A Grander Picture Emerges

Birth-Death-Rebirth. Birth-Death-Rebirth. Birth-Death-Rebirth. Repeat. Ad Infinitum. The amazing scholar and writer, Joseph Campbell wrote about mythology and how there are themes and myths that are similar in most cultures. The language of mythology is universal. Human beings need stories--which speak to the soul. THE POWER OF MYTH was one of the first books by Joseph Campbell that I read when I was living in Portland. The HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES is also an influential book for me that Campbell wrote. One of Campbell's philosophies is to "follow your bliss." I reflect on stories and their importance to me as a creative person. A while ago when I asked my mom to tell me about my child self she told me that I always loved stories and thus books and movies. In essence, this is true.

In contemplation what drew me to film/media was the storytelling aspect. I feel called to tell stories and be a storyteller. I remember having such a challenging time remembering stories and telling them in front of my Waldorf teacher training cohort in Portland. I had the belief that I was not a storyteller. I transcended a huge obstacle when I began to embrace seeing myself as a storyteller and I gradually improved my skills/ability in this area in front of the nurturing audience of my Waldorf teacher training cohort. This was a gradual process. I had a shift of gears, insight, and clarity which lead me to pursue my MFA in Cinema in San Francisco, thus concluding my time in Portland and closure of the Waldorf Teacher Training. All of the tools, skills, and work that I accomplished in Portland were and are utilized in my approach to film/media and holistically in my life.

What kinds of stories do I want to tell and explore in the film/media work that I make? This is a question that I am living with. It changes as I grow and evolve--as parts of my beliefs and ideas are deconstructed and composted. Seeds are planted and sprouts of new ideas and multi-faceted perspectives grow. The stories that I know for certain and are true to me are the stories which I have experienced and lived. These are the stories that I wish to share. They are universal in their qualities of themes that touch upon the human experience. The stories which I wait to tell are the ones that I have yet to experience, to savor, to live. I feel that I am co-creating the stories in my life--with colorful brush strokes on the universal canvas. I am the screenwriter of my life--on my path of destiny, on my hero's journey as Campbell wrote about in THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES. My ideas and beliefs are malleable and open to change and shifts as I continue to ride the waves onto the shores of the unknown, following my bliss.