See the world through my eyes! Experience it through these blog posts.

Nature Break – Bellevue Beach Off-Season

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Do you need a bit of a nature break? Enjoy these 8 minutes at Bellevue Beach off-season with me.

This was my first overnight road trip in my first car, on the way back from my Woody Island retreat in mid-September.

I remember being shocked when I first moved to Newfoundland in 2011. Traveling at the end of September had been a challenge because much of the island had closed down for the winter.

But with the summery weather we’d been having, I wasn’t prepared to find not only accommodations and tourist attractions closed-down, but also restaurants in the Bellevue Beach area.

I called on my team of Divine Helpers to find me a place to sleep. And they did.

Note that I was only 1.5 hours from home, but determined to have a touristy adventure with Miss Ella (that’s my new-to-me 2007 Hyundai Elantra).

When I saw some cabins, I drove in, not realizing at first that this was one of the places I’d called the day before.

The place was deserted… almost.

Ivan, the owner, was up in the main house. After a bit of chatting and a call to his wife, he generously agreed to open up a cabin if I couldn’t find anything else in the village.

When all I found on my explorations was a bag of chips, I returned to take him up on his offer.

After emptying the cabin of deck furniture and turning the power back on, I was a happy camper with a view of the inland water and the long stretch of land I was soon going to explore.

Ivan told me that a few days before, that view was filled with campers.

I was happy for the natural views without crowds. 

He  even arranged with the owners for me to drive through the gate to spend a few hours on the beach at sunset. They’d spent the day clearing the grounds of picnic tables.

The next morning, I returned to walk the Vinland Trail for 3.5 hours in photographic bliss. By the time I got back, even the trail sign had been taken down.

I was in heaven: grounded, connected, surrounded by water and walking on all sorts of terrain from beach stones to sand to forest floors.

This was the kind of freedom I’d envisioned when I welcomed Miss Ella in my life.

I was originally motivated by an Artstmarts project I’m working on now, teaching intuitive painting to 535 elementary students every day for 5 weeks in a school 30 minutes away without bus service.

This first solo overnight road trip was a bonus! There are all kinds of freedoms – some when I didn’t have a car and different ones with. 

Hope you enjoyed this 8-minute nature break in Bellevue Beach with me.

Have a great week!

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Fill Your Cup in Body Mind & Spirit

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We all need to fill our cups to be able to truly be there for ourselves and others.

Running on empty is no fun and  just doesn’t work.

So, how do you fill your cup?

You may have your favourite ways to nourish your body through activity and a healthy diet. Your love of learning may nourish your mind. Sacred rituals, ceremony or deep connection with family and friends might nourish your Spirit.

It doesn’t matter if you have various ways of filling your cup on various levels, but if you’re low on time or simply want to experience the whole package of your magnificent being, look for opportunities to nourish all levels in one place at one time.

That’s what going to a well-organized retreat can do for you.

It always does for me, and co-facilitating at Lucy O’Driscoll’s recent “A Body Mind and Spirit Retreat” was no exception.

I’ve taught at many of Lucy’s retreats since I arrived on the island of Newfoundland back in 2011. Every time, even though I’m working, I come back feeling refreshed and on track.

What a joy to witness this group come together to prioritize their wellbeing in body, mind & spirit.

We learned, laughed, moved & fed our bodies, spent time in nature, and opened to yet another layer of spiritual emergence through being seeing, accepted and unconditionally loved.

Lucy has been organizing these retreats since 2000, twice a year, in different locations around the island of Newfoundland. 

Participants always get to choose between different workshops taught by different facilitators at each time slot. You can get an idea by looking at the links for the previous retreats on her website.

In her own words:

Lucy’s Body, Mind and Spirit Retreats helps you as a participant to Move Beyond Drama, create your own path and Make room for good energy.  We Relax and Release in a safe environment.  We learn to take care of our own needs.  Most of us are very, very good at taking care of others’ needs.  There is always laughter, awe inspiring moments and deep gratitude.  We have two retreats scheduled for 2022.  Woody Island September 11-13, and Max Simms Camp, Bishop Falls October 21-23.  Please join us for the magic.

Feel free to email Lucy  if you’d like to be put on the mailing list for the 2022 retreats.

Every year, there’s a silent auction and 50/50 draw to raise funds for scholarships if finances are an issue. And there’s always car-pooling available. This was my first year driving myself in my very first car! I went alone so I could wander an extra day afterwards.

The Woody Island Retreat Video

This was also my first time at Woody Island Resort (accessed from Garden Cove on the Burin Peninsula).

I was able to balance the giving & receiving, solo & group time, joyfully active and peacefully passive times. When I wasn’t teaching, I was preparing or participating.

My camera stayed in my bag most of the time, but when scoping the island for the best route for my Intuitive Walkabout workshop, I filled my heart with beauty and creative mind with photo-taking fun! I wasn’t planning on making a video, so focused on taking stills.

But on the last day, after rising early to capture the sunrise and then hopping on the boat for a boil up on another island, my inner child just couldn’t resist! Movie-making time!

Respecting our retreat’s photo guidelines, I had fun with hands and feet. You’ll see my friend Glenda coming off the boat, but she said it was OK.

As for the wonderful staff at Woody Island Resort, well, they were simply charming and very photo-cooperative.

Enjoy the 12:42-minute video at the top of this post for a taste of our Woody Island Resort Retreat.

How Will You Fill Your Cup?

When making your choices on how to fill your cup, ask yourself how you can meet all your needs in the time you have.

If you can do it all in one. Great! If not, which level of your being is hungrier for tender loving care.

You don’t have to dedicate a full weekend. You can benefit from 10-minute spirit-snacks, body-breaks and mind-boosters throughout your day!

You deserve it! So do those around you who will also benefit from your cup overflowing. 

 

P.S. If you’re in St. John’s, consider filling your cup at my Beauty at the Birch opening events Thursday, September 30th (1 night, 2 events) – get more information here.

