DAY 12: My Goofy Shadow

DAY 12: My Goofy Shadow

February 25, 2011
7:48 am

I recently posted a video with some goofy outtakes. You may watch this video by CLICKING HERE to fully understand where I’m coming from.

This 21^st Century Hero’s Journey is very important to me because, as you’ve seen, it allows me to cultivate a sense of play. I think I learned this from my 4^th and 5^th grade teacher Mr. Dave Sochan (yes, I enjoyed this man so much as a teacher I asked my parents to request I be placed in his class a second year.) Oftentimes I credit my martial arts training with the metamorphosis I experienced going from a depressed child to an outgoing teenager. But it was Mr. Sochan’s class that planted the seeds in my mind that work can be fun!

What a great gift to give a student: my teacher would sing goofy versions of oldies songs, actually wear sunglasses while singing “Gotta Wear Shades” and play B-52 songs during class. Mr. Sochan had a firm side to him as well, knew how to discipline, but the man’s creative, inclusive assignments still fascinate me as an adult. For example, when we had to write an English composition he had us draw letters out of a hat. Whatever letter we drew was to be the first letter of the topic we wrote about. (I drew the letter “V” and ended up struggling through writing a paper on Queen Victoria. It seemed I drew the one letter that challenged me because I couldn’t think up another topic to begin with V! Too bad the movie V for Vendetta wasn’t to be released for another 20 years!)

Thank you, Mr. Sochan, for unlocking a humorous, playful side of me and at the same time hand me one of my greatest assets I enjoy as an adult - the ability to think outside the box and apply innovation to my work.

During Week 2 of the quest we focus on the Shadow - that is we identify the people, places and events that might have put it in our minds that we couldn’t do, be or have something. Oftentimes, we forget the people who put it in our minds that we CAN do, be or have anything we truly aspire to. I think the real Shadow we face is shutting those voices out and listening to the “devilish” voices.

As I watch my latest video, it reminds me of a monologue I used to perform from the play Romeo and Juliet: American Style. Originally the dialogue, written by an author named Budd Robinson, was between Romeo and the Devil which took place in modern-day Verona, California. Romeo was sent to Hell after taking his life in the Shakespearean version but returned to 1994 (or whatever year the play is produced - 1994 happened to be the year I first picked up this piece.) Romeo’s task is to woo the reincarnated version of Juliet.

When I directed the play in 1994, with the intentions of acting in it, I was fraught with logistical problems that closed down the production before we even got to dress rehearsals. But the play stuck with me: I made the dialogue into a monologue with the Devil possessing Romeo’s body and kind of created a Steve Martin All of Me kind of piece with the Devil goofily and immaturely sabotaging Romeo’s romantic escapades.
The video I just released is an essay of sorts. The black-and-white obviously are my goofy outtakes and represents the Shadow which I’m now using productively. I express anger, frustration, greed and angst through humor but as you can see it’s a Shadow beginning to become used productively. When the loud techno-music ends and when all the black-and-white effects are over - there is a very clear message: LIVE YOUR QUEST.

Michael Shoeman
“The Life Artist”
“Why so serious?”