Tag Archives: DIY

Seasonal Slowness

Posted on by
Reply

I am currently working on a documentary on slow clothes and have been in contemplation on how hand made items can deeply enrich our lives, how it is a necessity for us to make more of our own goods with 7 billion people cohabiting on the planet with a limited amount of natural resources.  It is a fact that the majority of people in our society have no connection to the items they possess other than selecting them at a store. 

During the winter holidays, when daylight is scarce and our schedules are full, it can be hard to maintain our bliss.  I am coming out of a very busy spell with a schedule that kept me at school working on projects until 1-2 AM several days a week, and sometimes at school 7 days a week.  Now that I have a few weeks off my first instinct is to sleep.  My second instinct is to spend as little time as possible shopping for obligatory gifts and to spend quality time with friends and family, the people who fuel me.  Taking the time for the subtle joys.

bright

The first thing I did with my free time was to buy materials in which I can create with.  For the next few weeks, aside from quality time with loved ones, I am developing skills pertaining to hand crafted textiles.  I am slowing down this season and that does not mean that I will be hibernating.  Aside from catching up on sleep I am going to be less spread thin and more intentional with my time.  As the winter solstice envelopes us with darkness I find my equilibrium, I engage in activities that recharge and inspire rather than distract and deplete.  Moving forward with clarity and focus on what the holidays really represent and not so caught up in the superficial aspects of the winter holidays in North America.

drop spindle

I hope to create more of what we normally consume, always contemplating how to reduce my footprint.  I look at all of the stores selling stuff and I wonder how much of it ends up in a land fill within a few years, barely making a lasting impact on the person who acquires it. I dream of a society that spends more time with peers creating rather than shopping for useless distractions that are depleting our Earth’s resources.  I dream of people learning more traditional skills and combining them with our modern technology and wisdom to truly innovate and revolutionize how we be.

I slow down this holiday season and my mind feels anything but slow.  I feel sharp and inspired.  My heart is full and ready to give.

Truly sustainable textiles consider the land that grows the materials spun then woven into cloth.  It is a human art deeply connected to the Earth.

Imminent Change

Posted on by
Reply

It seems that the keleptocrats are getting their asses kicked and rightfully so. The unethical practices conducted by Wall Street have griped me for many years. My ex-husband transitioned from a sensitive software developer to a bond trader for Citibank a decade ago and my marriage went downhill from there. He became volatile and corrupt, he lost interest in his children as he fully subscribed to the world of finance which he described as ‘sexy’. He has been in touch lately telling me that the world’s economy is on life support again with a state of anxiety in his tone.

Our youth have become distracted by media; Facebook and iPods keep them distracted and unaware of what is really happening on the planet. I am so thrilled to see a revolution, to see that people are standing up for their futures, for their freedom. Revolutions are a healthy part of any society and there has been a lack of revolution in America since Vietnam. Corporate America has done a great job at keeping the masses somewhat sedated but now the corruption on Wall Street seems to have left many in a position that they can no longer be passive. I am thrilled to see people expressing their views in a peaceful way.

Major media conglomerates have not been covering the Occupy Wallstreet protests though you may want to keep one eye on what is happening, this is the boldest and bravest event I have ever seen by the American People, David is taking on Goliath. There is plenty independent coverage.

I have been feeling intensity boiling in my veins, I have been unable to tolerate situations or people who violate my freedom or the freedom of others and have been feeling bolder than ever. The feelings within me mirror the energy collectively being acted upon. I feel a balance in power is on its way and I am excited at this prospect though I must admit to feeling somewhat terrified by the process. Ready or not I think things may eventually get ugly before they improve. Brace yourselves.

Nomadic Injections

Posted on by
Reply

This summer fellow nomadic bliss seeker and beat maker, Shamik, released a new CD which is something to be excited about. It’s amazing. He collaborated with musicians around the world in the creation of his second CD, here is a video of one of the tracks that I helped him out with:

Shamik is a Canadian beat boxer who has performed around the world with an impressive blend of groups and musicians including some of my personal favorites Thievery Corporation, Delhi 2 Dublin, and Oka. He’s a stellar person to have tea and conversation with, I picked his brain and this is what he had to say. Enjoy.

It is impressive to be able to create a dance party with nothing other than your vocal cords/mouth and a loop pedal. Physically what else do you draw upon to be able to sustain high energy beat making?

Breathing is very important. I breathe in and out deeply all day. Something as simple as breathing (which we do all the time) can make such a difference in staying calm and focused. Living in Vancouver is good for being outside and doing a lot of walking too:)

With your nomadic travels this summer performing in BC’s best music festivals what has been inspiring you? What have you been impressed by?

There is a lot of great music out of here, so outdoor festivals feel like celebrations of what we’ve been working on all year! Bass Coast Project in Squamish Valley was a prime example of that. We literally danced under a full moonlit sky in the valley to amazing music coming out of the west coast. This year at Shambhala I walked around pretending like it was my first time or like I didn’t know a lot about the music playing…and I left there with a huge smile on my face because it’s surreal how this wonderful festival happens in the Kootenays. I had a blast at Komasket in Vernon, Soundwave in Ucluelet…also had good times at Edmonton Folkfest and Astral Harvest in Alberta. One of my most memorable moments this summer was performing with Kellylee Evans as support for the one and only George Benson at Victoria and Vancouver Jazzfest. Wow he was unbelievable!! I feel very grateful that people take time to come out and support live music, and these people are just as integral to our vibe as the artists. It’s been really inspiring to see so many BC peeps working hard and having huge success.

