Quickpost 1

As prove that I actually have started practicing what I preached yesterday, here is what I have worked on in my bit of spare time over the last two days.

30 August

General American: I listened to my new Penny Dyer audiobook (Access Accents: General American - highly recommended!!!), took notes and worked with the practice sentences for shaping GenAm vowel and consonant sounds.

Wrote some fiction: Not a screenplay because for some reason that format stifles all creative energy in me. But I did write the beginnings of a story. I have no idea where it's going or what form it's going to take but I have been writing fiction. That's HUGE! I guess shutting up my inner critic and banning her to a deserted island somewhere far out in the Pacific Ocean counts as work too.

Creative visualisations: This is daydreaming, really. I gave myself ten minutes to relax and fantasise about my dream job in as much detail and colour as possible. Anyone wanna take a guess what that dream job is? I will only say that getting to live this dream if only for ten minutes and only in my head was already AWESOME! While I'm hanging out for the dream to materialise, I'm definitely going to actively dream about it. The richer and more detailed and over the top, the better. In fact, I shall do some dreaming right after finishing this post!

31 August

Workout: In the morning I took a two-hour walk through the zoo with my son and his friend. Chasing after two two-year-olds is serious exercise! It's also voice work, uhum... My son and his friend generously agreed to have a nap after lunch, so I postponed housework and had a New York City Ballet Workout session in the lounge instead.

General American: Went over all practice sentences once with the idiot tongue. You know, speaking with your tongue lolling out of your mouth. (No, I'm not going to put this on tape, thank you very much!) The went over them again twice, listening to Penny and repeating after her.

Reading out loud & GenAm: Read a news story out loud in a General American accent. To my surprise my GenAm has already improved heaps! Wonder if I can manage it in real scene work yet?

Well, that's it for today. I think, I've made a good start on the whole surprising myself front. Off to do some serious daydreaming for a bit. Hope you're doing the same!