What on Earth was that Video Yesterday About?

Okay so I have been working on…. Whoa this is a long story.

Okay I wanted to sell some books; Autistic Guides to High School. But I’ve been waiting for my illustrator, if you hire an Autistic, ADD, Dyslexic try to make sure they aren’t about to fall into a deep depression, alternately make sure they are not your youngest daughter so you can fire them without fear. It’s been a year. So no books yet.

So anyway they are going to cost money to print, and pay off the bandit illustrator so I needed to make some money preferably while advertising. Right.

I’m now working with a Disabled Arts group; DADAA, so the crazy woman there thought I could do my own shows. That is right I have decided I am a stand up Comedian. Yeah no of course I’m not, look at yeasterday’s video. Anywho, I’m trying to learn to be a comedy genius and it is really hard to I don’t know meet comedians and get on stage. And then we talk about maybe there are other clients of DADAA might want a shot too.

So I can’t find any help for this kind of stuff, workshops and chances to be on stage etc that aren’t terrifying. Try to shop the sitcom I wrote and can’t find a producer, aparrently most West Australians produce documentaries.

I, for some unknown reason, talk to DADAA about my dream for a comedy group. Group meetings weekly where disabled people and maybe even some non-disabled people gather and you know work together towards comedy; writers and comedians. And we get lists of others who can work with us. We bypass all the advice that is not relevent to talented disabled people and just find our own styles. Then we do YouTube videos and Live SHows together.

The DADAA lady wanted to add workshops with professionals, and started reaching out to consultants to help us do it. The first one we contacted took a meeting with us. OMG I don’t even know if I dare use her name here. She’s on the web, TV and is creative director of her own company. She’s interested but too busy and expensive to take us on for free. So she gives us lists of contacts and keeps in touch with advice and pep talks and I mean WOW. So I am getting encouragement from a real celebrity person.

I lost my head. I took a class with someone she recommended to help us form the group. Improv, I am studying Improv and Stand Up, I am going to study Stand Up. So covid, first his, then mine gets in the way of a meeting, but he seems interested, a working comedian and …. wait for it… WAAPA Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts instructor knows me.

So my agoraphobia meanwhile is out of control but I can go to DADAA, The Dice Club (Greatest D&D shop ever) and the Rosemont Hotel, where my lessons were held. I am extremely proud that when I was all alone I managed to pull back the curtain of my own back door to let a near to bursting dog out, and then the second time managed to dash 2 metres grab a fading rose’s petald and a handful of parsley then run panting back to the house. My own backyard and it took me an hour to stop shaking. The rabbit Whisper was not grateful, he was too angry I gave half the plunder to the rats. But if I really distract myself or close my eyes in the car I can go to these three places.

I grabbed the momentum. My Improv class gave 2 for one tickets to the show in the same venue The Big Hoo-Haa. I took some bigwigs from DADAA. I didn’t die. So I took my youngest daughter, bandit illustrator, P.A., P.R., social critic and all around manager. The steak special for members is big enough the two of rarely finish. It has the coolest drinks, I need my Jim and the Giant Peach, the staff is lovely and The Big Hoo-Haa is fantastic. We go every week, people actually remember me, and they make friendly gestures & don’t run away. I am finally acing being a people. Well my going to live theatre character Nickie is.

So the DADAA lady added taking nervous disabled people to live shows every week to the group idea.

And an Anthology. and a YouTube Channel, and Instagram and so much stuff. She contacted more industry people and they weren’t hostile.

And finally there is an Arts Grant for a Disabled Artist to do a Project for Inclusion. So I am sending in an Application, don’t worry I’m not that delusional there are several available. I wrote the Application, finished the almost 12000 words required, reread it and wrote the less than 12000 characters they actually wanted. Got 3 letters of support from actual professional people who seem to think I am brilliant. My head swelled to ten times its size.

So all gathered I started to try and attach everything. The video was too big to attach, panic, fear, crazy thoughts, husband asleep on couch, kids in bed, what to do. Anyway it has an option to send a URL. I don’t really understand but it has to do with my video already being on the Web. How do I put my video on the web. I checked this blog it worked its on the web. And wonder of wonders it prompts me to copy the URL without me even asking. Done.

Of course then I found out I needed an ABN Australian Business Number. So at midnight I’m filling in forms in the Australian Tax Office website. I have an ABN, I have a registered business name “The Divergent Comedy Project”, I am registered to pay taxes on immaginary future transactions and salaries for two imaginary future employees. In other words, the words of the genius ventriloquist Jeff Dunham, “Mmm, mmm, mmm (I am) a business.” And I have 30 days to get professional advice on whether I need to be rescued.

So Application was to get a video on the web so I could send it to the Arts Council to attempt to win a grant to create a business “The DIvergent Comedy Project” so that disabled people who don’t have the confidence or socisl skills to make it into Comedy could join with other disabled or supposedly non disabled comedians to break into show biz. While also providing some social groups for people who need a fun hobby.

I am not insane. As my 2nd eldest’s shirt says, “You can’t blame me. I was left unsupervised.”