In case you missed them, here are my favourite posts from November:
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Behind the twirling is a tightly wound sense of self-protection, from being told the way I moved my body was wrong.
Behind the jumping is a feeling of being held down by gravity, believing that nothing would ever change.
Behind the swirl of a skirt is a girl who sits on her hands as otherwise they fidget and fly freely when she talks.
Behind the feet standing in a ray of light is a woman who thought she was invisible.
Behind the dance is a life long journey to feel present in her own skin.
Behind the photo is something different than the viewer might see.
But the story the viewer sees is just as important. That craving to feel free, to create spaces where one can ‘dance like no one is watching’, but if I don’t tell you that there are deeper stories behind these images where I am cultivating whimsy and freedom, I fear you might believe that whimsy is something frivolous or some utopian place you can’t go.
But you can.
Whimsy is respite.
Twirling is freedom.
Jumping is release.
Dancing is self-love.
And we all deserve to stand in the light.
Behind the photo is a much different story than what you see but I want you to remember the whimsy, to seek out those moments for yourself, in whatever way that happens for you.
Because to me, whimsy isn’t wimpy. It isn’t childlike. It isn’t goofy. It is sacred and radical.
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I’m mighty excited to share with you that the super lovely Andrea Scher is sharing an interview I did with her for her ‘Creative Superheroes’ Interview Series.
Andrea’s questions were really like no other interview I’ve ever done and she invites us to spill our stories so that is exactly what I did over there, sharing a story about not believing that I was ‘smart’ that I’ve never shared before. She has a way of making you feel safe to show up in your vulnerability.
I met the lovely Andrea many years ago when I got a chance to live in the SF Bay Area for a bit. We shared a studio space and went on some super lovely photo adventures and I always love getting to connect with her again when I take my yearly winter ‘I-need-a-break-from-winter trip to the bay area (yes, I know the weather is similar there, but seeing Magnolias blooming in February does wonders for a gal’s spirits).
So, I hope you’ll join me over at Superhero Journal today!
Also, if you have a chance to check out her whole interview series, I so recommend it. You can hear from the incredible creatives: Karen Walrond, Bari Tessler, Tara Sophia Mohr, Laurie Wagner, Maya Stein and Jen Lee.
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I’m mighty excited to share that there is a brand new class in 2013!
After teaching 3 sold-out sessions of the original Montage class this year, it became clear that folks were craving more video goodness and wanted to keep inspired after the class.
I wanted it to have the same deeply supportive energy as Montage, as when working with a new-to-us medium lots of questions come up! I also wanted it to be a class that could be a class to gather up video clips before taking Montage, to keep creating after taking the original Montage class or as a stand alone class!
So I’m thrilled to introduce you to
Montage ~ Soulful Gathering
In this class you receive:
- Daily posts in your inbox Monday to Friday for four weeks with daily invitations for ways to tell your stories through video. The daily posts are gentle and invite you to let your story unfold.
- For a more in-depth experience of the class, there is a classroom space where you can explore the days prompt in community space, where there will also be extra resources and inspirations for you.
- A Weekly video in the classroom in which Vivienne invites you to come along on a video gathering walk with her and provides further inspiration for you on your video adventures.
- A month of technical support from Vivienne
- A PDF with all of the class content to continue your exploration throughout the year
- An invitation to a Private Flickr Group to share video clips and still images from your adventures.
- A soulful community experience
The course is absolutely welcoming for beginners, or maybe you who may be well versed in using your camera but may not have tried that video function yet!
You find out more information here!
As always, if you have any questions about whether the course is right for you, don’t hesitate to email me at vivienne.mcmaster@gmail.com
Yes.
Sometimes the best way to show up for yourself is to smile as wide as you possibly can and pretend that the cat drawn on the wall behind you is peeking out from behind your shoulder.
Sometimes this feels as theraputic, as freeing as a photo in which you are finally able to see your beauty.
Sometimes seeing our beauty isn’t just about the story of our physicality but letting our spirit shine through in a photo.
Sometimes redefining your relationship to your self-image is about downright cracking yourself up.
Sometimes you’ve just gotta get the sillies out.