WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:16.500 This is Room in the Trees, a podcast about living a creative life. Room in the Trees is hosted by Trent Reynolds and me, Sabrina Ward-Harrison. 00:00:16.500 --> 00:00:23.600 show notes including pictures links video and more for every episode can be found at 00:00:23.600 --> 00:01:35.500 roominthetrees.com you can follow us on instagram at sabrina ward harrison and at trent reynolds art and now here's this week's episode the first year i moved here i was walking the dogs and i didn't you know i didn't know anybody and i was walking down to the lake and I thought I saw these swans. I'm like, that's crazy talk, Sabrina. There's not freaking trumpeter swans in the lake. Are you kidding me? Really? And so I hadn't seen them since and I kind of, but I thought years later I would think, was that real? I wonder if those were really swans. Like, do they really, you know, I've seen a flock of swans before and living anywhere and so they sure enough came back this year and it was just it was majestic and the same day i saw we saw two bald eagles just fly through the backyard no way while looking at the swans and then i'm marco poloing my dad showing the swans and then I'm like, holy cow, in the Marco Polo, you see these big bald eagles cross across the camera. So it was kind of amazing. 00:01:36.020 --> 00:01:39.500 How many swans are in a flock of swans? 00:01:40.240 --> 00:01:55.700 That's a good question. I know that they live to be 30 to 35 years old, though. Oh, there's other terms for a group of swans. Oh, really? A ballet of swans. Kidding me. That's amazing. A ballet of swans. 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:56.600 I like it. 00:01:56.960 --> 00:02:02.480 A drift of swans. A fanfare of trumpeter swans. 00:02:02.800 --> 00:02:06.400 A fanfare? That makes sense. 00:02:06.660 --> 00:02:09.180 A swanery of swans. 00:02:09.180 --> 00:02:23.020 laughter laughter a tank of swans a team of swans a tranquility of swans a bee formation of swans 00:02:23.020 --> 00:02:45.860 there we go but the best one is a swanery of swans i just saw a swanery of swans what's up swanery of swans The whole concept of migration is really interesting because they, like, trust the journey. They just go and fly and fly and fly and fly. And I don't know how they do it. They just know. 00:02:47.960 --> 00:03:28.820 And it seems like such a good metaphor for so many things in life, right? Yeah. Like, there's something in you that calls you to a place, you know, or... Right. Like this instinct that pulls at you. You know, like, you know, I just am so curious. I wonder what it is in the swan's brain that prompts them to move. Is it like the thought like, it's kind of getting cold around here. Let's go somewhere warmer. Is it something as simple as that? Or is it like, oh, I can't wait to get back to that. you know, that pond or, you know, they've got really great, 00:03:31.660 --> 00:03:35.940 they've got really great fish up, you know, that part of the world. 00:03:36.960 --> 00:03:39.800 But like, it's amazing to go that far for it. 00:03:39.800 --> 00:04:25.400 Yeah. But I mean, like, what is it? Is it, do they not, is there not anything in their brain that, that prompts that? Or is it just like their body knows, like there's a physical memory of it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I think like so much of my life experience is based on intuition, you know, or like so many, a lot of my decisions are made on something that isn't necessarily rational. It's just like, I feel kind of nudged or pulled in a direction. Right. And so, And then when you find something that is right, there's a resonance, right? So I wonder, you know, like, are we... I mean, is the swan kind of like that? Do they have a plan? I mean, they don't have like a Google calendar that... 00:04:25.400 --> 00:04:34.640 It's incredible though, right? Yeah, it is. It is really. And, and that they all knew that, okay, it's three days and they got to get on the road. 00:04:35.120 --> 00:04:36.200 Right. Right. 