This time last week I was still at theatre camp. Geeze that seems like forever ago. I can't believe I've only been home for a week. I still miss it so badly. I don't think it's ever taken me this long to get over a camp experience. Here's my theory for why.
Okay, I spent an entire week with dramatic theatre kids. We did all kinds of things that aren't necessarily normal. One of my favorite examples was Wednesday night when we went to see Wicked. We went out to eat beforehand at the Spaghetti Warehouse (which I just learned is supposed to be haunted. WHAT.) and we were in the upper room where they put groups. There was one other group up there with us, and they were doing some kind of awards thing. I honestly don't even know what this group was. It looked like a women's group of some sort. But they were applauding for the women who won awards, and so all of us theatre campers just kind of spontaneously burst into applause with them, which made it like 10x louder because there were so many of us. And those people enjoyed it so much. One woman took a picture of us and said she was going to put it in their newsletter. Again, I have no idea what kind of group this was. But hey, we made the newsletter!
Also, randomly throughout the week we all just kind of broke out into song. Twice we had a group walking around singing and we got people we didn't even know to sing with us. In one instance I believe we were singing Bohemian Rhapsody, so we probably can't take all the credit because seriously who doesn't sing along with Bohemian Rhapsody?
But my point is, when I was around those people I felt free to do whatever. I wasn't uncomfortable singing and being wacko, partially because everyone else was too, but also because I didn't feel like anyone was going to judge me. I felt safe around them. On Friday when we were all in our dorm rooms packing up, we all left our doors open and were singing songs from Enchanted. I pointed out that I must have felt comfortable around them, because I don't belt around just anybody. Seriously, if I sing around you it means I really trust you.
After being home for a week, I've noticed that I don't feel that free anymore. Being home, I start to just go back to my normal self. Which I don't necessarily like. I really loved who I was at camp, and how I was okay with making a fool of myself because that's been something I've struggled with for a long time. Normal Me likes to make sure no one sees me being stupid or weird. I don't want people to see me acting dumb because I'm afraid of what they'll think of me.
That's kind of my mission now that I'm home. Well, one of two missions but the other one would take up a whole blog post in itself. (maybe I'll get to that one.) But my mission is to try and keep that free-spiritedness (that's not a word, I'm aware.) that I had last week. To worry less about making a fool of myself in front of my friends, and more about being who I want to be, and who God wants me to be.
Wish me luck.
Lisa
Friday, June 28
Sunday, June 23
Theatre Camp
So this past week I've been running around with a bunch of dramatic teenagers at Cedarville University and it was basically the greatest week of my life. We were all sleep deprived and caffeinated and just generally insane.
So the week started out and we were all awkward and uncomfortable and trying to make conversation. I think that lasted for about two hours before we were all acting like ourselves again. I would tell you what all we did on Monday night, but all the days kind of ran together so I don't remember specifically. I do remember that we were split into our two groups for the first time and got the scripts for our plays.
Over the rest of the week, we worked on the plays as well as doing classes in acting, improv, stage combat, makeup and costuming, so on and so forth. I think the favorite for all of us was probably the stage combat. I mean heck, what's not fun about pretending to punch your friends in the face? We all spent the rest of the week breaking out in random fights around campus.
Oh and then there was the fact that we got to see Wicked in Columbus on Wednesday. Which was basically the coolest thing ever. I personally have seen the show before, but this time was better. First of all I was with 23 other high schoolers who love the show as much as I do, whether or not they'd seen it before. I ended up sitting next to my roommate, and at the beginning of intermission I could just see the amazement on her face. But then also there was our seats. The first time I saw it I was in the second balcony and it was awesome. This time we were in orchestra seating about fifteen rows back and it was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. Oh and did I mention we got to meet a member of the ensemble? Because that happened. I think. I'm still kind of in shock about that one.
The next morning was hilarious and terrible at the same time. We didn't get home until about 1 in the morning and all of us were exhausted, so when we all met in the lobby of our dorm at 6:50 the next morning (although by the time everyone got there it was more like 7:10) everyone looked like they were asleep with their eyes open, but we were still so excited about the show we saw the night before.
Seriously, though, the week went too fast. I would have stayed for another three weeks if I could have and I'm pretty darn sure everyone else would have too. I'm honestly amazed at how well we all got along. It had to be a God thing that we ended up with the exact people we did, because there wasn't one person there that I didn't get along with. I was talking to my roommate Thursday night and we were saying how funny it was that on the first day we were so awkward and yet by the next day we were all best friends. I even feel close to the people who weren't in my group.
And so now we're all home and we're all complaining about how much we want to go back to camp. It's hard since we all live so far away from each other. I now have friends in Tennessee, Maryland, and Ontario. All of which are way too far away for my liking. Thank God for Facebook.
Anyway, if you need me I'll be over here trying to adjust back to real life.
Lisa
So the week started out and we were all awkward and uncomfortable and trying to make conversation. I think that lasted for about two hours before we were all acting like ourselves again. I would tell you what all we did on Monday night, but all the days kind of ran together so I don't remember specifically. I do remember that we were split into our two groups for the first time and got the scripts for our plays.
Over the rest of the week, we worked on the plays as well as doing classes in acting, improv, stage combat, makeup and costuming, so on and so forth. I think the favorite for all of us was probably the stage combat. I mean heck, what's not fun about pretending to punch your friends in the face? We all spent the rest of the week breaking out in random fights around campus.
