MonoMyth Mind & Body

10/19/2024

Come out and support live comedy.

06/16/2024

Enjoying my seventeenth year of being a father. All my love to and . Best day ever❤️❤️

06/08/2023

03/02/2023

What’s in a character’s name?
Does the name really matter?
Well, in the case of Martin McDonagh’s film “Banshees of Inisherin” the symbolic meaning of one character’s name unlocks the psychological depths of the villain character, Colm’s motivation for turning his back on a friend and cutting off the fingers of his own fiddle hand.

To understand this we have to look at the character archetypes, themes, and storylines of McDonagh’s work as a playwright (especially his plays inspired by Irish Folklore, and playwrights Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Sean O’Casey) as well as John Ford’s 1952 film, “The Quiet Man”.
These all make up a sort of ‘Irish Isle Metaverse’ that McDonagh continually explores or references in all his works.

The name of our protagonist’s sister,
SIOBHAN SUILLEABHAIN
is a word / letter scramble. If the reader decodes the name it spells out BANSHE O’ INISH IN. The two missing letters E and R can be found as the middle letters of Padraic’s birth name and Colm’s surname ‘Doherty’. Although never directly stated, this subliminally tells the audience that Siobhan is the inspiration whom Colm writes his song. His metaphorical ‘banshee’: the signal of his heart’s demise. Siobhan’s brother, Padraic, is the one thing “holding him back” from being with the woman he loves. Hence, Colm’s harshness towards Padraic.

The film’s main storyline is also the antithesis of Ford’s “The Quiet Man”.
In that film, Sean Thornton (John Wayne) and Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara) fall in love only to be challenged by Mary Kate’s inability to let go of her brother’s financial “fortune”.
In “Banshees of Inisherin” Siobhan’s brother Padraic’s mental “misfortune” is what challenges and ultimately kills any chance of a romantic relationship between her and Colm.
So, do character names really matter?
You bet they do.

03/02/2023

What’s in a character’s name?
Does the name really matter?
Well, in the case of Martin McDonagh’s film “Banshees of Inisherin” the symbolic meaning of one character’s name unlocks the psychological depths of the villain character, Colm’s motivation for turning his back on a friend and cutting off the fingers of his own fiddle hand.

To understand this we have to look at the character archetypes, themes, and storylines of McDonagh’s work as a playwright (especially his plays inspired by Irish Folklore, and playwrights Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, Sean O’Casey) as well as John Ford’s 1952 film, “The Quiet Man”.
These all make up a sort of ‘Irish Isle Metaverse’ that McDonagh continually explores or references in all his works.

The name of our protagonist’s sister,
SIOBHAN SUILLEABHAIN
is a word / letter scramble. If the reader decodes the name it spells out BANSHE O’ INISH IN. The two missing letters E and R can be found as the middle letters of Padraic’s birth name and Colm’s surname ‘Doherty’. This is subliminally telling the audience that Siobhan is the inspiration whom Colm writes his song for. His metaphorical ‘banshee’: the signal of his heart’s demise. He has loved her for some time but her brother, Padraic, is the one thing standing in the way (or getting in the middle) of their life together.

The film’s main storyline is also the antithesis of Ford’s “The Quiet Man”.
In that film, Sean Thornton (John Wayne) and Mary Kate Danaher (Maureen O’Hara) fall in love only to be challenged by Mary Kate’s inability to let go of her brother’s “fortune”.
In “Banshees of Inisherin” Siobhan’s brother Padraic’s mental “misfortune” is what challenges and ultimately kills any chance of a romantic relationship between her and Colm.

01/12/2022

The Ordinary World

Before we can begin to navigate our way through our story we must be able to clearly identify where we (our Protagonist) are currently located on the Story Map.

This is Step #1 in our story navigation process.
In a work of fiction this is often confused with “setting”.
Although setting is an external factor, it is only a geographical location.

The Ordinary World is also made up of other factors that are currently putting pressure on the protagonist.

1. Environmental or “External Factors”: (Often out of our control) Location, weather, workplace, culture, friends & family values, others’ opinions of the protagonist.

2. Psychological or “Internal Factors”: (Often within our control) Wants, needs, limiting beliefs, skills, weaknesses, fears, temperament, essential values, how other people’s opinions affect the protagonist.

Example: Harry Potter:
Harry is an 11-year-old orphan who never knew his parents.
He lives at #4 Privet Drive under the dictatorship of his non-magical Aunt, Uncle, and cousin Dudley.
He has a “gift” that he can’t quite understand and lacks any nurturing guidance.
When his buttons are pushed his emotions get the best of him and his “gift” gets him in trouble.
He is tired of being the family whipping boy and believes that he’s entitled to a better life; however, he doesn’t currently know how to achieve that.

Exercise:
Take time this week to locate where you currently are in your story.
Look over the “factors” above for some ideas of where to start but feel free to explore some of these things a little deeper.
Be completely honest with yourself.

My “Call To Create” online program will begin it’s Beta group class on Jan. 31
Please DM or email me at [email protected] for a FREE 60 min exploratory call

01/07/2022

I’m excited to announce my upcoming “CALL TO CREATE” online self-enrichment program starting on Jan. 31.

It will be a 12 week online/interactive course that will dive into the power of stories and how they work in film, television, novels, music, and in our real lives.

The course is built upon a 5 Pillar Foundation:

1. Story Navigation
2. Archetypal Language and Symbols
3. Story Analysis
4. Movement & Breath Work
5. Introduction to Meditation and Guided Visualization

This program will provide students with a set of tools to:
    ⁃    overcome creative blocks and move beyond their fears
    ⁃    organize and maximize the time they have to dedicate to their craft
    ⁃    identify and use Archetypes and Symbols to enrich the cognitive depth of their work
    ⁃    work from higher energy centers to unlock creative potential
    ⁃    develop a movement & mindfulness practice that complements their own unique creative process

If you have any questions or think that this program is something you, or someone you know, might be interested in, please feel free to DM or email me at [email protected]