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:37.320 Get in the air. 00:04:38.260 --> 00:04:43.100 And I'm sure there's some, you know, there's a leader swans like, okay, pack it up. 00:04:45.500 --> 00:04:57.760 break is over come on swannery back up in the air 00:04:57.760 --> 00:05:23.040 oh it's so fascinating it it really is it makes me really think about we're just so aimlessly it feels like sometimes we're just so aimlessly going okay i'm gonna do that i gotta do that you know but maybe we really are intrinsically on some sort of path looking at my desk right now it's not it's not a streamlined 00:05:23.040 --> 00:05:35.320 operation no there's there's got to be order in in there somewhere right Yeah. Well, it has indeed been a long December. Can I wind just a little bit? 00:05:35.680 --> 00:05:36.180 Yeah. 00:05:37.980 --> 00:07:38.600 So this year has already been like the disintegration of patterns, right? Of like you – of the things that like the landmarks, the little points of reference of life have just been obliterated. Do tell more. So – Yeah. Yeah. I've been just trying to come up with ways to mark the passage of time in the season and try to make, to imbue this month with some sense of kind of the festive spirit, which didn't happen a whole lot. I mean, it's like there's no... real opportunity to interact with people as much, you know, or it's like, like people don't go out, like you don't go to the mall and have as annoying as the mall used to be at Christmas and nobody wanted to do it. It still was like, like the chaos of it added to the sense that this is a, a, like there's energy in the air, right? Right, right. Whereas when you just buy all your presents online and wait for them to come in the mail, you know, and everybody kind of knows what they're getting and, you know, there's nothing to kind of differentiate that from, you know, every other day. Anyway, I was looking forward to the few family gatherings that had been planned, right? The California contingent of the family is going to get together, have a meal, whatever, right? So the week before Thanksgiving, all of my kids come down with COVID. Starts with one, but, you know, like, where are we going to quarantine them? Right. It's like the chances of them not all getting it were zero. So it didn't take long. Anyway, so that kind of rules out Thanksgiving. Did you get COVID too? No, Laura and I have both been vaccinated and, you know, luckily neither of us, and we were testing, you know, every couple of days we had these tests. 00:08:06.500 --> 00:08:24.780 Yeah. So whatever. That was a bummer. And then we're going to get together for Christmas Eve or whatever. And then two of our girls come down with hand, foot, and mouth disease. What the fuck? But basically, it's kind of like chicken pox. 00:08:25.420 --> 00:08:26.500 Yeah. Oh. 00:08:27.080 --> 00:08:30.740 They get spots all over their hands, feet, and mouth. 00:08:31.280 --> 00:08:32.440 Oh, God. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:33.760 Yeah. 00:08:34.820 --> 00:08:36.960 Oh, man. Gosh. 00:08:37.180 --> 00:09:54.620 Yeah. So Zoe got it. And Eden got this like three or four years ago. It's like every- Does it hurt? It does. Yes. So for the little one, for Zoe, it was really bad. And it was like all just looks horrible. It looks like a disease all over her hands and her mouth gets all these sores all over it. And she couldn't sleep for a whole night. So it just, and she was miserable. And then Mara got it. It's the kind of thing like chicken pox where you get it once and you don't get it again. But Mara hadn't gotten it. Eden had gotten it. And younger kids, little kids are more susceptible. Anyway, but Mara got it and she got some, just a rash more than anything. And that was pretty much it for her. But Zoe really got it bad. Anyway, but we got that right before this Christmas get-together, and so we couldn't go to that. Anyway, so I'm whining here just to say that now we show up in January, it just feels like a continuation of this last two years, which has just felt like... you know, one long December. Yeah. 00:09:57.100 --> 00:10:52.780 And now with Omicron, it's like, man, this thing is never going to end. Like our schools are now talking about maybe going back into – remote, you know, Zoom school. And it's just... Part of the difficulty of this last year is there was no end in sight. Yeah. So then now when we finally get to go back to school, the prospect of having to go back to lockdown is just... so disheartening. You know, it's like, it has been really rough on, on the kids, for sure, but also on parents, like, it's been rough. Anyway, that's a, that's a bit, perhaps too much of a downer, but, it's, you know, let's not, it is, it is the real