Taking a 4 month Creative Sabbatical was a big decision. It required organizing my business, my finances, and my inner belief systems to ensure I used my time wisely and with respect. I wasn’t attached to producing anything in particular, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t waste my time. Even if I did nothing, and the nothingness was inspired by my Creative Spirit, I would have been perfectly okay with that. The point was to be open, trust my inspirational impulse and act on it.

I certainly had lots of opportunities to act on my impulse while I was traveling in New Zealand!  In this magical land, I was kissed by so many different landscapes and earth energies. I think of New Zealand as the International Airport of Geographies, there are rocky beaches, lush Rainforests, epic mountain ranges, and what touched me in the most primal way was the ice.

This blog post is about exploring the Franz Josef Glacier with my creative soul mate (and epic photographer) Kevin Thom to capture some Iconic Essence style images.

May the beauty melt your heart….

Let’s start with a dose of beauty, then I’ll share the behind the scenes journey.

These outstretched ice wings were found in the crevice of the glacier. 

Every time I rest into the icy folds, I feel my heart melt with awe and appreciation for the monumental beauty of our planet. The crystallized patterns of the glacier move in sync with the wind currents and sun rays. They exude a soft, yet super powerful presence. The energy of the ice is electric.

 

The Franz Josef Glacier is a giant block of ice that is sliding down a mountain. As we asked questions about it, we were told it will most likely be gone within 50 years.  Although I don’t know the solutions to the changes our Earth is undergoing at this time, what I feel I can do is appreciate the beauty and create things that honor the resplendent nature of our Earth.

 

We took a tiny helicopter up to reach the glacier in the mountains.

Flying in a helicopter was intimidating to me at first because I worried I would get motion sickness.  I was surprised and delighted to discover it was so smooth and relaxing to fly in a helicopter. I didn’t experience any motion sickness at all, which is saying a lot for me. I’m not sure if it was the excitement, or the fact that there is something different about the center of gravity in helicopters. Whatever it was, I was thrilled to feel fresh-eyed and ready for some creative photoshoots!

 

Kevin and I were like little kids beaming with delight as we rode up in the helicopter. Everything looks a little different when you’re flying in the air.

We each had one backpack of gear we could carry on this flight. I had a bag full of fabric, and Kevin had all his camera gear. Since we didn’t really know what we would be dealing with once we got there, we both packed as much as we possibly could to ensure we would have what we needed once faced with the elements.

 

Once the helicopter landed on a flat patch of ice, we got our ice cleats on and started hiking around the mountain. It was surprisingly warm. Even though we were walking on ice I wasn’t even wearing mits. Our guide was wearing a T-shirt!

 

Our trusted guide Ellie, was diligent and full of enthusiasm for the mountain and the ice. She scouted out the perfect ice caves and crevices in advance so we would have lots of opportunities for creative photoshoots.  Since we had our own private guide, there was a sense of luxury and urgency.  We knew the helicopter would come back to pick us up in just a few short hours, so we had to move quickly to ensure we could actually take some photos.

 

At first I was overwhelmed. There was ice everywhere, and I wasn’t sure how to focus my ideas to create a stunning image.  I felt like I was pulling out every fabric from my pack and flinging it around to figure out what I was going to do. Then we just decided on one location and started to work…

 

The layers started coming off while I changed from mountain climbing clothes into thin fabrics.

I was worried I’d freeze, but it really was an odd phenomenon that there is ice and warmth at the same time.

Ellie carefully watched over me as I changed, reminding me not to move my feet. It was challenging to fiddle with the fabrics while keeping my ice cleats firmly in place so not to fall.  The soundtrack to my transformation was massive rocks and ice chunks falling like an avalanche in the background. A little intimidating!

 

But all worth it!

We captured a number of images and video clips in the ice caves and crevices that melted my heart with beauty. We will be releasing more throughout the year.

The Glacier taught me a unique blend of action and stillness. We must learn to be still so we can listen, and we must learn to act once we’ve heard the inspiration.

I will be sharing more about my Creative Sabbatical and how you can supercharge your inspiration with some simple tips. I will be leading an INSPIRATION 101 Facebook Live on January 11th at 1pm ET. Follow me on Facebook to watch live.

For now, I’d love to know what you think of this icy adventure?

Do you think appreciating the beauty of the Earth is a way to offer love and healing to our planet?

 

Share your thoughts in the comments.

Share this post and inspire hearts to melt with beauty!