In the Beginning

I've decided to attempt daily blog posts as one of my goals for 2017. The main intention of these posts is to actually make good on the title I gave it: exploring entertainment. I'm pretty sure that I'll veer off onto other topics at times, but I'll cross those bridges when I come to them, if I come to them (there's no "if" about it really). Now, I said 'daily' a moment ago, but that's dependant on having compelling topics to write about, so who knows how things will turn out as time goes by. Regardless, this is the first entry, so I've got to start somewhere. To kick this party off I'm going to share my excitement about an upcoming event, since this blog is part of my preparation for things to come.

In the final weeks of 2016, Shonda Rhimes announced that she is teaching a Masterclass on Writing for Television in 2017  (I'm fairly vocal of my adoration for her work on social media, but as I've been lacking in updating this blog on a regular basis, you'd never know it if this page is your lone source for learning more about my creative sensibilities.) When I first saw the announcement I was... well, exhilarated; she has established herself as a master storyteller with incredible business acumen whose career is certainly worthy of study, and she is certainly on the list of people I'd love to learn from, so the potential here was clear. But I hesitated because of the damned enrollment fee, which is truly idiotic when you count the considerable value of the materials included with the class. And come on, this is Shonda Rhimes here, so why the hell was I delaying this? 

What it really came down to was the same self-doubt that has plagued me for the last few years and stopped me from setting out to achieve even the most minor of personal goals, including maintaining this blog. I've had accomplishments in other areas certainly, achievements that should function more as assurance than a deterrent, but I still didn't really believe in myself and doubted that anyone else would, either. No one out there wants to hear my point of view, I told myself. Your ideas are lame, I said privately. You don't know what you're doing, I thought as I scolded myself for even thinking of such a thing. The contradiction here, of course, is that people won't believe in you unless you believe in yourself, so you can imagine the sheer frustration I've been experiencing as I've faced this seemingly-endless contradictory loop for the last couple trips around the sun. 

I've had to accept this truth as part of my past in order to move forward. I've come to accept that those painfully cheesy Internet memes and motivational quotes in flowing text pasted on pictures of sunflower fields are all true and, being that I've had to accept this fact, I'll also share my favorite one: "If you want something you've never had, you're going to have to do something you've never done." I've decided that the doubts I've been having are the lies told by an insecure coward, and I can't listen to that guy anymore. So far his advise has sucked, and I'm not benefitting whatsoever from giving him attention, so I've got to cut it off. It's time to do the brave thing and let bravery catch up. So I'll use that cowardice as the foundation for my work  It's often said that writers should write what they know, so that's what I'll write about. My past can be my future.

A few hours after I first saw Shonda Rhimes' announcement, I came to my senses and signed up for the class. It starts in March. Let the work begin.