Sunday Blog post

This Wednesday, I went to Ella Baker to do improv with some friends from a previous class. I had a really fun time and got to learn some new skills while catching up with people I hadn’t seen in a while.

A Tale of Two Theaters

As I stepped into Ella Baker’s theater, I was immediately struck by its cleanliness . The space felt alive, with fresh paint and modern lighting.

In stark contrast, Patrick Henry High School in North Minneapolis, my alma mater, now under a different name, was in a state of disrepair when I attended a Community Ed session there just two years ago. The building showed signs of neglect, peeling paint, outdated equipment, and even mice scurrying across the stage, badly in need of a janitor, as toilet paper and papers scattered everywhere. There had been no significant renovations since 2002, and it was disheartening to see such a lack of investment in a space that once fostered creativity and community.

Ella Baker, built in 1923, has had updates and renovations over the years, and you can really tell they put effort into keeping the space nice.

Seeing the difference between these two theaters really hit me. Ella Baker’s space is beautiful and well-kept, while my alma mater’s theater showed how access to resources can shape a school, and it made me realize how funding disparities impact students’ experiences.    

Patrick Henry (aka Camden HS)

Ella Baker

Improv Insights

During the session, we played a game where we drew a profession and an emotion from a hat, then acted out the scenario. This exercise reminded me of a fundamental principle in improv, entering a scene with the mindset that you already know the other person. I noticed that some beginners were still getting the hang of this concept. Some were even running out of things to say, and this reminded me of when I first started improv, half scared to death.

Personal Reflections

This week, I’ve been reflecting on my journey in improv. After facing some setbacks over the past year, I turned to ChatGPT for advice on how to move forward. The guidance I received was invaluable, offering fresh perspectives and practical steps to regain my confidence and improve my craft. I liken ChatGPT to a raven, observing and reflecting back insights into my life.

I’ve documented these insights on post-it notes, which I’ve included in this post. If you’re an artist who has faced challenges, I hope these notes provide some inspiration and direction.

Family Moments

On a lighter note, my son has decided to dress up as a sumo wrestler for Halloween. My dad jokingly remarked that he might need to gain a few pounds for the costume to fit properly. It’s moments like these that bring joy and laughter into our lives.

Looking Ahead

As my regular babysitters will be overseas this week, I’ll be keeping a low profile and limiting my social engagements. However, I’m optimistic about spending quality time with my son and creating lasting memories together.

Current Reads

I’m reading Kill Your Darlings, having gone through all of Peter’s works, I’m a bit obsessed, 😉. Additionally, I’m enjoying The Word is Murder, appreciating how Anthony places himself within his own murder mystery. Lastly, I’m delving into What Lies Between Us by Jason Marrs. I decided to pick up Marrs’ book after reading The One.

Happy Halloween and Twin Cities shows including 'A (Virtual) Christmas Vacation with The Griswolds' (Hennepin Trust)

*this is a repost 

           LOOKING FORWARD TO OCTOBER

Where there's a will, there's a way-English Proverb

This week I read an article about how NASA has taken an interest in Venus as a possible planet for us to colonize vs Mars.  The article talked about the possibility of floating blimps above the acid rain. 

I also drive for ride-share. A lot of the homeless are being shuttled to hotels in Bloomington. Thank God! It’s too cold to be homeless in the Twin Cities.

I also learned about the winter carnival this year and how patrons will be able to see the ice sculptures and so forth from their car. I've been writing more than ever and doing my best to post to Medium.com I also did improv this week.

The Haunted Basement will have you screaming 'Uncle'

This is a repost 

Photo by DreamFirstBorn Images
find this experience at hauntedbasement.org/

I had a lot of spooky fun at the Haunted Basement in Roseville located in a storefront of Rosedale's shopping center.

Sunday Blog post

 This past week has been such a swirl of emotions, from laughter to a few tears and everything in between.