If you’re not in St. John’s or unable to attend, there is also a 47-minute video premiere at 7pm NL Time (GMT-2:30; 5:30pm ET; 2:30pm PT) that includes a brief tour of the exhibition followed by a 37-minute “Mirror to Your True Self” visionary experience. It’s a way to use any one of my energy-infused paintings (online version or yours) as a way to connect to your intuition and Team of Divine Helpers. The video will remain on YouTube so you can experience it at your convenience.

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Camper Culture at Golden Arm Park – the movie

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I confess. When my friend Elaine and I arrived at Golden Arm Park on a quiet Thursday afternoon, we both figured I’d be driving back to town with her on Saturday after her Nia dance class.

We had an amazing canoe ride on the pond, a swim, and a walk around the camp. There were some nice photography opportunities, but I thought two days would be enough to cover it. 

The owners, Murray & Mickey Crocker, had invited me to share a cabin with my friend Elaine to come explore their park through my camera’s viewfinder. They’d offered me an extra two nights and the surety of some other ride home.

I didn’t think I’d need that.

But while chasing a good vantage point for a timelapse video of the setting sun, I met the Normans and Lynches. They pulled up a chair for me, and I learned all about the game of washers while my camera, on its tripod, did its job. These two couples are the best of friends and hurry to Green’s Harbour every weekend to spend time together.

As I sat listening, sharing, and watching both the game and the setting sun, I was starting to understand why my sister and cousin so loved their camper time in the same spots all season.

By the time I joined my friend Elaine and the visitors from the cabin next door at the Crocker campfire, I was hooked.

Between Murray’s velvet storytelling & singing voice and young Kate Morgan-MacFadyen’s gifts at the guitar, I’d found my angle for this movie.

No, it’s not just a 5-minute nature video like I thought it would be… It’s a 1-hour music-filled documentary all about RV camp lifestyle. It’s all about Camper Culture! It’s about community!

Of course there’s lots of gorgeous nature … I’m me after all!

But there’s so much more:

  • the family origin of this 29-year old RV park
  • Music & Friends performances by Herman Hoyles, Murray Crocker, Mildred Smith, Tony Randell and Chris Young
  • an interview with full-time seasonal residents Melanie Mason and Brian MacPhee in their Shangri-la garden with parents June & Gary Mason next door
  • Elaine Dunphy’s Nia & Ageless Grace classes
  • an interview with veteran & first year camper Judith Ann Mullaly
  • excursions to the Jimmy Rowe Walking Trail in Whiteway and to Dildo
  • the Shave for Jaxon story featuring the Forward and Donnan families
  • sweet moments with Claire Sade, the 1-year old dancer, Mickey Crocker & her grandchildren Jace & Ava March,  and Nachesta Griffin with her son Sam Sing
  • walks on the moss-covered park trail
  • early-morning blueberry picking
  • a cod-fishing excursion (my first in 11 years living in Newfoundland!)
  • early morning time with the bunnies while the whole camp slept
  • the first Cookhouse dance in 2 years because of COVID-19
  • a 2nd canoe ride with Mickey
  • and so much more!

I’m also so grateful for moments that didn’t make it in the movie:

  • conversation & meal times with my friend Elaine
  • the neighbour’s homemade ginger cake (turns out her best friend is the wife of the St. Bride’s lobster fisherman in a previous movie)
  • daily swims
  • time spent with my super hosts Mickey & Murray Crocker
  • being recognized by my friend Kerri’s mother-in-law from videos I’d created featuring both of us on walks or ceremonies
  • a comfortable bed & shower in Cabin #3
  • everyone’s smiles & collaboration
  • my ride to St. John’s with Murray and his mother, co-owner Nita Crocker, who were picking up a ping-pong table for the park
  • and again… so much more!

So if you haven’t watched it yet, enjoy the 1-hour movie “Camper Culture at Golden Arm Park” above (change your YouTube Settings to HD for better viewing) with all its music, laughter, tears, beauty and love.

It took me 48 hours to edit all the footage once I got back from my 4.5 days in Green’s Harbour. It’s so much fun when the creative sequencing becomes clear in my mind. I received intuitive guidance for that while swimming laps one morning. I was so excited to get home to get to work on it!

Videography is definitely a creative passion!

Thanks & blessings to all those who have contributed in so many ways!

 

P.S. And as for all my volunteer art video projects, I welcome donations in exchange for a movie credit or dedication in my next production. You can send any amount by Paypal (or e-transfer for Canadians) to [email protected]. Thank you!

P.P.S. Speaking of donations, if Jaxon’s story moved you, the Donnan family encourage donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. The $2,454 Cyril Forward raised at the park that day was given to the Donnan family to help them cover expenses in these challenging times.

P.P.P.S. If by the time you watch the movie there are commercials, my apologies. The copyright owners of the songs sung at Music & Friends have the right to earn revenue from ads for their songs. 

 

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Peacefully Drifting in St. Bride’s – The Movie

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Exploring a town alone on foot for 3 days is a great way to connect with the place and the people. That’s what my St. Bride’s experience was all about June 24-27.

Last year, I traveled to St. Bride’s with a friend, and we drove to all the neighbouring nature spots we could find. Our focus was communion with nature. (see previous post/movie)

This year, it was all about the people. What a friendly community!

I was a bit surprised when one man at the other end of town said: “You were out & about early this morning!“. They’d somehow seen me walking to the harbour in the fog at 4:30am to go lobster fishing with Danny Lundrigan.

But I became used to hearing “Now, you’re the one staying at Theresa’s ol’ place?” or “at the Conway house?”.

There were many Conway houses along the main road out of St. Bride’s to Cape St. Mary’s, but I knew they were referring to Theresa’s on the Cape, a new Airbnb listing under the management of People Place & Things who invited me to spend time in the community to make a 30 second airbnb & 3 minute community video for their promotional purposes.

The owners, Eugene (seen mowing lawn) and Marilyn (who gifted me homemade bread & bakeapple jam) Conway were one of many reason why my stay was so comfortable and successful. You’ll also delight in seeing their granddaughters MJ & Colleen grace your screen.

Take a deep breath and slow down as you enjoy the 30-minute contemplative video above. It was inspired by my heart’s desire to share the love & beauty of my peacefully drifting in St. Bride’s.

