Monty Python's Flying Circus(1970)

creepy stuff from the history vault

Story line: Flirting with magic at the verge of reality Protagonist: Nomad burlesque fortune teller and the unseen magus of heart illusions (P.S. we’ve locked away the psychedelic clown) Props and other disasters: the crystal globe, the fearless lion and the caffeine-overdosed-way-too-talkative French mime Dress code: Rococo reloaded, Terry Gilliam-inspired hobo extravaganza Soundtrack: Can’t get […]

Wat moeten we zeggen over de meest geslaagde komische show uit de televisiegeschiedenis? John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam en Graham Chapman haalden de regels van humor en van sketches overhoop, en ook dat overhoop halen werd weer onderdeel van hun grappen: And now for something completely different. Verscheidene sketches zijn […]

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While most kids watched all the latest Saturday morning cartoons, I watched my dad's archives of Monty Python's Flying Circus. The comedy sketch show appeared on BBC from the late-sixties to early-seventies featuring the legendary Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, and Terry Gilliam. The six of them produced what to many, changed the face of comedy. Besides the sketches which you really need to watch to appreciate, some of my favorite parts of the show were the visual animation breaks that were solely on the shoulders of Terry Gilliam, early comic strip artist and the only American in the British surreal comedy group. Gilliam's style is unique and his crude, hilarious, animations gave the show a balance of brilliant sketch comedy and artistic stimulus to the viewers of Flying Circus. His conception has moved on since the disbandment of Monty Python after Flying Circus in the early to mid seventies and their last film, The Meaning of Life in 1983. As a film director, Gilliam has a very obscure, visual conception in his work. His latest film was The Imagniarium of Doctor Parnassus in 2009. Monty Python is a not only and inspiration to me, but a comfort. It's utter silliness gives me laughter and creativity when ideas are limited.

As Chronically Vintage heads into its third year of life, one might wonder if I was running low on things to talk about, images to share, or blogging stamina (especially after last year’s Vintage 365 project). Thankfully, I’m happy to report, nothing could be further from the truth! In fact, as 2011 wound down, I found myself with a powerfully renewed surge of blogging energy, while at the same time I suddenly couldn't cram enough vintage related activities (from clothes shopping to scouring the web for fresh-to-me yesteryear photos) into the day (ok, that's scarcely anything new - but it's always fantastic when you experience an intense burst of passion for a longstanding area of interest). That said however, we all know what it's like to run into blogging slumps or periods when inspiration seems like it's harder to find than a palm tree in the arctic. I've been there before myself and know that chances are I'll face such periods again, but luckily I've learned some techniques over the years to help forge a path through the thicket of writer's block, lack of inspiration, or distraction caused by other areas of your life that nearly all bloggers encounter from time-to-time. Last November I shared five tips for daily blogging with you, as I knew some of my readers were interested in running their own year-long daily blogging projects, too. All of those suggestions ring true for bloggers everywhere, no matter how frequently you post, so in addition to today's tips, be sure to give that post a read, if you haven't already. 7 ways to keep your blogging mojo going strong in 2012 1.) Look beyond your own life for topics to write about (and vice versa). If you generally write about events that transpire in your own life (for example, if most of your entries are about the fantastic vintage outfits you enjoy wearing), consider devoting a chunk of your posts to other topics that relate to your blog but which do not put yourself into the story as much (such as articles on the history of various topics that related to your site). By the same token, if you're prone to just writing factual, informative pieces, consider shaking things up by injecting more of your own daily life into your blog posts. Chances are your readers will appreciate a change of pace, no matter which of the two camps you usually fall into. 2.) Start, or renew interest in, a new hobby, project, class or other ongoing activity. Look for areas related to the subject(s) you blog about that you could increase your knowledge in or create projects related to. For example, several vintage bloggers who are also sewers, knitters or crafters have written tutorial posts (and/or ongoing series of posts) on projects that bring together their love of the past, as well as their passion for being creative. Ask yourself if there's a skill or interest you could be sharing with your readers that you aren't already. It could be cooking (post your favourite recipes), photography (take snaps that pertain to the genre of your blog), crafting, gardening, travelling - even shopping - just so long as it's something you feel confident teaching others about. 3.) Draw inspiration from other bloggers' posts. While you likely wouldn't want to copy someone's else's post to the letter, if you read a blog post or other online article that really speaks to you, create your own post on that same topic (perhaps referencing back to the original piece that sparked you to write your post), giving it your own personalized spin. 4.) Create a multi-part series of posts on a particular topic. Just as TV shows sometimes wrap up an episode by promising to continue it in the next episode, so too can you create a series of ongoing posts about a topic (for example, shoes of the 1940s, or ten of your all-time favourite vintage cake recipes) that you know you can write scores about and which is likely to have your audience eager to read the next instalment. The length of the series is up to you, but anywhere from three to ten posts (either spread out of over time or posted in succession) is generally a good number of entries to include in an ongoing series. 5.) Write about what you love. As you sit down to write each new blog post, don't hesitate to remind yourself that you are indeed writing for your blog, not a newspaper, a magazine, or a multi-author website. This is your ongoing project, your passion, and your gift of yourself to the blogging world. If everyone and their dog is writing about some of-the-moment subject, don't feel you need to do so as well just to "fit in". Cover topics that excite you and which you are genuinely interested in. If you do, your passion with generally shine through in your writing and really help your readers feel like they're connecting with you and what you're telling them. 6.) Take a short break from blogging every now and then. Even the best of us get knackered out, become super busy, don't feel up to snuff, or otherwise just need a breather occasionally. Instead of running yourself ragged or falling into a lengthy period of writer's block (which might even lead you to give up on you blog entirely). Step back (if only figuratively speaking) from the computer for a week or two, and give yourself permission to relax and not think about your site for a while as your blogging batteries recharge. 7.) Make note of things that interest and inspire you. Whether online or off, keep a running list of things pertaining to the topics you blog about that have fascinated, mystified, captured, intrigued, or otherwise grabbed your attention. I started a list like this back when I launched Chronically Vintage in 2009 and have added to, and worked off of, it dozens upon dozens of times. Having a list like this can really go a long way towards helping to ensure you never run into feeling like you're exhausted everything you can (in the moment) think of to write about. {While blogging can sometimes feel as precarious as swinging through the air on a trapeze (like this athletic 1940s gal), most of the time it truly doesn't need to. Remember to enjoy the process, pace yourself, and cover a diverse range of subjects pertaining to the overall theme of your site. Vintage image via carbonated on Flickr.} As you go about writing blog posts this year, always try remember to have fun and to enrich your life through the content you opt to share with others. Chances are your blog is not your livelihood, it doesn't have to (and shouldn't!) be a source of significant stress for you. Keep in mind that your site is something you made the conscious effort to start and devote a part of your life to on a frequent basis because you wanted to share your interest in a particular subject with the world. As we motor along through January with our gaze set on the what lies ahead this year, I hope that you'll find the tips in today's post helpful in ensuring you have the strength, time, passion, and inspiration to blog confidently and happily all through 2012 - and well beyond. Here's to a fabulous year of blogging, dear friends!!!

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Monty Python's Argument Bot: In need of a good argument? Try the argument bot! A robot based on Monty Python's Flying Circus argument sketch. We're sure it will revolutionize the argument industry!

My reverie...

Today: Fish supper for an otter, fire tornadoes and slingshot Santa