STEEM is changing the world. IMPROV is changing the world. This is why I want to attend STEEMFEST this year.
Whether or not I receive assistance from @SteemfestDreams,
I want to come to @Steemfest and teach Improv Workshops for FREE to all interested participants at Steemfest.
I want to host an improv, comedy, and music night of entertainment for everyone.
I want to learn, face to face, from master developers, investors, & other creatives.
I want to meet new people and appreciate everyone’s individual talents & stories together.
I want to post all those experiences on @steemit for the rest of the world to enjoy.
What would I Need to help me get there? The same thing I request of any festival:
Flights, Housing, and enough for breakfast and coffee in the morning.
Whether I receive any assistance or pay for it myself, that is what I need to get there this year.
And if there was anyway possible, may I suggest helping me bring my long time improv friend, cigar box banjo creator, and new steemit member: @locoestaban. We have done many shows together. We both could teach and put on an incredible show.
I have been to Lisbon once before, while performing shows with The Second City aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. It is a lovely city. I enjoyed my brief visit and made this collage to remember it's beauty and charm.
Almost a year ago my life was in flux. I was living in LA but unhappy with my living situation. I was working a dayjob for Postmates that let me explore the city on two wheels during the day, and at night I was performing, teaching, and taking classes in improv at CSzLA, iO West, and Tim Robbin’s The Actors Gang. I have been an Improviser for over 17 years, but the combination of these three schools of improv have helped me discover my voice on stage. I put this into practice with the longest running original cast team, The Reckoning, of which I am a humble and honored member. But I was living in an unhealthy situation with room mates, so I had to leave.
I spent several months in South Dakota, working for my sister’s business, still learning to trade, and teaching improv for free at West Dakota Improv. I put my voice into practice and when the busy day was done, I would check out steemit a little bit. Then steemfest happened, and I watched history unfold. I knew then I wanted to be apart of this historic movement, and I wanted to share the gifts of improv to empower its success. Over the winter I have been in St Louis caring for my Grandmother and working a new dayjob at a Cycle Gear and coaching improv for teams playing at The Improv Shop. Even with all of that, I have been able to balance my busy life with more time for steemit. And now we are here, where I curate for @Steemtrail and have recently been given the keys to @Improv-Trail which will begin sharing improviser’s works with you all in steemit.
I am a humble player in this game of life. I am in awe of developers and successful traders, and I look to continue learning from you. My background is in the arts, which remind us of our humanity in all we do. My role has always been to serve, even when others do not see it. But I am greatly rewarded for every friend I help join steemit and for helping every newbie who messages me for assistance. I take great satisfaction in seeing good people succeed and experience the joys that come with accomplishment. Perhaps that is the gift that improv has given to me. I have seen improv give other gifts to others. The names of those I call friends from Chicago and Improv, are many and many of them you know from Late Night Comedy and Television Shows. I am proud of their success, and when I am back in Los Angeles, it will simply be nice to see them and play improv shows with them around town. And of course, I will be talking about you all, here, on steemit.
That is just a little bit of who I am. I will spare you my challenges with money except to say, I will no longer be homeless on this journey, those days are done, thanks to steemit. Still, I do not have enough to accomplish all my dreams just yet. If I put more time into just myself, and put more time into my posts, trading, and charging more for teaching, then yes I would have much monies and might not be writing this. But after this, I will be answering more emails and messages from curious friends and students, going to work, and caring for my beloved Gramma Jo. My journey is one of balance. And perhaps this letter is a call for assistance in continuing that balance.
I intend to attend Steemfest one way or another. I realize there are lots of things to learn and enjoy at Steemfest. There are many talented people coming. But if given the opportunity, I will give you all, in as much time as we can afford at the festival, all that I have learned from 17 years practicing a 500 year old tradition of improv.
I could give a Ted Talks length presentation encompassing a short history of improv, it’s major players and places of learning, as well as it’s gifts to any community and profession. I was once paid $200 by a coding developer here in St Louis who managed a team of coders who worked from all over the world. We put together games for him to use before their developing sessions, just to help them all work together more fluidly. That was a long time ago.
I could teach 3 hour workshops. Students from the workshops could then perform later that night in a show. This is what I have done in St Louis, Chicago, LA, as well as at improv festivals across the country including the recent Phoenix Improv Festival.
I can host a night of short form and long form improv woven with Music and other comedic acts in case there are any stand ups around. I have done this many time in the past, including helping the annual Second City, 24 Hour Improv & Music Charity Event. Just imagine steemers like @beanz, @sirlunchthehost, @inertia, @seablue, @stellabelle, @papa-pepper, @budgetbucketlist, @trafalgar, @mrwang, @thedegensloth, @steemitqa, @virtualgrowth, @fyrstikken, @ned, young @picokernel, and others improvising on stage in a room full of laughter....
Even better if we could find a way to bring my longtime improv friend @locoestaban to Lisbon to help me.
I am already inviting the Local Improv Theater in Lisbon, osimprovaveis, to join steemit. And who knows, maybe I'll be able to teach them a separate workshop while there. We'll see...
Matt Elwell, CEO of Comedy Sportz Worldwide, once told me, “We are in the Joy Business. Our product is joy.” Tim Robbins told us, “Art helps us remember, regain, and empower our humanity.” The ghost of Del once told me, “You’re power is in your capacity to wonder.” And at the end of the day, any improviser will tell you, the first rule of improv is “Yes And”.
In a perfect world, my daily posts would be worth hundreds of dollars, my day trading would be successful, and I wouldn't need to ask for assistance. But I tend to put effort into keeping them simple. I do this to try and reach a broader audience and to provide an example for friends NOT on steemit yet, so that they can see simple posts are welcome here too.
Thank Yous to the FUN funders: @thejohalfiles @steemaccess @riverhead @roelandp @eeks @wackou @fabien @adol @pharesim @vandeberg @inv @fminerten @hipster @abdullar @rossco99 @xeroc @steempty @htooms @steem-id @picokernel and @richardcril for encouraging us all to go.
Here are some posts with more information on the submission for assistance to funding your Steemfest Dreams:
Wanna go to Lisbon Portugal?
Crowdfunded Dreams Report
Yes and Steemfest will be a success. Yes and steem will continue it’s inevitable success. Yes and you all will achieve your destiny. Thank You for taking the time to read my proposal. Wishing all the entries the best of luck. Wishing you all the very best.