Let Christopher Lloyd Clarke’s gentle musical journey, “Adrift Volume 2”, help you dissolves analytical thinking to open your mind to deep relaxation.

And allow my photography & videography to transport you to a space within you, where you too can peacefully drift in St. Bride’s. 

Thank you to all the community members who said “yes” to appearing in my movie: Anthony Lundrigan, Arthur Young, Colleen & MJ Conway, Danny Lundrigan, Eugene Conway, Francis Norman, Francis & Kevin McGrath, and Mike Careen.

Thanks also to the unidentified man who drove by on his ATV and to all those whose homes, land, and investment into their community is reflected in the beauty honoured through my art. This movie is a credit to you all.

Enjoy!

P.S. If you’d like to financially contribute to my creating & sharing of these artistic videos, I gladly accept your donations by e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal at [email protected]. Any amount is welcome in exchange for a credit (or dedication to a loved one) in my next feature presentation. Thank you!

 

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Pondering Peace – a Visual Contemplation at Middle Three Island Pond

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There’s nothing quite like life to remind us how important it is to reconnect to our inner peace.

There’s no greater gift than inner peace – for ourselves and others.

Awareness is the first key. How easily do you notice you’re off kilter?

Being able to shift back to your True Self state of inner peace is the next step.

Sometimes, awareness is the magic ingredient that triggers an instant shift into a more peaceful way of being.

From awareness comes acceptance. From acceptance comes a letting go of resistance to what is. Then comes a realignment with the truth. Being. Doing. Inner Peace.

Other times, however, that shift can take a whole lot longer and the slowness of the shift does nothing to improve your inner chaos. It just adds a layer of frustration at how human you’re being!

I arrived at this Airbnb photo job for my friend Gordon Martin of People Places & Things hours behind schedule and hungry.

I’d done well so far that morning choosing love over fear, but with a couple of hours of photography ahead before I could mess up the kitchen, my inner grumblings (physical, mental & emotional) took over. I was now hangry!

In that state, it was really hard to see the beauty around me, much less photograph it.

I was aware of my state. I even laughed at myself. I confessed to Gordon & my traveling companion Joanne that I was having an unusually hard time shifting back to peace. My emergency protein bar didn’t seem to make a difference.

My wise Observer Self fully realized what was happening. But my little human self was having an inner tantrum. Can you relate? 

Finally, after I’d photographed the indoors, eaten a nice warm bowl of curry veggie stew, and headed outdoors doused in bug spray – I could much more easily focus on the beauty.

And what beauty!

As I was brought back to bliss by Mother Nature’s invitation to honour her beauty with my camera, my friend Joanne Best came back in time for a canoe ride on the very still pond. 

The week before, we’d arranged to meet so she could pick up 8 paintings to bring back to Earth & Sky Gallery & Healing Centre in Twillingate for the tourist season. Perfect timing! I invited her to join me for the first of my 3 nights at this cabin on Middle Three Island Pond in Torbay, NL.

As you’ll see in the video, her birthday despacho fire ceremony was a highlight of my stay. She’d co-created this prayer bundle & offering the night before with shamanic practitioner, Regina Wright.

For the next 2.5 days & nights, I thoroughly enjoyed my inner and outer state of peace – witness to the ever-changing weather on the pond.

The fog and rain were as beautiful as the sunshine. The pure stillness was as much a blessing as the 60 km/hr ripples on the water.

Mother Nature was reminding me that if I could find beauty in all her states, I needed to do the same for myself.  I too, in both my human and spirit states am beautiful. 

My experience of the first few hours didn’t have to taint my whole experience. It simply was.

I acknowledged and expressed it. Then I shifted – eventually…

This is the human experience – all of it.

And as the soul quenching call of the loons brought me back to the moment with gratitude, I knew that the next time my inner grumblings got loud enough to notice, it would be easier to come back to the here and now and appreciate the process of transformation – this breath at a time.

Nature photography is part of my self-care regimen – a wonder-full transformational tool. What’s yours?

May it become easier and easier for you to realign with the loving beautiful being that you are. And may this 17-minute video “Pond(ering) Peace” add a layer of love & beauty to your day. Enjoy! If the video quality is poor, use the little gear wheel bottom right to change it to High Definition (1080 HD).

P.S. If you’d like to contribute to my creating & sharing of these artistic videos, I gladly accept your donations by e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal at [email protected]. Any amount is welcome in exchange for a credit (or dedication to a loved one) in my next feature presentation. It all adds up! Thank you!

 

P.P.S. I’m slowing down for the summer, giving myself permission to publish a post every 2 weeks until September. May you too find ways to relax and listen to the callings of your inner peace. 

 

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New Day New Hope – A Practice in Patience

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May this artistic collaboration nourish your day with more than sunshine! May it somehow give you another glimpse at your own radiance and the difference your investment in your inner peace makes in the world.

Today is a new day. It offers new hope. What will you focus on today?

As a line in a song by Fearless Soul says,

“The grass is greener where I water it.”

So may this video also help remind you what part of your body, mind, spirit or relationships with others and the world needs watering.

Thank you to my friend Joan Dohey for coming out to play with me at 4am on the cliffs of Sugarloaf Trail, just above Quidi Vidi near downtown St. John’s.

Thank you also to Celtic harp musician Jacqueline Cook for generously offering her composition “The Reunion” to enhance the inspirational energy of this offering.

A Practice in Patience

What wears down your patience the fastest?

Technology does it for me. It’s my constant teacher in patience and stress-release. Can you relate?

The New Drone

Last year, as I was photographing the Airbnbs my friend Gordon Martin manages here in Newfoundland, he said in passing “You need a drone!”.

I didn’t think much of it, but it must have simmered in my subconscious.

At first, I thought these were huge machines that took up the whole trunk of a car.

Then, I found out from a drone pilot in an online business course I was taking that the small ones fit in the palm of your hand. And that if you have one under 250g, you don’t need a license or government registration.

So I bought the DJI Mavic Mini 2 as a Christmas gift to myself, just weeks after its release.

