James the Mime

The Environment

I've had profound experiences when I have moved apartments. Now, a psychiatrist could say, change your view of this or that. The problem isn't the apartment, it's in your head. But I'm an animist and I feel most things are outside of

When Rudeness Becomes the Norm

I was recently visiting WeHo, where I may be moving, and was talking briefly to a young hispanic man at Motherlode, just to ask a question, he looked me up and down and in my mid-sentence, simply shook his head and looked back down to continue scrolling on his phone.

My Astrology Reading in my Early 20's

I got an astrology reading in my early twenties and she said something that has stuck with me lo these many years. Looking back, she was actually a very good astrologer and tarot reader, but I think I made her nervous. She kept saying, "we're not like

Fooled by Randomness

I've started re-reading Nassim's classic, Fooled by Randomness. It's a great romp into luck and how the mind fools us into thinking that there are causes, when in fact there are none. The brain is a mysterious creature. I'm convinced that various

Boring

Novel writing, meditation and creating mime skits are all boring. Of the three, mime sketch writing has to be the worst. It's tedious to do, even with a mirror, because what may be clear in your head, isn't what's going on in the body.

After Six

It's been difficult to read my friends' books, writings and plays. Let's face it. There're only so many hours in the day. Plus, I want to catch up on the comic novels of Jane Bowles, read about hypnotists, learn Norse magic , learn about

How to Find Your "Self"

I have no idea if I've written about this in the past. I need to go and review all my writings at some point. I was reading Steven Pressfield as many bloggers and podcasters do. I like his work, but I'm honestly sick of everyone quoting

St. Michael's Lent

I really do believe the Saints call us. Sure we can call on them at anytime, but I heard on a recent podcast that they do call us. How? I'll give an example. My confirmation name is St. Francis. When I was young, I loved animals and I

October 2024

Some people who are dead are very cool in my book. Others not so much. Two individuals, who were horrible people in real life (as we all can be at times) and how they both met with horrible deaths (one had lung cancer and dementia, the other Parkinson's

Thursday July 31, 2025

The days of summer are getting shorter, which means fall is right around the corner. I enjoy fall, but my favorite season is midsummer, so I hate to see the season pass. Although in SoCal, winter isn't a big deal. I've been back to submitting my

Regrets I've had a few

Lemme tell you lil 20-somethings something. I had a chance to be a senior editor in film and TV (eventually) and I turned it down. One of the biggest regrets of my life. But now, I wouldn't change it for the world. I'll explain why. When

It's Not Easy

I was saying to myself the other day, "James," James being my name and all, "it's not easy being a mime." I was noticing several former mimes that I've known over the years, all retiring and moving onto other things. One is

Mimes, Performing Techniques and Ghosts

I've been thinking a lot about bridging the visible world with the invisible. Marcel used to talk about this: that the mime is truly all of the world. He's the water, the animals, the sky. Done right, I believe this is so. I was thinking about

Creative Whims and Thoughts

For creative projects in general, it's wise to find one's own path. I was listening to Brandon Sanderson recently and he writes about eight hours per day. This sounds like a miserable life to me. Now, to be fair he doesn't recommend this to

Spiritual Materialism

I love getting readings ($150), having my astrology charts done ($200), attending spiritual workshops ($1,000+), and joining online groups ($35). Seriously, I feel a sense of connection, community and many have been life changing. However, let's imagine I do one psychic reading a year, one astrology chart

Travel and Food

All right, fans. I was a bit hungover yesterday as I had martinis the night before last. I ended up subbing for junior high the next morning, which was actually fun having drank gin the night before. It put me in good spirits, pun intended (I was not drunk and

November 17, 2024

I've been practicing the Neville Goddard acting as if technique. So, technically I should be writing this blog "as if" I'm already successful. I enjoy acting emotionally, but I've never had luck with Think and Grow Rich, or really any of the

Free Story Friday

Hello: It's truly Friday and so I'm posting a free story. Enjoy! Freda Smokes  Freda had to get a note and she had to do it quick. She was due to smoke her first cigarette in exactly two hours and as part of the smoking experiment

Speedos and Their History

In the documentary about the Buddahfeild cult, Holy Hell, many members were still astonished that the head guy was still, at seventy, wearing speedos. I just need to get this off my chest: speedo-wearing is a way of life. Just look at old footage of Jacques Cousteau. Just saying. It&

NDE's

I'm still not sure how I feel about spirituality. But many people think it's linked to the creative act. It does seem the people who have experienced NDE's at least have first-hand examples of the afterlife. And if they're to be trusted,

Nov 4, 2024

Sometimes, while I'm at the gym or jogging, I will think to do something and then I completely forget. Today, I was going to write something in red marker and put it above my desk as a form of "magic" to manifest something, I think. But

Nov 2, 2024

Well, Halloween is finished and my friend MJ and I had a nice time. I leave for Thailand on the 26th (Dad's Birthday). We read tarot, I-Ching, and her oracle cards. They were, I feel, highly accurate and positive. I also made a nice altar to the ancestors

Oct. 28, 2024

K., a friend of mine in San Diego, turned me onto the free writing classes of Brandon Sanderson on YouTube. I've always liked the name Brandon and used that name for the lead character for my audiobook, which needs editing. I'm thinking of turning it into

Gandalf's Daily Routine

I asked AI what Gandalf's Daily Routine might be for all the aspiring creative wizards out there. I always look at creativity as a form of magic. Here's what it came up with... Here's what I imagine Gandalf's daily routine might look

Carol oh, Carol

I'm re-posting Rea Borubon's wonderful post on the history of the "mop" or "char" lady. Enjoy. Ray Bourbon’s “Mop Lady” and Carol Burnett’s “Charwoman”I’m probably going to get into trouble with some Carol Burnett fans with this post,