This is where thoughts become things.

Hi, I'm Daniela. Welcome to my personal lair on the Internet. This is where I write about storytelling, activism, technology and pop culture. Sometimes I post videos. I update my lair when the mood strikes me. Follow me on Twitter for daily updates (@dcap).

Tag : dancing

How to learn serenity from a dance-resistant cat

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to dance with a cat, they will just flat out refuse. Sometimes a cat would rather chew on a piece of cardboard than even acknowledge your best intentions, or even your existence.

People in your life can be like that too. You may bring a great idea to the table, or offer a fab solution to a problem, or even know the answer to the question that is plaguing a depressed friend. None of that really matters if your friend is a cat who would rather chew on a piece of cardboard than listen to you.

So instead of torturing yourself over and over with why, how could you, and why do I even bother, just go find someone else to dance with or go dance by yourself. It’s not the end of the world. <3

Vloggin’ it up!

I realized the only way I am going to be able to commit to blogging everyday is if I can mix it up with some video. I am excited about unleashing my weirdness and sharing it with my family and friends.

My new channel, therealdcap, is going to be an experiment in self-expression and community-building. And as I noted in my bio, it’s also just an excuse for me to bug out. For the last seven years I’ve been creating media as my profession, which has been very rewarding. But I’ve always enjoyed the online/video folk art of others, and I am ready to start doing my own experimenting again. I’m inspiring by video artists like Laurel Nakadate, vloggers like my IRL friend FilmFuturist, and crazy awesome parents like the SHAYTARDS.

The video below from 2009 is probably proof of why my videos should remain private. But you’re here! I’ve got you now! Bwahahaha.

I love to dance in my bedroom and pretend my spoon is a microphone. Why I keep a spoon in my room is fodder for a future blog post, perhaps.

I’ve been creating personal videos and putting them online since 1999, but rarely shared anything I made. The fact that no one was really watching video online at the time might have had something to do with it. Back then, I didn’t know about these guys, which is probably a good thing. I am pretty sure I would have joined their collective and turned into some sort of “Lawnmower Man“-esque crazy robot lady.

I’m kicking off this daily creative experiment with a look back at what used to make me smile, and will be posting new videos next week. Instead of tossing videos randomly all over the Internet, like the one below on Flickr, I’m going to start being organized with my weirdness and keeping it all in one place on therealdcap. We’ll see how that goes.

Enjoy your weekend! I’m not posting again until Monday — weekends shouldn’t count in this daily posting pact, I mean, come on.

See Ya Soon, NYC.

I’m flying home tomorrow for a long visit. It’s hard being away from my family, but sacrifices are a part of life. You can’t pursue your dreams if you are afraid of growth.

One of the tiny gifts of being in New York for almost five years now is baring witness to the micro economy going on underground, literally. I can find diverse street art and performances on every train ride home. It’s all there: comedians, giant muppets, rock bands, cellists, Madonna wannabees. All I have to do is keep my eyes open.

For many native New Yorkers, all of the commotion and crowding that results from these subway performances is probably something they could live without, but I didn’t grow up here. It still amazes me, every time I experience it. People are wondrous creatures.

Still, it will be nice to leave it all behind for awhile. Sometimes this city can make me feel like there is no such thing as an off switch.