I hadn’t realized that you can’t fly it below freezing. So that definitely meant waiting a few months. But you also can’t fly it with winds above 35 km/hr. So my first practice run in an empty soccer field on this windy island had to wait until May 30th.

Then, on May 31, I took it up the cliffs with my cooperative and patient model Joan for some sunrise playtime.

Nerve-wracking! I sure hope drone flying becomes a little more relaxing & fun with practice.

I’d taken an online course and watched all the tutorials many times. I’d even gone out with Brad Wade of Asterix Drone Works to get a hands on demonstration and familiarization with his professional drone a few months back.

But this drone will definitely be a teacher in how to remain in my inner peace … even around flying technology  “under my control.” Yikes!

Video Editing – More Patience Needed

Can you believe it took 9 hours to create this 3:15-minute video? The first 6 hours were creative fun, The next 3 hours, however, pushed my techno-stress buttons while dealing with computer and iMovie glitches.

I’m still learning to create videos. There are bound to be issues.

True, banging my fist on the desk that one time wasn’t the most loving thing to do (for myself and the energy I put into the house & the video). But awareness is key. The next time I felt my patience wear out, I headed out into the backyard, removed my socks, and just stood in the grass breathing in the beauty.

I hadn’t expected to spend 9 hours at the computer after returning home at 7am from our sunrise playtime. So what?! Those hours weren’t a loss. They were an investment into this budding passion for videography.

And now I get to share it with you – and that nourishes my soul. I hope this video and post nourishes yours.

Be Patient With Yourself & Others

We’re all works in progress.

The day after my computer frustrations, I’m back into the pure joy of sharing the beauty of Newfoundland with you in the hopes that it provides 3 minutes and 15 seconds of joy, awe, and gratitude for how this planet nourishes our souls. Can you feel it?

Today is a new day. Every day is a new day – an opportunity to shed what no longer serves us (in my case memories of 3 hours of technical issues and fear that it will happen again next time) to truly be in the moment. 

New Day. New Hope.

Be patient with yourself, no matter what’s pushing your buttons. 

Know that every day, the sun rises – even if it’s behind the fog & clouds.

You are the expanse of the sky, not the weather that travels through it.

You’re amazing. This Earth is amazing.

There is hope in daily new beginnings – an invitation to see and be differently with yourself and others.

Today’s a new day. Be patient with yourself and others. We’re all learning to be the best version of ourselves. That’s an investment worth making.

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“Solo Retreat Down the Street” – the movie

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Say YES to your YES!

Doesn’t it feel good to say Yes! to your Yes!? 

It may not make rational sense, but your intuition is giving you strong signals that whatever is calling you is in your Highest Interest. It may be something as small as a menu choice or purchase or as big as a relationship.

You might think: “But that’s not in my budget.” or “I don’t have the time for that.” or “I can’t eat that, I’m vegan.”

Intuition doesn’t always make sense.

Trusting your inner guidance, however, can lead to growth beyond your imagination, limiting beliefs, and obstacles to your physical, mental and spiritual health. 

Your Higher Self knows what you need. Your Team of Divine Helpers – no matter who that is for you – is answering your prayers.

When you pick up on a sign that comes in through any of your intuitive channels (the 6 clairs as outlined in my free tutorial), and say yes! to turning intuition into action, great things happen.

First, you strengthen your connection with your True Self. You’re developing your intuitive muscles. This makes it easier and easier to recognize and live in alignment with who you truly are.

Second, you open up to whatever it is that’s needed in your life. Taking inspired action leads to the next best step – even when you can’t see the full picture.

My Yes!

A few weeks ago, I saw a post on Facebook for the Light Keeper’s Houses Airbnbs at Fort Amherst.

I got an instant YES!

I’d been aching for some intensive nature time away from my routine and home environment.

I got spoiled last year with several airbnb stays in exchange for property photos for 2 friends of mine. This opened me to my new passion for creating mind-calming, soul-soothing nature videos that I share on my YouTube channel (have you subscribed yet?).

But this time, when my intuition gave me the strong sensory messages that I needed to book this creative retreat, I hesitated.

“It doesn’t make sense to spend more than a month’s rent on two nights just down the street from my house.”

“I did just sell a few paintings….”

“Wouldn’t it be better to invest on a vacation outside St. John’s – somewhere I can’t get to regularly?”

And on it went for a few hours.

I even reached out to the owners to offer them an exchange. They were possibly open to it, but later in the season when the flowers were out and with a fresh coat of paint.

But my soul persisted. “Now is the time. You need this now!”

So, having learned over and over how good it feels to say Yes! to my Spirit Calls, I booked 2 nights. Instant relief! – always a good sign.

The owners, Peter & Nicole Gill, generously added a bonus night on the house! Thank you!

It all worked out wonderfully.

3 Nights & 4 Days of Shooting

I also know from experience that it takes me 2 days to decompress and calm down from the excitement of film-making. I’m outside at 4am and go to bed past 10pm in total creative bliss.

That’s so nourishing in so many ways, but it’s usually on the 3rd day/ night that I have more space to simply be.

And I got that! I got exactly what my body, mind & soul needed.

Without a car, I was able to get there with my equipment, clothing & home cooked meals for 3 days/nights – all on my bike.

It usually takes 20-30 minutes to bike there (depending how good a shape I’m in because of all the hills).

This time it took me 3 hours to bike the 5km. It wasn’t just the weight of the saddle bags, however. I kept stopping, setting up my tripod, biking past, going back for my tripod, etc.

Movie-making fun!

4 days / 3 nights of playtime. Fun! Fun! Fun!

What I found most amazing about this location is that I could see both the sunrise & sunset over the water from the same spot – sunrise over the ocean and the sunset over downtown St. John’s and the harbour. Wow!

Thank goodness for time lapses – that’s when I’d set up the camera and it would shoot several hours’ worth into a 30-second video clip – with clouds flying by or the sun climbing high into the sky in seconds.

You’ll notice how the one that shows both the sun & the moon is quite shaky. I decided to leave it in because it shows how windy it was. Even on my professional tripod, that camera was very shaky. At first I was disappointed, and then I recognized my need to let go of perfectionism.

