Still Not Ginger!

We all have something that we wish we could change, that we wish we could become.  Many people wish for fame or fortune, others success.  Some people wish for love, fellowship, a companion. Others wish that they could lose a few pounds or have the cheek bones of their famous idol.  For the Doctor, he wishes that we could be ginger.

I'm not sure how many of you are fans of Doctor Who but, to keep it brief, the Doctor can regenerate (i.e. change how he looks) when he's about to die. It's what the Time Lords do however, most Time Lords learned to control what they turned into. The Doctor didn't.  End of the day, he has had eleven (soon to be twelve) incarnations, and not one have been his beloved ginger.

Many people thing that, to get what they want, they must change something. This could be to themselves or to other people. Life doesn't work like that. We are who we are. We come as we come.  Sure, they'll be people who won't like it, and there will be times when you feel bad about yourself, but changing is running away.  Some people have done an awful lot of running, like the Doctor, but that will all catch up on them in the end.

For me, I know that there are people who don't like me.  I know that people say bad things about me, people whom I trust and care about, and that hurts, but I'm not changing because a small group of people want me to act in a certain way. And in any case, if I was to change, I'd never end up with what I want to end up with...

...I still won't be ginger!!!

Stay Strong
Michael

Super Saturday (With A Sprinkling Of Stress)

Today has been an extremely busy day for me, and it has had its great ups but also some stress attached.  The stress came from the amount of places I needed to be at at different times and making sure that I did have enough time to revise ahead of my exam on Monday morning, which I can't do much of tomorrow as I have lots on tomorrow as well (I know right!!! Such a Rock 'n' Roll lifestyle I lead!)

It started off with a bit of a meeting about a new project that I might be taking up.  The idea is to turn the Greek myth of "Pandora's Box" into a musical, preferably for kids.  The story really lends itself to a musical and, possibly even into a musical where it is fully musical with no spoken dialogue.  It's only an idea at the moment and might not even go ahead, both with me writing the music or the actual story being put into a stage musical.

All this meant that I couldn't go to my band practice, which is an activity that I absolutely love, not only because it's a chance to play but because it's a chance to meet up with people my age and joke around with them.  I really do enjoy it so much, even though it's only an hour, and I will deeply miss it when I have to give it up in the summer.

Next, after lunch, came the Durrington Festival, where I sat on my churches stool for three hours and sold books, puzzles and toys and the chance to win sweets on hook-a-duck.  At this event, I was also honoured to be given the Peter Bloxham Charitable Award, which is an award given to a person who does things for others without asking for rewards, gives up their own time, is always available and volunteering, and keeps within the community spirit. It was a great surprise to be nominated for such an award, let alone win it.  I'm extremely grateful for this yet, I feel slightly guilty as I don't feel I do that much. Therefore, I'm taking this award as a marker and promising myself that I will do more for others as there is always someone less fortunate than I am.

All in all, it's been a very busy day. Exciting, but busy.  Tomorrow is going to be just as busy as I am the Organist for a "Songs of Praise" event at my church.  I just need a little bit of a break so that I can work on this musical (well, both musicals that I am working on along with the Mass setting that I'm writing) but all of that needs to wait until these pesky exams are over. Only a week or so to go now!!!

I just want to say thank you to all my friends and people who stick by me and support me. I know that I'm not the easiest person to be friends with and can be extremely stubborn with me constantly saying that "I'm not important" and my continuous want to solve other people's problems rather than my own, but I'm alright really.  You guys just wait as I know that something amazing is coming around the corner... and that's not just for me but you guys aswell.

Stay Strong
Michael 

Smiles, Songs and Sunshine

What's this??? A blog with a happy title??? Never!!!

The sun is out and that makes everyone feel better, right? Sometimes this great weather can make you feel really bad about yourself.  If you're like me then you are indoors because you have to revise for your forthcoming exams.  Then there is the thing when people want to have the "ideal body" or the "perfect outfit and/or swimsuit" in order to make them look good. All this stress can make you feel bad.

