I was really excited to have it at first. I even used it in performances at the local library and a day care. But an impressive presentation with the magic drawing board required at least the ability to draw. You needed to be able to create characters that looked believable. As an artist I'm well below average so I didnt' feel very good about the level of the presentation. So I stopped using it.
But with the change in my work schedule a couple of months ago came the decision that it's time, once again, to start breathing some life back into my ventriloquist ministry. I made some organizational and logistical changes. I started performing at church again, as well as some volunteer performances at some local nursing homes.
While I was excited about adding a lion puppet to my company of partners. I also realized that there are some puppets that were already part of my troupe, that I'd not used effectively. The Magic Drawing Board is one of them. I decided that it was time to literally go "back to the drawing board".
Of course I couldn't deny the fact that I still couldn't draw free hand the way I wanted. So I decided to take another path I turned to the Internet. I logged onto You Tube and found videos of ventriloquists using the Magic Drawing Board and watched them.
The jokes and ventriloquism may not have been the best but the faces they drew gave me a very good reference point for starting again.
Below you'll see my version of "The Governator". I plan on using him to do some jokes using my best "Arnold" voice. With the real life version's recent and very public "fall from grace" there's more than enough material to draw (no pun intended) from.
I have other faces I'm working on learning to draw as well. While I admit I am initially getting the look of these characters from someone else my lack of talent makes them different. If nothing else they don't have the sharpness and clarity a skilled artist can bring to the table (or is that the board?).
I'm very optimistic that after a few years of not knowing what to do with this very effective ventriloquist prop I have finally come up with a way to make it an impressive and funny part of my act and ministry.
I've decided that I need to my own agent. I need to continuously look for events and venues where I can perform. I must also convince the people in charge of them that my act is just what they need. I vow to look for any and all performance opportunities. That's the only way I'm going to stay sharp and improve as a "vent".
As I alluded to earlier I'm currently in a period of growth and expansion with my ventriloquism. The introduction of the character of Awesome Archibald Jones (see July 17 post ), and the improvement in the quality of characters on the Magic Drawing Board are among the first steps. I've also invested in a small portable PA system to use in small venues and for "walk around" performances.
I'm also planning the "on stage" debut of my new lion puppet and additional outreach to local churches, daycare centers and nursing homes in the fall. My passion for ventriloquism has been rekindled. I'm excited and anxious to see where things go from here.
I'll do my best to keep you up to date.
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