My latest video has been a joyfully collaborative effort.
The words are taken from the book Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich, 14th-century English mystic.
The images are the attentive and skillful work of Kristen Kopp. I left southern Minnesota for the outspoken beauty of Colorado, but Kristen’s photographic impressions of my prairie home do gorgeous justice to the whispering wonder of that place. Treat your eyes and your soul to more of her work here: http://instagram.com/kristenannakopp
While I wrote the music and made a simple recording with acoustic guitar and vocals, my best-beloved, Nathan Bloom, sculpted the audio tracks into a fascinating aural landscape.
Deepest thanks to Julian, Kristen and Nathan for sharing your own unique vista on the world with me in producing this video!
An ode to globalization, selfies and Jesus junk. I wrote this song shortly after reading The Story of Stuff, in which author Annie Leonard traces the stories behind the everyday stuff we westerners build so much of our lives around.
The song focuses on the people around the world who work, often for short pay and long hours, sometimes in slavery, often in generally poor conditions, to make the stuff that I think is so vital to my quality of life. In making the film to accompany the song, I chose to take a good hard look at my own face rather than further exploiting the beautiful and tragic faces of those who suffer just so I can save time and money perpetuating my comfortable lifestyle.
This video’s purpose is not to inform, inspire, call to action, or entertain. It is mostly to confess, lament, own up to the truth – that my perfect little plastic world is built on the backs of a good part of the real world.
I will not be swearing off my iPhone, my imported grapes, my sweat-shop-produced clothing. But I will be honest about the stories behind the things I allow into my life. There are many perspectives on globalization and the good or evil that it does to people and the planet. There are not easy answers. But this is something worth talking about, acknowledging, wrestling with.
A great place to get started is Leonard’s book, which, along with lots of other resources including some cute little films (whose purpose actually is to inform, inspire, call to action, and entertain), can be found at www.storyofstuff.org.
A fair-trade cell phone I just came across today (I know nothing about it, but looks like something worth checking out, *note – only available in Europe) – http://www.fairphone.com
What? It’s September already? Here at The More I Learn the More I Wonder, we are doing more wondering and wandering than writing these days.
But also writing and recording more music. This videosong is our tribute to British imaginations and their lifelike creations.
There are lots more songs in the works and a full-length album getting near the end of gestation too. So, though the blog is taking it easy, it doesn’t mean I am!
Here’s a new videosong, recorded in a newly gutted space in our house. Before we cover up those gorgeous walls with up-to-code drywall, we thought it’d be fun to make a film in this space!
Julia Bloom 