At no point am I going to turn this blog into some form of fashion review or lifestyle blog.  Those aren't areas where I have any interest or knowledge. What I do know about is how to make people happy.  Earlier today, whilst on Twitter, I saw a tweet from someone I know but rarely speak to saying that they thought they didn't look good for this weather.  Being the sort of person I am, I told them that they were being silly, and then, when she thanked me, used one of my favourite phrases that always makes people smile and feel better:

Hakuna Matata

Such a wonderful phrase it is, and people can't but sing along to the well known song from The Lion King.  Many of friends have been subjected to this method of mine, and it seems to work.

So, when you feel bad because of exam stress or not being in the right shape for lying in the sun, just think that things will work out.

It's our problem-free, philosophy. Hakuna Matata

Stay Strong
Michael

Labels

Throughout life we acquire different 'labels'.  Some of these are self-made, others are given to us. These labels can vary from being different names, jobs or a description of ourselves.  What I don't think people realise is that, no matter how often you change the label, the person or item in question remains the same.

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" - Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare

No matter what happens to us throughout our lives, we are still the same person.  A person who changes from being a sales assistant to becoming a teacher is still the same person.  A table will still function in the same way, even if we call it an oven. Mr. Smith who used to live at number 60 is still Mr. Smith, even though he has moved houses.  Basically, the names of things do not matter, only what things "are". The person does not change, and you can't make a person change by giving them a new label.

When I first got my glasses, one kid in my class at high school thought that he should make fun of me. He called me names such as "four eyes", and even went as far to say "he's trying to make himself look clever".  He wanted that to effect me, but it didn't. I knew that I needed to wear glasses so that I could read things at a distance.  I didn't choose to have glasses one day because I thought that glasses would make me look more clever.

My twitter description of myself is "I once abused a piano... now I'm kind of infamous for it".  That's a self-given description of me.  There have been times where I've wanted to change my label.  In middle school I used to spike my hair up, because that would make me 'cool', and I wore jeans and a denim jacket.  People who know me now will realise that I hardly ever wear jeans and I don't own a denim jacket any more.

Yes, it's hard to get rid of certain labels, but the labels don't mean anything.  The important thing is the person and that, no matter what you are labelled as, you are still you.

Stay Strong
Michael

What I Don't Understand About... Drinking!

Yay!!! Welcome back to this series about things I don't understand. Today we're going to cover drinking as in drinking of alcoholic drinks, not as in the act of drinking because that is a necessity for life.

Now, I am an 18 year old teenager and I don't drink alcohol at all, ever.  I don't like the taste.  People question me on this but I don't like the taste of mushrooms or coconut and don't eat them yet people don't question me on that. So why is there this obsession with alcohol?

One argument posed is that you can't have fun without alcohol. I beg to differ. You can have plenty of fun with a Sprite and a pack of cards. The alcohol is not necessary.  I think many people feel that they can drink their problems away with alcohol but you don't really drink them away, more delay them.  You can do the same with a game of dominoes and that is much more healthy for you.

I'm not anti-alcohol. I just don't like the stuff and have seen what it can potentially do to people.  I don't like it when people joke about this fact about me because, if you want to joke about this little dislike of mine, then you should also joke about my other dislikes. My dislike towards cake (but not all cake), towards clothes and towards most TV programs.  The fact that I don't drink is my own choice and you can't force me to drink for your own entertainment, or else I'll put you in a room full of spiders, get you to eat moldy cheese or make you endure the whole Twilight movie saga.

Alcohol makes me feel ill, even just the smell of it.  I don't understand how people at college can go out each night or every other night and drink.  It doesn't look attractive.  It doesn't smell attractive either and a lot of the stories that I have heard from people I know at college does not make the whole experience sound very appealing. Thank you, but no thanks.

This is a personal choice and I'm not ever going to tell someone to give up on alcohol. I just don't see the logic behind their reasons and I believe that it isn't the be all and end all of having fun and socialising. It's just as easy to socialise over a cup of tea.

As always, you can comment your view on this matter or a view on another topic that you don't understand about.

Stay Strong
Michael

Here's An Idea!!!

What makes an idea good?  I'm sure we've all had ideas but rejected them for various reasons.  As human beings, we are constantly thinking up new things.  Some of us think about things that will effect the whole world, things that might improve the world economy. Others think about ways to beat the newest 'boss' on their video game or think up things that may make their friends happy.

My view is that all ideas have the potential to be good, if given the right encouragement.  You can't reject an idea if you haven't tried it out and seen whether it works or whether it fails.  If it works then brilliant! If it fails then you can work out why it has failed and improve upon it.