deal. And, it's been hard uh what are what are what's the situation uh where you guys are at is is it locked down is it like are people feeling fearful or is it kind of hopeful are you feeling like 00:10:52.780 --> 00:11:23.600 you're coming out of it um kind of in between there i think a lot of there's a lot of cases and so it's just been kind of staying just relatively like not social with people and limiting that but being the introvert I am I mean it it's it's wearing on everybody but I definitely think it works for my personality you know but it's it would be so different if I had kids I just have so much empathy for people in that position 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:24.100 Right. 00:11:24.580 --> 00:14:30.140 Man, that's such a – it's such a – it's a balance. It's a tricky balance to find because, like, for me, being an introvert, like, I – you know, I'm in a two-bedroom apartment with four other people, right? Or five other people. Five other people. Yeah. And so, yeah, sometimes you just want to, like, sit and – you know, have no input coming in from anybody else and just kind of sit with your thoughts and choose what you want to pay attention to, whether it's like a TV show or whatever, you know. So, yeah, it's like you got to impose some kind of boundaries, like psychological and like literal. Yeah. On happier news. Yes. Happier news? So I don't know if I told you about this guy that contacted me on Instagram, Surfer. Yes. Did I tell you about that? Just briefly, yeah. Yeah. So he had seen some video I posted about epoxy resin. He was kind of curious about it. He sent me a direct message and we went back and forth and then ended up talking on the phone. Anyway, turns out this guy's name is Dennis Jarvis. He's the founder of Spider Surfboards. He was a pro surfer. He's made and he's acted in and directed movies. And like he's had kind of an epic life, you know. He was kind of on, you know, back in the day when, you know, before, I don't know, I guess when surfing was more just, I guess back in the day before the internet, it's like everything was more, you know, niche or local, right? Right. Anyway, total surfer dude. Love hanging out with him. So California. So like beach town bro. You know, it's just a lot of fun to talk to him. But he also has, you know, of course, this epic life story and but he's also it's like I had no idea that he was kind of a big deal when I first was interacting with him and it's kind of cool to meet somebody like that that you know like he could name drop and he could like puff himself up and act like he was a big deal, but he's just totally this down to earth, like really geeks out about art materials, likes talking about, you know, making stuff, you know, and that's, that's where I, where I connect with him. Anyway, I was just down at his shop yesterday delivering some fiberglass stuff that I, that I cut for him, these designs. And he's making this body of artwork that combines his, his craft as a surfboard maker with some really cool just ideas about sculpture and, you know, like visual art. But just, I mean, that's been kind of a highlight this past month is working with him. And then I've had a couple other collaborations with other artists come up, you know, doing some laser work for cutting stencils and stuff. And What have you been up to? Are you doing a class right now or are you working on a project? 00:14:30.140 --> 00:15:04.400 I will be opening up Liberate February 11th. Nice. And I was thinking of you because I'm wanting to put together this kind of tribe of people that I'm inspired by and people who have... you know, specialized knowledge and things and have them be featured in over the course of the year. I'm not quite sure how I want to break it down, but I was thinking it'd be so neat for you to do something where you shared about materials and techniques, maybe with working with paper and 00:15:04.400 --> 00:15:06.200 some of your 00:15:06.200 --> 00:15:56.820 collaging techniques or something so it would and then people could be directed to your courses or classes or something but I just thought I want to have I have the people that are like an art therapist and someone who helps with story processing kind of and I just thought it'd be neat to offer them kind of a longer period of support. The other thought would be that I would have, say, choose four people that I think are great, and then see if