Episode VIII - a reflection on creative hesitations.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A MacBook Pro laptop keyboard beside a white piece of paper with a pen on top and mug partially in view. On the piece of paper the word August is on the top. Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5 is written down the left hand side.
My work and the work of all creative entrepreneurs are mostly self-driven, which means we are the sole motor keeping the projects going.
What happens when you have outgrown the motor you have been using?
You start looking for a replacement.
Theme Weeks.
Sounds and looks simple, and it is.
Instead of packing my days with busy work that may get me to my next goal or accomplished task, I have begun practicing looking at the month ahead and giving each week a theme.
These themes often only consist of one to three words encapsulating an idea, project title, goal or medium (radio, film…etc.)
By attaching a theme to the week, I am telling myself exactly what that week is about.
Busy work and often distracting work like social media, emails, grants, pitches, etc., can distract oneself from the primary goal.
With this new way of looking at my work week, I can focus on the most important task I need to move forward in a broader sense.
For example:
August Week 1: “Radio Pitch.”
No one knows what that exactly means, but I do. I knew what I wanted to see happen, my goal, and the project, and it kept me on task until I had accomplished all I could get done related to the intent that week. (Once a draft/pitch is sent off, you are in the waiting game.)
This has brought a lot of clarity to my life.
It’s incredible how fast or slow a day can go when you dread the list staring back at you. After implementing this new way of doing things, I have time left for professional development, reading/watching, passion projects, or simply stopping the presses, lying on the floor and letting my cat and daughter crawl all over me. At the same time, I process my next right step.
I plan on continuing this method into Autumn, and I have a sneaky suspicion it is here to stay.
Until the next work productivity revelation,
Onwards.
Video of Amy & her seven-year-old daughter climbing the rocks at Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia.
Episode VII - A simple study on how becoming a mother alters a woman's life. Every decision, every movement is factoring in someone else.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
I started 2022 out with the word Space as my One word. I have been carrying with me these words to go along with them:
How am I expanding into S P A C E today?
Expand into
Fill Up
Hold
Make
Create
S P A C E
I started the year feeling more empowered to make daring moves. To claim the space, I was seeing before me. It wasn't easy, it was scary, and I continued applying, pitching and finding little wins along the way.
Then I was hit.
Self-doubt.
You see,
Despite a deep belief in a calling that calls me to hold space for others, ask them deep and inspiring questions, capture them and find a way to showcase what I see about the world around me, I also recognize I came into all of this unconventionally.
It wasn't until I made my most daring and scary move thus far in my creative / documentary career yet at the end of May that I realized I was putting myself out there in a way that scared me.
And then S P A C E, meant a totally different thing.
Space became a challenge to remember how to hold space for me when no one else is around to hold me.
When the quiet rages, the lack of response, recognition, and relational interactions persist.
What does it look like to hold space for me?
It has led me back to me.
We believe that we hustle to success.
That we become millionaires from building something from the ground up and never stopping.
We believe that we are the makers of our own designs.
We forget that we are the souls that need our whole selves, not just portions we leave on the shelf because they are too weighty to carry.
I continue to strive to fill up, hold, make and create space that honours myself and those around me, and that may mean that I won't see the bigger picture until much later, but I will not become less of myself in the process. I will not shelf my healing until later, and I will not lose relationships that matter along the way.
I will honour the whole process, not just the portions that look like success. I will also honour the quiet and most mundane and lonely moments.
They all
equally
matter.
Episode VI - Reaching for child-like joy in the everyday.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
My head and my heart are colliding, chaotic
Pace of the world, I just wish I could stop it
Since the beginning days of 2022, I have felt this build-up of unrest and concern. Something within was becoming at odds with the world around me. I have learned over the years that this often occurs before or during significant change.
The Summer of Slow is a meditation to remind me of my values in my personal and professional life.
What it looks like:
Maintaining a strong AM / PM Routine (morning workout, breakfast, journals - bedtime routine etc.)
Everything between the AM / PM routine is unscheduled (don’t freak out: appts, and contract deadlines still maintain a place in the calendar)
A weekly beach day or evening
Write a letter weekly (communicating with those I love slowly)
Document mindfully (follow the inspirations and whims)
Read for work & pleasure often.
Visit the library often.
The world we live in is not a world that is geared to slow, yet the best and most provocative work I have been moved by so often has the story of years of thought and mindful work behind it.
I want to be that type of person.
The one who puts every ounce of insight thought, and curiosity into their work.
One can only do that at a mindful pace and from a place of intentional space.
