It's a quiet time for a few weeks, following our New Year's Eve show with Dr Farrago Theatre. We started 2011 doing a show with them, so it seems appropriate that we could close the year out with them. So good to see so many friendly faces: Mia, Chuck, David Walbridge, Johnny Em, and the rest. A breath of fresh air, top-notch talent, and not a diva among them.

The whips will continue to be at the center of my artistic experience off the stage, as much as onstage:

-- new DVD project (ie video version of my book). A few more false starts last year, with the usual frustrations and promising leads turning into dead ends. But at the same time it has given me time to sharpen what I see in my mind's eye, so I still believe it may happen this year.

-- new book project continues to be sketched. There is a need for a book that talks about whips beyond cracking them: history, anecdotes, personal recollections, humor, games, contests, resources, factoids. Something on the subject one can sit and read for the fun of it and that might spark ideas and encourage more original thinking in the field.

-- new jewelry project. Getting off the ground, in discussions with artist right now.

-- new routines. Anything will get boring when you do it over and over again, so Mary and I structure our shows to leave enough room for the unforeseen accidents, unpredictable coincidences and unexpected miracles to occur. We are there in the moment. This means new routines, new stunts and tricks, as well as expanding and sharpening the "Whiporama" full hour bullwhip show concept.

-- new (mumble mumble) project. (Non-disclosure agreement prevents me for elaborating.) More later.

AND there are few other things percolating delightfully right now, just out of the light. It's going to be a rush to throw open the curtains on some of these for the first time!

So there it is. When you stand before a blank canvas, you should boldly dash some color onto it, pierce the silence even if with a single note. As I like to remind folks, Emerson said, "Do the thing and you have the power."

From everything I've seen, he's still right.