10 years ago Mr. Razzle Dazzle, touring-monster Bert Kreischer was nice enough to do my podcast. In our time together he said "You're a guy who should learn how to write treatments." 6.5 years later, just before the pandemic I decided to take a break from stand-up. Then when the pandemic hit I remembered his advice, and I began thinking about maybe writing a treatment one day.

In the mean time I needed a vehicle. I was in creative rehab, avoiding anything that tugged on the strings of perfectionism and/or the result-oriented mindset. So instead of trying to "do something good, or impressive," it was a time spent - first and foremost - for me to slow down and think about my values and desires and strengths, and what I might want a show to look like, what I might have to offer, how my natural skills and talents could be applied in such a manner that they're the keys to success.

I didn’t set out to make anything in particular, or good. I followed my curiosities and interests as a vehicle of self-discovery. Everything since then has been part of a holistic process of moving from a life of despair to a life of fulfillment; of mutual personal and artistic growth. Reflecting the principals that brought such an idea into creation: the belief that I am a valid and worthy human being, who deserves the grace to grow, and  not be judged with fatalistic conclusion, that I deserve the freedom to be who I am, that my natural self is worth knowing and loving and that I deserve to be witnessed.

Letting my hands wander, while my mind wondered, saw a vision bear fruit. In working out the rules, rhythms, and symbols of the show I had created a visual map of these concepts, a context map. And when I finished creating the context map I could see the whole show and its structures laid out in the imagery. 

One of the first things I asked when thinking of ideas is "what if there was a show with different layers each happening with their own story structure?" So I worked it out with different colors on a line graph. That revealed something interesting to me - the times that two elements would change at the same time. Can you imagine what could have happened in the story befitting the twist of both these elements? How exciting the way these rhythms sync up! Syncopation!

Syncopation resonates when you understand the space - the connection - between elements. Otherwise it would be quite clumsy and arbitrary. Let's take a look at what we've learned so far. 

Our natural skills and talents are the keys to success. They’re the byproduct of our curiosities and interests. A naturally fulfilling situation. Part of mutual process of holistic growth. Based on a secure vision of the valid self. Worthy, gracious, forgiving, and free to be witnessed and loved.

There are rules, rhythms and symbols. These exist as perceptual distinctions of concepts, different layers, each with their own story structure. These can all be broken down by a core process of the series which equates to mindfulness, the sequence is: symbol, deconstruct, reconstruct, process. There are symbols, we deconstruct them, in order to understand the thing they represent, and in doing so we understand the environmental process the thing exists in.

Our natural skills and talents are the keys to success. They’re the rules to the theater of our valid self. Our curiosities and interests make up the rhythms of self-discovery, different layers being witnessed and loved, each with their own story structure in order to understand the thing they represent. In syncopation that illuminates the space between. The process of creating should fit a standard for a fulfilling life. The way I’m attempting to live, and what I want to do with my life, based on the following questions.:

- Does it meet my needs? Where am I at right now, and will this invite me to continue exploring and examining and expressing?

- Does it build on a skill I already have, or teach me a new skill?

- Does it give me something that I can share with other people either through teaching, or through exemplifying in my gift of self?

- Does it keep ideas going? Does it allow me to use the basis of what I know and where I'm at and put me in a position so that my knowledge, experience, and curiosity are the keys to success in whatever arena is presented?

- Does it give me something I want? 

This is what I have to offer. I want other voices to harmonize within my vision. Which is why, all things being equal, people are going to say yes to it, because I’ve created something people want to be a part of. I know the world is lining up for this to happen, if not soon then damn soon.

Not only is the series a great idea, it’s a perfect vehicle for the voices of 2 comedians I want to work with. As a fan of theirs I can say that I want to see what they would have to say in the arenas proposed.

In my own personal growth I can say that I’ve learned from them both and I would be both honored and a bit worried to mutually influence each other personally and artistically.

I’m just now getting to where I can articulate the concept in an interesting way, but I’ve laid out quite a lot, and that’s the basis of my work for the foreseeable future. Because this project is the template produced as a byproduct of the process of holistic fulfillment, its steps reach all the way from execution, and the final vision, all the way back to now.

You just have to understand the space between.

Which is exactly what I’m up to now. I’ll flesh out my ideas while continuing developing the concept map. I’m getting to a point though where I have to step out of manager/planner mode and become the person in the process. Everything has been a process of me trying to figure out how to communicate and connect with people so that we can be good collaborators - and my work continues. Now it’s time for be to be the artist this process was designed for, so that I may more effectively lead my people by being confident in my voice.