Years and years ago in the dark ages of film when community TV stations were just getting started, I made a video. My friend Hazel Foley, no longer here on this planet, was a watercolor artist. I considered myself a writer/photographer. We co-facilitated creativity workshops in wild settings, including Glacier National Park. We wanted to expand our influence and thought making a video would be just the thing. We labored over that project, splicing frame by frame in a tiny editing room with no windows, uncomfortable chairs, dim lighting and lots of equipment, knobs, dials and trembling fine arrows pointing to numbers. It felt a little like a plane’s cockpit.

Super8 film it was called then, wasn’t it? Film that could actually break or unspool on the floor. A scary business. But we persevered and made a colorful film interviewing some of our participants and showing them at work sitting in tall grasses or beside the stream as they painted and wrote. We wanted the world to see how nature conspires to help us find our souls, reveal our unique creative voices. We called it: A Touch of the Wild and I really do want to convert it to a digital format so I can see it again.

Flash forward 25 years or so and here I am today sitting in the comfort of my adjustable desk chair in front of my own computer with the wide screen monitor and shimmering green trees and sunlight outside my windows making my very own video with my very own computer program.

And I’m still pulling out my hair. It’s crazy, what you have to go through to make a video. And yet I love it and have an unlimited attention span for doing it.

The learning curve is steep but my hands are held by James Floyd Kelly who wrote the book : “Getting Started with Windows Live Movie Maker.” What a godsend! And then I’m totally inspired by Steve Stockman. Outrageous and experienced he wrote the book “How To Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck.” Don’t you love that title?

I’ve been wanting to make videos for several years but was shy about the camera. I’d forgotten until only a week or so ago, that I don’t have to be in front of the camera to make a video. Eeeeeeeegad. I’m slow witted sometimes.

Last week I thought this first video was done. I shared it with friends who offered constructive feedback and I decided to take their advice. It’s better because of that.

The impetus for making this video is so I can include it as a link for an article I wrote for Creative Sacred Living Magazine – an online magazine with interactive components, like watching this video or listening to an audio. The article is titled: From Scared to Sacred. I’d love for you to subscribe so you can read it.

In the meantime you can watch the video! It’s only 3.29 minutes long.

Whoooooeeeeee.