[0:00] Welcome to Artful aging with your host Amy are you a senior or a caregiver of a senior looking for support and Direction best-selling author educator and expert in Senior Living Amy Friesen is here,
with the help you need while providing you with an important and valuable support,
so now please welcome the host of Artful aging Amy Friesen.
[0:31] Morning everyone I'm Amy Friesen and this is Artful aging with Amy and we're live on Bold Brave TV.
Have you ever considered whether you should document your loved one's life.
What was important to them what do they want to live on after they're gone what are some of the favorite memories of them that you have with your time together.
Many people are nostalgic and honestly what I wouldn't give for a video message from my nan.
I think that it's such an exciting time through social media short videos and visits we can hang on to so much more of our loved ones than ever before.
In fact many seniors and families are going online to get their own Facebook accounts up and they're also having a lot more conversations between each other
generally online which means that seniors are connecting with the younger Generations even more than ever before which I think is phenomenal.
We saw through covid that the increase in video conversations,
was obviously on the rise like anybody and through FaceTime and zoom as well so we've got lots of different ways to connect with folks that are digital now which we,
we're making good use of I don't think before covid so that's something that's as a benefit as come out I believe especially for seniors connecting with younger Generations.
[1:50] My guest today is Michelle deverick on I hope I have that married Michelle and it's a twister for me who is my guest is so she's my guest today and she's been a filmmaker.
Sends her high school years and has taken a keen interest in documentary filmmaking,
her most personal piece was a documentary she produced on her grandfather detailing his 1940s escape from Syria.
[2:15] During the pandemic Michelle also receive lots of messages from the community asking,
if she would help and hold lessons on social media on how to use it and very as various other platforms Shady Pines learning was then born.
And Michelle teaches seniors about online Safety and Security how to use zoom how to use social media and she also holds online paint nights and film history clubs.
Welcome Michelle thanks so much for joining me today thank you Amy very close devorah but devorah
I've been called many names I've been called that I've been called Kahan
I'm also I've been called Jennifer I want a lot of a lot of people call me May if you would believe it they just mix up my letter so you know,
sometimes a show The Show Must Go On just like yeah and then the rest of the show I'm Jennifer.
No I can handle Michelle so so Michelle can you tell us a little bit more about what brought you to the world of filmmaking and when did you know that that's what you wanted to do with your life.
[3:24] Well I always had this fascination with history.
That it being documented for all of time and I was a huge fan of old films so that really be that was a part of it actually wanted to become a film historian
it was Turner Classic Movies TV Land Nick at Nite all those that introduced me really to the world of filmmaking it was.
You know we're in Canada so it was the illegal satellite at the time like most of us let's let's be,
um but what really got me in was I was 14 and I was bored in French class I still can't speak French to this day.
And this is why,
I wrote my first short film in that class so it was Grade 9 it was actually partly my father he kind of forced me he said like he knew I I could write a movie so he kind of made me he's like I want the I want the script on my desk by Friday,
so I did it and from there we ended up submitting it filming it and everything we submitted it to our school Film Festival it ended up winning best film.
[4:30] Which was really surprised with 70% of the audience votes which was really surprising considering it was black and white silence slapstick very Charlie Chaplin
and I was the first I believe single producer director and female to get that award so I
found my confidence from that and I ended up submitting it to different film festivals all over the world.
[4:52] Including Tiff the youth division sprockets and it was then when I saw my name and my face up on the screen at famous players in downtown Toronto I was like this is for me.
It's like the giant sign that we're all looking for Michelle's like I paid my ticket it wasn't free,
it was like 15 bucks I sat in the back and I saw my face and I'm like oh my God yes.
Awesome awesome welcome so I mentioned that the top of the show about your grandfather's documentary so can you tell us more about the documentary with your grandfather and what led you to produce it,
so I was in the 12th grade at the time,
and it was we had a school project where we had to make a short film is for film class on anything we wanted and I'll be honest
me being the lazy person I was I wanted something that was easily accessible not a lot of
costumes and props and different things I'm like I'll make a documentary that'll be easy I did not know what a documentary really was at that time I'll be honest and I didn't realize it was actually
a lot harder in my opinion but I'm like Oh my grandfather he has this story that we've all known about our entire lives except he's never really told anybody about it.
