Hi! I’m Jenny. I tell stories with my camera and sometimes the written word. For most of my life I have documented the lives of others, everything from a Buddhist pedicab driver to a disappearing island community in the Chesapeake Bay.
I picked up a video camera for my first project at age 15, feeling instant comfort and purpose. Directing and shooting documentary films taps into my storytelling gifts and my ability to empathize with people. All of my senses are involved, my keen eye for seeing things uniquely, my ear for music that expresses an emotion, and most of all my sixth sense of intuition, the magical pull to take action because of an inner knowing, all which come together to result in moving audiences to laughter and tears.
After producing commercials, wedding films, short films and promotional videos, I was spending so much time on the computer and some of the time saying yes to projects that just weren’t on my bucket list. I didn’t have big boundaries with my work- I couldn’t. I didn’t have a reason to say no to things. I thought everything that came to you was meant to be yours. I took that approach with relationships sometimes too, hiding out, playing small, secretly hoping someone would pull me out of my shell and deem me worthy, and I would go with it, simply because they were there.
This approach of basically floating down the river and waiting for stuff to come ultimately caused a lot of pain and problems. I was busy doing work I didn’t like and spending time with people who were not raising their vibrations, super comfortable with their lack luster lives, not seeking growth. I was falling into these patterns and had NO idea that I had a CHOICE to take control of my own destiny, rather than only go with the flow. I didn’t realize how much power I had just in making a strong decision. I didn’t know what I wanted anyway. Anywhere but here, anything but this, was something I thought quite a bit.
My shift toward greater awareness of my purpose came over time. While directing the film Pieces of Tangier in 2011-2013, I lived on the tiny, remote island of Tangier Island Virginia for a full summer. Being cut off from the mainland with just a grocery store and a few restaurants, I began to appreciate living simply. I also understood that we each must take different paths and actions to be fulfilled, and we can do that without putting down or disrespecting others for their personal choices. And I realized that my original drive to live in a city was the best that my mind in that current state could come up with as the best lifestyle. What I saw in city life which I valued was taking chances, living on your own terms and not accepting your current reality if it doesn’t align with your goals or allow you to share your gifts. I didn’t need to live in a big city to connect with that, I could make it happen anywhere I wanted to.
Pieces of Tangier Documentary Trailer from Heartistree Studios on Vimeo.
Now I’m living in Asheville, NC surrounded by the Blue Ridge mountains and finding my true passions. I’ve transformed my wedding videography business Heartistree Studios http://www.heartistree.com to keep my editing workload at a manageable level by restructuring what is offered and attracting clients who see our value. I pretty much only film weddings for hire as they are the most stable form of work available, so I am not taking on too much work. My partner Bryan and I work together shooting the weddings and how we re-met and reconnected after high school is a story in itself. He is the first and only person I really feel I chose to date and certainly the only healthy romantic relationship I’ve ever had, where jealousy is non-existent, support is overflowing, and fun is in abundance! We grow together and help each other as we work through our patterns and individual conditioning.
Most importantly, we encourage each other’s artistic passion and I am making films that are truly representative of my heart and following my highest excitement with my site HowToBeLight.com. Through the exploration of health & wellness, spirituality, and fitness, I share techniques for finding freedom as multidimensional beings through my videos and content. I have also found my soul-mate workout in Buti Yoga and will be a certified yoga instructor in the Fall of 2017! This has connected me to a sisterhood here in Asheville full of wonderful women who are raising each other up and being a source of light for each other. In a world where competition is encouraged, we choose community and compassion—plus all that comes from tapping into our inner strengths.
This video is the first I created for How to Be Light and tells part of my story and how I shifted toward a greater awareness of what the point of being here on earth is and what blocks us from seeing and experiencing our truth. I am forever in learning mode and as I re-discover and re-ignite the inner knowing of who I am, you are welcome to share in my discoveries. I’d love to hear if this resonates with you and get to know you and hear your story too! You can follow me on IG 