Having just had a baby weeks before TIFF this year, I decided I wouldn't get too invested and aim for a media pass. I don't have time to shmooze and all the rest this year, so I decided to take it easy and see what came my way. And I'm glad I did. A press release came to me regarding a movie from Iceland called Metalhead and even without reading the synopsis, I figured I'd probably be interested. Snow, heavy metal and real life with a strong female lead? Basically a movie made for me.
I got to go to the world premiere and it blew me away. A few days later, I got to meet with the star, Þorbjörg Helga Þorgilsdóttir and the director/writer, Ragnar Bragason to discuss the film, their first time viewing the film with an audience and art, family and of course, heavy metal.
The thing that interests me the most about this movie, and what I discussed in the interview was the correlation between art and family and life. Ragnar mentioned to me, too, that the film, while a drama has some funny moments not because he thought they were "necessary" but more because life has drama and comedy and they are always intertwined.
The one thing that struck me about the movie as well, was how very foreign some of the ideas are in the film. The sense of community built around lead character Hera isn't something that I've really seen covered in North American film. She's an outsider and by the accounts of most people in the community, a total weirdo, yet, they still love and protect her.
Of all the movies at TIFF this year, this is one I hope gets a wider release. Film making in Iceland is very young compared to the rest of the world and it's wonderful to watch these movies come out and make a splash on the international stage. And while Ragnar is quite well known at home, I think it's time he became better known around the world.
As for my time alone? When I got home, I said to Matt, "I need that once a month and I'll be happy." Just 3-5 hours TOTALLY ALONE without holding a child, changing a diaper, cleaning up a spill and all the rest. I love my kids more than words but my god, the freedom of being alone was just wonderful.
So, spill it! Do you go check out movies alone?
One of the reasons I think celebrities look so great is that they devote time and energy into bliss. You hear them say it all the time. And a lot of the time, upon hearing about these "blissful" life moments, many of us roll our eyes. But is it really so crazy? Taking time to do these three easy (and I mean it, easy) things, you may find your bliss, too.
Taking time with our kids
This one seems really easy, but a lot of us "schedule" kid or family time. This shouldn't' be scheduled. We had kids to make them a part of our lives, so why aren't we making them a part of our lives? Scheduling play time or story time doesn't cut it. Spending actual time with our kids does. And when we let go, ready to just take time and play, lay around looking at clouds, or even something as blissfully simple as walking our kids to school (Matt's all-time favourite thing right now is his morning walks with Henry to preschool), our hearts grow. It's those little moments that we will remember later, not the big ones.
Taking time away from our kids
Another one that many of us forget, is taking time away from our kids. With friends, with our partners, with ourselves. When we take time to be alone and disengaged from parenting, it's like a little recharge. Just last week, I took 3 hours all by myself to go see a movie at TIFF (and interview the director and star — more on that later this week!). When I got home, I was buzzing with happiness. I needed that little time all alone to recharge.
Doing something that inspires us
Just like going to a movie alone was inspiring to me, so is doing things that help further my career and my life goals. Seminars, classes, movies and even conferences like BlissDom Canada inspire me to be a better writer, a more engaged person, and a stronger business woman. Celebs go on retreats, so why not us?
So, spill it! What do you do to find your bliss?
For more articles, tips, and tricks to help you get organized and make the most of your blog and business visit our BlissDom Canada 2014: How Do You Find Your Bliss? page.
Membership Has Its Perks!
We’re offering a special discount for BlissDom Canada to our YMC members. Use our special code for 15% off your BlissDom Canada Conference pass. Find out the details here.
Bonus! BlissDom and YMC want to send you to the conference for FREE this year in the #ThisIsBliss Contest. Have you entered yet?
For those into this sort of thing, Fan Expo Canada happened a few weeks ago (more on this year's Expo in coming weeks), and one of the things that drew me in was the new Mattel produced show — Max Steel. The show is a multi-platform show for kids which uses cool CGI, online content, games and the like to immerse kids in the high-stakes world of the titular star. He's sort of a multi-media version of GI Joe for this generation (but obviously with more out-of-this-world action).
Whether we like it our not, we live in a digital age and shows that are multi-platform give kids new ways to explore the worlds they love. Max Steel does just that from the get-go with a cool multimedia site (www.maxsteel.com), toys, games and all sorts of neat content across all sorts of devices.
Besides that, the Max Steel "mandate" is family-centred storytelling that's focused on teaching kids about cooperation, kindness, problem solving and the like. It's nice to see a show where they are specifically trying to add to the work parents already do in teaching kids strong values.
Also, robots and monsters and flying and action.
We try and limit Henry's screen time for a number of reasons, but a show like Max Steel is one we'll let him dig into on a lazy Sunday morning.
So, spill it! Do your kids love Max Steel?
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