Imbolc greetings to you all my friends.
How do these deep-Winter-early-early-Spring days find you? What new stirrings are tickling your spirit?
The violence & famine in the world this winter has felt super heavy to me, and I’m sure to you. I need to mention that. I need to say that that this can’t continue. And so - what can I do about it? What can anyone do about it?
Part of my politics is defying feelings of impotence and impossibility. Walking an alternative route, living resistence, however hard it feels. I’m sure there are places in your life where you are living this too, and invite you in this moment to give some reflection (& celebration) around that.
BIRDS!
I’ve just finished an intensive creation burst for a stop-motion animation for a song created by one of my favourite collaborators, Elle Chaska.
A year ago we collaborated on The Incy Wincy Inner Child Song. I used the FlipaClip app to digitally draw out something like 1.5k frames for that piece of work, my first ever go at animation.
The new song she approached me with, King of the Birds, was for children. A story song about rulership, adapted from an old folk tale called The Wren King.
Elle wanted to resist going down the AI route for the music video. I wanted to create something super tactile, that harked back to the things I watched and read in my childhood.
The result is this animation, which I created with Stop Motion Studio and an old android phone (thanks Richard) and a very basic filming set up, using my sister’s lights (thanks Liz) and lots of hand-painted paper bird puppets, moveable set pieces & backgrounds.
The artwork, technical figuring-out and 3.5k frames shot to create this video took place in 10 days. It was a feat of determination that my whole family ended up getting involved with and cheerleading me on.
Why did I leave it so late? Underestimating all that comes with moving to a new country, ADHD procrastination / hyper-focus / time-blindness all definitely played a part.
There are loads of imperfections in the video, but I was so ecstatic to have completed it and love what came through. I am the messenger, know whaddimean?
I hope you enjoy it & it sings to your spirit.
We are planning on putting some illustrated educational pages together around the birds that feature in the song.
Do you like this idea?
What would you love to see included in a downloadable activity pack?
Here are some behind-the-scenes images from the last week.
May you fly free & high above whatever challenges threaten to oppress you.
You can do it!!
Alx
p.s. thank you to paid supporters. Something is coming for you…
