Clutter

Comfest is this weekend and I feel like cleaning.

It's usually when I am in the middle of a busy time that I suddenly feel that if I do not de-clutter my life I will explode. This time around it's even more than de-cluttering, we are talking about sorting through 14 years of living in the same place (give or take) and getting rid of most of it.

I collect ephemera and clothing. I try to get rid of things but always end up putting it in another box. Most of these things are memories and I don't want to get rid of them. I don't want to make them digital either because that's the same to me as sticking it in a box in a basement only I would never find it again. Part of the fun of cleaning is finding things you forgot that you had.

I really wish I could own my own place so I could wallpaper my walls with memories.

DRAUMA & Burlypicks 2016

Last weekend was DRAUMA 2016 and Burlypicks 2016 so it was a big weekend!

DRAUMA day I started packing the car with all of the costumes at about 8am. We arrived at the Bluestone and set up. Everything was going smoothly when I decided to change out the battery on Button's paper mache heart. I asked Totalie to toss me a battery and when I plugged it in, nothing happened. Usually it started to light up right away. Then I smelled electrical burning and realized the heart was smoking in my hands. "It's on fire!" I said and tossed it like a hot potato to Totalie "Get it out of here!" He was about to run out with it but he just unplugged it. The whole room was stinky, but it never flamed up so that was good. Here is where I throw in puns about heartburn and Totalie's new Hearts On Fire collection of jewelry. We still aren't sure why that happened. Luckily it didn't happen when she was wearing it.

We had some lights to put into the heart so it would still glow but it wasn't nearly as neat. We have to make last minute decisions like that a lot. For instance, my third monster needed to be redone after the 5pm rehearsal because it just wasn't working. I feel like I could have gotten it to work but I wasn't able to try it on the actors before that day. This piece involved two actors joined on the top of their body to form a monster. I wasn't going for conjoined twins I was just going for a wide monster. The headpiece and facemask needed more work and I just couldn't allow the actors on the stage in it because it wasn't safe. They were trying so hard but they couldn't see. I had two left over masks that I had made and I decided to use that instead and go for the two headed Trulie and Totalie monster. It's a cute concept that I want to expand on when I actually have some real time to put the costume together. Not bad for last minute though. The actors were good sports about it. (photos by Mr. Berry of mrberryphoto.com for DRAUMA)

It was a long night and by the time everyone was up on the steps waiting to go on, I think we had repaired four things that ripped. It's very crowded in the space we have to get ready and paper doesn't take stress sometimes. I am thankful for tape and all who had to use it to repair my stuff. I took my time on these things to make them sturdy. They were carted back and forth several times and lasted longer than they would have in the past but by the time it got to the show, some of the items had simply had enough. The backstage steps took their toll on most of the costumes. But we got some great photos from Mr. Berry!



I had a great cast and crew and the Rendezvous/Evolved folks running the event are fantastic!

Burlypicks Ohio Regional Competition was the following Saturday. We arrived early at the A&R Music Bar and set up. I had been nervous for days about this show. Competitions are so rough. You have to have some thick skin to get through them and keep going even if you lose. (Especially if you lose) They are like auditions. I've been to MANY and when they say an actor's life is 99% rejection they are not kidding. It's extra hard too, because no one wants to be friendly at auditions. Everyone eyes everyone else as "the enemy"  (this was not the case at Burlypicks everyone was friendly and supportive of each other, and that is how it should be! It's hard enough and we're all in this together!)

  I met a lot of new performers which is always fun. I watched all of the performances I could, and there are many amazingly talented and creative performers in Ohio. I still consider myself a rookie who has a ton to learn, so I was completely stunned when I took 1st place.

Dimples Diamond and Me, Trulie Scrumptious! Photo by Fever Blister

Ohio Burlypicks Regional Competition 2016 A&R Music Bar
 It was an incredible feeling that I have never gotten to experience before and I am going to treasure that moment for as long as I have a memory bank.  I still can't believe I have a medal on it that says "WINNER!" and I didn't buy it for myself as a gag! (I actually won it!!)

Burlypicks Finals are in Pittsburgh September 10th at the Rex Theater! Burlypicks FInals 2016

One and Done.

Yesterday was day one of the archival project with Taryn Lindsey Photography (Columbus Pin Up Studios). It took two hours to record 6 numbers with only one re-do.   I think it went pretty well, and some of the images I got to preview looked amazing so I am excited. I have 9 more to go. It's not everything but it's a good sampler of my work. If I were to do every number I ever made I would be there a week.

