12.07.10
Posted in Humor attitude, Humor~Creativity at 6:15 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Singing is a lot like laughing.
Both make you feel happier afterwards.
Both help you breathe easier, literally.
Both help you breathe easier, figuratively—via reducing stress.
Both release endorphins, making you feel happier.
Both promote restful, more relaxed sleep.
I especially like singing the alto part because it draws on the humor mindset. What I mean is that singing alto:
1. Boslters your listening skills so that you can sift through the sounds and find your part.
2. Produces a magnificent blending with the other parts to provoke a richer, fuller sound than the mere egotistic melody offers.
3. Focuses constantly on the whole. Although the alto is a weird sound sometimes (no matter who is singing it) the overall music stays in your mind so you can see where and how your weird part fits.
Like humor, singing alto isn’t always easy. Its vocal gymnastics requires you to stay on your toes, be present, attend to, adjust, co-create, and of course—have fun.
What are YOU singing today? How funny is that?
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Posted in Humor~Creativity, www.yourshiningexample.com at 5:21 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
A publication of www.YourShiningExample.com © 2010 All Rights Reserved
While reading my friend Jay Speyerer’s Legacy Road article I thought about truth.
Jay wrote about the tiny details that writers get wrong, and how that ruins it for the reader. Totally demolishes any credibility or interest.
Humor is like that, too. If there isn’t a tiny grain of truth, the whole isn’t funny. It’s not credible. And, from that, it’s not so entertaining either.
It’s also one of the reasons my early rap jokes never went over well. Or my dumb blond material. No one laughed because they couldn’t believe me.
Although I can’t wholly relate to Jay’s ardor at Mannix episodes and the age of Citizen Kane’s young hand, I can see Jay’s point. After doing lots of extra work in films I got into the habit of seeing too much while I was watching movies.
I realized that every single person you see on screen in the background was placed there, purposefully. The director told them where and when to cross, after and before which other actors. Nothing is random.
That’s why the issue of continuity is so important. And why the wardrobe pixy yelled at me for putting a tiny tiny clip in my by-then bad hairdo during one of the takes on The Kill Point series.
“Who will ever notice that?” I thought to myself. Doesn’t matter. She grabbed it anyway.
Truth is that important.
More important than what your hair looks like. More important than an ‘acceptable’ image.
So what’s the answer?
Just tell the truth.
Your truth.
And don’t forget the details.
Jay just may be watching…
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12.04.10
Posted in Humor~Creativity at 5:44 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
visit YourShiningExample.com today!
When I was in grade school, I loved doing book reports! It was a chance for us to digress from the rote style of the other class assignments, and break free! Well, almost.
I was the kid who not only did book reports FOR class. I did them on my own, and drew pictures, too. Yes, I was THAT kid.
But our book report folly was a generally bad plan overall. Our teacher continuously marked up my book reports in red pen: “I told you, make the plot only ONE PAGE!!” But my grade-school rationale was, “Hey I spent a lot of time and energy READing this book. I’m going to tell you as much about it as I CAN!” And I did. It was a vicious cycle of power struggle mixed with pride. For both of us.
To my credit—and her dismay—I broke the mold, dis-following the class directions. Page after page, I regaled her with all the minute details of scene structure, character motives, and probably also what everyone was wearing. I would not be bound! Creativity was too important to me, even way back then!
I always thought of myself as a really good writer. Until I stumbled on something disheartening—one of my extracurricular book reports. “The Cat with the Orange Ear” was hand-bound and written on that vanilla rough paper we had in class. My book is a great example of how NOT to write a book.
Oh, sure it’s novel, schlocky, and not too bad a plotline. But, it failed the humor nature Geiger-counter in some very important ways.
First, I followed someone else’s blueprint for how to write a book. Probably Scholastic or Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. (I memorized the publishing houses like other kids memorized the info on the cereal box. Yes I was also that kid.) I had labeled my book one, ”For better readers.” Wrote it right on the cover, above the word, “illastrated.” Obviously it wasn’t a book for better spellers.
Second, I had kept the same outdated, ineffective model that we had in our regular class assignment. Short and ineffectually sweet. No chance for the farmers and their neighbors to flesh out their character attributes. Or to find out why and where they went on their “vacation.” I must have limited my own thinking and imagination so that I could be “official,” a real author. But in the end, it wasn’t truly MY style.
These drawbacks notwithstanding, the book is kind of clever I’ll admit. I slipped in an iconoclastic switch of “illastrations” on the left instead of the right. And I even turned it landscape for some reason. And true to my humor form, I added my own flavor to the ending: “The End” wasn’t really the end. The very back page was. It read, “MEOW.”
What can YOU do to break free from the mold and celebrate YOUR creativity? No matter what the “teachers” in your life say?