This might be a great opportunity.
[6:13] Of course it led to a lot of problems because he didn't want to talk so he is a Jewish man he escaped from Syria in 1950 he went off the Lebanon and from there met my grandmother,
how does children and then came to Canada and he had very rarely spoken about Syria Lebanon he was a little bit more at ease with.
[6:34] So I was warmed by my mother you may not be able to do this project he may not,
cooperate you may get an F you know but we ended up sitting down for me and him we probably sat down for a total of eight or nine hours.
And it was the first time he'd ever opened up to anybody and it wasn't easy it wasn't easy for him.
But we were able to produce this great documentary called wanted the Joseph s his story and here we are today so many years later I don't want to age myself.
Well I tell you what year that was.
That's beautiful and how did he feel after like I'm guessing he's seen it and how did he feel after his story was out there so you know one of the biggest lessons I learned from this.
[7:23] Is that our fears are more scared of us than we are of them.
What do I mean by that well this was very hard for him as I as I explained it could have been for many reasons you know he.
I imagine he was afraid that nobody would necessarily care.
What do you have to say what he went through he was probably trying to block a lot of it out and I'm sure he still did a I can imagine there might have been things that he didn't tell me.
Because they a lot of things actually came out more like just more detail would come out later on years later he would be he would just be a little bit more open but.
[8:04] You know he it was difficult and,
we had a lot of chats even on camera I know they're documented somewhere and in the middle of the scenes of me trying to coax stories out of him because I would ask him you know tell me about Syria and his first response was I was never in Syria.
[8:22] So the okay so that the movies I can work then and we had to you know take a pause and explain to him you know you gotta you gotta work with me here and we took our time,
and then came the premier and I was really worried up until the premier because I really thought he was going to pull the plug we did it at a local synagogue in Toronto
and we have family and friends are we even have like strangers there there was over 100 people showed up to this random little film screening that I put on and I was really scared that he was going to stop the whole thing because he was nervous
I was watching him throughout the screening and the smile on his face got a little bigger he got a little bit more at ease he was laughing with everyone he was clapping by the end.
It was like that fear had never existed all this pain just lifted off his shoulders he was shaking hands with everybody is taking pictures
after that film screening any time he ran into any of my friends at the mall
he would tell that he would just sit them down and start tell it because they used to message me on Facebook to let me know they saw Joseph and he sat them down for coffee and told told them stories about his life so,
from that I really learned that you know the fear that lives inside of us it is more scared of us because we have that ability to control it and,
we have the ability within a moment's notice a snap of our fingers to make it go away and you know I was really.
[9:45] I'm really happy that I made the doctor made for many reasons but that's probably the biggest.
[9:52] You know reward of all was just watching somebody's kind of pain float away.
I think that you know what you're saying about but the pain like in the story generally speaking and trying to share that but then there's also,
this other layer for someone like Joseph who I'm not sure exactly how old he is but for your being a grandfather he would be,
less inclined probably to use video and social media and all that stuff right and so just to have even everything documented in that way,
it would be very different and we're going to talk about you know documenting seniors Journeys and as other people's Journeys to and it,
very different for them because they didn't grow up with the video and social media like a lot of us did and so even just wrapping their mind around it I'm supposing that that would be difficult when you say.
Yeah the I have to say the camera scared him the camera was the biggest thing it wasn't talking to me necessarily because.
And I heard this from another documentary filmmaker a friend of mine who does this with a lot of refugees and you know people who have survived these traumatic experiences it's often the grandchildren that they are more open with,
but not their own children so I actually knew more than my mother knew I was telling her stuff about about her father.
[11:11] You know so it was very special to me but I will I will agree that the camera scared him.