I came across a fantastic message today from and unlikely source: Cheryl Cole's twitter page.  The face of this message may look like a stupid celebrity remark, but it actually is so true and... beautiful.

"I've learned so much from my mistakes. I'm thinking of making some more."

We learn from our mistakes so, let's embrace them and learn from them. You might just change for good.  That idea, the one you are thinking about now, is amazing. Trust me. Now, go out and work to make that idea a reality. You'll never know where you'll end up because of it.

Stay Strong
Michael
 

What Does The Future Hold?

The future is a scary yet exciting thing.  I find myself at a point where I need to face the future rather than try to put it off.  There are so many decisions that I need to make and it all scares me. I feel pushed and pulled in different directions and I'm not sure what I should be doing.

Thing is, the future will look after itself and the best way to prepare yourself for the future is to surround yourself with great people who love you and will support you no matter what you decide to eventually do with your life.  These people should be people that you feel you can openly talk to yet they will be honest with you.  I know that I am young so it's better to hear that your friends don't think you are suitable for a certain job now rather than when I'm 50-odd. 

To make the future less scary, you should talk about it. Talk about your fears, dreams and ambitions.  I am so thankful that I will be meeting up with my best friend in the near future so that I can talk about all these things.  I know what I want to say, but I will go into this light hearted chat with an open mind and willing to listen to what they are going to say to me.  I shan't go in thinking that I only have one option or my life is worthless because that's a lie and an unhealthy thing to think.  I'm sure many people my age have no idea what they are going to end up doing, so I know that I am not alone in this.

Decisions are hard to make. I try and put them off because that delays the future, right? Wrong. The tip is to be honest with yourself and be open. Don't bottle up an idea because you think it's too ambitious or you aren't willing to put the work in to achieving that goal because, if that is the case, then maybe that idea isn't for you.

The future is scary but I'm in it for the long run.  Tomorrow's the start of a new beginning.

Stay Strong
Michael

Am I Well?

People ask me if I am well quite a lot at the moment and, to be honest, I have no idea. There are different ways you can measure how well you are and I just don't if I cover those ways well enough.

Adverb

In a good or satisfactory way: "the whole team played well".

I try to do things well. I try my best even though I know that my best isn't always what people want from me, they want more.  At times I do feel like I am not good enough, or that I'm "second-best", that, no matter how much I try, I will never be enough.  I take pride in what I do and create.  There isn't a thing that I do that I don't put my heart into.  I love the feeling after I have written a new song, recorded it and then listened back.  I think I do well at being a friend. I try and make myself available if they need any support or advice with the only desire that they do that in return.

Adjective

In good health; free or recovered from illness.

I think that I am not ill. Yes, I do get the odd problem but nothing major.  I do suffer from headaches a lot and some of that is stress related or related to me over-working myself, which I often do to keep myself occupied or else I think about things that hurt me.  I am relatively healthy. Sure, there are people healthier than I but I have no concern over my physical health. I couldn't run a marathon tomorrow but, then again, I don't want or need to.

Exclamation

Used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger, resignation, or relief: "Well, really! The manners of some people!"

I need to do this more. I don't express myself because I bottle things up. Partly to protect others. I don't want to hurt people.  I try to deal with things in my head.  This doesn't fully work but I get by.  There are people that I can talk to and I know that, but some things are best kept to myself.  I try to keep myself busy to stop myself thinking by setting myself projects. I have quite a few on at the go currently; exam revision, a musical, a music-based mass setting, a young person's concert.  These all keep my mind focused in an attempt to stop me from thinking... I still think though.

Noun

A shaft sunk into the ground to obtain water, oil, or gas

Umm... I can't even make a joke about this so, let's move on...

Verb

(of a liquid) Rise up to the surface and spill or be about to spill: "tears were beginning to well in her eyes"

They rise and fall and I can't do anything about it. I won't cry in front of people because I'm too proud to do that, but I cry nonetheless.  I have never felt like this before.  Things don't make sense. People get annoyed at me when they ask me how I feel and I just reply "I don't know", but I genuinely don't know. I'm so confused and lost and hurt and broken... and not good enough for anything or anyone.

Am I well?