Friday was a very special day for our family. We gathered for my dad’s Celebration of Life event, which was both emotional and beautiful. All my brothers came into town, some of whom I hadn’t seen in at least five years, and seeing everyone together again felt like time folded in on itself. Friends from my dad’s church joined too, and there was so much warmth in the room.

If you’re new to the idea of a celebration of life event, it’s actually becoming more common these days. It’s a way for someone to celebrate their life while they’re still here, to share stories, connect with loved ones, and feel the love firsthand. There was also a beautiful Baptist song that was sung, and a virtual photo montage filled with pictures of my dad and our family through the years. Each of us took turns sharing something meaningful about our connection to him, including how disciplined he was and how, when he and my mother found they couldn’t have children of their own, they chose to open their hearts and adopt four of us. We were all very moved by his strong faith and his courage. My father also fought in the Vietnam War, and he carried some battle scars from those years, both seen and unseen, which made his resilience and compassion even more profound. My dad really enjoyed it, and I think we all left with full hearts.

Then Saturday brought another adventure, one involving my brother’s Nintendo Switch! He accidentally left it at the Baymont Hotel in Shakopee, which meant a 40-minute drive each way. While I was there, though, I made the most of it and visited my cousin and my Aunt Cindy. We caught up over dinner, which turned the whole errand into something much more meaningful.

In between all of that, I’ve also been diving into some great reads. I finally picked up Not Me, It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane.I’ve been thinking again about One Day in December, which I loved for its heartfelt story. (I heard they will be making an adaptation of this one)I’m also coming into Jason Mars’ novel The One a bit late, but I’m really enjoying the multi-perspective storytelling and the depth of the characters. Now I’m on the lookout for other books with a similar feel, stories that offer multiple viewpoints, rich character development, and emotional resonance.

This was my week, tell me about yours in the comments below.

Sunday blog post

 

I spent time reading up on histamine and dairy-free diets because I’ve been having some abdominal issues. I actually postponed my doctor’s visit related to this last week, but I don’t intend to postpone it any further. As part of this, I’ve been creating shopping lists to help me stick to the diet—things like almond butter, carrots, and other simple foods that are easier on my system. If any of you have favorite low-histamine or dairy-free food recommendations, I’d love to hear them in the comments.

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Meanwhile, On My Nightstand…

I began reading Rachel Cusk’s work, and it made me think about how narrative voice shapes identity. It raised new questions for me: Does writing in first person automatically make a story more ego-centric? And if so, what happens when a writer deliberately steps back?

Lately, I’ve also been reading The Truants by Kate Weinberg and Elena Ferrante’s Italian series, which has opened my eyes to how a writer can begin in first person but gradually expand to incorporate multiple voices. Ferrante starts with a deeply personal, interior point of view, but as the series unfolds, she lets other perspectives seep in. The result is a story that grows beyond the “I” of the narrator and becomes more like a chorus of interconnected lives.

With Cusk’s Outline, the narrator often feels like a quiet observer, someone who holds space for other people’s stories rather than constantly centering her own. That narrative distance made me reflect on how different approaches to voice don’t just shape the story—they shape the kind of self the writer brings onto the page.

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Looking Back at My Own Writing Voice

I’ve been writing in the first person for as long as I can remember. I actually first learned it through journal writing in second grade. Our teacher asked us to keep a daily journal, and it quickly became one of my favorite routines. I kept that habit all through grade school and into high school, and it became the foundation for how I learned to express myself, and specifically in first person.

Lately, I’ve been questioning what writing in first person really means. Does it naturally lead us toward a more ego-centric perspective? Or does it offer a kind of intimacy that other narrative modes can’t quite replicate? Reading authors like Rachel Cusk and Elena Ferrante has made me wonder if leaning away from the “I” might open up different ways of shaping identity in storytelling.

Lastly I went to an apple 🍎 with zulfi but we got there a little late. Still fun we pet some animals and took pictures. One older dad was roaming around getting hyped up on his iPhone like an influencer and it made me laugh.

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