Working on this song and video has been one of the most fun projects. In the midst of quarantining with the family and suddenly homeschooling 3 very different kids, this project brought sweet respite to these long (and in so many ways) exhausting days.
I’m SO GRATEFUL for our family and how well our kids are adjusting to the new normal. I have nothing to complain about. But that doesn’t diminish the intensity of being a mom/teacher/wife/artist/chef/nurse/activity planner and professional plate spinner 24/7.
Bored is not a word in our vocabulary in this season!!!
And yet I’m aware that for some, the bored they feel is equally painful and exhausting. These are strange and challenging times for all of us.
This is why making a video to help bring smiles mattered to me.
Because of this, I squeezed every bit of the rare spare time I had into working on writing the lyrics, spending late nights in the studio recording the music and vocals and then mixing the song. When we were finally ready to make the video (we recorded about 20 takes of the song in different outfits and hats!) I decided to get the whole family involved. This made it even more fun.
The kids aren’t used to seeing me dance and boy did I make them giggle! This only made my dancing more ridiculous, which I think was the point. Our daughter had fun helping me pick out the different outfits + hats + earrings that I wore. She even made me a sign to use, which I accidentally held upside down. Perfect wasn’t really what I was aiming for with this project. And that alone was creatively SO LIBERATING!
As I edited the video, I wasn’t looking for the polished shots. I was looking for shots infused with the most life, energy and genuine joy because that’s what I want to share with others through this project - joy. This is something we all could use a little more of today.
My husband had the genius idea of the sombrero and astronaut helmet. He surprised me by plopping it on my head in the middle of a take. We both were laughing so hard!
Now that the song is released and SO MANY people are sharing it (THANK YOU!!!) it’s fun to share its success with the whole family. Everyone of us feels invested in it, so we all can celebrate how it’s helping other people laugh now too.
This is a sweet unexpected gift the quarantine has given our family. There are so many marks of God’s faithfulness and provision through these days. I’m trying to pay more attention.
I so often live with my nose to the ground…so driven…but for now, for a moment, I’m looking up with a smile in my eyes, taking a deep breath, enjoying the view, filled with gratitude.
What about you? Have you experienced any sweet surprises related to the quarantine? Are there things you are finding yourself overwhelmingly grateful for, that in more ordinary times you might have missed?