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11.27.10
Posted in Humor attitude, Humor~Creativity at 11:54 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Someone told me, “We were driving on the Beltway and stopped in traffic, when a delivery truck hit us from behind.” Her nonchalant delivery of the story compelled me to ask her, “Were you hurt?!”
“Oh no, not at all.” And then she moved on to a different topic.
Survivors of whiplash are united in their concerns, their characteristics, and their ongoing challenges.
Whiplash is the topic. But there are various ways of suffering. Same as ANY topic. We get into the habit of acting like my friend did: being nonchalant, even about things that for others are devastating.
Whiplash reminds me to see everything in the many ways that it expresses itself.
For example, the pain of whiplash depends on many factors.
—The speed of the hit car as well as the hit-man’s car.
—The factor of whether or not there was a seatbelt worn.
—The size of the driver who was hit—smaller people suffer more pain because they are thrown around more.
—The length of the driver’s neck—longer necks have more whip to lash.
—The resulting weakness of the muscles, ligaments, and vertebrae around the neck area—it can take 4 weeks to just hold the head straight without getting nauseaus.
Don’t hate those who can’t see the many facets of your situation or topic. Before my series of whiplashes, I had absolutely no idea the extent of pain. And I certainly didn’t realize the interconnectedness of the neck to other muscles of the body and its systems.
Next time you have a pain in the neck—from whiplash or from painful people—remind yourself of all the ways we can use HUMOR to look at ANYthing. And from there, the many solutions that ANY topic has within it!
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11.23.10
Posted in Humor attitude, Humor~Creativity, Humor~Events at 6:34 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
What’s the best thing about Bristol Palin? She—like her mother—brings ratings. And the funny thing is, the viewers don’t all have to like her. Many people may tune in just to see her fail.
Doesn’t matter.
The point is, she is compelling.
Compelling doesn’t HAVE to mean likeable. That’s the mistake we make—trying to fit into a likeable, pleasant mold.
Some of us just aren’t. Never will be. And, whether we’re likeable to a certain culture, or in a certain time frame—that doesn’t extend to a lifetime of likeability.
So what’s the big deal? How can that make you a better dancer?
When you’re following YOUR own, particular, idiosynchronized, authentic humor-dance, you will ALWAYS be a star!
How?
1. You won’t and can’t be compared to others, because yours is a category all its own.
2. You won’t and can’t spend energy comparing yourself to others because YOU are the standard.
3. You won’t and can’t lose because when you are in your own groove, you can ONLY win!
How are YOUR dancing skills? How funny are THEY?
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11.19.10
Posted in Humor attitude, Humor~Creativity, Humor~Events at 3:47 am by Dr. Trina Hess
But tonight, creativity won even bigger!
Me, with Gary and Joyce Dittman from CPI
At Oil City Pennsylvania’s famous Transit Building, 18 community groups gathered to compete for prize funds and to show what they bring to the Venango Region.
The winning group was the “Weed & Seed” anti-drug task force. Donning Star-Trek-like shirts and space speak, they walked us through their typical day.
The SAFE house group acted out a typical robbery, drug deal, and corresponding neighborhood watchers. All equipped with bug-eyed binoculars.
Our own Community Playhouse Inc. group placed 2nd with our lightning-speed mime of CPI’s history, mission, and our vision for the future of theater in downtown Oil City.
What struck me most about the night was how carefree and fun it was. Some of the groups represented tragic things—crime, illiteracy, drugs. What could possibly be funny or fun about these things?
It wasn’t the funny, but instead, the attitude of lightness that permeated the night. People mingled, learned about each other’s work, and actively encouraged one another. It was an amazing and electric atmosphere.
The lightness fostered creativity,
The levity brought people together,
The uplifting energy promoted progress.
All it took was a deciding to lighten up and NOT take ourselves so seriously. Ironically enough, that’s all it took to get us serious about our own group’s purpose.
What can YOU take less seriously today? How funny is THAT?
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11.16.10
Posted in Comedy Around The World, Humor~Creativity at 9:02 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
This week’s Comedy Around the World goes anywhere you want.
Because the focus isn’t on the location—it’s on the perspective we have of the experience.
“You’ll have a nice day to travel,” is what people say when it’ll be sunny, warm, and “nice.”
We speak it without thinking.
We accept without realizing the rationality of it.
What’s so bad about that? Or about not examining any other “common sense” we may spout?
But what if you have to drive east during sunrise? Or west into the sunset? I remember my grandma’s cousin always had to time her return home to Medina Ohio from Pennsylvania—her travel was working AROUND the “nice day for traveling”.
Or how does it make you feel, seeing that “nice day for traveling” outside the window as you’re stuck for hours on end in an airport terminal? Or seeing everyone else enjoying your “nice day for traveling” by riding their bikes or playing outdoors? How does that sunny, warm, “nice day for traveling” look from your secure place in a long line of traffic?
When we’re attuned to these nonsensical common sense-isms we get into the habit of thinking differently. Realizing all the diverse ways to look at ANY day, whether it’s a “nice day” or not.