The I had to cut it get him to focus on me and forget about it and in there were times my father because I was I was in high school it's not like I had a whole team behind me my father was the cameraman I had to get him to leave the room.
And it was just me the camera my grandfather and I had him face me and.
[11:35] Try and not look and when he didn't remember about like that it was there is really when he was able to open up and that's a lot of what was in the dock.
[11:44] Yeah I mean I can I can imagine that he would freeze right and even anybody that you know wouldn't be used to video would probably freeze even just doing.
You know video that we're doing right now I had to also get used to being on camera too and it's just a little weird right even though.
We're all used to videos and pictures and social media which is interesting so.
What advice maybe could you offer to families who might be considering documenting their loved ones story do you have anything that you can let them know.
My biggest I get to ask that question a lot actually and my biggest piece of advice is just do it it doesn't need to be fancy.
It doesn't need a special camera or you know a lapel mic or.
It doesn't need a script it doesn't need anything just start talking just start asking them questions or just let them talk you know.
[12:39] I find that,
the biggest hurdle and this was this was a part of it for me putting the documentary out there I didn't complete the documentary until I was out well out of University actually.
I was probably I was 20-something when I completed it and one of the hurdles that I had the internal hurdles was.
The idea that if you look at it it's not that aesthetically pleasing now I was,
17 years old we had just gotten introduced at our school I used to school camera the SD card so we were done with the mini DV tapes and it would we were moving up in the world you know,
but I still didn't have all the lighting and all the fit I did not have that fancy equipment you know I was a kid,
so I was a little reluctant but I saw that it was a good story and a good story trumps everything and everybody has a story to tell and I think that.
[13:36] You know I think that it's really important and I see that now my grandfather he passed away at 101 he passed away December.
December 2020 so right before the pandemic you know really hit and my grandmother actually passed away.
In 2016 she was much younger and it was very unexpected so especially with her you know.
[14:04] I was very lucky when I sat even though I was doing.
Even though I was doing this on him I actually sat her down and I still documented her entire story for many hours even if I didn't put it in the documentary because I knew it would be a value someday and,
here we are and it is yeah and you get to keep that memory like I said again at the top of the show I what I wouldn't give for a video from mine and who's been gone.
Like 25 years right and we just wasn't there right we just didn't know any better and whatnot 25 years ago so.
I'm dating myself at this point but so Michelle was take a break after we come when we come back we're going to talk about misconceptions about documenting life stories.
This will be helpful information for anyone who has been on the fence stay tuned you're watching Artful aging with Amy.
[14:52] Hurtful aging with Amy is currently looking for gas and show ideas for our next season drop us a line at hello at Artful aging with a me.com and let us know what you would like to learn about in our upcoming season.
[15:05] Hello and thanks for joining us again on Artful aging with Amy I've been speaking with Michelle who's a documentary filmmaker we are also talking about
you know seniors and making documentaries about their lives and how video has changed things and how it would be lovely for a lot of us I'm sure would love to have videos of our grandparents and their stories some people
may think that not only writing down about traumatic stories is kind of you know on the line and whether or not to do it,
and especially if the people that you're writing about or filming have had I've had traumatic events
or have been survivors of traumatic events but then you know like I said adding the video on top
like Michelle was saying in our first segment is that you know it's a little bit more it makes people freeze more than anything so how do we combine talking about hard things putting it on video and then getting people used to talking about hard things also.
Michelle what are some of the misconceptions about making documentaries with survivors of traumatic experiences.
[16:13] Okay so there's a there's a lot of misconceptions one that everything is going to be perfect here's a good example I really needed needing to cough and I was holding that in we're live and you're talking to be rude.
So that's number one I guess I'll hum another one is that they don't want to share.
[16:35] It's not that I don't want to share is that it's hard and I come back to the whole conversation about their fears and there's a lot of reasons why.
[16:45] They are afraid I think one of the number one reasons is probably that they're afraid at least this is what I've gotten from other people that I have.
