Category Archives: road to a better life

#SOL19 27/31: A Love of Revision

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I used to HATE rereading anything I had to write in school all through public school and college, actually.  Yes, there were isolated pieces that caught me and I worked at them but generally, my entire writing process was complete drudgery.  I loved school… all of it. I loved reading, discussing, thinking, socializing..teachers…everything about school, well not math too often… but I was a school Geek with no interest in being an English teacher… I was all about Social Studies… but the essay for anyone  was a walk on hot coals… and there was no personal writing-.. Wait- we did write editorials in 8th grade SS and some of my college English classes were isolated gems when I did care about my writing, but nope… not till I was 40 and wrote a piece about the worst teacher I ever had… that story was part of my oral history and I loved spilling it out onto a page so it could go public…I worked hard to capture that moment and then share it… with my writing group at Bard College and then for our celebratory evening… That was my beginning when I became a writer and wrote for myself…

and 30 years later I sit with my computer and create one version after the next…

Who could believe that I now relish the process of revision when I create a video…

Some of you might remember  this piece that I posted early in March, knowing that I’d be back to it and  it’s not totally done right now, but the missing pieces will arrive when my collaborator, Kim White comes  back down from his trek in the Himalayas. Yes, the Himalaya Mountains 🙂

I worked hours yesterday, happy hours, tightening, moving video clips and photos around, adding a voice over that Kim created for another piece and  I think works here as well… and now there’s a new piece up on You Tube, unlisted because we are still waiting to make it easier to donate to Road to a Better Life when Kim gets the official approval and we can launch the website… but for now… here’s a new version… less than 3 minutes now…

What do you think?  Notice any changes???  I love being in this process and to think where I came from….

Bonnie

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#sol19 2/31: A Productive Snow Day!

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What a way to spend a day inside-creating a new video from my treasure trove of photos and videos from my month in Thailand.  It’s not quite finished, but what fun to wake up and know I have something brand new to post to a community that might click above, watch my  almost 3 minutes of edited work- a complete first draft.

I’m usually hesitant to publish a piece at this stage in the process but I wonder what I have.  I’ve actually been working on another piece for the last few days, focused on the work with wheelchairs I came along to document but Kim White, my Road to a Better Life partner,  requested this piece and I didn’t hesitate to move to our cane work.

He is scheduled to make a pitch to the head of a hotel in Chiang Mai and he’ll use this piece to make his case.  I’m not sure he’s watched it yet but I’m sure he’s fine with you taking a first look. So far this piece does not have text or narration but the images are pretty powerful.

Funny how this new collaboration has been so different and so productive for me.. Long distance means nothing in our digital world .So far this piece does not have text or narration but the images are pretty powerful.

What do you notice?  What do you think it needs?  .

I stitched together a set of powerful images- trying to create a sense of place and people in need in these tiny villages in north Thailand.

There’s more than I could say but after a day with this piece my head is throbbing… good throbbing… and if you are motivated, please let me know what you think?

Great timing to be in day 2 of this marathon,

Bonnie