I've missed you....
What a wild ride 2017 has been. Thank you... for holding on, holding steady, and maintaining crazy amounts of patience with me as I wade through these unknown waters. I have much to share, and want to begin by sincerely apologizing for the many months that have gone by since my last update. I'm not sure how that happened, but it most definitely did. Now let's get to the good stuff!
We are amidst a powerful time of year. Every year, November feels intense, in a way that I cherish & honor. As if the leaves falling from the trees are asking me to let go. Let go of what no longer serves me. Make space. Go inward.
Over these past two weeks I have been remembering vividly my time at Standing Rock. I was there on the day we call "Thanksgiving". On the banks of the Cannonball River in North Dakota, Bill, a member of the Standing Rock Sioux, raised his arms to show that he was unarmed and in prayer, as law enforcement stood fully armed on top of the tribe’s sacred mountain. On land that belongs to the Sioux, on a day in which we typically and naively celebrate the massacre and genocide of Native Americans, these tribes & their allies were gathered to pray for the water. I remain utterly grateful for the opportunity to stand with them, to learn from them, and to share their stories. If you would like to watch some of the stories I brought home from Standing Rock, please visit my Vimeo page.
In September I attended the National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, (just before terrible wildfires ravaged the region). If you're interested in seeds, seed sovereignty, permaculture, biodynamics, local food, or regenerative agriculture, this is a great event to put on your radar for next year. It's like a feast for the farmer/foodie senses, and there is many a brilliant human to dive into conversation with.
If you'd like to see a short film about the fires that devastated the region, I recommend this one by my dear friend and fellow filmmaker, Emmett Brennan...
Reflection : A California Fire Story
I was fortunate to attend the annual Bioneers Conference in San Rafael - which is a conference like no other. I left feeling full to the brim. I got to meet Amy Goodman (holy crap you guys, Amy Goodman!), and I had the immense honor of diving into conversation on camera with some greats in the water world...
Andy Lipkis - Founder & President of TreePeople, working to restore Los Angeles
Kandi Mossett - Environmental Activist with the Indigenous Environmental Network, and the woman who inspired me to travel to Standing Rock last year
Clare DuBois - Goddess, Whirlwind of Inspiration & Founder of TreeSisters, working to plant a billion trees a year globally, encouraging each of us to give back to nature.
and last but certainly not least....
Mark DuBois - Co-Founder of Friends of the River and lifelong river advocate, well-known for chaining himself to a rock at the base of the Stanislaus River to protest the filling of New Melones Reservoir.
Over the past few months I've been digging deep. I've been feeding my mind, nourishing my soul, and doing research through a rediscovered love of... books, books, books! Here are a few of the titles I've devoured this year... most of them focused around water, some focused on the bodies & minds we will need to cultivate to get where we must go, all of them highly recommended.....
(and if you find yourself grubbing on this list and want more, you can keep up with my reading list on Instagram or Facebook by searching the hashtag #brittanyappbooklist)
Finally, in addition to promising you that I'll send out updates more often than every six months, (I will!), I have some reeeallllyyy exciting news to share with you... soon. To tantalize your tastebuds a bit... it has to do with post-production, and a collaboration that will have the potential to move mountains. I am THRILLED.
It's a crazy journey to be on... making this film... everything is admittedly taking longer than I anticipated, but it couldn't be moving along more perfectly. I have surrendered to a power mightier than myself, and I'm holding on for the ride. Much Love y'all. Thank you, truly, for being with me on this sacred journey...
If you haven't had a chance to view the 19-minute sneak preview that we shared at the 2017 SLO Film Fest, we invite you to do so, and to share it far and wide.... and then keep your eyes and ears peeled for the feature-length film, coming Fall of 2018.