Stay Strong
Michael

A Watched Clock Doesn't Tick

It's a stupid phrase because the clock does still tick. I can hear it and see the second hand moving, but the meaning behind it is what is important and what makes sense.

The way I can best describe it is if you're looking out of the window to spot your best friend coming around.  Let's say they were supposed to turn up at 11am so you start watching from 10:57am, just in case they are early.  Those 3 minutes take forever don't they? The time goes faster if you go and do something else, even sit down and put your head in a book or brain teaser puzzle.

Success is a similar thing.  I have my own YouTube channel and, when I started out, I thought the view count would sky rocket and I would sit and watch as the count went up very slowly.  I now go back to earlier videos and see how high the view count is.  It's higher than I expected and all because I'm not sitting there and comparing myself to my expectations.

I get this with concert attendances. I try not to see the audience as they come in any more because I disappoint myself. I much prefer the shock of walking out in front of the audience right at the beginning of the show and only then realising how many people are there.

So stop measuring yourself and just do things. You'll see the benefits later.  Just do what you enjoy and the numbers will sort themselves out. Stop watching the clock. Oh... and on the waiting for your friend front, they will turn up so stop worrying. Standing by the window won't make them turn up any faster.

Stay Strong
Michael

I'm Not An Expert

I'm sitting here watching the Snooker World Championships and, like with most other sports that I watch, I'm making comments. I'm saying things like "Oooh... I wouldn't have played that shot" and "I would have played that a bit better".  I seem to think that I'm some sort of snooker guru. Sure, I've played some snooker in the past but I wouldn't say that I'm anywhere near as great as these guys.  These snooker players earn their living my playing snooker. They must know more than me because this is their life.

The same can be said for other things in life.  We shouldn't comment if we don't know the facts, if we aren't in that situation ourselves. We all make mistakes and little judgement errors. I make mistakes and little judgement errors, but it's how we bounce back from those errors that defines who we are and how we well we can achieve.  Right now I've just seen Judd Trump play a poor shot but recover by playing the most amazing pot ever! No one is talking about the error, they are praising the pot.

Part of us doesn't want other people to know that we don't know anything about something. We feel we need to have an opinion, but we really don't. Yes, we make mistakes and have our faults and I know my failings. I don't need someone else to tell me what they are. What I do need is help to understand what to do to recover. These snooker players have had coaching to teach them what to do in different situations and they have practiced. Okay, you can't practice at life as you have one shot at it but the people around you should guide you through, not judge you and tell you your faults or where you have made a mistake.

Shaun Murphy has been playing awfully in this game and I've been laughing at him and shouting abuse at him. He's just scored a century. Do you think he cares about what I was shouting at him? No, because he knows what he's doing. There's a reason why he's playing in the world championships and I'm not, much like there's a reason why I'm not playing Broadway or a numerous other things.

So, remember that when you open your mouth to hurl abuse at someone because they fall. They are in that position, doing what they do, for a reason, and you're not. You're not them so you can't comment.

Stay Strong
Michael

I Have A Secret...

"Secrets protect us. Secrets make us safe."

We all keep secrets, but who do we keep them from? Do we keep them from other people because we're scared of the effects and we want to protect them, or do we keep them from ourselves, to protect us?

Either way, we keep things from people.  I know I have done and still do, partly because I don't think anyone else is interested but partly because I want to protect people. Some things are best left unsaid, even though everyone knows what the truth is. With no confirmation, we can believe what we like even though everyone know differently.

I have a secret... many secrets...

Stay Strong
Michael

I'm Regenerating!

I've never really been one to care about how I look. I leave my hair how it comes, put the first clothes I can see in my cupboards and draws on and, in general, I have a care free attitude.  I've always thought inner beauty is much more important than outer. It now seems that the latter is more important to people.

Suddenly, I feel really insecure about how people see me on the outside.  Part of me wants to lock myself away, never to see the light of day. I've felt this before and it's bizarre as it was when similar events have happened to me in the past.

 So, like the Doctor, I'm going to regenerate, but not in the same way. I'm not going to change how I look, how I dress, or how I act.  I am my biggest critic and if I can cope with how I am, then so can others. And if they don't like this me, then it is their lose. People should be impressed and grow to love who you are, not what you are.

