In the news today....
So... the last few weeks for me have a slightly dull feeling and yet, I seem to be so busy my feet barely touch the ground.
Today has lovely weather but it was slightly ruined for me by having to do some flyering. Dear Jeebus! It can be such a demeaning thing to do. I’m sure it must create deep psychological scars. I mean I can barely look at paper now!
I have flyered a lot before, for many a show or event and it can be ok. Sometimes the street vibe is good. Sometimes you’re hidden in costume! Or simply the production is great so you sell it because you believe in it. But to try and sell a BBQ that although nice, many would think ‘SEVEN COCKING QUID for a burger!!!!’ was painfully hard. I received many a filthy look, rude gesture, grumble and some downright outrage at my little leaflet. So I packed it in and came home :)
However, this morning I had the delight to serve Jenny Eclair her breakfast! She was very nice (as was Susie Blake) and she likes her bacon extra crispy, and I damn well think she’s right.
The weighting room....
I have been doing what some beefcakes call pumping iron. However, I think I’m going to call it pumping large grey plastic discs full of sand, strapped precariously to a long steel bar. Over the last year I have gone from 26 stone to 17.5 stone in weight (that’s a 56’’ waist to a 39’’ waist). And it’s very nice, but I have reached that bloody hard bit where I just can’t quite reach my goal. So I am hoping some weights will help and so far so good. It’s certainly helping to tone the old chest and arms.
What concerns me is the problem with baggy skin. The same sort of thing women often have after pregnancy. Which almost re-tightens but doesn’t quite. My worry is that I was so fat for so long it may not re-tighten. Tummy tucks and such are very very very expensive, and to get one on the NHS or even assistance from them means you have to let your skin fester, rot and die before they even think of helping you. So I am trying to tone up, using a bit of massage and regularly applying Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Firming lotion. It’s meant to take six weeks to work...week 2 and yes some improvements. If it fails then I just need to hope for a well paid job to come my way.
Work Work Work....
I was offered a stunning tour of the ‘The Mowgli Stories’ with Illyria (www.illyria.uk.com) playing Baloo. I was very very excited by it, but recently, I have been fortunate enough to be getting interest from some very big casting people, and films etc. So I took a business risk and turned down the tour, to be available for a while to see what else I could net. Of course the minute I did, the auditions dried up and instead I am serving Jenny Eclair crispy bacon for breakfast.
As much as I regret this decision I do still believe that in any business you have to take risks every now and then. I just hope something trundles my way over the next few months.
BUT!!! All is not completely hopeless! It’s important to remain creative and I have been doing just that!
I have been quite busy on a variety of things. I have had a few little art commissions, a drawing, a painting and a couple of little sculptures. So they have been nice to be getting on with. But as ever they are for friends of friends etc, so I keep under charging for them by a huge amount, or doing it for free...still I love doing it though.
My new web page is proving a lovely tool (www.cbarlow.co.uk) built by my very good and very talented friend Ben Francis (www.benfrancis.com) . I will be uploading some of the art work I have been recently working on to the site soon so what this space.
I also had some cool business cards made up. I have never had business cards before but I thought it was about time I got a few. But I didn’t want just dull boring ones, oh no. I wanted something interesting, a little different. Something that showed off my talents as an actor, but also an artist and writer...something that captures personality as well as contact details, but also matches my web site! Then I found www.moo.com ! They are great because they print each card separately. So effectively the front of all the cards can be different.
I decided to put one of my poems with a little illustration on the front of the cards, so each card has a different tale and picture, with my details on the back! See below.
I love them you should check out moo.com if you are looking for thing like business cards and printing.
"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live." - - - Morris Adler
I am currently trying to put my art work to a good use by struggling to learn animation. Specifically Flash animation at the moment. I have found Flash to be a really amazing tool and although at first it completely baffled me, it have picked up the basics in just a couple of hours. The whole program just makes sense, and the more you work with it the quicker and easier it becomes.
I have two reasons really for learning this, one: because maybe I could put my artwork to a more useful...er...use! And do some web flash banners and designs...It’s something that I could do on the road and might help just pay my bills a little. You never know.
But the main reason for learning is because I have written a few short movie ideas that will, one way or another, involve animation. And I hope to be able to produce the effects I want in the near future. (I’ll update on the progress of this later)
If music be the food of love....then great, but I’m actually starving and off for a burger....
Developed an awesome recipe for a vegetarian six bean chilli....really really nice...really filling and unbelievably healthy, doesn’t cost much either....if anyone fancies the recipe, email me and I shall send it to you.
Right then, you gorgeous lovely people. Take the very best care and I shall speak to you all soon.
Love and hugs
Chris Xx
Ps – Star Trek movie....oh dear god yes!!!
PPS – transformers 2 – on Friday – can’t wait
PPSS? - Very lovely electrician working where I work this week. So lovely that every time I tried to talk to him (which was a lot) I got tongue tied and just kept asking lame questions about fuse boxes....I’m such a loser.
