There's nothing like getting your hands dirty and doing some hard work to give you a sense of purpose and make your body feel good. It's especially lovely when the work you're doing is creative and filled with love.
I arrived back in Guadalajara en-route to Zecatacas... I knew I´d get sucked in again by Frank´s charismatic charm and I wasn't wrong. Knowing I love to build from my last visit a week ago, it took no time for him to make me an offer. Free room and board here in downtown Guadalajara in exchange for a little creative labor and letting guests into the hostel at night. Living free sounds really good right now considering my financial status, there are a few more shots I´d like to get from Guad, and I feel the need to create something tangible in a few days... rather than the epic magnitude of my current film.
So what to do... Frank suggests, half in jest, how about we build a fountain upstairs like the one we have downstairs. I respond, "Sure, I can do that", and he looks at me not believing his ears. "Just order the bricks concrete and we´ll get busy."
So off we go... We start by knocking out a concrete shelf with a sledge hammer. Everything down here is built out of concrete unlike back home in Canada where we tend to build with wood. So it´s a great opportunity to develop new building skills.
Next the concrete, sand, bricks and tile arrive.. and after some heavy lifting and mixing, I'm laying bricks. The thing I love most about this kind of work is the physical work out. Hard work can be beautiful medicine for the soul and there's nothing like looking back as you leave a place and saying.. I built that (with help from Frank, Elwin, & Alex!)
This project is leaving me feeling strong and grounded and I feel like I'm rebuilding my own foundation as I work. I've literally and metaphorically lost my footing a few times on this journey south, and there have been many times I've felt lost, but I think sometimes having a lack of direction is a direction in and of itself... since all roads lead to Rome.
Right now I´m grateful for aching muscles, and to have a safe place to create something beautiful while trying to find a sense of peace. I've literally put blood, sweat, and tears into this project... I'm walking away feeling like I need more of the same... I have a lot of emotional energy flowing right now and the biggest challenge is finding ways to channel it in a healthy and constructive manner. For me filming only goes so far, since much of the emotion relates to this epic process, a process that is often a cross in itself.
It's interesting how ever since my spiral tattoo, I've been relating to water. Last night while watching the waterfall flow into our new pond, I was thinking how the spiral is an evolution for me. I used to be interested in circles and circular patterns.. but what's interesting about the spiral is that while, like a circle, things come back around... they never return to where they once were. Thus in identifying with the spiral, I like to think that I'm breaking circular patterns, and growing into new broader perspectives.
I can't wait to build my own home one day. You can be sure I'll have water features everywhere, inside and out, teaming with life. This has been a good first effort... and I think it turned out rather well, the fish and turtles seem to be enjoying it ;-)
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There's nothing like getting your hands dirty and doing some hard work to give you a sense of purpose and make your body feel good. It's especially lovely when the work you're doing is creative and filled with love.
I arrived back in Guadalajara en-route to Zecatacas... I knew I´d get sucked in again by Frank´s charismatic charm and I wasn't wrong. Knowing I love to build from my last visit a week ago, it took no time for him to make me an offer. Free room and board here in downtown Guadalajara in exchange for a little creative labor and letting guests into the hostel at night. Living free sounds really good right now considering my financial status, there are a few more shots I´d like to get from Guad, and I feel the need to create something tangible in a few days... rather than the epic magnitude of my current film.
So what to do... Frank suggests, half in jest, how about we build a fountain upstairs like the one we have downstairs. I respond, "Sure, I can do that", and he looks at me not believing his ears. "Just order the bricks concrete and we´ll get busy."
So off we go... We start by knocking out a concrete shelf with a sledge hammer. Everything down here is built out of concrete unlike back home in Canada where we tend to build with wood. So it´s a great opportunity to develop new building skills.
Next the concrete, sand, bricks and tile arrive.. and after some heavy lifting and mixing, I'm laying bricks. The thing I love most about this kind of work is the physical work out. Hard work can be beautiful medicine for the soul and there's nothing like looking back as you leave a place and saying.. I built that (with help from Frank, Elwin, & Alex!)
This project is leaving me feeling strong and grounded and I feel like I'm rebuilding my own foundation as I work. I've literally and metaphorically lost my footing a few times on this journey south, and there have been many times I've felt lost, but I think sometimes having a lack of direction is a direction in and of itself... since all roads lead to Rome.
Right now I´m grateful for aching muscles, and to have a safe place to create something beautiful while trying to find a sense of peace. I've literally put blood, sweat, and tears into this project... I'm walking away feeling like I need more of the same... I have a lot of emotional energy flowing right now and the biggest challenge is finding ways to channel it in a healthy and constructive manner. For me filming only goes so far, since much of the emotion relates to this epic process, a process that is often a cross in itself.
It's interesting how ever since my spiral tattoo, I've been relating to water. Last night while watching the waterfall flow into our new pond, I was thinking how the spiral is an evolution for me. I used to be interested in circles and circular patterns.. but what's interesting about the spiral is that while, like a circle, things come back around... they never return to where they once were. Thus in identifying with the spiral, I like to think that I'm breaking circular patterns, and growing into new broader perspectives.
I can't wait to build my own home one day. You can be sure I'll have water features everywhere, inside and out, teaming with life. This has been a good first effort... and I think it turned out rather well, the fish and turtles seem to be enjoying it ;-)