First, let me say that there IS a point to this blog: there’s a challenge at the end. You can skip to the end to challenge me, or better yet, given the topic of this blog, you can stick with it all the way.
I am very good at sticking with things. Some things. Ok, not many things at all. That was a lie. Here is a list of things I am good at sticking with:
Theatre/the Arts Industry
Boyfriends
Harry Potter
Here is a list of things I have started but failed to stick with:
A journalism degree
At least 5 jobs
Sign language classes
A desire to do a speech pathology degree (that’s right, the desire – I didn’t even make it to enrolling)
A Psychology Major
One linguistics course (I dropped out after waking up one morning and realising I had an exam that day that I didn’t want to do/hadn’t studied for)
Being in a choir
Cycling
Jogging
A webseries about my housemates and me
A kid’s book
A novel
Far more shortstories and plays than I would care to count
This list
I have a real desire to do a lot of things. I have a tendency to turn to my mum, for example, (as I did recently) and say: “You know, I really want to work with animals, like maybe being an animal trainer at a zoo. That would make me really happy”. I mean, it would make me happy but that’s not the point; the point is that even if I did suddenly change my entire career path, get an entry level job at a zoo and try to make that dream a reality, I would find something else to become passionate (read: frighteningly enthusiastic for 3 weeks) about, get distracted and quit before I’d even gotten to touch an animal.
I’m really not sure how those around me take me seriously. Perhaps they don’t. I thank them then, and congratulate them on their impressive acting skills. Because every time I start something new my family, friends and boyfriend all agree it sounds like a great idea that I should go for.
Karate is my current thing. I’m really into it, and bore the pants off anyone who gets within 2 meters of me during my post-punching-someone-in-the-gut high (which can last days). But given my record, I honestly can’t know that I won’t bore myself out of it next week.
A little while ago (like… last year sometime) my thing was arts and crafts. I bought a bunch of canvases and spent happy afternoons on my bedroom floor painting badly and gluing things to things. But I stopped… and there is still a milk crate full of craft crap and one lonely canvas sitting in my room.
More recently, I started an awesome Harry Potter inspired artwork that was basically big bits of card with pictures and one of my favourite chapters written out in tiny handwriting. I bet you can’t guess where it is? Buried… half finished in the mess of other things I’ve never finished on my desk. Yeah. I can’t believe I was surprised either, but I was. It’s a damn shame. The snake I drew was particularly good.
ANYWAY. This blog is called “challenge” because I want, finally, to put what is clearly a secret talent to work. There are 33 weeks left in this year. I would like to start something new every week. But I think it’s been established that I’M not about to think of 33 things. That is way too many things, I will probably get distracted and start writing a list of my favourite lists, or my favourite blogs I like to read while procrastinating (what? It hasn’t taken me HOURS to write this… honestly). So, I would like to challenge you – to give me 33 things I can start, 1 a week, but not necessarily finish. I challenge myself to actually do this. And also to write a blog about each one. I don’t have to do them in order, but I am going to start next week.
So… I have started this for you. (actually, my housemate Samara did most of these… I really am that shit). LAST UPDATED 28th August - you can click on the purple words. They are links, and will take you to the relevant blog. It only took me about 8 weeks to do that.
1. Plant and look after some herbs. Started!
2. Film a Youtube video
3. Take a partner dance class (Samara)
4. Harry Potter Movie Marathon (Samara)
6. Make my own paper (Samara) done! (if poorly)
7. Go rockclimbing (anon) done!
8. Get a tarot card reading (anon) done!
9. write a song (jadams)
10. make some form of clothing (mim/Emily)
11. Host a dinner party (alex)
12. Register this challenge/blog for National Young Writer’s Month (alex) Done!
13. Write a blog every Monday for the NYWM done!
14. volunteer at a soup kitchen (cdm – chris is that you?)
15. watch a sunrise from mt coot-tha (cdm) done!
16. Update my blog background (cdm)/ learn how to do this!
17. send in a postsecret (kyle)
18. go to Melbourne (another anon)
19. raise money for charity (another anon) started!
20. Become a fan of Dr Who (or rather, watch this season - I'm sure fannage will ensue) Achieved!
21. write a page of news relevant/topical jokes um... fail!
22. make a kite that flies (Dave)
23. get dreadlocks (another, lovely anonymous) not happening. I cut off all my hair!
24. conquer my phobia of roller coasters
25. go sky-diving
26. exercise every day for a week! Done!
27. do the bridge to brisbane (10km)
28. knit something and finish it (hilde) done!
29. have a dress made for me by the lovely Rachel Burke over at imakeyouwearit done!
