Let Your Arms Unfurl

Hana, HI, USA - Take a quick stroll through some stunning Hawaiian foliage with this submission from Artist, Kirsten Whatley. You’ll land in a grateful calm, after moving through urgency, that can only stem from the constant of nature.

From the Artist, Kirsten Whatley: We’re living in unprecedented times, and the only thing certain these days is our ability to adapt and evolve as part of nature—this 1-minute journey through both a Hawaiian forest and the mind reminds us we’re not alone … Since the pandemic started, I’ve been working on a series of short Hawaii nature-based films using footage I could capture solo within walking distance of my home in East Maui. As the Hawaiian Islands grapple with the pandemic’s impact on our tourism-dependent economy while striving to keep our communities healthy, my aim is to show that within the chaos, we can always find peace.

Find more on Kirsten’s Instagram, Twitter, and Website.

We’re living in unprecedented times, and the only thing certain these days is our ability to adapt and evolve as part of nature—this 1-minute journey through both a Hawaiian forest and the mind reminds us we’re not alone. Within the chaos, we can always find peace … This is the first in a series of Hawaii nature-based film shorts. Written, filmed, and edited by Kirsten Whatley Maui, Hawaii www.kirstenwhatley.com ———— Walk with me into the forest. You’re not alone. Let your arms unfurl like mossy green tendrils, trailing a path behind you. I know you hoped to find silence here. You might even think the birds are arguing with your thoughts but they're telling stories of their own about chaos—wind and rain, earthquakes and hurricanes. You’re not the only one dodging the storm. Look, from every new vantage point, the road ahead looks different. All you can do is let the wind lift your hair, lean back until your head rests on the cushion of your shoulders, stare at the space between fanned-out fingers of leaves, hands against the sky, and listen ...