Worked with and I've worked with other families and you know people have come to me and I help them do their stories and a lot of the times they're just scared that nobody cares.
[17:06] That know what you know with what's you know it's the past it doesn't necessarily matter it's not maybe it's important to them.
But it won't be important to their loved ones and that's sad because that's really not the case so.
[17:21] I think the biggest misconception is that they're just they're not interested in Sharing or they you know it's this.
Did you desperately want to talk but they need to feel like The Listener is ready so when I'm talking to other families about documenting I always tell them go into it easy.
[17:42] Let them set the pace.
[17:45] And just you know just be ready and willing anytime they want to share I think they also learn though that there is a very,
strong power of sharing that story so this is also you know this is something I tell people all the time,
I get messages from all over the world even to this day and when I say to this day,
if I'm correct the movie was produced in 2013 with covid I don't know what date I don't even know what month I'm in so whatever but it's 2013 and I still get messages from places like Italy.
I even got a message a while back from Syria somebody in Syria stumbled upon the documentary and that is very cool.
There is something special about sharing your story most recently my parents were in Florida.
[18:38] And this was a maybe a month or two ago and they were sitting at the pool.
And they were trying to make friends with the other couples in the building you know Hi how are you this is her first time you know out of Canada and into Florida a long time
so they're sitting by the pool and they started they struck up a conversation and my mom you know she's born in Lebanon there was someone else another Jewish person there who's born in Lebanon so we started talking about you know the old country and everything and and how.
Little information there is about Jewish refugees from the Middle East.
And the man said except for one documentary I saw about some guy named Joseph who escaped out a Seer and my moms like that's my dad you know and it's stories like that that it's that's what makes it all worth it
and if one person sees it and stops you on the street one day that's all you need it's not about you know necessarily.
Changing the world it's about that one person touching that one person and whenever I you know get that one message every so often that that tells me that I'm doing right and that's something that I tell people all the time like share that story you never know.
You know who's watching and who's going to learn something from you.
[19:55] I Think It's amazing And the connection between your mom and that gentlemen right it's like it's just more reason for people to connect which is something I think that,
you know obviously has been on the back burner because all of us have been in our own houses for years at this point and so just anything that helps people connect I think is amazing.
Now I so I have been talking with you for a while and so I know that you've been a new mom you're a new mom now
so congratulations firstly and thank you I know to me when I had Eva the world looked a bit different to me as well,
I'm wondering do you see things in a different light now that you're a mom with documentary documenting life generally.
[20:39] Yes and no I always knew that this would be something special for our family because.
You know my sister had gotten married so I knew that she at the you know when especially when I released in 2013 she had already been married and I know that you know she was going to have children so it was more about actually had.
In my mind.
You know her children you know seeing these things not even my own it wasn't like something that I could at the time even you know conceptualize but it's it hasn't changed but it definitely.
Made it a little bit more meaningful I you know I look at my son Hershel the calm her she and I feel.
I feel you know lucky for him that we have this documentary to show him.
But I also feel sad because the people in the documentary are no longer with us so it's tough but again I'm very glad that I did it.
And it'll be something that you know he can look at later on and maybe he'll documents somebody one day himself.
[21:49] I feel that same way about Eva right we've caught all the even just of her childhood like of her specifically because we have all the video equipment and the different things that I mean just video cameras right
and so you know every once in awhile and Facebook's like hey this is a memory from four years ago and it's like a little video of Eva learning to walk or what not,
it's stuff that we didn't we didn't most of us and have right stuff that most of us can't even look back on,
and then to add in about you know here's a picture with your grandparents or here's a video with your grandparents or whatnot I think that that's
delightful actually and then she looks back and she remembers some of it she remembers and some of us she doesn't and and so she can interact with that and then she can have
more meaningful conversations with her grandparents because she sees something that they've done or or what not
so I think that that's fantastic when it's when it's personal you know it's not it's not part of it obviously is learning about you know.