With the camera busy at work, I could go indoors to warm up (temperatures near freezing to 10 degrees Celsius + wind chill), take my shower, cook, eat, read, relax, or spend hour after hour just staring at the weather and listening to Spirit.

Another opportunity to let go of perfectionism has to do with my sideway pans. I hadn’t realized that my camera settings had reset after my last iPhone system update. So I was filming at 30 frames per second instead of 60fps – so the pans staggered a bit. Again, live & learn and allow it to be what it is.

Each movie project offers opportunities to learn more about iMovie, my iPhone XI Pro Max and myself! Yay!

When I wasn’t “working”, I finished reading ” Journey of the Heart – the Path of Conscious Love” by John Welwood, which a friend had recommended. The book even became a main character in the movie!

Don’t you find the titles & passage I shot just perfect for this movie?

5 Days of Editing

Whether working on a painting or a video project, I work best in uninterrupted focused marathons.

When I got home, I spent 13/hours a day for the first couple of days and less on the next 3 for a total of 55 hours in 5 days editing this movie.

I share this because people often ask me how long it takes to create my artwork.

I had already edited some of the clips while on location and trashed hundreds.

In the end, I worked with 390 photos & video clips to make the final movie.

This was the first time I ever sequenced the transitions between clips with the music. I learned a few lessons there too – like any changes after the first run through means hours of jiggling with what follows to get the transitions back on cue. I’ll have to research if there’s a more efficient way of doing this.

I’ve still got lots to learn, but I trust you’ll enjoy the results. Enjoy this 40:44-minute “Solo Retreat Down the Street  (video top of page). It’s even better on the big screen if you can watch YouTube there.

Thank you to my Community Art Grant Donors

When I was sitting up on the cliff staring out at the ocean in a state of pure bliss, I received an intuitive download – the idea to ask for sponsors.

So I created a trailer (a fun iMovie feature) and asked for donors for my Community Art Grant to help cover the $900 expenses (Airbnb & music rights) and perhaps provide me with an artist salary for the full week’s work needed to create this inspirational video.

I’m constantly open to creative ideas on how to finance my life as a full time artist – making my passion for sharing sustainable.

It’s often a stretch of my comfort zones, but I was glad to ask. I found that better than putting ads all throughout my movie on YouTube, breaking the meditative mood.

So a big thank you! to the 12 who answered my call – contributing a total of $709.06.

  • Kerri Best
  • Leslie Bridger
  • Dorothy Corrigan
  • Elaine Dunphy
  • Jo-Anne Guimond
  • Deirdre McKiernan
  • Carmelita Morgan
  • Doreen Reglin
  • Johanna Rocco
  • Bev Sharpe
  • Judy Squires
  • Elizabeth Stamp

If you’d like to be a part of my next feature project, receiving a movie credit for a donation of any amount, please send an e-transfer (Canadians) or Paypal to [email protected]

Thank you!

 

 

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In Thanksgiving – Tors Cove Video

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Gratitude is a powerful thing.

When you keep finding things to appreciate in your life, your positive feelings improve. And what’s not to like about raising your vibration?

The bonus is that each time you find something to be thankful for, you tell the Universe to bring more of what’s in that same essence to you.

I smiled in the middle of the night as I found myself thankful for the comfort of indoor plumbing! I didn’t do it to attract more comfort in my life. However, I know that will be a ripple effect of my attitude of gratitude.

Do you have a gratitude practice?

Some like to end their day writing in a gratitude journal. Others name 5 things they’re grateful for the instant their feet hit the ground in the morning. Many regularly practice a rampage of appreciation as taught by Abraham-Hicks. Others kneel in prayer to give thanks on Sundays. Some have gratitude buddies, with whom they share their daily appreciation. And, once a year, people gather on Thanksgiving weekend to feast and publicly share their appreciation.

No matter what your gratitude habit looks like, having one will definitely improve your life. It has mine!

Right before Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada, I headed 45 minutes out of St. John’s with my friend Kerri Best for another barter staycation at The Alcove Airbnb on Tors Cove Pond, thanks again to my friend Gordon Martin of People, Places & Things.

There was so much to be grateful for during those 4 days, which I visually expressed in this video.

The text was written in the following 2 weeks. It isn’t based solely on what I’m grateful for now in my life. It’s also based on what I’m thankful for in the vision of the life I’m consciously creating and manifesting. This came out of the work I’d done in the past year writing my Lifebook, part of a Mindvalley course with Jon & Missy Butcher to help “design & achieve your vision of success in all 12 dimensions of your life.

Not everything in it may apply to you – for example, in the parenting category, I talk about pets. And being single, I express my thanks for the relationship I’m attracting.

As you listen to the 26-minute video above, allow the energy of gratitude to inspire you. It doesn’t matter that not all of it applies to you.

Sharing in my thanksgiving will add momentum to both our lives. Thanks for that!

Below is the written text in case you want to use it as the basis to write / record your own.

Your Turn

Let’s start a rampage of appreciation right here on my blog.

What are 3 things you’re grateful for? Big or small.

Write them in the comments at the end of this post.

In Thanksgiving

Thank you for this journey of constant transformation that I may emerge more fully into my True Self.

I know that when my heart sings, I am on the Right Path, ever growing in love & beauty, ever thriving through the Rhythms of life.

 

QUALITY OF LIFE

“I already have it all. I already am it all. I’m already more than enough. It’s already done. So it is. So I let it be.” Derek Rydall

I’m so thankful that as I answer my Spirit Calls, I clearly, easily, and gracefully manifest whatever is in my Highest Good.

Thank you for the deep happiness that arises within me as I open to the world of Guidance and synchronicities.

Thank you for my awakening into the highest vibrancy of a Reality of both spirit and matter.

Thank you for the love, beauty, and quality experiences that nourish my soul.

Thank you for my inner and outer travels and my presence in this life.

Thank you for the simple, peaceful, comfortable sanctuaries I call home.

Thank you for my healthy lifestyle supported by the Universe’s many helpers and channels for abundance.

I’m grateful for simple living.

I’m grateful that as I live true to my Higher Self, I allow my Light & Love to shine.

