Sam Freeman

Storytelling | Theatre | Arts Marketing

Resolutions 2020

It’s that time again, when everyone insists they’re becoming vegan, joining the gym and never drinking again shortly before, two weeks later, walking home from a nightclub, pissed and off your face, clutching a lamb kebab after calling someone at the bar a “gym wanker” because they said you had no will power.

Long-term readers will know that every year I write myself a list of around 10 things I want to achieve over the coming 12 months after discovering how unsuccessfully I achieved the previous year’s list of unlikely hopes and aspirations. My success has varied massively between around 50% success rate (a particularly proactive year) and last year’s epic failure of 0 out of 10 (click here to read).

It’s funny looking back to see the things that have remained consistent and the things that have changed – I’ve pretty consistently since 2014 for example promised to write a new play, something I’ve steadfastly avoided doing – while 2014’s overly optimistic “run a half marathon” wouldn’t even get close to the list some six years later.

Anyway, here’s last year’s evaluation followed by next year’s aspirations – enjoy, and, as always, if you like to help me out with any of them then please just get in touch.

2019’s Resolutions – Resolved.

  1. Write six blog posts – DONE
    I actually did this one – they weren’t all about Arts Marketing, but after all you can have too much of a good thing.
  2. Buy a house – FAIL
    Mitigating circumstances with this one – it was a hard year, with various major family things plus a job merger where I thought I might be made redundant. Also, with brexit and the election houses coming on the market crashed.
  3. Perform at 40 gigs – FAIL
    Not even close. Probably my worst year since I started.
  4. Storytelling show – FAIL
    It’s actually pretty far along being written, but ultimately I didn’t perform it and noon but me has read it.
  5. Visit People – HALF
    I didn’t really if I’m truly honest.. I saw a few people so I could maybe have a half point, but it’s not a success.
  6. Join a Political Party – FAIL
    I voted Labour but politically I’m Green. TBH I was conflicted.
  7. One Free Day Of Free(man) Marketing Consultancy – HALF
    Only a half for this one too. I did some for a group of theatres, but ultimately it was 4 hours and not the 8 I promised. I was going to do more for a company I’m very fond of in York, but life got in the way.
  8. Write a Play – FAIL
    Did I fuck.
  9. Keep Track Of My Hours – DONE
    I did this – as part of my drive to improve my mental health I started tracking my hours. Its made me more sensible. I still eat at odd times and every six weeks I gain a week of TOIL statistically, but it’s a start.
  10. Get Fit – DONE
    I’m fitter than I have been in five years and I have abs. Yeah, you heard it. I started going swimming after getting pneumonia and anxiety and panic attacks and its become a habit. I go three times a week generally and I no longer feel sick going up stairs.

GRAND TOTAL FOR 2019 = 4 out of 10

And now on to the coming year…

2020 Resolutions

  1. Perform a Storytelling Show – I’ve been writing a storytelling show for the last 4 months and, while usually horribly modest, it’s got the potential to be good, maybe very good. It’s called Every Little Thing You Every Noticed (But Didn’t Want To Mention) and is exactly the type of pretentious but quite clever show you’d expect me to make. I need a venue and someone with faith in me to force me to do it.
  2. Comedy Songs x 10 – I used to smash out the comedy songs when I first started. I’ve been trying to pinpoint where I slowed. I suspect it was when my kit stopped being just always set up. Anyway, I fancy writing them again.
  3. Film Shorts – I’d like to make some (x3) short films – the premise is that it’s me writing a story that comes to life, but I voice all the characters and it’s quite self deprecating, probably about love. I like the idea of a man meeting a woman in a coffee shop and even though it’s his story and he’s writing it for his own benefit he still gets rejected.
  4. Edinburgh Fringe – I’d like to go as a punter for a week. I’d like to get pissed, watch shit and very good shows, hang around with mates who are now obscenely talented.
  5. Buy A House – Carried over from last year!
  6. Vienna – I’ve always wanted to go since watching the film Before Sunrise. It’s the old school buildings mixed with a grafitti underworld sort of feel that appeals. Also I’m a massive fan of old European cities – so Seville, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Krakov I loved – reconstructed ones like Berlin I like less..
  7. Gig like it’s 2013 (36 gigs please) – I stopped gigging. It’s a combination of being scared, tired, sad and having anxiety about it. I used to love it, for the friends i made and the people I met. I’d like to again.
  8. Keep Swimming – It has been really good for me. I need to a) keep going and b) learn how to front crawl without near drowning.
  9. Let Rip Occasionally – I’ve gone soft and it pisses me off. I used to let rip at people saying stupid things, or, more likely people who were believing their own myth. I think dropping a few more grenades is needed.
  10. Do something I love – It’s no big secret that I do what I do at work because I can and know how rather than because I love it. It also makes me anxious, sad, stressed and sometimes panic attacks. I also struggle to see the different I make (my team ironically, I’d say make a big difference – I just feel a bit impotent in what I do) and am always worrying about the next thing. I’m not sure there’s a solution other than do something different. So it’s down. The biggie for 2020 – so something I love rather than something I just do. Maybe getting some coaching along the way.

So that’s it – comment below if you’d like – or text me, message me or DM me.


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