I did struggle after the shoot though. I haven't been happy with my performances lately and I can't figure out why I am not.  When discussing my struggle with Totalie, it was re-discovered that my original plan for Trulie was a "one and done" kind of feel. I still spend countless hours making paper dresses only to destroy them, but I was churning out a new number every show, and only doing one number per show when I first started. The idea was once I did a number I wouldn't do it again.

This became an issue when I started to get more gigs. Working full time made it very difficult to perform more than once every two weeks under these rules of mine, and producers always wanted two numbers from each performer. I let that inform my direction, and began to make numbers that used regular clothes (travels better, doesn't require build time after the initial pull) and I started to repeat numbers. (I got really fast at making certain dresses.)

I think that has lead me here to this place of me being unsatisfied. I do love these numbers, but nothing seems to compare to the feeling I have after walking offstage having performed a number for the first time. I was surprised when I realized just how much I had let others inform my direction. It's not a negative thing, I am happy to work with people, I just lost sight and that must be why I am unhappy.

I think I need to find that path again and see if I can get that feeling back.

Twitch Time

Totalie has been telling me I should have a Twitch stream for some time now, and I fought him on it until yesterday.  I decided being more open with my process would help me to grow, and of course fear is something that is worth conquering. You can find his channel here: Veetorp

We started by programming the raspberry pi for the show we have on Saturday at Ruby Tuesday Live because it was pi day so why not! We use the pi for sound and video because most of the time, we are a two person crew. It's very nice to have it for conventions and festivals.

If we are going to continue streaming...he's gonna have to clean his room....

After we went through that, Crys Darling of Label Yourself came over and she and I discussed DRAUMA. Since this year isn't a competition, and every designer has been assigned their own album, we felt more comfortable showing pieces of the looks we are creating. We wanted to show a bit of what it is like to work side by side as two designers with strong ideas (and how to work together to solve issues created by that fact ^_^ ) This episode (do they call them episodes?! I'm gonna have to learn terminology here) was more of a discussion but next time I will show more of the process. I think I will make her skirt on the stream since we talked about it.

Tomorrow Totalie and I will be making sandwiches on a new app I heard about called Nom. We started season one of The Trulie Awesome Online Show last year by making sandwiches and interviewing people, and I didn't want to continue that into season two (we have different plans for season two) but I still like sandwiches, so this app may be what I need for it.

 It's live cooking shows. I just thought it would be neat to try but I can not seem to get their tech support to respond to my email asking why "The Trulie Awesome Show" is reserved. At this point, even if we broadcast, we may not be searchable. Right now I am on there as @TrulieScrumptious but again, if you try nom.com/truliescrumptious is wont take you anywhere. I can continue the sandwich interviews recorded and edited on YouTube, but live is a bit more of what I am looking for. 

UPDATE

They let me back in! Thank you to everyone who supported me! No more gardening and reading for me! :D

The Day Facebook Set Me Free

Wednesday 2/17 ended with me trying to log into my Trulie Scrumptious Facebook account, only to find I had been reported for my name. I had a feeling that would happen someday, but I couldn't have been prepared for the week of heartache and struggle that followed.

I do not have a government issued ID with my stage name on it but I do have some items from the past four years that I thought would help verify I am Trulie Scrumptious. I sent the items and Facebook responded they couldn't verify my account. I sent more items. They said they couldn't verify my account. So I decided to try and beg because I am classy:

This is very disheartening. I do not have any other forms of ID to share to try and unlock my account. I provided a picture ID although I don't have my pink wig on. I provided mail I've received and I sent something with my birthdate on it too. I don't know what else to provide. I have been in agony over this since it happened. 

I have been on Facebook for four years with no issues. People in Columbus, Ohio know me as Trulie. They call me Trulie everywhere I go. It is my authentic name. It is my professional name. I have not only just  lost four years of my work, I have lost four years of something that brought me happiness and made my sad and tragic existence easier to go through. Being actively connected to my artistic community of friends and co-workers gave me something to look forward to and I have cultivated my presence online and now, I'm just GONE. Every picture, every professional contact, every video I ever made and posted, all of my cast lists and rehearsal schedules-all of it. GONE.

 I am an artist. I have my name, Trulie Scrumptious, on Top Ten Best Local Artists lists (2013 and 2015) My bio on my website at TrulieAwesomeShow.com calls me Trulie. No one calls me by the name my mother gave me. Not even my own husband. 

 

I have never used Trulie Scrumptious to harass or bully anyone. I never post anything offensive. I am respectful and harm none. I am not hiding behind this name I am stronger and happier as Trulie. Having four years of my life and happiness just disappear in an instant has been very jarring and honestly effected me in a way I never expected. The amount of sadness and confusion I've felt over this, to me, just shows how important it is that I am able to be my authentic self which is Trulie Scrumptious. 

