Strange day today. Good and bad things happened. I skipped the gym because of back pain this morning. That’s never happened before. Usually I would go and try to work through the pain, which would just prolong it. Maybe I’m getting smarter? I dunno. Anyway, I went to my morning apppointment to discover that the woman I was supposed to meet there had forgotten about it. Fortunately there were people with keys that let me in to do my job so it wasn’t a total waste.

In the afternoon, Laura dropped by and we had some green tea. I was wired on the tea after she left, and it left me feeling very scattered and more than a bit hyper. There was a lot of business paperwork and stuff to be done. I hope I didn’t forget to do anything… 😐 After the caffeine high came the inevitable crash. I felt like toast. All I wanted to do was lie on the couch and sleep it off. I wonder if caffeine is going to affect me like this for the rest of my life?

Anyway, I didn’t have time to lie around. I got to the Staircase Theatre for the advanced improv workshop. This week’s workshop was great. We basically hammered out about two hours of open scenes, with a concentration on relationship. This is comfortable ground for me. I felt very powerful tonight. The only way I can explain it is that I felt like I could do no wrong. Technically in improv, this is always true, but in reality, it doesn’t work like that. So, it was a good feeling. I challenged myself to let most of my characters spew Tarantino-esque dialogue and formed strong bonds with my scene partners. I think the scenes that I did tonight are among my best ever.

After the workshop was a timing rehearsal for next week’s Santa Survivor show. The rehearsal was boring but necessary. The Survivor format is not a favorite among improvisors because it runs contrary to improv thought: we’re supposed to work as a team, supporting each other instead of scheming to vote each other off stage. I feel slightly uncomfortable with the show, but it will be good to be performing again.

We went to a restaurant afterwards and I found myself sitting with friends who were asking each other who was the “best photographer for headshots.” My name didn’t come up. Turns out it’s David Leyes in Toronto. Now I could feel insulted by this. I could even feel hurt. Ok, yeah, I was hurt. These people know me and my what I’m trying to do with my life, but also know that David Leyes has the approval of casting directors in Toronto. Therefore, they’re willing to pay $500 for a David Leyes photo shoot just to get that extra edge. I wasn’t even considered. If I can’t even earn the trust of my friends, then I’m clearly not close to where I need to be. All this means to me is that I have a lot of work to do. It’s not about making great photos. It’s about knowing the right people and making the right connections, just like in any other field. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.