landscapes :: one
a video for nervous system reset, prose for plants and analog life
in an attempt to reclaim my creativity (vs productivity), i decided to create something i’ve been wanting to create for a long time: a nature inspired video for nervous system reset. this project was inspired by the collective accountability and support found in this writing group: https://www.codycookparrott.com/landscapes , facilitated by Cody Cook Parrott.
i have this idea that i will create many of them over time and space, but putting that pressure on myself so early feels “productive” again, so i won’t make promises.
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words from video by me:
in front of me stands the wheel of fortune. it is a card that holds the heaviness of a defining moment. fear arises, but so too does excitement. all that i am feeling in my body. in the illustration there is a bear, a goat, and a lion. the lion sits atop a stone arc in a field, looking down upon the other animals. evergreens border the arc while deciduous trees peak through it’s opening. i can’t help but note the significance here, the personal symbolism i feel with these trees.
high in the sky is the presence of the mighty wheel, lined with stars of the galaxy. 8 wooden spokes culminate equidistant apart to meet in the middle - a circular block of wood. if one were to place a finger inside the semi-circle that holds the spoke to the wheel, and turn, the whole system would move. their whole world would be affected. the night would turn to dawn, the wind would carry the soil, the nutrients would feed the plants, the buds would feed the birds. and on and on.
i think of this energy requirement to meet life’s destiny. if there was no energy, no intention, the wheel would continue to sit in the blue of the sky, peering down at its audience. it would not turn, it would not shift the winds, and the stars would not move. the stillness would not sparkle. stale stars. was there ever such a thing?
one might bask in the energy of staleness. there is still perspective here. sometimes a lack of movement can inform us on where we want to go, how we want to create, how to use our resources. sometimes the staleness only appears outward, but secretly, inside, the wheel spins ever so slowly. it watches over the shearing and turns it into yarn. a moment of transformation. healing can take place in the process. healing can take place in a moment of noticing the wave of a maple leaf.
i think of the bear, the lion, and the goat — members meeting destiny. do they have their bags packed? are they thinking of what they’re leaving behind? are they eager to root into the soil of a new landscape?