they could do once a month, hire them to do once a month. like kind of studio time where people could, because I've seen maybe some people need, you know, open studio time, just like an hour of asking a question like, you know, I'm having issues with this rippling and this isn't drawing flat. Right, right. I'm trying to put ink over top of this and it's resisting, which I do. 00:15:58.380 --> 00:16:25.920 Yeah, in my efforts doing online classes, some of the most fruitful time are those just like open sessions sessions like on like you know a zoom call where people have been working and they can come in and ask questions specific to what they're working on like that can be really helpful right no i dig that i love that idea and i'd be happy to just experiment with different formats and see what yeah sticking 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:39.480 I think it'd be really neat and I think it could be really beneficial because of your offer around doing, you know, critique kind of support individualized stuff. 00:16:42.260 --> 00:16:44.700 I can see people being very interested in that. 00:16:45.740 --> 00:17:16.300 Yeah, for sure. That's kind of the format that I... think ultimately would work best, you know, like some kind of support group doesn't quite capture it, but kind of like, because when it's one-on-one that I think that that can be really helpful and fruitful, but it's also really helpful when you have, when it's a group setting because you learn from what other people are doing and you get ideas and yeah. think. Yeah. Cool. No, I'm in. Count me in. 00:17:16.820 --> 00:17:17.320 Okay. 00:17:17.820 --> 00:17:36.620 Okay. So one of the things that's firing me up for this new year is the Peloton. So my dad had gotten one during the pandemic and he was raving about it for the mental, physical attributes of it being so good. And I'm like, I hate bikes. I hate bike seats. I don't do stationary biking. I'm going to... 00:17:36.620 --> 00:17:38.380 He said, just... 00:17:38.380 --> 00:18:06.300 But I was seeing how he was just doing it every day and... So when I was back visiting them about a year ago, I tried one of – I got on there and I couldn't get the freaking cleats into the – and it was just like, this is impossible. And I almost gave up. And I'm so glad I didn't because I tried out one of the classes. And one of the instructors, her name is Allie Love, and she was so – her energy was so authentic and infectious and wonderful. And because I just didn't want someone cheesy and like – 00:18:06.300 --> 00:18:07.300 Mm-hmm. 00:18:07.300 --> 00:18:38.900 Just, I wanted something that felt like, not a typical like aerobic instructor. So they teach these live classes you can join in or they're recorded and something about the way you, once you click your feet in, it's like you click in and you go. And you just, you really push yourself and there's a whole great gamification quality to the thing. And so I finally decided to invest in one. And I've done it every day since I got it in November. 00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:39.920 Really? 00:18:40.260 --> 00:18:45.380 Yeah. I've just passed about 275 miles in. 00:18:45.940 --> 00:18:46.540 Wow. 00:18:46.800 --> 00:18:49.580 And I love it. I love it. 00:18:49.980 --> 00:18:50.500 Yeah. 00:18:50.500 --> 00:18:52.420 Seat's not a problem. 00:18:52.420 --> 00:19:14.000 The seat, we switched it out. Sean was amazing and put on another seat that's wider and more comfortable. And that was a great solution. And it is so great to sweat that hard and have that kind of really visceral exercise experience. That's really cool to hear. 00:19:14.420 --> 00:19:14.920 Yeah. 00:19:14.900 --> 00:19:20.180 Yeah, I've been really happy with it. 00:19:20.180 --> 00:19:28.280 Peloton for the win. And what are you watching while you're going? You're watching the instructor or is there other kind of visuals? 00:19:28.280 --> 00:19:42.920 There's the option to watch scenic things, but I really like the instructor because they just pace you through it and there's all different kinds of rides. There's like a Tabata ride. pop rides. I did a Broadway musical one to Hamilton and I just rocked my world. 