[22:47] Hershey learning about his family history that's very important but something that you know as a child that fascinated me I used to watch over and over again my parents wedding video why I was just fascinated
with how people looked how they moved then what they were like younger where they were having fun they were smiling what their voices sound like and just having that,
in itself is very special especially when the family members gone yeah I agree for sure so let's take a short break Michelle.
After the break we're going to learn more about Shady Pines learning so grab a cup of coffee or tea and join us back here in a few minutes on Artful aging with Amy on bull breed TV.
[23:25] Are you watching us on YouTube but would rather listen to us in the car or on a walk no problem artfully aging with Amy is also available as a podcast.
Head over to Artful aging with a me.com for the links.
[23:41] Welcome back to Artful aging with Amy I'm your host Amy phrasing and today we're talking to Michelle who's a documentary filmmaker and she is the owner of Shady Pines learning so
learn more about Shady Pines Michelle can you tell us what Shady Pines learning is and what you do.
[23:58] So Shady Pines learning is there our main goal is to really educate
connecting power and Foster growth within the senior citizen community so together with are very dedicated and experienced staff we've created these programs meant to give seniors confidence in their everyday lives
so we've actually during the pain that.
The business was born during the pandemic like many I've had to Pivot because I'm in Canada and there were a lot of shutdowns.
So all of what I did had to move to online and I found that there was a real need within the senior citizen Community a lot of,
a lot of groups approached me asking knowing that I had a background in social media I had a certificate and I had been teaching at the local College here A Course in social media storytelling and
I did it for a few groups I loved it and from there Shady Pines learning was born.
[24:55] It's amazing how are you finding people are reacting to physically learning about social media and stuff because because a lot of seniors although are coming online and obviously more through the code through covid than ever before,
but there's still a lot of people that hadn't really broached it yet so how are they how's their learning curve I guess maybe is what I'm asking like how are they picking it up they're picking it up very fast.
I was a little surprised I didn't I underestimated them I'll be honest and.
They picked up things really fast and I was able to show them more than I thought I was going to and it's cute I see people's Grandma's because some of them you know are my friends on Facebook and they're commenting and they're sharing pictures of their grandkids and.
It's really excuse me it's a really sweet sweet thing and I'm just happy about it.
[25:49] What are some of the favorite things that people want to learn about like what,
you know most people coming to you because they want to know more about Facebook and and how to work that or even are they looking to do videos with their families right now if it's the individual,
it's been,
Facebook Instagram WhatsApp is a big one and zoom because that's that's obviously very common now when it's group,
organization that comes to me and they want to put on a workshop it's actually Online safety.
Fraud scams online banking because that really is a group that is very vulnerable to that following even phone scams we talked about phone scams all the time.
So I think that that would be probably the most popular that I'm asked to.
Facilitate or my team is asked to facilitate and we have people who have worked in you know in the banking world.
Um and finances and different areas customer service and people with a lot of different experiences backgrounds that are able to share personal stories of what they've had to deal with at work and and how to spot that scam.
[27:05] The scams are super difficult I mean they are of rampid and I'm even getting emails and texts and stuff and like I have to take a second look and I'm not even convinced all the time and it's a scam either and I was like no you have to think about it really.
[27:19] Under arrest for 8 years.
[27:23] They coming to get you apparently I do Amazon a lot of money right now one of a dozen cruises excellent.
So do your cash in on all those cruises yeah well they keep wanting to close my Scotia bank card and I don't have one like.
It's tough and then the you mean this there's scams going even in our local area which is I think it's called the grandparents Grant right it's about the grandchildren are reaching out to seeing you're saying I'm in trouble and then,
the senior doesn't know and wants to help like any of us and so I think it's fantastic that you're able to educate people on the scams because again we're working with the senior demographic for you know what we're talking about now and,
I would say that this type of scamming and things is not something that's in their wheelhouse or not used to it because again they didn't necessarily grow up with you know social media and texting and stuff like we did so did the super beneficial,
yeah it's you know what it's really it's really unfortunate that they're they're constantly targeted but they.
