Twenty-seven years ago I moved to Maine with my two young children and their father. We struggled to find work as property maintenance specialists. Mostly it meant cleaning restaurants, cottages, municipalities, and churches. I was wildly busy, always in a rush. Then one day during our first winter, I discovered the town had a public access cable station. It was in a closet of the YMCA. It was really just four video decks, VHS, that broadcasted out via cable to the surrounding region. They needed volunteers to film. So I thought, why not me?
I began to film things people wanted to see: dance recitals, parades, and any small town spectacle I could find. I was completely learning on the go, but the town watched as I gradually learned to hold the camera steady. Soon I provided almost twenty hours of original programming.
Often I’d be making dinner and notice the blue screen. I’d drive three miles down the road to the YMCA, enter the “broadcasting closet”, put in another video tape, and press play. Then return home and finish making dinner. It was a very “homey” town.
The second winter I had a bit of a meltdown. Things were spiraling out of control for us financially. I became quite discouraged. Yet, I managed to continue my passion for videography. By then I’d taught myself how to add music, and crudely edit using two VCR’s, one to play and one to record. Very tedious work.
My favorite creative quest was discovering how to do stop-motion-animation. It was beyond tedious given the low tech tools I was using. Yet, I think it surely captures the drive of that thirty-year old I was, and how I longed to produce something to entertain the masses.
A few years ago the tech guy at my school kindly converted my only remaining VHS, (of about 300 I produced) but it is may favorite. My children thankfully don’t recall the stress I was under, just the thrill that their mommy could make them their very own television shows.
When we went remote during Covid in 2020, I resurrected that passion. I produced a new “Morning Message” for each day of our three month closure. The following summer, I produced a few podcasts. I felt the return of sustained determination holding me captive well past midnight, and the rush of a successful export.
Here is my most recent video taken on August 14, 2021. It’s called “Tears of the Androscoggin.” It’s dedicated to those who’ve suffered loss during Covid 19, and all the tears shed during this pandemic.
Here are some of my oldest productions. (I know I’m an amateur, but having a product that is entertaining has always been my simple goal.) Who knows where it may lead? I’m just thankful technology has become a lot more user friendly. (Some of you might even recognize the influence of SNL’s “Mr. Bill”!)
Enjoy these long lost snippets, they are very special to me.
Meditative Videos
Here is my most recent video taken on August 14, 2021. It’s called “Tears of the Androscoggin.” It’s dedicated to those who’ve suffered loss during this pandemic.
Podcasts
Last summer my good friend Amy Steele and I produced a series of podcasts to address the use of calming language and practices to sooth our students. We discussed the work of Dr. Daniel Siegal (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcTk7DmiA7NRmpxeX4jeB3w, our guru for Interpersonal Neurobiology, and the use of Non-violent Communication (NVC) developed in the 80’s by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg (https://youtu.be/l7TONauJGfc)
Brain Buddies
Anne with an E 