30. submit some writing to some sort of writing competition
31. go a week without social networking sites done!
32. be an extra in a film/tv show/ad
33. Go for hike over a mountain (Jono)
BONUS: take a photo of myself every week
Please add suggestions here in the comments, or on my twitter, or my facebook, or to my face or something.
I want you to know the irony of this is whole thing is not lost on me, and that there is a very real possibility I’ll do 2 of these things and then join a circus instead.
L
Learn how to make a good coffee
ReplyDeleteGo on a winery tour/cocktail making course
Take a good photo
Learn to surf
Go rockclimbing (Indoors or out)
Take an improv class
Enter a karate competition.
Play minigolf.
Get a tarrot card reading
Brew some beer!
Use the ones you like. :)
Write a song
ReplyDeleteYou know this is seriously similar to something I thought about doing on my blog at the start of the year. But then I thought it wasn't TV related enough so I didn't. Why not do things that you CAN achieve. Fun, easy things. Sit down with a big sheet of paper and a bunch of textas and brain storm things you'd like to do. Whatever they are. But here's some ideas. I might come back with more.
ReplyDeleteTHIS ONE YOU HAVE TO DO!
-Register this challenge and your blogging about it for National Young Writers Month. (OR ELSE!)
-Start a conversation with s stranger.
-Go somewhere you've never been.
-Eat out alone
-Read a short story
-Go out in public wearing your pyjamas (ordering pizza is a particularly good activity to try)
-Wear odd socks
-Get lost
Some more.
ReplyDelete-Host a dinner party
-Apply for something
What a great idea! I also like the idea that you may potentially start and never finish 33 things between now and the end of the year.
ReplyDeleteHere's my ideas:
- Finish your Harry Potter art work
- Make your own slogan/logo based t-shirt
- Submit said t-shirt to Threadless
- Cook a 3 course dinner
xx
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This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThat last post failed but here it is again!
ReplyDeleteSome challenges of the top of my head:
-Walk across your living room...on your hands.(Hand-stand style yo!)
-Carve a pipe out of bamboo. You don't even have to smoke, it's just satisfying shaping timber.
-Volunteer at a soup kitchen/shelter. This works well with the 'Start a conversation with s stranger' challenge.
-Watch a sunrise from Mt Cootha. Million dollar view up there at 4am. I don't profess to know your sleeping habits but I'm going to assume 4am is a huge challenge.
-Update your blog background. I could help with this, but I may need a brainstorm session with the help of 'Magic Juice'.
Just as a sidenote, speaking of your blog background I think 'vagina' every time I see it.
ReplyDelete- Learn a Bible verse every day
- Write a Postsecret every day and send them or put them in existing ones in bookstore or library
- Reenact Trolley Boys as a one person show. Film. Post.
- Film a Glee audition tape. Post.
- Spend a week getting people to subscribe to my blog.
- Only do poos in public places
Defeat me in an eating duel!!!!!!!!!! (As in eat 2 kilos of meat)
ReplyDeleteWe could even make it a full blown chow down which is to say a team event.
Anyway, are you supposed to be able to finish the activity or is just starting it enough? because I think the activities need to require some level of persistance, so how about making a giant rubber band ball? it always took huge effort to ever gather the number of rubber bands required.
- raise money for a charity
ReplyDelete- go camping
- tie dye a t-shirt
- dance on stage
- see spring awakening the musical (when it's in brisbane later in the year)
- dye your hair a colour it's never been
- buy a maccas family dinner box
- go to melbourne
Now I don't know you very well but I believe you stuck to the following things:
ReplyDeleteA school choir for five years and then the adult choir with same choir master for a couple of years
You worked at donut king for about four years
You finished an arts degree despite changing your mind a few times re the majors and your friends leaving
You were a member of underground for about four years
Now for some suggestions:
Plant a tree someway that you can see in years to come when it is big and beautiful. Make sure it is a native.
Bake some biscuits (so good that it will your standard recipe for life)
Get dreadlocks
Get a dog
Swim
Go to the snow
Go to the great barrier reef
Get a photo of yourself once a week and keep a record of your beautiful changing face and hair (do this for life)
Sew your own dress.
ReplyDeleteDye your hair a different colour every week for a month.
Make your own flash mob.
I really suck at coming up with ideas. Though I can help you out with #3 if you want! Our next term of classes starts June 6 and the first one is free if you wanna try.
Hannah
P.S. This is a mad idea, I love it.
how about...
ReplyDelete- listen to a new cd/album each week
- write to a pen pal
- read a book/magazine about a new topic you're interested in (nonfictional)
love matilda