I appreciate that the more aligned my quality of life, the more fully I can live and the more deeply I can love.

I’m thankful for the happiness and joy I can radiate all around me.

Thank you for unveiling my birthright, experiences that spark my childlike curiosity and wonder.

And thank you for my ability to transform my experiences into contributions.

 

HEALTH & FITNESS

Thank you for this vessel through which Source Energy can flow.

I value my healthy body, this sacred vehicle full of energy & self-healing power.

Thank you for my ability to listen to its needs & messages.

I’m grateful for this body that works optimally and effortlessly to be well…

That I may have the freedom to be, do & have.

I feel blessed by physical, mental & emotional strength and intelligence,

The wisdom to make ever healthier choices,

Graceful posture and movement through life.

I’m so thankful for the vibrational harmony my body produces to remain in perfect balance.

Thank you, dear body, for helping me awaken the “I Am” presence in your living sensations that ground me in the here & now.

I’m grateful for vitality, for nourishing whole foods prepared with love, for body workers who support my commitment to optimal health, and for my physical expressions of joy, passion, and gratitude for life.

Thank you, dear body for taking care of me, for being my trusted partner and ally in this lifetime.

 

INTELLECTUAL LIFE

Thank you for my intelligence deeply rooted in my emotions and spirituality.

I appreciate the daily reminders to plug into the Earth and stay in tune with Creation.

I value the flourishing garden of my mind that I constantly weed & nourish.

I am so thankful for the power to change through awareness.

I’m grateful for my connection to my Higher Self to make choices that are aligned with it despite what my ego or subconscious mind say.

I’m blessed by the knowledge that I bring about what I think about.

And my ability to change my thoughts so that I can change my world.

So thank you for the tools & resources to cultivate my inner world,

For my love of learning,

For the inspiration within and all around me

For my imagination and intuition

I appreciate the guidance of my Higher Self,

My single-minded focus on achieving my heart-centred goals,

My clarity of vision & purpose

Thank you for the activation of my Divine Intelligence

And the courage to live my life the way I was meant to live it.

It makes my heart smile to know I’m motivated to nurture what serves my Highest Good and to let go of the rest.

I value conscious living and appreciate my commitment to think deeply and deliberately about my life.

I acknowledge the importance of an alert and calm mind, a source of happiness and health.

I’m so thankful for my growing ability to embrace life’s mystery & splendour.

Thank you for the resources to boost my brain power through nutrition, meditation, inspiration and true education.

I value this uncluttered focused mind and the balance between my intellectual input and output, the balance between giving & receiving in ways that nourish my heart, soul, and mind.

 

EMOTIONAL LIFE:

I’m so grateful for encountering the force field of my soul through my emotions.

Thank you for my Emotional Guidance System,

Opening me to the truth of who I am and the Divine Love that surrounds and infuses me.

I’m grateful for being guided to do the heart-smart things to do, choosing consistently great emotions, knowing that the emotions I feel are indicators of whether I’m in vibrational alignment with my Higher Self.

Thank you for my intuition as the compass to a life of love, peace, joy, health, wealth, happiness, freedom, integrity and creativity.

I’m thankful for the time I spend every day to fine tune my emotional instrument with meditation, grounding, nature, dance, yoga, and more.

I appreciate choosing to live in the feeling tone – scheduling time in activities, places, and with people that resonate with my heart’s desires.

Thank you for the ability to be conscious, accepting and learning from my emotions.

My emotional insight & control,

The ability to create the emotions that I want in my life.

I’m so grateful for all the times when what I think, say, and do are in harmony.

I value my understanding and wholehearted belief that nobody can create my happiness other than me.

Thank you for the knowledge that I can be happy no matter what.

My heart sings when I’m moved to nurture and guide the emotions that support the life I truly want to live,

Those emotions that empower my relationships.

Thank you for the gifts my emotions give me when I listen & learn from them.

I recognize that life is moving me in a more expansive direction with ease & grace.

I feel blessed to know that as I continue to reach for higher frequencies, I attract more of what resonates at that same frequency.

I acknowledge that I’m a spiritual being having a human experience for the fun of it – that being happy is the whole point.

I’m grateful for the paradigm shifts and my ability to let go.

Thank you for reminding me to ask “What would love do now?”,

I value my introspection and growing capacity to be grateful and to allow more joy into my life.

 

CHARACTER:

I’m so grateful that more of my true nature is emerging no matter the conditions.

I value my strong character that I continue to craft,

My self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-love.

Thank you for helping me make the choices and decisions to do and be the right thing.

I appreciate this life by design guided by deeply engrained values.

I’m so grateful for my life of love, spirituality, beauty, inspiration, integrity, freedom & creativity.

Thank you for the opportunities to explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love

I’m so thankful for the growth that comes from stretching my comfort zones

I appreciate all the Universe’s support to choose love over fear in my actions, reactions and interactions.

I value my connection to my Higher Self & Team of Divine Helpers and the time I invest in nurturing these life-affirming relationships.

Thank you for helping me be trustworthy, honest, reliable, sincere, and loving for myself and those around me

I’m so thankful that as I follow my flow, the who, what, when, where, why and how that best matches my inner callings reveal themselves

I’m grateful for my pleasure in being creative, my art, my life.

“I surrender to the Highest Vision of my life, to the Highest impulse of my soul. Yes, I’m willing, Yes, I’m ready. Yes, I can. Yes, I am!”

It warms my heart that I wake up and go to bed feeling good about myself and the difference I’m making in my various roles in life.

I feel blessed to know that as I strengthen my character, I allow the best of me I can be to emerge more fully into my life, inspiring others to do the same.

 

MY SPIRITUAL LIFE

I’m grateful for my belief that there exists something mysterious, deep, invisible and eternal that connects everything and everyone everywhere.

I so value my personal relationship with God, the Universe, my entire Team of Divine Helpers.

Thank you for this Path I’ve chosen to walk in this lifetime as an individualized expression of the Divine.

I so appreciate my interconnectedness with All That Is.

I’m thankful that as I raise my consciousness and live my best life, I’m inherently in the service of others – inspiring and leading through example.