Yet structure is where the work is honed, which is what I also seek to find in my Summer of Slow.
I seek to mine the gemstones of meditative thinking, processing, being and creating.
The underpinnings of what it means to slow the heartbeat to hear the world around me so that when I speak and move, I am doing it from a place of anchored confidence, compassion and intentions.
Onwards,
In BNV Media Studio | Halifax. N.S.
***Martina and I officially met when I featured her in a CBC Radio project earlier this year on creativity. Interviewing her was a joy and clearly left us with so much more to discuss. Sitting and joining her in her space was a joy.
Ep. 64 | Holding Space with Guest, Amy Grace
Writer, Producer and Director in tv and film, Amy Grace is here as our first guest this season on the podcast!
Amy has graced us with her presence this week in the studio and has shared some beautiful sentiments with us on holding space, discovering our path and understanding the many things that shape our journey, through our childhood experiences and creativity.
To connect further with Amy, check her out on Instagram at @byamygrace or at www.byamygrace.com
Life Out Loud Podcast — now available for download on @applepodcasts, @spotifypodcasts, @iheartradio, or wherever you download podcasts!
Produced by: @bnv.media
In BNV Studios.- Marinta Kelades & Amy Grace ‘22.
Over the past few years, I have been doing my best to maintain and invest in my own creative business.
As much as I would like to say I am on top of all that I own, use and have fallen into using, it’s simply not true.
The truth is, I am often either emergency replacing an item (aka my laptops) and rushing to update, set up and use than genuinely taking my time and learning what these items are capable of.
I also know that personality does play a part in this. I know a few creative-based individuals who obsess over a new tool/software and would spend all of their free time figuring them out until they have mastered them. Admittedly, that is not me. I need reasons for using something, a personal or professional project, to wrap my head around using something. Although this is how I genuinely learn best, it also does naturally, at times, leave gaps.
This year, I decided to change that and am working on learning in-depth each of my tools and software.
To stay accountable to this goal, I will be updating over time what I have learned.
Equipment
Blue Yeti Mic - Used for podcast recordings & various radio docs.
Zoom h4n Pro Audio Recorder - A recent birthday gift to support my audio documentaries
Canon EOS RP - For creative and documentary captures.
MacBook Pro 14 Inch - 2021 - For every single thing I do.
Software
Final Cut Pro - For editing any footage that I use.
Final Draft 12 - For screenwriting.
Celtx - For Audio script writing
Grammarly Editor - To catch everything I am too busy to catch. ****A Ukraine business.******
Audacity - For exporting and editing audio clips.
& with all of this said, I recognize that it is a huge privilege to have these items at my disposal, and I am determined to end 2022 with a greater grasp on how I can use them to their highest potential.
Episode IV - How one centres oneself when the practice of creativity is unclear.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
Amy Grace, a writer and creative producer in Nova Scotia, is fascinated by the creative process. She speaks to Jeff Douglas about how some people are learning to be creative without letting "hustle culture" make them lose sight of the important things in their lives.
Episode 3 - What a day of attempting creativity looks like for me. Often full of surprises.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
This winter felt deeply like a retreat of the soul.
Weekend storms, ice covering trees, snow piled up and the air bitter with gusts that cut into the core.
As if everything in nature was pointing to a need to sit down, take cover and hold on.
I have felt as if the snow was covering me. Keeping me warm, yet sometimes the weight of it, confusing.
Ideas have been tucked away, words slow and stilted, my voice tired.
And then I began to see the robins.
One by one, they began to fill the trees around me, reminding me that there was something to remember about this time of year.
Something they were too anxious to wait for,
so they came early.
I can feel the spring air coming and something new and stirring in the soul with it.
Ideas are fluttering around my head again, the words are coming quicker now, and my voice is gaining strength.
Winter is ending.
I am tying up the loose ends of a radio project with CBC Producer Natalie Dobbin, finishing the first draft of script alongside Ian Wilson, pitched with Lynn Matheson at Transmedia Zone’s pitch event, exploring my own personal projects through monthly short videos and wrapping up the second draft of a script.
Spring is arriving.
I am seeing the projects bud up in front of me. An audio project here, a documentary there, and that sweet dear project reminding me it needs more sunlight.
There will be rain, winds and cold snaps, but there will also be warm light, fresh soil, and new connections to be made.
Episode 2 - Reflections on the weight of trauma and what it means to give space for others and the situations we are unaware of.
Creative Field Notes is a series that studies the way creativity weaves itself throughout and communicates with all aspects of the natural rhythms of life.
