#post four

Liberia’s COVID-19 Numbers 

In Liberia, as of June 2nd, their cases are scarce compared to the rest of the globe. As opposed to the whopping 33 million of the United States, Liberia harbours a small 2,219 with 2,044 deaths and 86 recovered. Though this country’s mask mandates aren’t as strict as other parts of the world with considerably more people at risk, this small violence-ridden country handles it well. Considering this country’s pattern of violence and aggrieved behaviour when opposed to a country-wide mandate, there suprisingly hasn’t been many documented cases of outrage; the precautions the government has taken is similar to that of Western countries. Positive cases are confined to quarantine in government facilities, the Ministry of Health has initiated a domestic restriction law nationwide, and public gatherings are allowed though they have to be held under strict health protocols. There are restrictions on building capacity as well. 

Compared to the Right-Wing supporters of the United States that have previously outraged against the mandates, the Liberian citizens have taken the recommendations with a grain of salt and have adhered to it. 

I am three weeks into the process of creating and working on this capstone. It has been filled with numerous unproductive days in the studio despite having an idea of what I should be doing. I know that I need to work but something is holding me back. There have been small developments, but not a lot. I’ve been curious about how to push myself in the right direction during my time that I desperately wanted for this project.

Alice Blumenfeld wrote an article with 9 steps to being productive in the studio. I think I’ve always known that setting a goal for the time I have has been a priority, but it’s something I’ve always struggled to set. I’ve noticed that having a concrete goal, such as ’45 minutes of video of improv’ has really fueled a lot more productivity and time usage. Taking time to warm seems boring-but it is helpful to focus. I like to put on some ambience or some major workout jams, there is no in between, to get started. I need to remember to work slowly; this is my time and allow myself to take time for each thing, one step at a time.  I record myself as much as I can. I recently found all of the parts to my camera tripod and look forward to experimenting with having a large amount of rehearsal footage.

How have I stayed productive?

Only during the past week have I found a flow that I feel is productive. Mentioned above, I use recordings and work to focus beforehand. I also use a journal to keep track of the process and productivity, if a little sporadically. I think keeping in mind that I can push myself and work slowly will help creativity over the next few weeks as I create.

Journaling is difficult for me. It may be one of the best ways to stay productive, but the practice is difficult to stick with. Having this capstone blog has really helped the process of journaling, but I want to be more reflective overall. Kirsten Pilz runs a blog on writing and wrote a blog in 2017 titled ‘How to start a regular journaling practice’. When I came across it, I realized that this was exactly what I needed. Maybe. She has several tips, first and foremost deciding if a pen or keyboard is most beneficial to you. I prefer having a pen but editing with keyboard for these blogs is incredibly helpful and much faster. I really liked the idea of having a dedicated space and little ceremony to journaling. This would really create a habit. I have to remember that not each journal has to be deep and meaningful; it can be a documentation of action or step, a simple brain dump.

I really think journaling and improvisation are closely related. Both are helpful for the creation of an art, and a place to start. Having a space for each, a time limit and prompts are key aspects to starting and ways to work the stream of consciousness to interesting places that can become amazing works.

Do I Journal?

I do journal, in a way. I’m working on that daily practice; I’ve noticed though that forcing myself isn’t helpful, and letting the words flow when I feel like it works best post rehearsal and working through movement. I like to think of this blog as a form of journaling, and a very helpful way to find that practice that would help me in the future.

How does this relate?

I need reminders. I love reminders. Reading through these articles and posts are comforting to me. Having personal thoughts confirmed as solid ideas for practice makes me feel valid. I would love to stop looking for validation, but when it comes to academic processes and progress, I need these stepping stones of articles.

https://www.writeyourjourney.com/regular-journaling-practice/

In the introduction to her book The Fanfiction Reader, Francesca Coppa writes:

“A movie like The Avengers has to be successful across the globe, with international audiences and translated into multiple languages; a fanfiction story might be written as a gift for just one other person.  If mass media is an industrial and global product, fanfiction is the opposite:  handmade—often custom made—and local (13).”