Thank you for reminding me of who I truly am, helping me find the peace, love and happiness that have always been at my core.

Thank you for teaching me that the more I thrive in my simply rich & happy Spirit driven life, the more I experience and inspire love, peace, joy, beauty, creativity, wellness, integrity and freedom.

Thank you for showing me that the more fellow human beings I serve as an instrument of Divine Peace, the happier, wealthier and freer we all become.

I appreciate your guiding me to be the shining Light & Love I was always meant to be

I’m grateful for my practice of the 7 Sacred Gifts – Giving Away, Forgiving, Giving Thanks, Giving Forth, Giving UP, Giving in, and Giving to myself.

I’m grateful that as I reconnect to my True Self, I journey the Path all the way home to my Self, God, and all beings.

 

MY LOVE RELATIONSHIP

Thank you for the love relationships of my past that have helped shape me into who I am today.

I value how they’ve allowed me to emerge more fully into who I truly am, into love.

Thank you for the extraordinary man, the right man for me, who is finding his way to me for the Highest Good of us both and the Greater Good of the planet.

I’m so grateful for my belief in the deepest kind of romantic connection, in divine union with a divine purpose as I attract the perfect partner for me.

Thank you for the unconditional love that I’m learning to give & receive, that love that comes from being seen, accepted and loved for who we truly are.

I so appreciate the vision of sacred teamwork nourishing this garden of truth, purpose, passion, abundance, fun, inspiration, love, beauty, happiness & creativity.

Thank you for supporting this openness to True Love, Real Love – a love that brings us closer to God.

Thank you for my Twin Flame and all my Soul Mates that have helped prepare me for our joining.

 

“PET PARENTING”

Thank you for the 4-legged creatures that have spent time in my life, offering me a window to my soul.

I’m grateful to have been a pack leader, a guardian and a companion to these blessed creatures.

It was my honour to have them open me even further to unconditional love.

I valued their support in my exploration and expression of the love of beauty and the beauty of love.

I welcomed the laughter these furry soul mates, friends and teachers offered.

I’m thankful that when the time is right, more pets will grace my life.

Until then, I value the joy & hugs I receive from my neighbours’ and friends’ bundles of joy.

 

MY SOCIAL LIFE

Thank you for my human family, my blood relations and my friends.

I’m so grateful for the inner circles I have been blessed to have in all the places that I’ve lived.

I so value the giving and receiving, the heart to heart and soul to soul connections.

I’m thankful that I’ve learned more about myself through my deep connection to others – seeing myself through the mirror of their eyes, giving me a fresh perspective on myself and my life.

I value the relationships that stimulate me, open me up, pull me forward and never hold me back.

I recognize that some friendships are for a chapter and others for a lifetime, blessings both.

It warms my heart to know that it’s thanks to my family & friends that I’m increasingly present, loving, compassionate, and authentic with those I’m with at the time.

Thank you for the ability to attract, develop and keep extraordinarily deep & loving friendships that enhance the being, doing, giving and receiving in my life.

I’m grateful for our shared time and support we offer each other in our emergence – seeing, accepting and loving the truth in each other.

I’m grateful to have friends that help me lift myself up to greater heights as I do for them.

Thank you for the balance between my much-needed time alone and my quality soul-nourishing and fun time with others.

I recognize how these relationships connect me in a more tangible way with humanity.

I so value our mutual understanding, appreciation, acceptance and growing unconditional love.

I’m thankful for my healthy social network in my home environment, social circles and work – opening me up to new internal and external experiences.

I appreciate the people who inspire me, challenge me to rise higher, making me a better human being.

 

MY FINANCIAL LIFE

Thank you for the abundance in my life in all its forms.

I’m grateful for all the channels of wealth that open me up to creating, sharing and celebrating what is good in the world.

Thank you for my prosperity and the ability to fully experience life through it.

I’m so glad my inner and outer wealth mirror the abundant nature of the Universe. I love that I’m so rich in so many ways.

I recognize that money is a form of spiritual energy that fuels expanded freedom, choices and wellness.

I love what money can do for myself and others. I admire and respect it.

I’m so thankful that how I earn and spend money contributes to that flow of energy in the world.

I’m grateful for my healthy, peaceful, loving relationship with money as it flows into my life with ease & grace.

Thank you for my Right Living, my passive income, my ability to generate abundance in its many forms.

I’m so thankful that it’s helping me explore and express my love of beauty and the beauty of love in all areas of my life.

I’m grateful for the peace of mind wealth has fostered in me so that I may more easily connect to my intuition, my limitless potential and life purpose.

Thank you for my financial intelligence and the resources that have helped me earn, save, and spend in alignment with my values.

 

MY CAREER

I’m so grateful for my successful life, which is as unique as is my definition of success.

I’m thankful for my rewarding career that is rooted in the rich soil of my soul.

I love what I do and it loves me.

I’m a natural at what I do and get better at it the more I do it.

I appreciate that what I do adds love and beauty to the world.

Thank you for guiding me to do what nourishes me on so many levels, including financially.

I’m so glad my work reflects my true spirit.

I so value that the more connected I am to my True Self, the greater difference my career makes in both my life and the lives of others.

Thank you for this me to we creative process that brings us all joy, fulfilment and inspiration.

I’m grateful to wake up excited to immerse myself in the latest Spirit guided creative project.

And thank you for the re-centering, re-generating, relaxing time in between projects to open up to the next inspiration.

I’m thankful to work on my own schedule and mostly on my own until what I’m creating is ready to be shared.

I’m also thankful for blessed collaborations.

My heart sings to know that the more fellow human beings I serve an instrument of love & light, the happier, healthier, wealthier and freer we all become.

I love that my career is my spiritual path and my spiritual path is my career.

I’m rich because of it – on all levels.

Thank you for the simplicity, clarity, alignment and abundance I strive for in the inner and outer work that guides my career path.

I’m grateful for the developing technical and heart-centred entrepreneurial skills that guide my practice.

Thank you for the resources, training and inspiration that keep me heading in the right direction.

