DAY 46: My Life is a Cartoon Today

DAY 46: My Life is a Cartoon Today

March 31, 2011
9:20 am

Lots of work to be done today. I’m busy, scattered and have a million things to do! (Just the way I like it!)
I had a dream last night: I dreamed that during my national tour I was able to bring the reality television experience to underprivileged kids to help them achieve anything they wanted in 60 Days or less. I would love to have this dream come true. Maybe the time will come where I can discuss this with non-profit partners in the future.

This week I’ve had to fully embrace my weaknesses. Let me blunt: this is a first draft of a book - and it sucks! I know this. I know full well that I’m all over the place, make up grammatical rules as I go, and write these blog entries at a hurried pace!

But I keep creating! I can always go back and revise this later. It comforts me now to know that I will have help with the editing process. My girlfriend, a very talent artist and art therapist, helped me design my one-sheet for my “big secret event” coming up at the end of this 60 Day Quest! It always has bee a challenge for me to ask and accept the help of others. However, I’m seeing some wonderful results now working with my friends and partners. My ego wanted to do this all by itself. Thank God my ego has been overruled!
Anyway, since I’m in the full swing of making things happen (I.e. designing a website, tweaking the one-sheet and making my new video) I will go right to my fifth question today.

Hmmm, who should be on my Question Council today?

I recruited the services from the characters of Harry Potter, Star Wars and the Wizard of Oz. Let’s do cartoon characters today…

MIKE: My question today is: How do I communicate the power in what I do without having a huge budget to work with?

FIRST LAYER/FIRST QUESTION:

MICKEY MOUSE: (Letting out a high-pitched chuckle.) Well, Michael. It’s not that you don’t have a “huge” budget - let’s face it, you have NO budget. The answer is that YOU provide the power through your passion, Michael. Others will experience through the power of the story you lead them through. Sell yourself first and let your heart speak for you. Remember, you represent a path that will allow others to speak their passion. If you stand in the middle of the room, saying you’re producing a reality television story, the sheer balls (huh-huh, excuse my language) that takes will inspire the right people.

(First Layer Question.) The relevant question now is: How can YOU believe the power in what you do to continue to build support?

SECOND LAYER/SECOND QUESTION:

BUGS BUNNY: Nyah…What’s up, D… Ah, you already know the catch phrase. Mike believes it by sticking to what he knows. That is, he knows how to get a performance out of people, he knows how to speak passionately, and he knows how to lead others through a story. That’s all he’s promising. Just because he sees something that no one else can see at the present moment make what he does any less powerful! The point is - SOMEBODY has to start it for it to become reality! Even if it is just Mike with his simple Handycam and editing software. The important thing is Mike knows how to put a story together and now he knows how to complete a story. I think that’s what people need most help with - COMPLETING what they started.

(Second Layer Question.) What is the one-minute pitch Mike is planning on using? How does Mike quickly communicate how to get a listener to immediately commit to their own story?

THIRD LAYER/THIRD QUESTION:

SPIDERMAN: Your friendly neighborhood Web-Head here to perform a one-man soliloquy! Written by my buddy, Mike Shoeman. (Clears his throat.) “What if you could accomplish anything that would surprise and astonish you in 60 Days or less? What would you want that outcome to be?” (The listener says, “to marry a millionaire.”) “Then I have the power to put you in a reality show TODAY where, if you become one of the cast members, you will marry a millionaire by the season finale.” (The listener asks, “How can you promise this?”) Mike responds, “I’ve spent my adult life helping others emotionally commit to fictional stories and creating characters who never existed. Now I use the same skills of reality television, story telling and acting techniques to help you emotionally commit to a non-fictional story to create a character who WILL exist - you being married to a millionaire!”

(Third Layer Question.) Does Mike believe in the power of this one-minute speech?

FOURTH LAYER/FOURTH QUESTION:

SUPERMAN: Most definitely! The power is in the immediacy he can provide to the listener. He can begin with the opening, “I have a very bold question to ask you. Are you brave enough to answer this question honestly?” Now Mike can also use a tag line, “Why should the reality television experience be wasted on the rich and spoiled?” All are very power statements, make bold promises that he can deliver on, and leads the listener to the next question, “How do I find out more?”

(Fourth Layer Question.) What can Mike do today, right now, to solidify his confidence in this message?

FIFTH LAYER/FIFTH QUESTION

OLIVE OYL: Oh! He’s already doing that! By designing his one-sheet around this idea it gets communicated very effectively! It works out very nicely that all of his seven questions dovetails nicely, doesn’t it? So, yes, my answer is add this message into the one-sheet and it’s already in the video! I didn’t need any of Popeye’s help answering this question so I think I’ll ask another female character to answer the next question!
(Fifth Layer Question.) Hey, Wonder Woman! Are there any more questions really necessary on this topic?

SIXTH LAYER/SIXTH QUESTION

WONDER WOMAN: No, Olive Oyl. There are no more questions required for Mike to feel whole and satisfied on the topic matter.

(Sixth Layer Question.) Do you have anything to ask before closing out this Question Council, Mike?

SEVENTH LAYER/SEVENTH QUESTION

MIKE: My answer to that would be “no”. So I’ll go back to my original question and answer it.
How do I communicate the power in what I do without having a huge budget to work with?
The answer is that I don’t need a budged at this particular time, phase and place. “I” am the goods and I’m a living example in how to become a conscious participant in a real life story. The one minute speech serves me in that there’s a lot of power behind the words. I do have the power to put someone in a story should they accept it. I’m not promising a full budget television experience but I am providing the experience of living a story that is televised. Again, the power of story will compensate for my lack of budget.

All for now. Time to bring my Quest to its successful completion.

Michael Shoeman
Guilty of Consorting with Super Heroes and Cartoon Characters