So, blogging….I seem to blog a little, then not. I’m hoping that there is truth in the idea that 66 days creates a habit. If I can blog every day of April in Effy Wild’s Artfully Wild Blog Along, that’s 31 days in the direction of a new habit. I’m also setting my hand to doing the #100daysproject and doing 10 minutes of mindful watercolours each day (although if life gets in the way I’m allowed catch up!). I will probably share on here but also on my instagram feed.
Creating wise, a lot of my creating since the new year has been for a mindful watercolour group I started. I create a new project which I video and pop up each week as inspiration, except the last week of the month which is a play week. It’s been a real learning curve. Like huge.
I’ve got back to grips with iMovie, well I’ve got it working anyway.
I’ve learned how to use my phone to record and connect it to my Mac so I can see what’s being recorded (when I remember to look and don’t get distracted by the art).
I’ve learned how to rotate video clips
How to split out audio and make it louder and when that’s not enough copy paste and match it up to make up for my rotten sound quality.
I’ve learned how to speed up and slow down videos.
I’ve figured out the exact, best angle to lean my living room lamp to give me light with no shadows when combined with my desk lamp perched on a bookshelf….both have daylight bulbs in.
I’ve got to grips with vimeo, setting passwords, no downloads and which link is the one to share…well mostly
I’ve learned which settings to alter so my video file isn’t mahoooooosive but is good enough.
I’ve found out my external hard drive for storing videos on because my Mac got unhappy at no space and so did I.
I’ve found music I can use as long as I credit it
But there is so much I don’t know, that feels like it’s nothing to do with art or painting or teaching but I need to know it…so much…like how to edit out someone blowing their nose whilst you are talking….. how to get my dogs to not walk on the floor and make clicking noises when I’m videoing….so much!
It’s all worth it though, you know really worth it. Because I get messages saying how much this has inspired someone; or I get tagged in something someone made (in textiles so inspired by the ideas); or I get a message saying how the mindful part of the practice really helps; or how they did art with me and I feel like we had an artist date because we made art together even though it’s a video; or I see what people have made and feel so awed and proud that not only did they create today but they were brave and shared….and the response from the little group is always awesome and full of pom-poms for each other. It’s small but it’s growing.
In my life I have always circled back to two things….teaching and healing and maybe, just maybe in this practice I’ve got both.
How awesome is that?
This was the first video I spoke in…..
I also had some amazing news yesterday…….