00:19:44.540 --> 00:19:51.160 That sounds great. It's great. It's really great. The bike itself, is it changing resistance or is 00:19:51.160 --> 00:20:37.560 it, it is? So you're kind of out of the saddle riding, you know, just like really climbing up a hill and it's just a simple knob. It's not like all digitized or something. It's just you and they, they coach you through. what your cadence and resistance should be. And so how fast you're going and what resistance it is. And it's just dynamite. It's really been great. Sean's getting his, his shoes this week. And then you have the option of also has all these wonderful Pilates and weightlifting classes and bar and meditation. So you, we got a little thing to make the screen pivot off of Amazon and, And you can turn it around and then take all these other classes where you have a mat and weights. 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:41.340 How cool is that? That sounds awesome. 00:20:41.580 --> 00:20:50.060 Yeah, I'm really fired up about it. It's just great for my mental health and my physical health. Yeah, so I'm a big fan, big fan of that. 00:20:50.800 --> 00:20:52.360 What about you? 00:20:52.860 --> 00:21:47.280 The thing that I'm excited about that I don't think many people would be excited about, but I'm going to share it anyway because it's what came to mind, is there's an application on the iPad called Procreate. And it's an application that I've been using for a long time to do digital painting, and it's really good at that. But what it has added recently is the ability to paint on virtual 3D objects. Oh, neat. And up until like just three weeks ago, it was kind of clunky in the way it was implemented. And it was kind of hard to get like sculptures that I had done on the iPad into it to paint on. Yeah. Yeah. But I just last night actually figured out a new tool that has become available and I'm totally enjoying. I'm digging being able to paint on virtual 3D objects. 00:21:47.760 --> 00:21:52.100 Oh, awesome. Yeah, I wish I could show you. What would be an example of one of the… 00:22:20.500 --> 00:22:25.060 I don't know. I guess it kind of sounds like when you say it, you're going to say it like that, 00:22:25.100 --> 00:22:28.560 but can you send, cause you can record the screen process of it. 00:22:28.880 --> 00:23:08.100 Sure. Um, yeah, I'll, I'll send you a little, a screen grab of it, but you've, I mean, you've been able to do this for a long time on a computer, but what's, what's remarkable about this is just how easy it is to do it on your iPad. So instead of going through this, like, many step process of sculpting and exporting, importing file types and all this, you know, stuff like I can just open my iPad and start, you know, relatively quickly painting on my, my little sculpture. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. So it's like so much, uh, friction has been removed that it just makes it easier to, to enjoy it. So I'm, I'm jazzed about that. 00:23:08.100 --> 00:23:09.860 There we go. 00:23:11.800 --> 00:23:33.560 Favorite Christmas foods real quick? What's yours? My mom makes, or maybe nostalgic foods. So favorite and or nostalgic foods. My mom makes this tea ring. I think it's a Danish tea ring. I think I'm part Danish. It's got some Dane in me. Great day. 00:23:38.300 --> 00:24:11.420 So my mom makes this Danish tea ring, which is basically like a cinnamon roll, but it's got raisins and nuts and cherries and this frosting that has amaretto in it. So it's kind of this almondy and it's in the shape of a ring. And with little cuts in it, little sections. And it's very aesthetically pleasing to look at, but it is super, super yummy. So that is something that I enjoyed. Just Danish tea ring. 00:24:13.500 --> 00:24:15.220 Just your basic Danish tea ring. 00:24:15.300 --> 00:24:18.160 Just your standard, your garden variety Danish tea ring. 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:23.000 That sounds delicious. I'd like some right now, please. 00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:40.620 Yes. So sometimes my mom used to make it a lot when we were kids, but in recent years she's kind of gotten out of the habit and it's kind of time intensive to make it. But this year she made it and she dropped it off to us and it was a really bright point in my Christmas season. 00:24:40.620 --> 00:24:56.680 What I've really liked have been roasted sweet potatoes with chipotle sauce on them. but what I'm really into is we've been watching the show Yellowstone and just loving it have you guys been watching that? 00:24:57.080 --> 00:24:57.580 no 00:24:57.300 --> 00:25:10.780 it's fantastic, it's Kevin Costner stars in it it's about kind of the a homestead that in Montana, and it's really good storytelling, really fantastic characters, scenery. 