The Chewy McNovember Monthly
Eating Nerds Gummy Clusters and doing many different things, some involving construction paper.
WHAT I PUT FORTH INTO THE WORLD IN NOVEMBER:
bonked (new stop motion!)
a live sketch show with Kim
the worst corporate improv gig I’ve ever done, which I won’t dwell on; in fact, I won’t even mention it again except maybe by including a photo and a short caption
In and among doing shows in basements and seeing shows in theaters and working on my couch with a heating pad on my neck, this month I went to Nashville, Portland and Seattle. In keeping with tradition, I swam in a frigid lake. It was the day after the election and I wanted to remain cozy in my coat and sweatpants in the grey gloom, but past versions of Claire pushed me forward, pulled down my pants, stuffed my socks neatly into my sneakers, and prodded me into the icy lake. As we waded into the water, my friend Lara said “I am not letting the soft animal of my body want what it wants right now” and I laughed and laughed. Then we dropped into the water and I made a sound not unlike a common loon.
BONKED
The origin of The Frightening Reality of Being Bonked on the Nose is this— a notebook page from November 2nd, 2022. Just about exactly two years ago.
I don’t remember how much of an idea I had back then (was I already picturing stop-motion?) but I know that this title and art convey the tone to me. The DNA of the video is right there. And it stuck with me.
Bonked became one of those “this will be a quick thing to dash off when I have some time” things. And so it got shuffled onto my Sabbatical Projects List and prioritized for being quick. But of course, it ended up involving very little “dashing off” and very many “meticulous steps.”
First, I scripted it out in a Google doc, fiddled with it for a couple days, closed the tab, opened it again a few weeks later, tweaked something, changed it back, closed the tab, and then repeated that cycle three more times.
Eventually, I storyboarded it.
I cut up the paper pieces, funneling the fiddliest bits into an envelope.
I set up the shoot with a minimalist and elegant mindset:
Then I ever so slightly moved tiny bits of paper around for a couple hours and became so excited afterward that I couldn’t fall asleep.
I edited it together and noted what I was missing. Then a week later I set everything back up to get the title sequence and the “inside the brain” bit.
Once my cough had subsided enough, I re-did the voiceover and sent the video to my talented friend Elise Wattman, who added the music and sound effects. We passed it back and forth and then voila!
I like to write out the process partly because I’ve been thinking this month about how endurance with an idea, continuing to work on something, is part of what “talent” is. It is a dimension of talent. And it’s one of the only parts that you can achieve with sheer force. You can’t force yourself to be funny or have a fantastic idea or write brilliantly. But you can force yourself to keep working on a project, pushing it ahead one email, one paper crafting session, one hour of editing at a time.
HOUSE COMMISSION VIDEO
Speaking of endurance, this month I also put together a montage of all my commissions from the past year.
I opened up commissions a year ago and I got a deluge of houses to draw. I learned as I went and I slowly worked out a system. My materials changed, my houses improved.
Things I use now that I didn’t have when I started: a color-coded spreadsheet, a separate email account, backing boards, stiff envelopes, plastic sleeves, a light pad, a tabletop drafting board, a set of 48 Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors, a small plastic palette, and most importantly: a mental framework. I’ve standardized a lot— size, material and pricing— so each commission is less mentally taxing now. I know what I’m doing! And it remains super satisfying and fun work. Yahoo!
If you’d like to order one, you can fill out this inquiry form.
CLAIRE + KIM
Thank you to anyone and everyone who came out to our show on November 23rd! It was fantastic. We were really nervous because it was completely new material and we were very roughly off-book, but when the time came, it felt like soaring. Kim is just so funny. Also, last week she was on an episode of What We Do In the Shadows. C’mon! She’s incredible and she makes me a better performer, which everyone agrees is the most important thing of all.
We have one more show! December 14th (tickets here). We’re going to do mostly the same thing, with some revisions and swaps and cuts and changes. Send your friends.
SKETCHBOOK SCANS
I did a bunch of drawing over the course of the month, mindlessly on airplanes and while talking to friends. Outside Seattle, I bought a colored pencil where a bunch of colors are jammed into the tip and I loved messing around with it.
IN CONCLUSION
If you recall from last month’s newsletter, in November I was attempting to consume no content (Tune Out November). Well, I completely skidded off during the election, scrolling constantly. And in the last week or so I’ve posted some videos, which has made it too tempting to click through to read comments and see the likes pouring— or dribbling—in. And once I’m there, I’m scrolling, sweetheart. But! I hit a good stride in the middle of the month. I had some really satisfying, quiet, focused weeks before I slipped back into the TikTok abyss. That’s okay. Push, pull, push, pull, nine minutes on, nine minutes off, etc.
Some benefits: I read five books. I saw two movies in theaters (Conclave + Wicked), while eating Nerds Gummy Clusters (rainbow + frosty). And I had more clarity about how I was feeling day-to-day. When I was nervous for the Claire & Kim show, that clarity felt painful. I couldn’t escape into watching a Youtube video of a woman trying cafés in Seoul. But it was rewarding and I’m trying to lean that direction more and more.
Goodbye and see you next week and love,
Claire
Would love to see a photo of the timelapse set-up to capture the stop-motion set up. Haha very meta! Loved getting a sneak peek into it. And loved the tie back to the 9 minutes on, 9 minutes off corporate gig from hell at the end. Isn't that all life really is? Brilliant and lovely to read as always - Em
What I search for on Yelp: "downtown Chicago restaurant that makes you feel like you’re in a restaurant in downtown Chicago"