Notices by Russ Sharek (russsharek@mastodon.art)

@blinry

"What's in the box?"

"Vibes."

I am grateful that I remain the sort of primate who's existential dread can, more often than not, be at least partially mitigated by a baked potato.

@dtauvdiodr

Speaking of training, it's #CircusInPlace time!

@dtauvdiodr

I've bookmarked this for the weekend. Thanks!

Being able to hear the audience was part of sound design for a few video projects I've worked on, and it definitely makes a difference. I am convinced that it was part of what made our vaudeville show, Open Stage, work on camera.

https://circusfreaks.org/openstage

@dtauvdiodr

Are any of your talks recorded? Would enjoy seeing what you have to say.

@dtauvdiodr

That's wonderful.

I didn't discover clown until later in life, which, likely lead to some overcompensation that now defines my existence. :)

BTW, which camp?

@dtauvdiodr

It's an amazingly useful set of skills for thinking on your feet while remaining connected with others.

I generally don't do a lot improv games for their own sake outside the lab, but we're constantly improvising as clowns.

As for musical improv...just, wow. It always seems like a magic trick to me when it works. :)

@dtauvdiodr

Hello, new fedi friend!

@dtauvdiodr

Definitely!

Speaking of which, how did you stumble on me?

@dtauvdiodr

I did a bit of digging and I'm pretty sure both are true. :)

@dtauvdiodr

Is your improv interest musical, theatrical, or both?

@clacke @RL_Dane

There is a joke in here somwhere about dishonor...

@RL_Dane @clacke

Or, you know, teen rebellion.

@clacke

weird shoes...wonderful!

This is a fantastic example, both of the power of simple language and a child-like sense of whimsy to play with it.

@RL_Dane

I find that I seem to take on an "impossible" thing every decade or so. I like steep learning curves, so the difficulty keeps me inspired.

Right now, it's handstands and partner acrobatics.

@RL_Dane

Languages are cool toys. Keep singing too!

As for toki pona, there are certainly some "common" phrases/compounds people like to use, but they are by no means necessary to memorize.

I think the focus, for me, is more on working out what I'm actually trying to communicate. I don't need a phrasebook if I can assemble an idea from parts.

Plus, there's a chance that I may be better understood because my specific meaning is more clear.

@RL_Dane

As someone still recovering from brain fog related to long covid, this has been on my mind a lot.

Learning languages has helped me tremendously. Try #tokipona for something easy-ish.

Trying out new ways of performing "autopilot" tasks, like how I type on my phone, shakes up the ruts for me.

Doing things with my hands like sculpting and painting, has helped. Really, anything that gets me aware of my physicality. There's pathways there that get fired less often in other activities.

@RL_Dane

Most of all, mindset.

Walking around deciding "I'm done" or "too old/broken/etc" is doom for me. I have to believe I'm capable of improving, and move in that direction...no matter how slowly.

Had a whim an reinstalled the #8vim keyboard on my phone. Too early to tell if I like it, or the fact that it makes me slow down a bit to think about what I'm trying to type.

I've mostly been using it with my index finger, which could also suggest that I really just hate typing with my thumbs.

https://github.com/flide/8vim

@RL_Dane

"wetware" requires regular stretching, or it gets brittle.