What’s YOUR favorite day to travel? How funny is that?
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11.15.10
Posted in Humor~Creativity at 4:33 pm by Dr. Trina Hess
Some of my “theater people” friends and I are preparing for a performance. We rehearse at a local Catholic school gymnasium. Before my long trip home, I used the school’s restrooms.
My friend Deb said, “Don’t go in that stall, someone rolled off all the toilet paper.”
I went into the next stall.
Toilet paper gone.
She added, “there was a basketball game here today and our school won. Probably revenge.”
I said, “Hey wait a minute, at a Catholic school?”
“Yes.”
“Fifth and Sixth graders?”
“Definitely.”
“Girls?”
“Especially.”
I was way out of my element. The last time I was in the bullying scene was when I ran into our school bully at an Alice Cooper concert last year. (He didn’t hit me this time. I mean the bully, not Alice).
Humor really CAN be that easy. All you do is tell your truth, and people may just laugh. Really hard. At things YOU think are mundane, unimportant and unfunny.
What can YOU find funny today?
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11.10.10
Posted in Humor~Business, Humor~Creativity, Humor~Events at 4:56 am by Dr. Trina Hess
The radio ad said, “Come to the Cannes Film Festival!” But the announcer pronounced it as, “cans.”
I felt sorry for the station and the ad writer. Didn’t they know better? And I felt frustrated, like when I hear people pronounce Illinois with an “s” at the end. I tried to suppress my English major tendencies so I could listen to the rest of the ad.
And when I did, I felt sorry for myself.
Because it really WAS the “Cans” Film Festival. Every year, a local small town theater runs a Three Stooges marathon and everyone has to bring 3 cans as a donation to a local food bank! That ad was completely brilliant!
And I missed the point entirely.
What does this say about how we use humor? Sure, people need to be surprised and we need to be overly-clever in today’s savvy marketplace where everyone has seen it all.
But even I wasn’t ready for that play on words. And I do this for a living. Really, check out www.yourshiningexample.com
Made me think about how people CAN (no pun intended…) use humor, if they aren’t “known” as a humorist or comedian.
Here’s a quick checklist to use each time you encounter some humor hazards:
1. The humor that you’re incorporating—is it confusing to your listeners?
2. Does your humor make your listeners mad?
3. Is your humor causing listeners to pity you, thinking you don’t know what you’re talking about?
4. Are you subtle where you should be more blatant?
5. Is your style obnoxious and could be toned down?
Unfortunately I can’t answer any of those questions for you, because everything I do centers around humor. But maybe your situation doesn’t and so you have to bring it in from side door.
Once you’ve pared down your humor truth, you can go further. Examine your style and especially the reactions you get from your humor. The audience will always tell you whether you’re funny. And you will be if you follow these points:
1. Be truthful. The Cannes Film Festival is a real event. But the Cans Film Festival was too new to me, to process right away.
2. Be yourself. If you suddently change your style your message may get lost in the cognitive dissonance.
3. Be aware of connections. How does your humor highlight what you sell, what you say, what you are? Is it connecting people to you or frightening them away?
So think about you and your humor situation. Make sure that people readily “get” your humor, and not miss it like I did with the Cannes Film Festival commercial. Otherwise your wildly clever jokes may be wasted on some unsuspecting perfectionistic English teacher…
You know, I just may go to the Cans Film Festival this year. At the rate I’m going, it CAN’t hurt…
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Posted in Humor~Creativity at 4:33 am by Dr. Trina Hess
I was talking about American comedians with some people from Quebec. They said, “We love Chelsea Handler!”
I said, ”Oh, do you get her TV show there in Canada?”
They said, “What TV show? We like her books.”
They only knew her as an author. Had no idea that she is also a stand-up comic and has a TV talk show!
I was astonished. I imagined that if they were to see her show, they may be let down. The same way reading a book is superior to seeing a film about the book.
Why do we get so locked into these genres? Is it because technology conditions us to associate something with the medium that delivers it?
Or are we so used to not questioning anything that enters our ears, eyes, and soul?
When music videos first appeared in the 1980s I wasn’t a big fan. I had my own visual of the song. It was vague, sure, but it was mine. Invariably, each time I saw a video of my favorite song, it was a let-down. It couldn’t measure up, because no one’s inner vision is like anyone else’s.
What’s the answer? How can we break free from the trappings of a name, title, genre, or category, so that we can freely examine and then express what we really mean?
If we keep our minds set on humor, we’ll be prepared for the onslaught on our senses.
1. We’ll be expansive enough to allow categories to mesh, overlap, or obliterate one another.
2. We’ll be selfless enough to not protect our viewpoint to the exclusion of new facts.
3. We’ll be un-stressed-out enough to let down our guard and have fun experimenting with possibilities.
What does YOUR inner music video look like? How funny is that?
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