[28:33] You know full disclosure I've almost fallen for one or two scams so it's not just anybody.
Scamp anybody can fall for it in any you know industry in any capacity
it's just about what we teach people about reading between the lines and looking at what's not they're not always what's there you know and even something as simple or if it's an email something as simple as a spelling mistake grammar error
the like you know looking at the
URL at the top don't click links just if you're not sure you delete it do not click the link that's the number one I will tell everybody listening to they do not click the link.
Yeah it's true yeah you just have to.
[29:12] Just say no to the links we have and you have to just make sure that you know like I said you're reading between the lines and maybe just take an extra second before you do something with you know if it's an email or whatnot so that you can.
So you can figure it out for yourself again I've also had that problem myself.
What about before the break how about could you tell us a little bit more about what maybe is the most rewarding part of Shady Pines for you.
[29:40] You know it's just watching people in Iraq that I've taught you know on things like Facebook.
A good example is my my mother-in-law hi Zsa Zsa um well you will she's in Montreal um.
[29:54] You know I again I underestimated her,
she was in one of my classes the organization put it put it together and she had been asking me and this is when the borders were closed in between the provinces so we couldn't even see her this was during early during the pandemic
and she kept asking me to help her understand WhatsApp and Facebook so I just water in to one of the groups that had hired me and I watch her now having feelings on Facebook.
And you know the love button like she knows now she's a pro and every time I see her do something on Facebook I'm like that's that's
that's just a little bit of me right there and I know it feels good it feels good to see like she's getting you know she's getting something out of it especially during a Time.
When you're separated from your children and now your grandchildren because it is still difficult you know when you live far away and during the pandemic even if things are opening up
it's still you're still having that separation sometimes so
having the skills it's gonna serve them not just doesn't just serve people on a business level but on a social level on an emotional level you know they're connecting and this is for every age.
[31:05] Yeah there and there's been so much isolation like you're saying and you know anybody that was able to kind of hop on learning,
video and all those different things early in the pandemic probably benefited the most because.
[31:20] The isolations are real problem for seniors it's a problem for everybody but I'm finding that because I work with seniors I obviously see that more often and it's just been significant issue so,
you know missing out I can even look at it from Eva's point of view right missing out on time with her grandparents
and her aunt and her uncle right and it's just been difficult yes you know we've been trying to video but you know trying to video with a four-year-old as quite difficult as it is you know attention span and whatnot so.
The fact that we are able to send them pictures or send them voice chats or whatever has been helpful for them
and so I can only imagine that any of the seniors who were able to access Facebook or jump on to any what's up like you said or Zoom,
earlier or even so jumping on now will still benefit because they're their family that's where they're at even you know,
even family that is in the big fan of Facebook and things like that like my husband for instance he still has other ways to reach him right and it's just again it's kind of like what you said earlier as finding what method works best.
For that family member right and if grandpa is always on Facebook then you go to Facebook of Grandpa's always on text and you go to text right and it's so this can be dangerous my niece she is,
five maybe six on again the time is like.
[32:40] I don't know but you know she knows that my mother knows how to use you know Facebook and whatnot so she calls her now at four or five in the morning.
On face yeah so it's not who I see some friends Grandpa may not want to say what he knows how to do like to be dangerous.
[32:58] Oh dear
off the air so why don't we talk a little bit more about so we talked about the courses that Shady Pine offers is there any favorite that you love teaching I think you mentioned scams but is there anything like when you're on one on one is it Facebook that's your favorite.
So scams and online online safety or safety in general different things that's actually that's just the most popular the most asked for.
The secondary which happens to be my favorite is the social media learning how to use Facebook is my favorite one next would be Instagram.
[33:34] But not inside enter actually they are there a lot of seniors on Instagram because I find that surprising but I stay away from Instagram myself but you know what is the situation they want to be on Instagram,
I'm surprised when they asked me but I think they want to be or they want to know what it is because they see the member they see the grandkids on it.
