After nearly two years, I am so excited that these three films are finally going to be out for all eyes to see and experience! I hope that these short videos come across many eyes, and my dream is for them to influence others to reflect on their own values in life, and take conscious action in honor of this planet that gives us everything.

Looking back at the entire process, I notice that my perspective has transformed time and time again as I have gone through each season of this creation. 

In the early summer of 2017 before going out to Paonia to shoot Clara's video and the Women's energy party,  it was all in the unknown; what would Clara's farm be like? And the weather? How many women would show up for the party? Would they camp out with us? Would we run into any issues with the film equipment? 

As soon as the energy party started and we were filming, it was like everything slowed down. I felt very present with the experience: I loved seeing conversations through the camera's screen, and capturing beautiful shots of caring faces communicating and interacting. I loved all of the green, glowing life around us. It was a beautiful weekend in Paonia, and I felt in a very open and receptive state of mind. 

Back in Boulder, I tapped into creativity as I went through hours, and hours, and hours of footage. I didn't know what exactly would come out of it... but that seems to be the magic of it all. The sequence of the energy party was my path, carved by the events that took place in those two days in Paonia. This gave me a vague outline of what the end product would be like. When Beth stepped in and made a narration, I had even more to grab onto and create meaning around. With a lot of intention and patience for the process, it all fell into place. 

After the clips were put together and the story was clear, creativity took a backseat as I worked through the nitty-gritty of editing. I spent many hours with my laptop, smoothing over every second of film into something that would hopefully look and feel good to the viewer. 

Coming out the other end of the process, I am looking at the project from a broader perspective; what is the point of all this energy I put into these videos? 

To me it is this: Our planet is our home and our life is the greatest blessing we have. And our planet is dishonored every time that we take from her without giving back. I feel that the most potent and sustainable way we can protect Earth is to know and act from our values. If our values are seated deep within us, nothing can change their presence. 

If these videos inspire others to connect with their hearts, this earth, and their communities, then I have done my job. It all starts from our heart, our intuition. From within that deep space below our throat, we can listen to the knowledge that is within us. And together in community, we can reflect and speak our feelings and thoughts into creation.