It's great to see you again, but I see that you're here after sunset, which usually means your cable's down or the streaming service is jammed. I do hope that's not the case with you. I'll do my best to keep you entertained until bedtime.
I should mention this isn't a typical Circular Journey post. This one is delightfully unplanned and unrehearsed. You see, I usually write about the absurd events of my day, outlining the details to shape a mildly entertaining story.
Next, I develop the outline into a sort of screenplay. Once I've memorized the script, I complete the final draft. I then let it sit for a day or two, allowing time for all the ingredients to become fully seasoned. Finally, I sprinkle in Princess Amy or the sewer harpies to give it extra zip.
You're probably thinking about now that Ms. Wonder developed this style of blogging for me. I completely understand why you'd think that. But I actually came up with the tactic myself through much trial and error. And I'm quite pleased with the results. I enjoy reading my posts immensely.
It's not only me who enjoys this nonsense. Thousands follow The Circular Journey, and I often receive flattering comments, which, let me tell you, make my day. I hope you leave one when you finish today's post. Here's a recent one from Hal K.:
"I particularly enjoyed reading this post. It has such a strong, distinctive voice. I especially loved the part about the writers 'frisking in perfect masses' and the clever "fake to the right" technique with the inflected vowels."
Thanks for your continued support Hal K.
The trigger for this missive comes from a bit I heard on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. In his monologue--he calls it a monologue but it's actually a conversation with his gay robot skeleton and 'not-a-real-horse'.
"The four-man bobsled teams are comprised of specialists with specific responsibilities," Craig said. "One man is called the pusher, responsible for getting the bobsled off to a fast start. The other three are the pimp, the hustler, and the player."
You're surely wondering why that silly joke stuck with me, and I'll tell you. As soon as he said it, I thought, "Why don't I think of stuff like that?"
Let's be honest, the joke isn't funny. Still, it's a thought that fits my style of comedy, and if I'd thought it, I'd have polished it right up to the starting line (or punchline). I'd turn that little nugget into comedic gold.
And there's the rub, isn't it? We creators are our own worst critics, comparing our behind-the-scenes footage to everyone else's highlight reel. I'm losing sleep over a joke about bobsledding, while Craig Ferguson is probably lying awake wondering why he never thought of my bit about a GPS that gives directions in riddles.
Creativity isn't a competition. It's more like... imagine a four-person bobsled team where one person is the writer, one is the inner critic, one is the procrastinator, and one is the coffee maker. Sometimes, they work in perfect harmony. Other times, the inner critic gets too loud, the procrastinator refuses to push, and the coffee maker is too depressed to froth the milk.
But you know what? My bobsled team keeps showing up, and I'll bet your team does, too. We keep pushing that sled to the starting line, and sometimes, we get brilliant ideas that make others say, "Why didn't I think of that?"
I'm writing this raw, unedited post at an hour when sensible people are binge-watching their favorite shows. Maybe I should be doing the same--stop striving for perfection and simply wing it. I'd have much more time for YouTube clips of the Late Late Show.
Thank you for joining me tonight. I love having you here, so please come back soon. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to work on my new bit about a meditation app narrated by a passive-aggressive qigong master. Unless Ferguson beat me to that idea, too.
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