I’m in the second week of “can’t afford group classes or practice time” month and doing my best to stay busy so I don’t get hit with some major withdrawal symptoms. I’m usually at the studio three or four nights during the week for class and practice! So having only one night on the books kinda sucks. I’m anticipating July to be the same deal, not even sure I’ll manage the one class a week. We’ll cross that lousy bridge when we come to it. All for Florida and Ohio, that’s what I remind myself. So what does the Girl do when she can’t get her dance fix? I’ve come up with a list.
Tag: competition
Cutting Back to Move Forward or Why I Love Group Class
Can you believe it’s June already? The year is almost halfway over! A new month always means one thing: new bills to pay. After paying rent, a utility bill, and a credit card bill all at once, I thought I better take another look at my projected budget for the next few months. I have two budgets: a general one of income and expenses, so I know I’m living within my means, and a projected one, so I can see more precisely where I’ll be financially at certain times in the next few months, like when rent is due or when I need to write a check for comp entry fees. I can also better time bill paying with paychecks. It’s all very carefully planned so I can continue following these crazy ballroom dreams of mine.
The Common Cold: The Most Inconsiderate of Species
I’m sure you can guess by the title that I recently caught a cold. Because of this pesky virus, I missed a day of work and, more importantly, this week’s dance lesson. Curse you, microorganism! Don’t you know I have dancing to do?
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Psst! I Launched My Patreon Page…
I considered staying quiet about this, but I knew that was silly and what was the point of launching a fundraising page if no one knew about it.
Check it out: Support the Girl
The idea of Patreon.com is old school – be a patron of the arts. Support your favorite artist and their creations. Instead of a one-time contribution to support a specific project, patrons make ongoing monetary pledges. The creators (that’s me in this case) do what they do best – create! They share their creations and special rewards with their patrons. I thought “I have something to share with the world, let’s give this a try!”
Nothing is changing with thegirlwiththetreetattoo.com. Everything stays the same, free for all. But if I’m going to continue on this journey in the directions I want to go (advance in smooth, start competing in rhythm, write a book!), I’m going to need some help. I’m working on expanding my services and am always reevaluating my budget to see where I can cut costs. Patreon.com is one more avenue I’m exploring to help fund this adventure.
So there you have it. I’m no good at asking for this kind of help, so I’ll let my Patreon page speak for itself. Please spread the word and keep working toward your own dreams!
P.S. – Stay tuned for a post about working up the nerve to dare to ask the world to part with their hard-earned money to support my journey. Oh boy, the demons are having a field day! But screw ’em, I managed to launch the site anyway!
*Something About Silver*
Side note: I love coming up with just the right title for my articles. But sometimes I draw a blank. So I resort to the “insert clever title here” style. Hence, the title of this post. Can you guess what I’m writing about today?
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The Slow Descent – Dealing With Post-Comp Blues
Coming back to reality after being immersed in a fantasy world kinda sucks. I spent hours in a ballroom filled with bright colors and bling and beautiful dancing. I barely recognized myself, all made up and covered in sparkly things. But when it was all over, I had to drive home and spend almost an hour deconstructing the fantasy, one bobby pin and glitter-glued strand of hair at a time. Coming back to reality sucks.
Emerald Ball 2015 – 47 Bobby Pins Later
I did it! I completed the next dance goal on my list: Emerald Ball! If you’re following me on Instagram, you already know how it went. For those of you that aren’t, I placed first in nine of my single dances, second in the other three, and first in scholarship! Rock on! And even more awesome: I enjoyed myself! Imagine that!
Countdown to Emerald – 2 Days: Fighting for the Dreams of a Servant Girl
Emerald Ball’s countdown clock has less than 1 day, but since I’m not dancing until the second day of the comp, I’m giving my countdown an extra day. I took a prescribed break from ballroom over the weekend. Teacher says I’m ready, and I feel ready more or less. But with the few comps I’ve done, there has always been a time right before the big day when the sheer cost of everything hits me hard and I once again question what I’m doing. For this comp, that time came this past Saturday night.
Countdown to Emerald – 5 Days: Mental Smackdown
Today’s episode of Mental Smackdown is brought to you by the demons in my head. Rated R for generous use of crude language. Do not look for inspiration here. It’s all about the self-pity. Continue reading
Countdown to Emerald – 10 Days: Team Match and a Pardon
Today was a good day. My studio hosted a team match, and due to some good fortune and strict budgeting, I could afford 12 entries. And my anxiety had apparently taken the day off! A few butterflies showed up after the dancing first started, but that was it. I attribute it to the events of the previous day. I had a lesson scheduled and then I was to go to the spray tanning salon to do a test run in preparation for Emerald. I was in an awful mood all day.
The Girl with the Tree Tattoo 