Musically what do you have your sights set upon for the upcoming year?

I’m hoping to do a few more collaborations in the studio. Now that my album is finished, working with other artists on their projects is a top priority. I seem to always have my hands in multiple pots because thankfully beatboxing helps me tap into many scenes. In December, I’m working on going back to Asia and Australia. It’s important to me to keep trying to spread my music to other continents, so I’m excited to head back to the other side of the globe. There is definitely a lot of love out there and tonnes of good music!

Nomadic Injections

Nomadic Injections

-Download a free track from Nomadic Injections here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?cqxz88pk6h4dx2x

-Purchase Nomadic Injections on iTunes:
http://bit.ly/bpeFP3

-Purchase on CD Baby:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/Shamik1

Here’s a little video I captured of Shamik’s set at the Komasket Music Festival.

moving for words: a short film

Posted on by
2

Last month I wrote about Enlightened Cinema, a monthly gathering at the Chai Gallery hosted by Winston Rekert bringing together a community in appreciation of independent film making. That evening in January, local performer/actress Lisa Petrucci expressed that she had an idea for a short film. That film idea turned into a script, then Winston drew together a crew to help Lisa’s vision manifest into a short film. He introduced me to Lisa and when she read her script to me I resonated deeply with her theme of dreams, and how a dream can give us insight on important events in our lives, or important people. The dance between the conscious and the subconscious. Desire, do we act upon it or suppress it out of fear of being hurt, or our minds getting in the way.

crew of moving for words

crew of moving for words

So, from Lisa’s beautiful vision and script I got to work on my first short film with actors. I got to direct along side Winston, which was an insightful process. I also produced and edited the film and enjoyed working with cinematographer Ahmed Badawi. We shot the film in two days and I had to co-ordinate the musicians to record the score in between my mad schedule and busy family life. But it happened, this project had a synergistic flow to it and it all came together in time for the film to be showed on the second ever Enlightened Cinema on February 3rd, although I had to connect my laptop to the projector as I had not yet compressed and copied it onto a DVD.

Lisa Petrucci

Lisa Petrucci

We filmed in the beautiful Pacific Spirit Park, and were a frozen bunch by the end of the day. The second day of filming was in the most wonderful second hand bookstore, Bibliophile, at 2010 Commercial Drive. If you have not been there you should go check it out, it is loaded with charm. I managed to scoop up an incredible book on traditional Indian textile patterns, which is a major passion of mine. Scott, the manager, was super hospitable to us filming in his store. I also have to give props to actor Aryo Khakpour, he was very helpful on set and did such a great job acting.

Bibliophile - best used book store

Bibliophile - best used book store

Solen enjoyed being around the set. At Chai Imin Shekere a few days after we finished filming, he had my video camera and was quite the little director with the patrons and performers! It was so cute seeing him interview people and directing shots throughout the evening. I am sure he will be mighty useful on future sets.

Solen on set

Solen on set

Do it people, get your ideas onto paper, collaborate, get the right people together and set a deadline. Voila, in one month a finished project.

If you are curious about the project, I’d be happy to show you the 10 minute movie. Short film and tea and conversation.

moving for words/moving forwards

Enlightened Cinema at the Chai Gallery

Posted on by
2

This evening I got back from the first initiative of bringing together an existing conscious and creative community to put their focus towards appreciating and creating movies with uplifting and conscious content. Hosted by award winning actor and producer Winston Rekert at the Chai Gallery in Vancouver, there will be monthly screenings of short films produced by the community, as well as other local and international films. For years the Chai Gallery has been a gem in Vancouver, serving organic ayurvedic eastern food, being a venue suitable for the whole family to enjoy music, and money going to NGO’s to benefit children who’s lives are affected by war. On any given night it is packed with a sweet crowd and a little later the dancefloor is alive with groovers young and old.

The first ever Enlightened Cinema at Chai evening started with a partial screening of Baraka, then Winston screened several other short films courtesy of the Spiritual Cinema Circle, as well as a short film by a local film student. After the viewings the collaborations began and people started sharing their ideas and experiences. It was so wonderful for me to see the beautiful space filled with a large screen, projector, and a room filled with people enjoying films! The Chai Gallery’s co-owner Mustafa Reza has a degree in film and with so many of the colorful people that are involved with the space having an interest or passion in video in one way or another, and with Winston Rekert’s experience and willingness to cultivate a progressive video community, there is now a possibility for a vibrant community to shine even brighter.

To become involved with community filmmaking efforts, contact: chaicinema@gmail.com

So if you know any eager film-makers, actors, composers or friends who have a story to tell, please put the word out or come out and enjoy some of the best Chai Vancouver has to offer, good food, great people, and inspiring films of course.

Chai Gallery Restaurant, 3243 West Broadway. 1st Tuesday of the Month starting January 2009 7pm-10pm

enlightened-chai

I can’t wait to write about any possible projects that have started from this evening after next month’s Enlightened Cinema at Chai.