Blogging Challenge Day 4: Self-improvement

Hello! Firstly, let me direct you to the right of this page. You should find a box where you can subscribe to this blog by e-mail if you so choose, so you never miss an entry! Handy, huh? Just make sure the e-mail isn't sent to the junk folder of your inbox.

Today's topic for day 4 of the blogging challenge is...self-improvement! Don't worry, this won't be as downbeat as this may sound, and it won't be dull self-improvement things like "get a job" or "get a girlfriend". They are things that depend on someone else being compliant, and this entry is about self-improvement; what I can do to make me happier in myself. In this blog I will write about the things I wish to learn, the skills I wish to gain and the talents I wish to enhance.

Things I'd like to get better at

1. Stand-up comedy.

2. Dancing.

Now, these are both things I think I am "not shit" at; but I'd like to be "bloody great" at both. I'm proud of what I have managed to achieve so far, but I consider there much more progress to make. I mean, if Mickey thinks I still need to improve, then I clearly have some more hard work to do...ultimately, though, I'm pretty happy with what I can do so far, considering it is all just self-taught at home. It is also nice to be able to feel I am still improving; I have only done a handful of stand-up gigs, so obviously I am learning with every one I do, and every couple months or so I am just practicing dancing in my small kitchen at 1am and just do a new dance move. This in particular is testament to what you can do if you work hard at making yourself good at something, which brings me on to the next section..


Things I'd like to accomplish

Can you play an instrument? Really? Well, I can't, so stop showing off.

I have two instruments in my possession; a mini-accordion, that was bought for me as a "joke" present a coupe years ago, and a harmonica that I bought myself earlier this month. I'd like to become adept at both; luckily, I anticipate they should be relatively easy to self-teach, more so than a piano or guitar at any rate.

I'd also like to be able to write songs. This is something I have tried to do for over a year now; there are around 10 documents on my PC/laptop of unfinished lyric sheets for songs; some are comedy songs, others tackle more serious issues such as unemployment, social awkwardness and love. These are written as raps, which is another thing I'd like to be good at.

I'd love to become a better singer. One of the things I often think is "one day, once I have lots of money, I'll take 6 months away from everything and spend it learning how to become a great singer".

I would trade my liver to be able to write and sing a song as brilliantly as this:

Ironically, I sung/shouted this song on repeat for 2 hours after drinking too much recently, but let's not get into that.

I've always enjoyed acting; drama was one of my favourite subjects at school. I got 39/40 on the performance part of the GCSE exam. I'm not showing off....OK, I am showing off. Basically, I'd love there to be some evidence of this somewhere. I really want to write and act in a short-film sometime. I've been saying this for ages, so if anyone out there is reading this and fancies helping write/act it, let me know! Would quite like the first one to be some sort of collaboration.

Now, I would like to challenge myself, Amy (check out her blog, click here, etc. - you know the drill), PDT (who missed the blogging challenge yesterday, and I have no clue if he is doing today's one or not), and everyone reading this blog to set themselves a task to teach themselves something in the next 6 months. If you have subscribed to my blog by e-mail (or you just check back regularly), then within 6 months you will see an update that shows a video of my adeptly playing the mini-accordion and the harmonica. I may even fit a music video in there which combines song-writing, rapping and dancing, we shall see - that is not something I wish to rush. But they'll be some progress on these tasks come 6 months time. Let's make these things happen.

See you tomorrow!

Tom.