Narrow Path Creative LLC

I get asked, a lot, what I actually DO for my clients. The answer is truly, a little bit of everything. Being a professional Creative requires a broad swath of skills spanning human relations, research, writing, editing (text/video/audio), having a discerning eye/ear, and lots (lots!) of thinking. I want to emphasize the latter.

A logical person might ask, "Doesn't all DOING require THINKING?" Not necessarily. Based on my experiences, the level of thought that goes into something is 100% dependent on the person doing... the thing. I would much rather only do something once, if possible, so I attempt to run a large number of mental-scenarios before I dig into a project. I could write a whole book on the importance of deep-thought and intention, but my current projects keep me more than busy, so something is working!

Below is an example of what a typical final product for a client looks like. Gyrotonic International has been one of our private clients for over 7 years. Dax and I produce all of their large-scale video/audio/text projects. This blog post began as a rough audio recording that was transcribed, text-edited, audio-edited, and published to the website, then our digital media team takes it from there.

We're proud to be part of this highly productive, but small, team and the Gyrotonic Movement Community as a whole. Great people. Great system. Much love to Juliu and Gina for valuing their human resources and consistently proving themselves as being truly invested in their creation AND the creators of it's modern content.

Adaptation to Aging: Modifying Sequences for Mature Movements - GYROTONIC® Paul Thrussell, a GYROTONIC® and GYROKINESIS® instructor at The Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, has earned a loyal following among the residents with his popular Gyrokinesis classes for mature movements.

Very proud of these folks and the nature-based learning opportunities they are providing for our community. I’ll be checking out the new facility myself soon. I can’t wait to see what’s there and talk about what’s to come. Follow the page below for class announcements and updates. There are some really unique opportunities to be found!

Wild Arts Learning Center brings nature inside - Springfield Daily Citizen Wild Arts Learning Center is where students take classes in subjects like mushroom cultivation and creating natural pigments.

Our film Remembering the Normal Heart is airing once again on OPT-PBS TONIGHT at 8:00pm if you would like to see it during broadcast. You can also watch it at the link below anytime. Thanks for giving our little movie some pretty long legs. We're thrilled that there is still so much interest and it has remained a relevant documentation of Springfield's history.

Remembering The Normal Heart: Controversy in Springfield, Missouri Through personal stories and archival news footage this film explores the controversy surrounding the 1989 production at Southwest Missouri State University

Like any media production organization, NPC, and its creative partners, deal with an inordinate amount of digital files. After working with independent clients for over 25 years, we have amassed an incredible amount of intellectual property and personally task ourselves with keeping that data safe and organized.

We’d love to have a conversation. What does and doesn’t work for you regarding large-scale data management. . Feel free to share with other creative collaborators, if you’d like. There’s always room in the comments section. 💚

When I built this creative company, I named it Narrow Path for two reasons:

1. I want to help people who have cognitive issues, mental illnesses, and other brain-based challenges to overcome the technical hurdles of producing creative materials. It’s a double-sided title. “Neuropaths on the Narrow Path of Creation”, so to speak.

2. Frankly, the name fit so well with my desired logo imagery. My grandpa painted that simple orange Sun and spindly, backlit tree trunks long before I was born (copied from a latch-hook rug pattern, I've been told). I’ve always adored the painting, and it just felt right. My Grandpa was never mentally well, but he still found the inspiration to create. I find that to be lovely, regardless of his less-impressive behaviors.

As my strange life would have it, my first client was a LOT like my Grandfather in a number of ways. It’s been a long year and a half since we lost Diane. I’ve taken a considerable amount of time to grieve and try to make sense of humanity, in general. While I've come to no real conclusions, I do know that I’ve been grieving my whole life. I lost my first Step-Daddy when I was 5. I lost the last one when I was 45, and I've lost a whole lot of other folks in between.

Helping Diane write Joy: Befriending Death was an absolute gift. She taught me so much about grief. I have taken her lessons to heart and have been very gentle with myself since losing her. So many people dismissed her wild nature and ‘crazy’ ideas, but there is so much treasure found in that tiny book.

My grief surrounding Diane's death has moved ever-so-slowly, but I feel myself thawing from the freeze. There are so many stories that I have to share with you, about Diane and a thousand other things.

Several years ago I began speaking of my ‘big pivot’ and it’s here. I’ve been turning my gaze towards a life after Diane, a life after my children are grown, and quite simply… a life, because as we’ve learned, that’s not always what people choose.

I miss Diane. I miss my Grandpa. I miss everyone that has passed before me, but I can’t live in a state of shock anymore. I want to live a long life. That means I have to accept that I may be the last one from all of my social circles to die. One of us, will have to watch all the others pass. That’s a fact I have to be willing to accept that, if I hope to live the long life I wish for.

So I will continue to tell the important stories, the difficult stories, and especially the stories that couldn’t be told without a little help. It’s my passion, it’s my calling, and it’s obviously benefitting hugely from that geology degree I just had to spend 7 years working on. 🙄

Stick with me folks, the path is narrow and winding, but I swear it will be worth it.

Here is another chance to see Remembering the Normal Heart on the big screen. Big thanks to Moxie Cinema for their dedication to helping locally produced films be seen. We're honored every time the public is given a chance to learn about our city and its historical behavior towards non-hetero citizens.

Join us Sunday, September 25 at 5:00 pm to view the film. A panel discussion will take place afterwards with the Producer Patty Moore and Editor Dax Bedell.

Tickets available at the link below.

http://www.moxiecinema.com/films/remembering-the-normal-heart-controversy?fbclid=IwAR32GIPT_exQ48zXwDTrQs2XuFZJw78KDmhsz6oyU14fpdKCEmL0u6089Go

Remembering the Normal Heart Controversy - Moxie Cinema Remembering the Normal Heart Controversy An outcry of opposition to the 1989 production of “The Normal Heart” on the Southwest Missouri State University campus brought with it national attention. (NR, 60 min.) Showtimes Sunday, September 25, 2022 5:00 PM

Just sent a work email containing the word 'moobillyjoobilly', and I did it with an absolutely straight face. It's time to clock out. SMH... at myself.

It feels surreal to write here again with everything that has happened, but it's time to move forward... creatively speaking. As most of you know, my precious client and dear friend Diane Israel chose death last November. She and I had just spent two years together editing and publishing her book, Joy: Befriending Death. The hideous irony of this experience is not lost on me. The time since losing Diane has been a bit of a blur. I've been focusing on my own mental health and making sure to take enough time to process and heal from the wildly unpredictable nature of the project and our relationship. I have not taken on any new clients since then, but I have been keeping busy continuing my work as Multimedia Content Creator for Gyrotonic International. Wouldn't you know, in astute ironical fashion, Diane also happened to be a certified Gyrotonic Movement System Instructor. Every now and then I will see her face in a studio-photo, or come across her voice in an old interview. Her ghost is peppered throughout my life and I relish anything that brings her energy back to me. I miss her terribly, and I'm sure that I will have a lot more to say about my experiences, someday, but today I just need to reclaim my space and start voicing myself creatively/professionally again. I didn't die along with Diane and neither did my creativity so... I'm back.

-Jenni Bedell