[To listen to an audio version of this blog post please click here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1396123/8523919 to watch a video, please click here: https://youtu.be/4gdVHA_gjeI]

There’s a story or three to this week that I’d love to share with you. For example, how did I inadvertently get my first 18+ rating on YouTube? How did I discover the wealth of wisdom in a new friendship? And how did ‘coincidence’ suggest I begin working on ASMR Affirmations for Moodscope?

Let’s begin with a new mantra that I learned from deepening a friendship: “What will I do today that my Future-Self will thank me for?”

This arose from a series of serendipitous events. I’ve not been having a proper day off – clear of technology. By last Wednesday, my innermost being had had enough. I was invited to go for a walk near Worth Matravers – my home for many years. With road works outside the house, I figured my chances of getting any voice over work recorded were slim… so I went for a walk 3x longer than my goal, with ups and downs that covered the equivalent of 27 floors!

The walk was exhausting and exhilarating! Breathless for much of it, I made the decision to listen to author Lee Groombridge, who has written an excellent short book on resilience. “What will I do today that my Future-Self will thank me for?” comes from Lee.

My Future-Self thanked me for the walk and the deeper friendship… though my physical self wasn’t too happy with me for the following 48 hours!

A week earlier, I had recorded the waves by Boscombe Pier using slow motion video. This post had received positive responses from some viewers, and one mentioned the hunger on YouTube for ASMR. This is a form of quiet speaking and other sounds that can provoke a deeply pleasant response. Inspired, I rewrote the Moodscope statements as affirmations and whispered them over some new footage I had captured of clouds passing overhead – the Cloud Whisperer or Wellbeing Whisperer.

I didn’t like it. Penelope confirmed my worst fears when she said the whispering sounded creepy! This morning I’ve re-recorded it using quiet speaking rather than whispering. You can see the new video here…

https://youtu.be/Jhqa6jisxUU

Inspired once more to take time out, Penelope and I went to Sculpture by the Lakes near Dorchester. This is a mixture of indoor and outdoor sculpture set in acres of lakeside gardens. It features many works by Simon Gudgeon as well as work from 30 of the UK’s most celebrated sculptors. The works are magnificent.

And this is how I got my first 18+ rating on YouTube. Let me say that the art is occasionally of an adult nature. In fact, no children or dogs are allowed into the gardens. Like Adam and Eve, some of the works don’t even need clothing! YouTube thought my video unsuitable for young eyes, and thus I learn another lesson. However, my Future-Self thanks me for going there and for capturing the memories on film!

The spooky thing is that a friend bumped into us there and suggested I did… ASMR recordings! When the ‘Universe’ works so serendipitously, it’s good to listen…

Lex

A Moodscope member.