I'm not going to change because of some comments made to me.  Yes, I have considered it in the past and yes, I know I'm not the best looking or best dressed guy around, but I really don't want to be.  I'm just going to reinstate my care-free nature and not worry about such things.  Yes, I'm still insecure about myself physically, but I know that I am great on the inside.  People wouldn't be my friends if I wasn't. I'm not a burden to them.

This is me.  I have my faults, my imperfections, but I do have some great qualities of my own. I am unique and you'll never come across another person like me. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. No one has ever, is ever or will ever be like me.  Just because I have certain traits of other people, doesn't mean that I am that person.

"I can be my own person and not be a burden. The voices no longer spew out their poisons to me" - Alex (from the musical I'm working on)

"I don't want to go" - David Tennant (as the Doctor)

Stay Strong
Michael

A Little Support

I'm not going to give up.  Neither on you or myself.

There is so much life still left to live for us all and giving up this early would be a a completely absurd idea.  You've never given up on me, and I certainly will not give up on you, no matter what the circumstances are, have been and yet to be.

Remember that you have great people around you and that I will be with you every step of the way.

Rawr.

Stay Strong
Michael

Some Truth

One thing I hate having done to me is people quoting me back to me. Sometimes this is because I laugh at my own words and at the fact that someone has actually listened to them and taken them on board. Other times it's because I realise how comforting my own words can be and take pride in another person realising how comforting they are, using them for their own comfort, and then saying them to me to comfort me.

Every blog entry (bar one because I got eaten by a monster in that blog) ends with the words "Stay Strong".  I seem to be using this more and more in every day life to others and to myself, and others are using it.  It's easy to forget how great and special we all are. Every life is unique... and brilliant. YOU are brilliant and fantastic and amazing and... the list is endless.

I know that "Stay Strong" can mean a lot of different things, but I thought I'd give an insight into why I say it.  I started blogging because I needed a way to express myself. My thoughts, feelings and emotions.  This is really hard to do when you want to say things to specific people whilst keeping in mind that there are people who read online blogs who have no idea who you are. I'm finding myself to be at the lowest point in my life yet, in a way, I feel good about life. I feel the most alone that I ever have, yet I find myself having the best friend imaginable and a great group of friends and people I can talk to.  I have huge swings between being this over-confident guy who'd talk anything to this guy who practically given up on being successful in any aspect of life.  I seem to be a person who helps others, just not himself.

I could never do something for me, not even the smallest thing. Even making tea. I have to make tea for a group of people, not just myself. I live to impress others.  My biggest fear is not not being able to pass exams, not getting through a good university or not getting a decent job. Those things don't matter to me. My biggest fear is not having someone to impress, to want to impress. Someone who I can dedicate my life to, and everything that I do.  It is then that I'd care about getting a well paid job and being successful, but not for me, for them.

I guess that I should listen to me more, and you should do the same.  Read back on things you have written, remember conversations. You might just learn something from yourself. We learn from our own mistakes, but we also learn from our successes.

That's all I'm going to say right now because I'm not feeling my best (I am actually ill) and I'm not sure what else I can say. So...

Stay Strong
Michael

A Trilogy of Blogs

This blog comes in three parts: an apology/notice, some advice, and a message/reminder.

Part 1

I just wanted to say that blogs might be few and far between in the coming months.  Most of this is due to exams and me having to focus on revising for the multitude of maths exams that I have to sit, but also partly because I don't have much to say, certainly not at the moment.

I've always wanted my blog to express me, to express what I think and feel about the world, but I find myself struggling to express myself in the real world, let alone in a written blog.  A lot of what I'm thinking about is way too personal for a public blog and, to be honest, I'm not making much sense of it and have internal battles to fight before I do make sense of them.

I've also wanted my blog to entertain, but I really doubt that I am doing. I'm not entertaining anyone at the moment. My music writing has dried up and whenever I try to do anything creative, I lose the heart. I've always said that creative things have to come from the heart, but I guess that I don't know where my heart lies right now.

I like to impress people, and to impress myself... but I'm not.  I'm not proud of who I've become. I'm throwing work away because I'm not proud of it.  Parts of me have never been better. I relate to different emotions much more clearly and can portray them, and I like the idea of that.  But a huge part of me feels alone and empty and I need some time to work out what it is I'm missing. I think I know, but if it is what I think it is then it's no way near fixable as easy as I'd like it to be.  I guess that I'm just not good enough, even though people say that I am. To contradict myself and all my previous messages, the words are meaningless.