Oh and then there was the fact that we got to see Wicked in Columbus on Wednesday. Which was basically the coolest thing ever. I personally have seen the show before, but this time was better. First of all I was with 23 other high schoolers who love the show as much as I do, whether or not they'd seen it before. I ended up sitting next to my roommate, and at the beginning of intermission I could just see the amazement on her face. But then also there was our seats. The first time I saw it I was in the second balcony and it was awesome. This time we were in orchestra seating about fifteen rows back and it was the most incredible thing I've ever experienced. Oh and did I mention we got to meet a member of the ensemble? Because that happened. I think. I'm still kind of in shock about that one.
The next morning was hilarious and terrible at the same time. We didn't get home until about 1 in the morning and all of us were exhausted, so when we all met in the lobby of our dorm at 6:50 the next morning (although by the time everyone got there it was more like 7:10) everyone looked like they were asleep with their eyes open, but we were still so excited about the show we saw the night before.
Seriously, though, the week went too fast. I would have stayed for another three weeks if I could have and I'm pretty darn sure everyone else would have too. I'm honestly amazed at how well we all got along. It had to be a God thing that we ended up with the exact people we did, because there wasn't one person there that I didn't get along with. I was talking to my roommate Thursday night and we were saying how funny it was that on the first day we were so awkward and yet by the next day we were all best friends. I even feel close to the people who weren't in my group.
And so now we're all home and we're all complaining about how much we want to go back to camp. It's hard since we all live so far away from each other. I now have friends in Tennessee, Maryland, and Ontario. All of which are way too far away for my liking. Thank God for Facebook.
Anyway, if you need me I'll be over here trying to adjust back to real life.
Lisa
Sunday, June 2
Writer's Block
So lately I've felt like I have this huge brick wall over the creative part of my brain. I keep trying to write, because I want to write, and it keeps ending very poorly. Sometimes I'll have an inkling of an idea and I'll open my journal to write it and nothing comes out and I end up writing the date, sitting there for five minutes, then crossing it off and going to do something else. It's like all my ideas are cowering behind the brick wall, and if one brave one tries to escape, it runs at full force and immediately smacks into the brick wall.
And I don't like this. I used to be able to write full scenes that took up like eight pages in my journal in one sitting, and now I can barely finish three pages and therefore end up stopping in the middle of a scene which I hate. And all my scenes are dull, and repetative, and just NOT FUN AT ALL ASDLFA;FOHFVNDSALKJ.
Whew. Okay sorry. So yeah. Well the point of this is, I've been sitting on a book idea since... I guess last June. I've been sitting on a book idea for an entire year and planned out characters and a bit of plot and (which characters I'm going to kill lol oops) and stuff like that. But I haven't done anything with it because I still don't have the entire plot mapped out and I don't know what to do in the boring in between bits and then I realized that THAT'S REALLY STUPID WHY ARE YOU STUPID LISA.
Because seriously, that's what a rough draft is for. I think the problem is I've tried many times(okay like twice) to write a whole book and both times I've stopped because it isn't good or I lose steam or I get busy with life or I just don't want to do it anymore. And I so desperately don't want to do that with this one because it's good and I really like it and I think other people will like it. I mean all my beta readers (aka best friends)have liked it so far, but you know they're my best friends so they're not going to say they hate it. Except Allye. She would tell me.
But yeah. So I've decided that the only way to break through the Brick Wall of Stupid is to just keep writing and making those little ideas slam into the wall until it finally breaks. So far I've written... well... two pages of this book. In two days. But you know what, I'm making progress.
So here's to perseverance. Or pigheadedness or whatever the heck you want to call it. Hopefully soon I'll have more exciting things to share.
Until next time
Stay classy.
Lisa
And I don't like this. I used to be able to write full scenes that took up like eight pages in my journal in one sitting, and now I can barely finish three pages and therefore end up stopping in the middle of a scene which I hate. And all my scenes are dull, and repetative, and just NOT FUN AT ALL ASDLFA;FOHFVNDSALKJ.
Whew. Okay sorry. So yeah. Well the point of this is, I've been sitting on a book idea since... I guess last June. I've been sitting on a book idea for an entire year and planned out characters and a bit of plot and (which characters I'm going to kill lol oops) and stuff like that. But I haven't done anything with it because I still don't have the entire plot mapped out and I don't know what to do in the boring in between bits and then I realized that THAT'S REALLY STUPID WHY ARE YOU STUPID LISA.
Because seriously, that's what a rough draft is for. I think the problem is I've tried many times(okay like twice) to write a whole book and both times I've stopped because it isn't good or I lose steam or I get busy with life or I just don't want to do it anymore. And I so desperately don't want to do that with this one because it's good and I really like it and I think other people will like it. I mean all my beta readers (aka best friends)have liked it so far, but you know they're my best friends so they're not going to say they hate it. Except Allye. She would tell me.
But yeah. So I've decided that the only way to break through the Brick Wall of Stupid is to just keep writing and making those little ideas slam into the wall until it finally breaks. So far I've written... well... two pages of this book. In two days. But you know what, I'm making progress.
So here's to perseverance. Or pigheadedness or whatever the heck you want to call it. Hopefully soon I'll have more exciting things to share.
Until next time
Stay classy.
Lisa
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