the material is bad, it just means you need more up your sleeve, more ways and means to entertain. It may even mean you strike on something brand new in that moment. I am learning to not be afraid to try things as I go along. All that can happen is that I don't get a great laugh, and I sometimes get that anyway!
So go for it. Take risks. Fall flat on your face sometimes, but have a great time doing it, get up, and go for it all over again.
Have a great week, and keep living the dream.
Stay gold.
Wally
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