Let the Plants Talk

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Ever since I can remember, I have kept a journal. I might write in it everyday religiously for weeks, or I won't even touch the thing for months; I can never seem to find a good in between. Sitting down and writing out how I feel never really seems to be a priority, until it is. 

Having a graphic designer as a mother, my sisters and I were always encouraged to be as creative as possible, no matter the medium. We grew up in a time where playing outside was the standard; where your tools/toys were whatever you could find around you, and the more unique your games were, the cooler sister you became. 

One could say we were a bit competitive among one another...

But we needed documentation of the worlds we created, remember the rules to our games, and finish the storylines of the ones we weren't finished telling yet. We all had a journal, whether it was an old composition book left over from school, or a brand spanking new Harry Potter journal from Barnes & Noble. Yes, I had 3 of them. We were continuously encouraged to keep writing, keep sketching, keep exploring the inner workings of our brains.

Now as "adults", we have found alternative ways to access the inner workings of our brains and journaling soon became a hassle and a chore. All the time it took to sit down and actually write or sketch out what was going on in my head...um, I'm a millennial, I need instant gratification! Growing out of phases and hobbies is such a natural progression of growing up and I felt okay dealing with things my own "grown up" way. But it has been in some of the darkest and most challenging moments of my life that I find myself turning my bedroom upside down until I feel the cool crisp pages beneath my finger tips. The sensation of turning to a fresh new page brought over a sense of peace and calmness within me. Until I realized I was still at a loss for words.

So I turned to the only other person I know could truly help me, Mother Nature. 

Re-reading your own writing is like revisiting a dream, the details are foggy but you can remember the gist of what happened. However it wasn't until I found pressed pages throughout my journal of flowers, leaves, feathers, that these hazy memories came flooding back to me more clear than ever. I was transported to the very moment and feeling I experienced when choosing my totem. 

I don't always remember to find a totem, sometimes they find me and place themselves in my path. And sometimes I am meant to share it with someone else, place it in a book or a jounral for the next wandering soul to find. But the next time you find yourself at a loss for words and need nothing else but to express yourself, go take a walk and see what comes onto your path. 

Documentary Explorers Camp

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2 weeks ago I decided to hop on a plane and flew up to Portland, OR to join OMSI and NW Documentary in instructing 10 teenagers on what it takes to be a documentarian. Over that span of 2 weeks we taught 10 goobers how to handle camera equipment, work with editing software, and what it's like to work with other creatives. It may have been only 2 weeks ago, but my fellow instructors and I feel like we've known each other for months now. 

Not really having any clue what this program was like or anyone that worked in it, simply that an old coworker thought it would be something I would enjoy doing, Documentary Explorers Camp seemed like the perfect summer gig. I would get to do creative work, while being outside, and also teach children, basically the dream job description for Shannon. I think that some of the most worth while things I have done in my life have also been some of the most intimidating to take, and this one sat right up there. 

Bright and early Monday morning my team and I met outside of OMSI as children checked in and filled school buses ready to hit the road to our camp in Newport, OR. It was there that morning that I met some of the funniest, honest, hard working people I have ever worked with. With an enormous amount patience, cooperation, and help for one another, over the next 2 weeks we all helped our campers produce 3 mini documentaries around the subjects of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse, the Oregon Beach Bill, and the Extinction of Mud Shrimp. 

Oregon continually leaves me in amazement with how truly beautiful it is, and after having the chance to be part of Documentary Explorers Camp, I am reminded of how truly beautiful the people are as well. 

Ridiculous Optimism

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You just finished a huge project you've just been working on for months, everything is finalized and you finally have a moment to yourself. In the mean time, you find a job to pay the bills, a few weeks go by, you get into a routine, and suddenly what seemed to be a wink of time is now a month that has gone by.

You slowly start to realize that something has been slowly leaving you and you can't seem to figure out what it is.

Whether you're a chef, a photographer, a painter, a landscaper, an interior designer, an editor or anything where you've had to put that right side of your brain to work, we all seem to reach a point of time in our lives where responsibility takes over and focusing in on what makes you happy instead of getting "a real job" somehow starts to feel selfish.

You haven't practiced your art in awhile. You haven't put yourself out of your comfort zone recently. You keep putting off that time you set aside in your mind to simply sit down and create. Of course you're not going to feel intune with your inner artistic soul! How can you not be? 

This particular moment however, that recognition of knowing it's your art, your happiness, that truly makes working not work at all, is the most beautiful wink of time to ever be recognized.

Perhaps as artists, we sign up from day one for this inevitable moment in our lives of recognition; that we have to work harder than we've ever had to work in our lives to feel that passion again that drives us to a point of success. In those moments, I believe, we create some of our most fascinating pieces of work.   

