I have been doing so many things this week. My housemate invited me to go climbing at the bouldering gym she works at, today I biked 15 miles because I was too cheap to take the bus, and I've scheduled a private dance lesson for this coming Saturday which I am completely stoked about! The only sad news about this week is that Divaville is coming to a close. Christa, the DJ, had asked fans to send in voice memos about anything related to Divaville and said she'd play some of her favorites on the show. Naturally, being the heartbroken young lady I am, I sent her a quick message that I loved the weird looks I got tapping in public when I was listening to the show on my phone. She sent me a lovely email back thanking me for the message, and then said that she'd definitely be using it in the show this week!

You must, must, MUST tune into the final episode of Divaville, it's such a wonderful show and a darn shame that it's not going to be on anymore! It'll be on KMHD this Wednesday from 7-9pm PST. I'm considering skipping my dance class to listen to it and cry. I'll miss it so much!

As I was biking to my friend's house across town this afternoon, I stopped into a coffee shop for a spot of iced tea so I could slow my heart rate down. I mused in my journal that I was excited to be out and about on such a beautiful day, and that even though the ride would be difficult, it wouldn't be impossible.

I've had this journal for a year and a half, which has to be a new record for me. I decided to skip back a few pages and see what I was doing this time last year. I came across an entry that I consider to be the most private one in my entire journal: 50 fun facts.

Something relatively simple shouldn't be seem personal, right? I had a teacher in college who was a really interesting lady named Ann. My roommates had her as well. In their class, she had them write 50 things about themselves, and then went around the room having everyone share their lists. She didn't have us do it, and I was kind of bummed.

Here was the blurb I wrote before my list of 50 things:

I was thinking about Ann today. She corrupted my thoughts such that I shouted her name instead of an obscenity at a driver in front of me on the way to work. Her innate ability to turn even the most benign thing insufferably awkward will always astound and delight me. So future Mac, this one's for Ann.

Here's a video of Ann doing a reading at an SVA event, for context.

Your idea book prompt is to write 50 facts about yourself.

I'm going to share with you the first fact on my list, because I think it's important when going forward:

1. It'll be really hard not to make these glib, or tongue in cheek.

Basically the hope for this prompt is not that you'll list simple things about your life. (Though, if that's what you feel most comfortable doing, don't let me stand in your way!) Dig really deep and think about some really important truths in your life that maybe you haven't been able to express out loud, or concisely talk about before.

I'll share some of mine to help you see what I consider some of my more personal facts.

7. What frustrates me most about my artistic process is the notion of accuracy. I hate feeling that I've expressed myself inaccurately, or that I've failed to properly capture what I've been thinking.
9. It irritates me when people say they have me "figured out".
20. Sometimes I think I have OCD, but I'm pretty sure I just have compulsions caused by anxiety.
36. Artistic or otherwise inaccurate representations of penises make me laugh, but actual penises gross me out.
50. Because most of these were written in one day, I'm not sure how accurate they are. I'm really emotionally inconsistent sometimes.

See if you can find it within yourself to articulate things you notice about the world, or hopes about how the world notices you.

It may be emotionally draining, but I guarantee it will be totally worth it.

Happy introspecting~!

-Mac

Idea book: 50 Fun Facts.