Migraine Hell

So I've been a busy bee lately! This week I was in a commercial, and two new tv series. I was just an extra in an episode for both but the experiences and networking opportunities were great. 

So a couple weeks ago, I made a bold decision to bring one of my writings to life. I wrote a short comedic screenplay about the frustrations of migraines. I presented it to some friends in the film business and they loved it! 

Being the aggressive passionate person that I am, I started a social media following and we will have our first pre production meeting this week. It's going to be low budget and out of my pocket but the message will be amazing. It will give spoonies a bit of relief and hopefully a laugh. 

We start filming in January after the holidays are done so we have time to raise funds, do promotion, and build a hype. In this experience, I build my media company (I use it for self publishing too) for more than just writing. 

Also after the holidays, I'd like to go into part time work where I currently am and focus more on my art. In order to do that, I need to start finding ways to make money doing my art. 

My first full length fiction novel will be set to release in the fall and I have a romantic comedy screenplay started. I finished a feature film that's a thriller but the budget will be bigger than expected. So I need to build up investors, profit, and capital in order to start it.

My dreams are set in motion. I'm going to be bringing my musical dreams to life soon as well. I can do it all! I can be happy! I can achieve my dreams! 

Upcoming Project - "Migraine Hell"

A couple months ago I wrote a short film called, "Migraine Hell" that I wanted to get started on soon. However, I saw the Tampa Bay Theatre Festival was having a playwright competition and immediately scratched my head. What if this story was a one act play? It certainly would be funnier with a live audience, but what if they didn't get it? There's a big risk involved, but I'm up for it. Here's why:

1. I want to bring a comedic side to a typical spoonie office visit

2. I want to show people how frustrating the entire spoonie doctor visit process is.

3. I want people to think about side effects, co pays, how outsiders view illness, etc.

4. This is a good first step for me as a writer/actor.

5. If it goes well, I can work on turning it into a full play.

6. It might bring a smile to another spoonie in the audience.

I'll keep you guys up to date on the progress! Keep up the inspiration!

Saturday Night Live

I'm casually fitting in the last three MHAM blog challenge posts.

How does humor help you cope?

They say laughter is the best medicine, or at least I think it is. I know when I went to a comedy club for the first time, I had the time of my life and felt GREAT! Humor is a great distraction from pain and causes an endorphin release. This chemical raises our ability to ignore pain. It's also released during exercise, excitement, and sex (not that I'm saying you should be a huge slut to relieve pain). Oh man that came out wrong (that's what she said).

Okay back on topic: This last month has been hell for me because I added whole body pains and joint pain on top of my already pesky migraines. So I decided that no matter how I felt, I was going to see the new comedy, "This is the End" in hopes that I'd feel better. I always liked those stupidly funny movies because they make me laugh no matter how crude they are. At the end of the movie, I was feeling pretty good. It wasn't to a point where I was able to climb a mountain, but at least I got to relax before the next day arrived.

So how do we keep laughter in our life? Here are some good tips:

1. YouTube - I'm pretty sure the funniest videos I've seen were on YouTube. People upload the craziest stuff. When you're feeling sore from working all day, take a break and check out a few good videos on YouTube like "Charlie Bit My Finger" or "David After the Dentist." Get those chemicals working!

2. Movies - There are endless amounts of great comedies that will leave you slapping your knee. Any Judd Apatow film is recommended. I don't know how he does it, but he makes films that just make you shake your head and smile.

3. Vine - This new app is a 6 second sensation that has kept me giggling for hours before. Many comedians use it to keep us all entertained while they search for inspiration for larger bits.

4. Friends - Having a night with friends can lead to many laughs. Whether someone has a horrible date to share or their kids did something nuts, you can be assured that you'll be chuckling. Guess what...it's free! That's the great part about laughter among friends! You might not be feeling the greatest, but invite some friends for a nice dinner and share the "war stories" to get some endorphins going.

I hope you keep laughter in your life even though it seems hopeless. Today's picture was on Facebook and I died laughing. Well I better scan YouTube for some good Key & Peele videos to chuckle before bed. Give me some ideas of good videos in the comment section.