*a note:
Throughout February, I became more heavily burdened for the words we use to communicate our own perspectives.
Watching posts on social media become more and more volatile and disrespectful.
It is damaging when we create outrage on the internet yet miss the ones beside us who are suffering.
We ‘other’ others without hesitation. We insert sarcastic emojis, gifs and snippets of news clips to demand our point and our outrage to be seen.
Yet,
We have become increasingly numb to the trauma and wounds of others.
Seeing the trees around us bear the weight of the winter ice and winds reminded us how much we are all carrying.
And by we, I mean…
The ‘we’ of humanity. ‘We’ the breathing. ‘We’ the me and ‘we’ the you.
’We’ the ‘every’ side.
May we collectively remember, especially now, what it means to support those who are suffering, to be the place they can recover and find strength and not the place they struggle to survive and begin to break under the weight of our own words and actions.
It’s no secret I love films.
Any film that makes me think, feel deeply or reflect makes my list of forever favourites.
Here are the top five and why they make the cut.
About Time
This film has a one-two punch. First, you think you are watching a rom-com, to which you are. Next, you think you are watching some fantastical reality, to which you are, and last, you think you are watching an essay on how to stay mindful and appreciative in your life, to which you absolutely also are. It has perfectly delivered a reminder, laugh and warmth that we all need.
Stories We Tell
Albeit a documentary, this film gutted me and reshaped my reasons for why I write and why I seek to share stories. For me, it’s never been about hitting the zeitgeist or getting noticed, and it’s about trying to reach that compulsion to understand something in a more profound and more meaningful way. Sarah Polly is a beacon in storytelling work for this, and here is a perfect example of how telling stories has value on the inner and outward self.
Inside Out
This animation film shakes the ground on humanity. Pixar killed it and left me processing this for years, and I am still processing it. As I raise my own child, I have moments where scenes come back to me, reminding me when things are tender, unique or raw.
Now & Then
This film brings me back to one of the safest spaces I have ever been. Curled up with my cousin, watching this. It speaks to that age we were, the storm of confusion we were about to experience and what brings me back to this is the idea that we were intertwined then and found our way to be just as intertwined now. Every time I revisit it, it is nostalgic, bitter-sweet, and beautiful things to me.
Before Sunrise
I am late to this trilogy, but it has been another example of pure excellence in storytelling and writing. Many people in film stick their noses up at pages of dialogue. Still, Richard Linklater pushes the envelope open on real people in this project, and each of the three films tells us so much about real people, genuine relationships and real life.
For the year 2022, I’ll be working on a personal project and series “Creative Field Notes”.
Using my personal reflections, creative inspirations and topics I find that is relevant I will be putting together content in a monthly format that aims to reflect that process.
I am not fully clear on how this will shape itself, but I believe that is the whole point.
I want to become closer to myself and those around me through my creative journey.
I want to document more.
I want to find out how this lives outside of myself
and
I want to stay attentive and mindful of the creative process as a whole.
Whatever else occurs while working on this, will surely be an on-the-ground and active discovery.
Onwards,
New Year.
New…
Newsletter.
I’ve resisted this ‘traditional’ approach to my work for a long time.
Yet there is something more intimate and connected about crafting a letter just for the ones who want to hear it.
Here is what this monthly drop into your inbox aims to be:
a personal letter from me.
creative notations/observations over the past month.
Links to other creative’s/works that have caught my eye and why.
quick links to any blogs/links that I have released.
Anything up & coming that might be relevant.
I hope to keep this as personal and as minimal as possible.
For those of us who want to feel in a community together, this is my first step in 2022 to create that.
For opting in click on the image below to bring you to my home page where this image and sign up lives.
space | spās | noun
1 a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or unoccupied
2 the dimensions of height, depth, and width within which all things exist and move
3 an interval of time (often used to suggest that the time is short considering what has happened or been achieved in it)
4 the portion of a text or document available or needed to write about a subject
5 the freedom and scope to live, think, and develop in a way that suits one
Regarding life, I often compare living experiences to that of a space we have been invited into.
Everyone has their own unique Space they are in. Some are busy growing and cultivating; others, wounded and confused with how to tend to the wreckage of the Space before them.
Some of us have taken too much pride over our perfectly tended to Space's only to realize that all it takes is one of life's tragic hurricanes to completely destroy everything we have built.
As it is with any space, as it is with life.
Nothing is permeant.
Everything is experienced.
I believe that despite what it looks like at this moment, I am being called to claim the Space that I have already been growing into.