I am begging you to PLEASE give me back my account. I am Trulie Scrumptious and for the last four years everyone in Columbus has called me Trulie. 

 

I really enjoyed using Facebook and being a part of that community. Having this taken away from me has been very harsh. Please reconsider. 

Yours,

 Trulie 

 They replied that they couldn't comfirm I was the owner of the account. I responded:

What do you mean you can't confirm I'm the owner of the account? I have the log in info, I am emailing you from the email account I used to set it up four years ago, and I'm desperately trying to get it back because you've alienated me from my entire community. This is my account and I believe I am being unfairly targeted. I don't have a government issued ID with the name I use on it. I've already submitted the forms of ID that Facebook says they accept and they responded that they weren't able to verify it.

If this is so important why don't we have to show our drivers licenses when we set up these free accounts and avoid this heartache altogether?

Is there anyone I can talk to about this?




They replied that I needed to send ID to verify. So I resent it:

Okay well this is what I sent before and what I have. I do not have my pink wig on in these photos as I do in my photos on my profile.  I am an artist/performer in Columbus Ohio with a business called The Trulie Awesome Show.  I have worked with The Columbus Museum of Art and the public has voted me onto Best of Lists in Columbus as Trulie Scrumptious because that is my name. I do business as Trulie Scrumptious and everyone knows me and refers to me as Trulie Scrumptious. PLEASE I really don't understand what I've done wrong to have my account deactivated. I am desperate to get it back. I appreciate you taking the time to look into this, and understand my situation.

They responded they couldn't verify what I had sent, and I was welcome to use my legal name and add a nickname so I was searchable by both my legal name and my pretend name. I decided to touch on a current issue they had altered their policy over:

But that's just it. I don't want to be searchable by my legal name. This is no different than when a Drag Queen or King uses their stage name.  I don't see why the Drag community is allowed to use their stage names and I am not. It seems like a double standard.  I'm not "pretending" to be anyone. That's the name people know me by. If I was doing this for bad purposes: 1) I would have already created another free account and 2) I wouldn't have been able to go on for four years on Facebook without anyone reporting me.

I've spent four years making this profile what I needed it to be and never harmed anyone. If you Google Trulie Scrumptious Columbus Ohio you will find me. If you look all over Facebook you will see where everyone refers to me as Trulie. Why is it okay for Drag Queens and Kings to use their stage names and not performance artists?
And they responded that they could not verify my identity or that I was the owner of the account.
Last ditch effort I asked my lawyer if there was anything that could be done, and he said "their company their rules" which I already knew.

All of this email correspondence happened over the course of seven days and I have to say, the Facebook team was responsive and I understand they are just doing their job. The other thing that happened over the course of seven days is I found myself wondering why I even wanted it back at all. I would go to check Facebook on my phone and then go-oh wait-and then go do something else. Like in the real world! I got my garden cleaned up and  I've even started reading books again! I feel happier not checking in every twenty minutes and seeing all the negative posts and political memes. I feel less like I'm chained to my phone. Any time I want to check Facebook I look up at the sky and breath in some real life. It's been wonderfully freeing and I've been exploring other social media as well which has been fun.

At first I thought this was a low blow and that it was going to make things harder for me, but I realized how much Facebook was taking up my life and I don't want to live my life with my eyes glued to an app that uses my information to make billions of dollars. So I suppose I should thank the person who reported me, and Facebook's name policy, for freeing me!

I would still like it back but the battle is over and sometimes you just count your losses and move on. So long Facebook! It was a good run but now it's done and now it's time to have some fun.

                                                  (Uh...you're welcome Facebook?)

Sugary Refinement

This Saturday, The Trulie Awesome Show is performing our monthly show at Ruby Tuesday Live! on Summit for The Ooh La Las Varietease Show. This time around, we have had a director for our rehearsals, and it has made a world of difference.

Ollie, (Ollie Oxenfree) is our new director/tech person, and I am so glad he's back in my life and we are working together! We worked together at Shadowbox here in town, and he's a natural for comedy. After he saw some of the Trulie Awesome Shows, he could tell I was frustrated with trying to direct, act, be prop master, and all of the above. I was thrilled when he offered to direct, because you really want to work with someone you trust. Who sees your vision too, and doesn't turn your work into something it wasn't meant to be. As a result Maulie, Totalie, and I feel more confident and I feel the show is smoother and more refined overall.

It's always good to have someone else look at your work. You are not the audience so you can not possibly know how you are coming across. Things that may seem clear to you may be confusing to them. You also have to be open to criticism and change or you will never get any better.  I have found that working with someone you trust is one of the most valuable tools a performer can have.