Yeah when you it's a they're looking for a way to connect and I you know I appreciate that so I show them I don't think a lot of them necessarily go for that I think.
The ones that they end up using the most or Facebook and WhatsApp.
Yeah but that's what's that's huge especially if you're you're not in the local region right like it's just much easier
I fight I mean I use it with my team professionally but I also use it with friends and family and you know it's much more user-friendly as well if you're away right and you're contacting people from long distance,
yeah which is what Manny's parents are in Montreal yep my parents are in Toronto.
[34:39] So you know and then we parent we have family all over the world but this is a great way for them to see their grandson.
You know and for him to see them even if it is on a video you know and it's convenient so I think that that's also you know there.
They're realizing a lot of the grandparents now do have a cell phone and I think that they're realizing the convenience of it because not a lot some of them still use a computer desktop I find that they do prefer that,
because it's bigger,
you see the full picture and it's not a scrolling situation and I get that but I think when it comes to things like what's up they they really want to connect not everybody has the iPhone and you know it's not and that's one of the more.
[35:23] Popular types of apps to use again is another popular one they asked before because after we're all about Zoom now,
everything is so that's one of the reasons but I really love the art classes and the film club,
you know where we talk about you know movies talk about
history talk about those things and get to just have a conversation connect and learn those are the most easygoing ones those are my favorite we're going to be introducing book club
as well the show just before you go into that why don't we just take a break really quickly and then we'll talk about book club
good okay let's take a break we'll be right back.
[36:08] Are you a native retirement living but unsure where to begin a retirement home advisors .c a we have brought Senior Living advisors together from all over Canada to help families navigate the senior living industry.
[36:20] For more information book a call with one of our advisors today welcome back
before we were leaving for the break we were talking about online learning and all the different courses that Michelle offers and she was just getting into her book club and I had to I had to pause it for a minute so let's go back to that Michelle can you tell us.
A little bit more about the book club in the history club that you started and I also see that we have a guest joining us.
Yeah so this is Herschel we call them Hershey he's actually named after the candy bar was I was craving Hershey
candy bars the entire pregnancy so we decided to name him that so this is her she's a night he woke up early from his nap but he's excited to join us so where are ya so we're working on a lot of different courses all the time we get a lot of feedback and,
we hear a lot about what these organizations a lot of community center senior centers that they need so we're developing all the time right now,
as far as the more you know creative fun social aspect a book club.
Um we're looking to revamp our film club and our art classes the our classes are more a one-off it's not necessarily weekly unless somebody asks for it I find that they're more like once a month
as far as as far as the others go you know things like Facebook.
[37:39] Instagram I don't know if you've noticed are changing all the time even just wear their buttons are the functionality and things you know also
working together cross-posting so there's always more for me
to update and work on and learn myself so I can teach other people so even if you took our Facebook class you know a year ago Facebook looks very different today.
It's even it's hard to keep up as a professional myself like it sometimes I wake up and I'm like.
I don't know what like we're supposed button like you know it's not it's not easy for me so we're constantly.
[38:17] Reworking our courses and just trying to update them and make them better and again we're learning from people's feedback people you know who have taken the courses or people who haven't and are interested what are you want to learn what did you get out of it what would you prefer we focus on so we're really we are always interested in what people have to say because
that's what makes us better and we're here to serve you.
I think do you have a lot of people that are interested in the book club and the history club and whatnot I feel like that would be.
Feeling quite a need for socialization again because we haven't had very much being able to do something virtually I think would be helpful what's your feedback well the phone Club.
Especially because.
[39:01] I'm and people have called me my whole life and old soul I am like a 90 year old and a 9 year olds body okay and.
