If I’m Blanche Devereaux, Then I Got Some Things To Work On Ask almost anyone*, and they could tell you which Golden Girl they are (*anyone with taste). Some instantly know their sass, smarts, and sense makes them a Dorothy. Others relate to the storytelling and comeback queen of Sophia. Others realize their sweetness, pragmatic selves are Rose. Recently, I’ve found myself to be a Blanche. Your immediate thought is that I’m a promiscuous drama queen with a penchant for selfish behaviors. And to a degree, I’d accept that label. In a world where things can be boring — why not be a Blanche Devereaux who shakes things up? Both Blanche and I have an appreciation for strong dating life, a natural eye for the arts, and we’re not above wanting finer things. But recently I’ve been wondering if I relate to some of Blanche’s more problematic moments. For example, in one iconic episode for the 1990s, Blanche’s brother comes out as gay. Blanche immediately is in shock — how could her brother be gay? Certainly, Blanche supports gay men, but her own brother…it’s almost social macabre! Blanche certainly comes around — but only after having to Blanche is arguably the most judgmental character of the girls. There are episodes devoted to her uncertainty to date men for all sorts of different episodes: “He’s so old”, “He’s in a wheelchair”, “He’s blind”. And while the common theme is that Blanche lets go of her judgment and preconceived notions, karma lets her off with a slap on the wrist. Her judgment carries over to her personal relationships: she judges her daughter for deciding to get pregnant of her own volition, she blames her deceased husband’s affair child on the child. And that same gay brother whom she learns to accept comes back with a boyfriend — to which Blanche cannot accept. One might argue that in the world of a sitcom, characters aren’t meant to evolve. They’re supposed to stay relatively the same. Which holds true in The Golden Girls — where much of the character evolution doesn’t really stick like Sophia’s homemade pasta to the wall. You’d think after judging a man, for one thing, she could let this go. But she doesn’t, she continues to make the same mistakes. And I do the same thing — whether it’s in my professional, personal or romantic life. Except there’s one difference: as much as I may demand my life to be a sitcom, it’s not. I can’t approach each week or month of my life as an episode that causes my character to reset to a baseline of flaws and benefits. I have sharp initial thoughts regarding the world around me — the same way Blanche does. But what am I doing to actively change myself for the better? We love Blanche Devereaux for her outrageous and confident self — but we also love who she is when she’s flawed. We shake our heads and roll our eyes when she succumbs to her judgments and weaknesses. And maybe that’s the approach I need. It’s okay to acknowledge your issues and move forward to be better. But it’s more important to realize the wholeness of the soul. I am as bold as I am a coward; I am free as I am chained. Perhaps the only difference is I’m not an old lady in 1990s Miami?
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When I first heard the term “digital storyteller,” all the spinning gears in my head clicked together in a rare dance. I instantly fell in love with a phrase that has defined me for two decades. A phrase that knew me before I knew it. Identity is complex. I am bold and sometimes timid. Cool but sometimes lame. We exist in binaries; what we are excellent in we sometimes falter, and occasionally have a good day in what we are weak with. For years I’ve slowly succumbed to certain labels; “writer,” “passionate,” “creative,” “entertainer,” “ideator,” the way a tree grows branches as time ticks by. And now those branches feel more verdant than ever before, as age strengthens focus like a decanter strengthens wine. This fall, I’ll begin studying Digital Storytelling at Ashbury University for my Masters in Arts. In the same manner as a mother who knows her child is lying, I have always known that I was going to pursue my masters and eventually my Ph.D. For me, education is synopses with enjoyment (except for classes I disliked, taking because of my liberal arts upbringing). Sure, I’m excited about career possibilities that come with education, but I’m more excited to take the classes and do the work. Most importantly, I’m gaining my masters so I can begin teaching college-level courses. Those who know me can attest that I’ve already planned my curriculum! This process was foggy, and a decision that has taken four years to figure out. Back in 2016, I secured a GA position that was unfortunately scrapped along with the masters program it was tied to. Some might have been devastated, but it was kind of a relief. I only loved the GA position and was ready to begrudgingly take the masters program. It was like dealing with a friend’s terrible boyfriend, you find the patience. From there I spent years slowly looking at programs that disinterested me. I wanted hands-on application, a real test of skills. Give me a sword and let me carve my own academic prowess! I approached local colleges to weld programs together, but to no avail. The fog of my academic journey for a moment grew thick. But like a bible psalm or town myth, I came across the program of Digital Storytelling. Whether writing novels, competing in slam poetry, full-development on tongue-in-cheek pop music, I’ve always been telling stories. Through the work I do, the stand up I manage to roll through a crowd with, the videography endeavors that entertain and spinning tunes to a room for the atmosphere. Yup, it’s all storytelling. Even now, this little announcement turned blog post, is a story. I’ve expressed a shard of my life although have dressed it up with fancy adjectives as if donning a belle for a debutante ball. When I first heard the term “digital storyteller,” all the spinning gears in my head clicked together in a rare dance. I instantly fell in love with a phrase that has defined me for two decades. A phrase that knew me before I knew it.
Quarantine had me cancel a few projects, but then had me develop and work on new projects! Check out this stop motion soap opera parody, "Violet Lake!" All ten mini episodes will drop by July 17th. Here's the trailer for the miniseries: Check out the playlist here: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/top-20-of-2019/pl.u-ZmblzgGT1V2r5bHere's the official list:
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AuthorI keep saying "I write" but don't share anything. So here we go, let's share. Archives
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