Part 2

As I have mentioned a little bit already, I am taking a revision break. I really need to get my head down for these exams and so, I'm cutting a lot of things out of my life, some of which really represent me. I shall be a robot for the next few months.

The advice I want to give is about revision. Everyone has different ways of revising. I know that I'm an 'active' reviser meaning that I have to have a short term goal for each revision sessions. Reading a textbook doesn't work for me. I need to create flash cards, answer questions and, if I do need to just read things, go for a walk. Walks are very refreshing and I much prefer reading on the move than just in my room.  I have to be active and hands on in everything I do. Actively doing something, even making mistakes, is much more helpful than reading about how to do it.

Try out your own ways of revising.  I find a different way for each subject helps, but that's easier said than done if you have a large number of subjects that you need to revise for. In that case, may I suggest different locations? Sometimes remembering a location as part of your revision helps, say if you did History in the garden and then Biology in the living room. I'm a firm believe of locational memory... I've spoken about that in the past.

Part 3

My little message is, don't forget me.  I'm still around and human if you ever need someone to talk to.  I'm still contactable in the normal ways, although watch out if you contact me on my mobile phone as a) it's not really working very well and, b) I might be getting a new one with a new number but I shall tell you if that is the case.


No doubt I'll be back with a blog or two whilst I'm still revising. I'm just scared of sharing anything too personal that might upset people or make situations worse.

Stay Strong
Michael

Where's My Mask???

I feel the need to blog, to write what I'm thinking down... but I can't.

It's not that I don't know what I'm thinking about, I know precisely, but I can't explain it and I'm terrified of it.  It's that situation again where I'm terrified of acting upon it, but also terrified of not acting upon it. I keep telling myself that I can't control any of this... but I know that I can control parts of it.  I'm controlling the urge to scream out loud, to ransack by room, to hurt myself... and I'm controlling my feelings of delight, joy... actual happiness because I don't want to let on how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking about.

I've lost the mask I once wore. The metaphorical mask that protected me from emotions and I'm struggling to find it again. Part of me wants to but a larger part of me knows that I shouldn't and that, maybe it wasn't the losing of the mask but having the mask in the first place that has made me like this.

Circles.  I'm sorry.

Stay Strong
Michael

And... Relax

I need to relax and stop stressing. I know that. I've been extremely stressed of late and I know that I will be even more so in the coming weeks and months as I prepare for my A-level exams which I desperately need to do well in if I want to have any chance of getting into University.  I've started revising a little bit and will be spending most of this week in college, even though it is the Easter holidays. I just need to finish off a load of coursework and go along to revision sessions.

With all this and all my current musical commitments and musical commitments I aspire to be involved in and plan to be involved in, some form of social life that I apparently have and still trying to sort things out in my head, my life is quite full... and stressful.

Trick is to try and relax, find something that relaxes me. Usually when I'm stressed, I'll play the piano, but that is sometimes the reason for stressing out, especially if I'm overworking myself with composing and performing. However, I think I've found my solution... listening to music.

I'm not a great listener of music other than listening to the music I play. I don't have an iPod and I don't buy the albums of the latest artists or even artists that I like. My solution comes in the form of Jamie Cullum, an amazing jazz-pop singer-songwriter pianist who is absolutely amazing!!! As I write this I'm listening to the BBC Proms he did in 2010 with the Heritage Orchestra (one of my favourite orchestras who also worked with Tim Minchin on his latest tour). It's absolutely brilliant and very easy to listen to.  Helpfully, it's also 90 minutes long so I don't have to keep changing songs every 5 minutes on Youtube. I'll link you to it because I think it's amazing and extremely relaxing, along with having some great comic performing moments from Jamie Cullum and awesome orchestrations and improvised solos! Featuring love songs, break up songs and a song about being a lost twenty year old, this show has everything! It even has Jamie Cullum slowly undressing himself...! In one word... Fantastic!

I feel I'll be listening to this a lot over the coming months!

Stay Strong
Michael

We Interrupt This Program...

Do you ever feel down, or alone? Ever feel like you need a way to release energy or make yourself happy? Do you need something to bring a bit of a spark to your life?

Then try all new JAZZ HANDS!