Thank you for my growing self-resiliency, self-confidence, resourcefulness and courage that help me thrive in the service of the Greater Good.

I so value that what I do is in harmony with the Universe, turning transactional relationships into transformational ones.

 

LIFE VISION

Thank you for my ideal home.

Thank you for my ideal day.

Thank you for my level of health & fitness.

Thank you for how I grow intellectually.

Thank you for my constant emotional experience.

Thank you for the specific character traits I’ve built.

Thank you for all I do to feel spiritually connected.

Thank you for my ideal relationship.

Thank you for my wonderful family life.

Thank you for my beloved friendships.

Thank you for my new & improved financial life.

Thank you for my dream career.

Thank you for my high-quality lifestyle.

 

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Did you find this inspiring? Please share it.

Life’s a Puzzle!

/in ,

I have to thank my friends Elaine Hann and Kerri Best  for inspiring this fun 3-minute video. 

I must have lit up last week when I spotted the puzzles on a shelf at an Airbnb Kerri and I were staying at. I told her it had been about 40 years since I’d made one. I used to love puzzles! But between my photography job, filming, walks, kayak rides, cooking and reading, I never pulled one off the shelf.

So after our hike last Tuesday, when Kerri dropped me off for my housesitting gig at Elaine’s Whale Watcher House & Apartments in St. Micheal’s, she handed me gift – a puzzle box with 500 tiny pieces.

I admit, I was intimidated after pouring the contents of the box on the table.

I almost put the pieces back in the box. “I don’t have time for this!”, “That’s way too big a job!”, “This doesn’t look fun!”, “You need a magnifying glass to do this!”

But then I put those thoughts aside.

I remembered some of the strategies I’d learned as a kid.

First, pull aside the pieces with flat edges.

Next, group them by colour.

Then, work on one small section at a time.

When it’s no longer fun, take a break and come back with a fresh perspective.

As soon as I’d started, I let go of everything I thought I should be doing.

I really got into it – both the puzzle-making and the life lessons the process brought to the surface.

After all, my time was mine. No obligations!

This was the first of my 9 staycations this year that I wasn’t “on the job” – either as an exchange for my photography or full-time sketching. Plus, I’d already made a movie of my stay here.

This St. Michael’s staycation brought me full circle from my adventure here last May, when I created “A Prayer For Our Times“.

This time, my intention was to connect to my Team of Divine Helpers, relax one day in nature, and work on a few unfinished creative projects.

Then this happened and I’m glad it did. Enjoy!

Life is a Puzzle

Here’s the text from the 3-minute video above. Enjoy both its scenery & message. 

LIFE’S A PUZZLE!

Embrace the mystery with the dawning of each new day.
Greet it, open and willing to allow Love & Light to reveal themselves.
Fear not. Step into your life with eyes wide open.
Be ready. Be willing. You’ve got this!

And when you feel overwhelmed or scared of the task at hand,
Pause, breathe deeply, reconnect to your Life Force.
Bring the vision of your ideal life to mind and to heart.
Look how far you’ve already come in building the framework of your life.
Listen to your inner guidance.
Then, create a strategy.
Focus single-mindedly on your heart goals
One inspired step at a time.
Be fully present
And watch the windows of opportunity reveal themselves to you.

Your here & now are your home.
Live fully in it
With a clear picture of where you’re going in your heart.
Stay tuned in to your emotional guidance system
That keeps you on track and aligned
No matter the weather.

One piece at a time
Through the blessings and challenges
Happening for you, not to you
Stay on track.
And let the sheep go about their business.

Open the windows to your heart.
Trust in your evolving life purpose.
Ask your Team of Divine Helpers to assist you
And know their answers are all around you.
Piece by piece
With each window of opportunity
The picture reveals itself.

Some sections may be harder than others.
The missing piece to one project might show up much later.
You may have to rearrange pieces to find the perfect fit.
Trust in Divine Timing
And stand tall in the strong winds of life.

You are more than good enough.
You’re magnificent.
Your life is already the full picture of who you are.
Allow it to emerge one inspired piece at a time.
As you awaken your soul
And fulfill your destiny.

Did you find this inspiring? Please share it.

Bite-sized Bliss

/in ,

“Follow your bliss!” You’ve heard it before. It’s one of the ways to tap into your inner guidance. It’s also a way to attract more of what you love to you by living in the essence of what you’re wanting to attract. 

Now let’s take my new passion for videography as an example. It’s so fulfilling for me to create works of beauty that can be experienced and shared in the way videos can. But I don’t always have 4 days to film followed by 100 hours to put it all together.

I can, however, make the time for bite-sized bliss sessions that open me up to that childlike sense of curiosity and wonder I get when I travel and create.

This 4.5-minute video illustrates my point.

I didn’t travel far distances or devote two weeks or more to the creative process.

I just hopped on my bike and was at Fort Amherst not 30 minutes later. It’s hard to believe, but this was my first time there this year because the road to this National Historic Site was closed due of COVID.

I took 2.5 hours out of my busy schedule to bike out there and play at chasing a plane, kayak, helicopter, cyclist and a ship coming into St. John’s harbour with my camera. How fun!

Later that night, I spent another hour or two putting it all together on my phone with royalty-free music provided in iMovie.

Voilà – Joy! Creativity! Beauty! Fresh air! Exercise! All as an unexpected answer to an inner call to go out and play for a few hours.

I truly believe that consciously taking the time to do just that for the first part of the year is what opened up the path to my spring-fall series of barter staycations and deep-dives into longer videography projects.

I drew that opportunity to me because I was” living in the feeling tone” (L.I.F.T. practice as coined by Derek Rydall),

What would you like to draw to you? What’s your passion?

How can you add bite-sized bliss sessions into your week so you too can live in the feeling tone of what you’d like more of in your life?

It’ll raise your vibration and activate the Law of Attraction. You’re a magnet  to more of what’s in the vibration you’re already in.

So enjoy your delicious bite-sized bliss snacks. It’s all part of becoming a conscious creator of the life you want to live.

And when you’re offered a feast, give thanks and dig in!

You deserve it!

Did you find this inspiring? Please share it.