Hello to everyone out there in the Do Art Nation!
As we ramp up for what promises to be an amazing year of workshops and events, I have undertaken YET ANOTHER glorious adventure of learning and discovery: UNICYCLING.
If you’ve seen Jerry at one of our workshops or assemblies, you’ll know that his unicycling skills form an integral part of the show. Jerry himself has been unicycling for most of his life, and has trophies from middle school and high school to prove it. It provides a powerful climax to our workshops, as well as inspiring some truly awesome drawings (such as a turtle on a unicycle, a unicycling axolotl, and more!)
Seeing Jerry in action has inspired me to push myself, taking on challenges I never expected to face. A few months ago, Jerry gave me his old unicycle (the one with the red wheel and green seat), and I started to practice. Much like with juggling or dancing, the first few bouts really just consisted of me dipping my feet in the water–get on the unicycle, try to get my balance with one hand against the wall, get comfortable while I tried to move the pedals. With only one wheel, moving the pedals is extra challenging because you have to learn how to coordinate your shifting weight between the left and right pedal, all while maintaining a fragile sense of balance.
After a few weeks of this, I asked Jerry for advice. He told me to just launch myself forward, trying to pedal as many times as I could before I fell off. Just like riding a bike, really–the tricks he pulls with balance, oscillating back and forth, or hopping on the unicycle, would all come later.
So off I went! As Jerry said, the first rotation is the most difficult, because you have no momentum, and because the unicycle is just a bit too short for my legs. Buying a bicycle helmet was a huge help: not only for safety, but to give me that extra dose of confidence that I could practice, again and again, launch myself forward as intrepidly as possible without too much fear of injury.
2 months later, I’m consistently pedaling from one end of my basement to the other! I’m still working on my balance, and trying to mount the unicycle and move it forward smoothly. Like with juggling, after a few months of consistent practice, pushing through frustration, you find yourself breaking plateaus and records consistently, looking forward to practicing because you know that more progress is on the horizon.
I’ll be unicycling and workshops in no time! What do you want to learn in 2025? Drop us an email and let us know!