Jazz hands are made for those moments when you need a bit of a spark. It's impossible to do jazz hands without bringing a smile to your face. And best of all, they're free!!!

Jazz hands come in many different forms: The solo jazz hands, the group jazz hands and , my personal favourite, the OTT Jazz hands for those extra special Jazz hands moments.

So, what are you waiting for? Start Jazz hand-ing NOW!!!

Stay Strong
Michael

What I Don't Understand About... Miscellaneous #1

For the fourth installment of this little series of mine, I thought I'd briefly mention some things that I don't understand but don't really have enough to talk about them without rambling. This way, I can make each topic short and sweet (just like you, reader, hey! #SuchABloggingFlirtIAm)

So here goes...

What I Don't Understand About...

My Hair

 If any of you know me, you'll know that my hair is a complete mess. To cut a long story short, it styles itself and is completely waterproof, I mean water actually bounces off it! Apparently, according to my hairdresser, it is really thick and, according to an ex-girlfriend, really soft even though it doesn't look it.

I guess I don't put enough effort into my hair, or how I look in general but I don't really care. I want people to like me for my personality and not because I wear the latest style in tops and jeans!

Hidden Agendas

I don't understand why people have them. Why do people have to be deceitful and do things for their own motives? It's just stupid and very hurtful. The whole idea that someone thinks they are more special and important than anyone else is beyond me. We're all equally as important and all have a purpose. We don't need to go things to for others to benefit us! If you help others enough then you'll get the rewards. You don't need to seek them out intentionally yourself

Making a Good Blog

I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time, and this blog is one of those things.  I'm not at all sure whether or not this is any good or if people actually read this, but I do know that I enjoy writing it.  At least this way I can say something 'funny' and not get embarrassed when nobody laughs! (That happens a lot). It also means that I can express myself, which was the reason why I started blogging along with wanting people to understand a bit more about me and to see that maybe, just maybe, they aren't alone. In that sense, this is a good blog as it's another way I can express myself without being confined to song lyrics that have to have a certain rhythm or rhyme. I don't have to be poetic!


That's all I can think of right now. Here's an idea! You readers out there could comment any things you don't understand in the comment-y thing at the bottom. I'd be really interested to read them! It can be about anything because this is just a random list with no sense or order to them.

Stay Strong
Michael

What I Don't Understand About... Marking "The Arts!"

Welcome to 'episode' 3 of this little series of mine. Today, I shall talk (rant) about the arts and how they are graded for exams.

Any art form, whether that be a painting, music, dance, drama, or sculpture etc., is opinionated.  The Arts are emotion and feeling lead and make a statement. You only have to look at modern art to see that they are there to provoke a feeling within the onlooker.

This is where grading art forms is hard. To some people, a black spot on a canvas can symbolise a vast array of feelings and emotions. To others, it is just a black spot on a canvas.  I can understand that a black spot on a canvas doesn't show much technical ability, but it could easily score highly on what it symbolises.

From middle school to high school I used to really enjoy art. Everyone in my class used to say that my drawings were amazing and they even asked me to draw for their 'Big Work'.  Thing is, my art teacher didn't think so and so, I got low grades. This really confused me and hurt me in a way. I used to love drawing, and now I don't.  I don't draw anymore, even though I have books on how to draw amazing things like speedboats, F1 cars and Dinosaurs, even though I have proper drawing pencils and an artist's notepad.  I lost the heart.

Music is now my creative passion, but even that is subjective. Two of my friends who are amazing musicians hated a composition I wrote, especially some of the harmony. I was really proud of the re-harmonizing that I had made, but having them say that they didn't like it hurt a little. I nearly got rid of it until I showed a music lecturer from a university who specialises in composition. He loved it! The same can be said for another of my compositions. One friend hates it whilst all my teachers are saying that it's on for a top grade... how bizarre a turn that has taken from the art work.

The message here is just create what you like and can be proud of. End of the day, if you are having to work on, let's say, a sculpture for your Art coursework and you have to spend weeks and months on it, then it should be something you would like to create and enjoy making because you'll have to put a lot of time into making it perfect and spend many hours looking at it, so you might as well like it! Same goes for any other art form. Just go out and enjoy yourself! If you enjoy it then what you create will improve!

Stay Strong
Michael