II agree up watching like Turner Classic Movies Nick at night you know TV Land my favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz and I
so I have a lot to talk about with you know seniors and what they enjoy same with music and all of it I
I wasn't born in this era but so I think that that one is definitely popular
maybe because I just have so much passion towards it because again FileMaker book club we've gotten a lot of really positive feedback about you know interests because we haven't started it yet
um we're looking into whether you know do they want fiction nonfiction because there's so many different you know some people want fantasy and you know there's so much
that's the good thing about book club same as film there's so many different genres out there that we can you know connect to so many different people that I think it could be very popular just as popular as the film won.
[40:03] Excellent well before before we leave you today can you tell us what's next for Michelle what's next on what's your next plan.
Well my biggest production is right here
you know right before the right before the pandemic I was starting to work on a documentary again I am in Canada so I mentioned I'm in Ottowa we were planning to shoot in Montreal
and the provincial borders were closed so we had to we did not you know it's not cancelled it was,
Kimberly shelved in then I got pregnant so we're still we're slowly now starting to work on that documentary it's about refugees again human rights.
So we're starting out to read that at the mall so I'm working I'm writing with my husband we're actually doing it as a team we're writing a children's book.
And inspired by this guy right here and we're also working on a podcast together,
hey we got a lot of stuff in the works and of course Shady Pines learning that's something that is remote we are going to be offering some
in-person courses slowly obviously again I'm in Ottawa so it's going to be probably Ottawa maybe Montreal and Toronto neighboring areas
but we're still going to be continuing online so we can work with people all over the world like we have been and we just really look forward to continuing this new venture.
[41:27] Fantastic well thank you Michelle it's
our time has come to an end unfortunately but I'm so happy that you were able to join us I hope that more people will look at documenting their loved ones life I do believe that future Generations would really be grateful to receive it so again
thanks so much Michelle for coming on today I really appreciate you sharing your stories.
[41:48] Thank you Amy I really really I love what you're doing and I'm just so grateful I got to come on and speak to you today and I'm if he could speak he would say the same.
Well her show was nice meeting you as well.
For more information on Michelle and Shady Pines learning head over to Artful aging with a me.com there's her bio there as well as links.
For so again for today's show I'm a big believer of documenting life event.
And I personally would love to do that more so even in my own life and I know that probably one of the reasons why I love photography so much.
I also love the idea of coffee table books as a way to document anything that.
You know anything generally but really what I see them use more so is when people are making a move from a house and they want to make sure they can document what the house look like and what their room look like and things like that.
And when were working with families at tea and toast we actually have a lot of people that look into that because making a move,
from a home after so many years is quite difficult and so to have that memory is super helpful let's go into my top tips for today who really enjoy the Kohl's note for people who really enjoy the coals moments versions again,
and while no more about their loved ones past this is really kind of the top.
[43:10] That I would give you to kind of document that and have those conversations so my top tip would be to let your loved one know your why.
Usually once you can express why you would like to do the documentary or have the discussion people are a little bit less reluctant remember.
They may not want to do it in the same way that you want to do however so like Michelle was saying you know take that in stride you know
give it to that person make sure that they're comfortable because at the end
you're going to get something that's going to be memorable whichever way you want to do it tip 2 would be to help
figure out the medium so again whatever is comfortable for them they may not like video they might want written they may want audio what is it
so try to be a little bit fluid in that method because the end result is getting that story so make sure that your fluid enough that you can get that story and you don't turn the person off
and then I also think that a good tip would be to give them a little time to reminisce
on their own so perhaps giving them some questions before time letting them think about them letting them you know stir in their minds so they have something to have a conversation with and they don't feel like they're going cold.
Into the documentary for instance so again there's no right way to do it make sure you let the person know you know why it's important to you and just work with them.
[44:34] And that's it for today so I'm next week's show we're going to be discussing advocacy with my guest mark.
If you've enjoyed Today's Show please give us a thumbs up share with your friends and family that way more people can find our show.
[44:47] From me to you I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday.
[44:54] You've been listening to Artful aging with host femi many folks just like you feel they're alone in their journey and helping a loved one or.
So tune in each week and let a me show you that help is around the corner and it's just one conversation away here on Artful Aging with Amy