Putting yourself in the most unlikely scenarios and opening up your heart, mind, and soul to be inspired again is when true creation emerges. Starting back at the "beginners mind" where one can explore, experiment, and make mistakes and recognizing that you do something creative because you can't NOT do it. 

Have no fear of perfection, you will never reach it.
- Salvador Dali

The world is full of critics that will tell you everyday that your work isn't good enough, that your technique and style isn't what they're looking for, and that you're just not good enough. So why is there a need to be such a critic to yourself? Self criticism is of course one of the many ways of self growth and evolution, but something that needs to start becoming accustom within our industry is, self love. Recognizing even in the moments of rejection and hardship that you are still here trying. 

Failing is something that should be celebrated and rejoiced among artists! Never worry about failure because it's going to happen. Create and take chances anyway, you might just find what feels like failure isn't failure at all. Because if you aren't failing or winning, are you even trying? 

Genius is no more than childhood recaptured at will.
- Charles Baudelaire

Creativity is the ultimate; a wrinkle in time where you are producing a small piece of your heart and soul. It all comes down to being you; beautiful, simple, unique YOU. Embracing that fact and all the possibilities that your imagination has to offer you provides you limitless opportunities. 

Take a moment and recognize how hard you have worked, how much you want to accomplish, and then surround yourself with everything that will get you to that point. And once you get to that point, push even further. 

Go ahead, take a chance on you. 

Bite Size Docs

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A glimpse into someone's life can be an intimate journey; a person quite literally sharing a small piece of their soul with you - doesn't get more magical than that.

These people, these...subjects, allow thousands of people to get a glimpse of who they truly are and what their trade/life/mentality represents. 

Whether it be 2 minutes or 7 minutes, the power of a good narrative documentary can inspire, awaken, and lead any viewer to a sacred, creative mental space. A place where nothing exists but a pure raw reaction of what they are being shown and how they truly feel about it. 

 These six videos stimulated just that for me. I laughed, cried (to more than 1...), and allowed myself for just for those 2-7 minutes to bask in the magnificence of sharing those moments I had with each subject. 

In there lies the true beauty & power of filmmaking; the act of simple share something with one another. 

 

Love Without Limits

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Imagine a place where judgement is non-existent; a place where people thrive on little sleep, sunburns, and hugs; a place where being yourself has never felt more thrilling. Anyone that has ever interacted with me or has seen my Facebook page would tell you that there are 3 things in my life that I hold very close to my heart:

  1. My Family
  2. Camp Footprints
  3. Kronk (my feline friend)

1 year ago I was asked to co-direct Camp Footprints with two of my good friends, Sean Tran and Nik Gandhy. Having started at Camp when I was only 9 years old, being asked to direct was like winning an oscar, I had finally made it! Everything I wanted to grow up to be as a camper was now becoming a reality. After months of late night phone calls, Skype meetings, scheduling, interviews, team building and amazon prime shopping, Camp had arrived whether Sean, Nik, or myself were ready for it or not. 

Instead of spending our days as team leaders, which we had all been previously, hanging out with counselors and campers and coming up with team chants and, we spent our days dealing with preparation of campfire skits, campsite maintenance issues, and snack deliveries. Not so much the sparkling job of director as I had imagined it to be...

By the end of the week however, something felt different. As we would sit at our own staff table and observe our 5 teams of campers, counselors, and CIT's talk amongst themselves, unaware of our observation, we soon realized what we had accomplished. The sheer fact of bringing together 50 people that hardly knew one another with little to no experience of disabled children, would usually not end on a positive note. But if there is ever one thing you really need to know about Camp Footprints, it's to be prepared to be proven wrong. 

People that wouldn't even interact with one another in the "real world" become best friends at Camp. People who hate the outdoors, getting dirty, and dealing with bugs resisted leaving the campsite at the end of the week of Camp. People who are afraid to let their true selfs be seen become the people who change the lives of children simply by being themselves without knowing it at Camp.

Our camp theme this year was Love Without Limits, something that I myself find hard to do in trying situations, let alone everyday life. But in those moments of self doubt, anger, resentment, or hurt I take a 3 & 1/2 minute break to watch our music video from this year and I am reminded of the person I am "up the hill".  Sure, as a co-director you don't get the most glamorous jobs to do but when in life have you ever had exactly what you wanted and not have had to work your ass off for it? 

I wish there were words to describe how much these people have changed my life for the better, but all I can really do is show you this video and give you this web address and ask you to keep on living a life uncommon. 

www.campfootprints.com