00:25:12.120 --> 00:25:12.660 And, um, 00:25:12.940 --> 00:25:19.560 it has a prequel to it now, which is such a neat concept. So it's the prequel is called 1883. 00:25:20.620 --> 00:25:21.260 Hmm. 00:25:21.760 --> 00:25:38.180 And so it takes place the same family on their journey across, um, to Homestead in Montana. So it makes you think about, well, what are your ancestors? What were they doing in 1883? 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:39.020 - Right. 00:25:39.020 --> 00:26:17.320 - And how, if we could think about that and reflect on like the journeys and the bravery and the courage and the challenges and the whole thing of coming across and forming and foraging a life. Um, like we were built for that. So kind of ties back to that thing about the swans and just trusting the journey. Like they had, didn't have Google maps. He didn't have, you know, most, you know, didn't have maps even. They just were, you know, being brave, coming across the ocean and finding their way. 00:26:18.040 --> 00:26:18.540 Right. 00:26:18.460 --> 00:26:21.580 So it is really remarkable. That was not long ago. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:34.060 It is kind of amazing how recent those times were, right? Yeah. In the grand scheme of things. Yeah, that's amazing. I'll have to check that out. That sounds really cool. 00:26:34.780 --> 00:26:47.680 And there is, yeah, in 1883, and then they had, like, in the first episode, Tom Hanks had a cameo in it, like Billy Bob Thornton. Some really good performances. Really cool. 00:26:48.200 --> 00:26:50.360 That sounds excellent. 00:26:50.520 --> 00:26:53.060 Yeah, so that's my thing. 00:26:54.980 --> 00:27:59.360 Well, Sabrina, I want to thank you for this past year. You've been a fantastic friend. and just a great support in what has been one of the hardest years of my life. It really has been. And so the going to your wedding in Portland was such a highlight and such a special experience. And just being able to periodically check in and have conversations is just it's been a really important kind of point of reference for me, touching point. So I appreciate you and, and really excited for all that you've accomplished and, and looking forward to this upcoming year. I think that I'm excited about the ideas that we talked about today and, and just all the possibility that I know and, and the hope that I think hopefully is returning to, to, to our world as we come out of the pandemic. So I'm looking forward to this, this upcoming year and feeling, 00:27:59.760 --> 00:28:04.000 feeling good and helpful about what's possible. So yeah. 00:28:05.320 --> 00:28:05.880 Cheers. 00:28:07.620 --> 00:28:18.220 Cheers to you too. You've been a great friend too. And it meant so much having you, having you there at the wedding and. It was a beautiful highlight of the year for sure. 00:28:19.080 --> 00:28:20.760 Yeah. Yeah. 00:28:22.580 --> 00:28:35.800 All right. We will be in touch. I'll be in touch with you about this Liberate stuff. And what are we sending out to our audience? It's just sending out... 00:28:35.800 --> 00:29:12.220 I think just like empathy. Like, yo, it's been hard. Don't be hard on yourself. Don't think that something's wrong with you. The reality is it's just been a hard situation and a lot of really challenging circumstances that nobody could have anticipated. And give yourself some... room to breathe and patience and uh you know we're all here to help each other and this will be um things are getting better this year's gonna be awesome yeah yeah keep making artwork yes 00:29:12.220 --> 00:29:17.360 turn towards the colors yes chase the fire 00:29:17.360 --> 00:29:19.100 mm-hmm 00:29:19.100 --> 00:29:33.760 Thanks for listening. If you like this podcast, please consider showing your support. You can become a subscribing patron at patreon.com/room. In the meantime, you can follow us on Instagram at Sabrina Ward Harrison and at Trent Reynolds Art. 00:29:33.760 --> 00:29:48.800 And check out the show notes at roominthetrees.com where you can also get in touch if you have any ideas you'd like to share. Please help us grow our audience by rating us or writing a review on iTunes. To do that, you can use the link roominthetrees.com/itunes. And if