Awkward!
What makes you feel uncomfortable?
Last week, right after I send you the newsletter on creativity, I went on a week long creative vacation to a campsite that offers workshops on writing, dancing, music, visual art and theatre.
Now I might be a little weird, but I really enjoy these awkward situations. It’s so interesting to see how people react when they feel they said something stupid and how uncomfortable it makes the people who just happen to be in the same space.
The guy who made the remark tried to save the situation while others asked him to please stop talking and all the while I couldn’t stop laughing - mostly to show everyone I was fine. Good times!
This incident did make me wonder about my own face. I feel like I went straight from having to show ID when buying a 6-pack of beers to being seen as ‘old’.
So I decided to study my face some more and make a few self portraits. I draw on my iPad in Procreate and the app records while I draw. I’m sharing the process in my Instagram stories, you can find those in my highlights.
I had never noticed how a-symmetrical my face is. Especially when I smile, one eye seems way bigger than the other. But being in my 40’s, I no longer care about my face so much that those details make me feel insecure.
Another workshop I took was on directing a theatre scene. We were handed a script (just dialogue) and were making our own interpretations using props, tone of voice, actions between lines etc. It’s incredible what you can do to a scene without changing the words.
Of course we were taking turns directing because we needed actors too.
I don’t have trouble portraying myself in all sorts of (ridiculous) ways as a comic character, knowing that exaggeration often adds to the humor, but getting on a stage makes me so shy I don’t dare to do that.
I would love to learn though! Maybe in 10 years time I’ll be so comfortable in my skin I can act out anything without feeling self conscious. I’m looking forward to that, even if it means a few more wrinkles on my face. Hopefully they’ll be wrinkles of laughter!
On that note, let me leave you with a comic about something that made me laugh.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on awkwardness.
Feel free to forward to someone who makes you feel uncomfortable.
With love,
Loved this again! Thanks so much for sharing. I saw your drawings on your insta stories as well and was so impressed. Wish I could draw like that. Would you mind sharing where your weekend was and if it is a yearly thing? Could any-one join? It sounds like so much fun!