The American President – (Movie)

The Hero’s Journey Podcast‘s next effort will be The American President. I’ll watch it and make notes here, hopefully *before* they do the podcast. Watch this space.

This is the guide I use while watching:

Wednesday, 28 February, 2018

I’ve seen the movie and I’ve made some notes. I’m a bit sloppy as I did not like the movie that much.

Ordinary World

Day to day in th Presidents world – his life. His colleagues. The lobbyists. His daughter, dutiful dad.

Then there is a bit of a build up to election stuff – but that is ordiary for the President.

There is a call for the president to do the right environmental thing… he sort of refuses.

Then the soppsed “pitbull” comes on the scene Sydney Ellen Wade. The is on for an adventure and a fight for the environment.

But these are not the calls.

The call to Adventure

The call is that they fall in love. Well Pres. Shepherd falls in love and there is no refusal in sight… For a while. He pursues with gusto.. And she accepts his calls – litterally and as a hero. Both have ftiends alleies and enamies.

Love is the special world and they fall over the threshhold despite the threshold guardians each have. Is the dancing the moment they are truly in? Or the kiss?. Earlier really as the first whif of romance is in the air. So much for the pitbull.

Refusals

Then there is his refusal – he opts for the crime bill and not the environment. This cop out is also one where he refuses love. And his refusal here is matched by hers. “You have lost more than me, you have lost my vote.”

Seizing the Sword

But then in a speech to the world he accepts the call – the environment, even if he might not win her back. But she flies back faster than a speeding bullet. the adventure has gone on for a while so this might be more the seising of the sword.

He finally gets her roses and the elixer is true love prevails

And a big nod to liberal values.

Relationships, Romance and who is the protagonist?

I think they are both heroes, or maybe love is the protagonist. The trouble is that he is the main hero… He has all the power, it is a patriachal story. How might this have played out if it was not partiarchal? The relationship being the protagonist and each of them having a hero’s journey fully matched? It would be nice to speculate. Could it even be a romantic commedy then? I hope a much better one.

Are there any such dramas?

Reflecting on this it is clear that there are three elements in any relationship – each of the lovers, and the relationship. Each has a full life, i.e. the dramatic circle of the hero’s journey. Relationships are not 50/50. They are produced many 100% moments. How well can that be portrayed?

This question of how to put a relationship on the stage is a burning question for me!

Austin Kleon & doing art.

I’m a fan. I get his newsletter and calendars.

Look at this beautifully crafted blog post. Inspiring in content and also in form. This would win a blog Oscar if there were one.

https://austinkleon.com/2017/07/13/want-to-be-an-artist-watch-groundhog-day/

Such a simple point. Do a little art everyday. Presented by a thousand art coaches, but here it is fresh and inspiring.

~

Now on a more personal more. I committed to work on my art book 15 minutes a day in January. Managed that for about 28 of the 31.

At day 28 I got tired. But more than that I got stuck. I wish I’d read his post then, but never mind, back on the wagon.

The interesting thing is that the book is about the hero’s journey. If you read Austin’s post you will see that he does not like the word journey for the art process. Making art is not linear.

But then again there is a pattern.

Once you are in that “special world” there is really no turning back and going forward there are just tests and ordeals. Until you get through, till you are on the road back.

No way am I through with my project.  I’m facing tests and ordeals. And here is a page I’ve got of just that.

This is reflexive moment on the journey.  I’m illustrating the trouble I’m in.  Back to groundhog day.

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BTW there are plenty of blog awards.  One blogger of the year features the slogan Eat, Sleep, Blog, Repeat.

 

 

Integrated the Art and Psyche Blogs!

In 2012 I wrote this post:

https://psyberspace.walterlogeman.com/2012/why-do-i-have-two-blogs/

Indeed why do I have these two blogs – the other one http://www.walterlogeman.com/art is about art and art online. My art.

I’m thinking of importing that one into this one – but found it quite hard to do it. It is an identity thing. I’m more a psychodrama person than a Psyberspace person these days. Dropped psychotherapy online. But is it an art blog? I’m wring a book called D R A M A http://www.walterlogeman.com/art/new-art-project/

It is not that I’m importing one blog into another – I’m integrating two identities I have. I think it will be good for me!

Its done!

Some categories to fix, and that is it. ONE

Now what to call the site?

Psyberspace (that can stay) Walter Logeman’s Journal

And the details & history can go in the new About

Later Monday 29 Jan 18

Also found this on the integration theme

https://psyberspace.walterlogeman.com/2014/evernote-killed-my-blog/

Comics

Podcast: Speech Bubbles: Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud

Great. Inspiring. Here is the blurb

Cartoonist and theorist Scott McCloud has been making and thinking about comics for decades. He is the author of Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art. This classic volume explores formal aspects of comics, the historical development of the medium, its fundamental vocabulary, and various ways in which these elements have been used.

Scott McCloud breaks down some of the universals in comics and guides us through some of the comic books that pushed the art form forward. Then we use that lens to look at graphic communication in the world at large.

Speech Bubbles: Understanding Comics with Scott McCloud

Relational paradigm – Bruce and Francine

I think they nail it here:

“Imago shifts the focus from the self to the relationship and posits “relationship” as fundamental reality of which individuals are derivatives. To embody this paradigm shift, partners must shift their focus from their own need gratification to the needs of the relationship. The paradoxical outcome of that counter-intuitive shift is that such a sacrifice will insure the satisfaction of their needs in a way that was not possible when the focus was on the self. When the couple becomes partners rather than opponents in the project of creating and enacting their dream relationship, they create a thriving relationship. This perspective rests on the assumption that human beings are intrinsically relational, that the human problem is relational rupture, that all emotional symptoms are expressions of relational anxiety and that relational repair is the only and sufficient path to human well being.”

Beauvoir, Francine; Crapuchettes, Bruce. Getting Back The Love We Had: Forty-Two Answers To Real Questions From Couples Who Feared They Were Losing Their Way (pp. 4-5). Kindle Edition.