This is a very 'New Year' concept, yet I mean this truly and uniquely.
Understanding oneself enough to know what one brings to Space will boost everyone and honour one's own skills.
To take up Space means you understand there are nuances.
Embedded in our society are two structures that directly conflict with each other.
Your voice only matters if you pay your dues, look a certain way, act a certain way and play the system.
Your voice matters no matter who you hurt, how you slander if it's based on proven facts or not and if you are louder than the opposite side.
I want to unlearn these two very scary structures.
Because the truth is,
To show up to the Space, we are called to expand in that will be long lasting and legacy building, we need to
Hold Space for oneself.
Hold Space for others.
Discern the difference between a rare and unique situation and an unhealed wound.
Show up and harness oneself to bring ones' best to any given moment.
Hard work is what it takes to stay open to the nuances of life.
And for me, that is what Space is all about.
To walk into the Space. To do the hard work to press in, cultivate it for healing, understanding and creating new boundary lines to thrive even when my heart aches, the body is tired and the soul, weary.
The invitation to expand into space isn’t easy, but the journey
I believe
Is life-changing.
And so,
Into this space, I go.
Learning how to stand taller, expand wider and grow deeper.
Onwards,
Amy Grace
Wrapping up a year, it’s easy to get caught up in the next thing.
I’ll be the first to say I love planning and jumping into the new
but,
before the jump,
let’s pause and take a moment to celebrate the wins of 2021.
Completing the ‘Owning It’ series alongside Natalie Dobbin and Claire Fraser was a high. Both Claire and I worked hard under our Brilliansea umbrella to create space for showcasing the skills of various women. in Owning It, we were able to share that with a broadcaster. I am so proud of our work under Brilliansea and the Owning It series.
The radio doc ‘Speak to Me!’ for CBC radio produced by Natalie Dobbin was indeed a piece of my heart in audio format. It was a learning experience to understand how to take an idea and format it for radio, but it was a fulfilling experience that left me inspired and ready to produce and create more.
The radio series ‘What We Carry with Us’ with Natalie Dobbin and Megan Piercey Monafu. A labour of love and a way to showcase a varying take on documenting the memories and people we love.
Along with these projects I have:
Finished production on a podcast for WIFT-AT.
Finished a pilot episode first draft on a drama.
Started a children’s book with a good friend and illustrator.
In collaboration with another actor and writer on a television series.
The wins are so important to remember.
It allows us to recognize that growth has occurred, and
the reminder that it will happen again.
You are never done growing.
Over the past year, I have been able to link up with various artists and artisans to create work and the one thing it has reminded me of again and again.
I love collaboration.
That spark and joy occur between people when ideas come together and boost themselves into something bigger, fuller, broader.
Collaboration isn’t always easy.
It can be confusing, sticky, challenging and a bit like therapy.
Always trying to communicate in some creative and haphazard way that may only work between you as that team coming together to make that specific thing.
Currently, I am working on developing a project with a dear friend, and it has us all over the place with love for each other, the project and the heart behind it.
And that is genuinely what collaboration is all about.
Realizing the heart behind the work.
Use your intellectual mind and skills to bring them forth with a common heart and goal.
It’s where all people involved can shine. Bringing their beautiful souls to the surface of the work and letting them work speak for itself.
Although all of these projects are long-term and not at all ready to be shared, we can know that despite the collaboration process being hard work and extended, it can be some of the most rewarding and beautiful things.
Examples of Beautiful Collaborations:
Sunrise Trilogy: Ethan Hawke, Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy
The Last Mrs, Parrish : Liv Constantine aka : sisters Lynne Constantine and Valerie Constantine.
Little Fires Everywhere (Limited TV Series): Kerry Washington , Reese Witherspoon, Celeste Ng
We are the World | Lionel Richie & Michael Jackson & various performers others (MJ’s work and reputation have clearly been tarnished by much of what the public now knows. For me, it does not tarnish this song and the deeper meaning and cause it was created for.)
It’s taken almost a full year to give birth to a specific first draft of a project.
I have taken my time processing the reasons behind wanting to craft this story, and it’s taken me a lot of time to process each turn and twist.
I’ve worked to lay the cards on the table and see what I have to work with.
Sharing this project with a select few has allowed me to see where I need to fill in plot holes and various clarifications. I liked to cover this project up, saying it was the roughest of rough ideas.
But the honest truth is it’s taken full shape, and it’s time to take it into its next draft.
A little group of words to push me into a new season with a new draft.
Onwards,
and may the cards fall where they may.