Last weekend, we dusted off the ol’ trailer to visit the spectacular 8,000 acre Biltmore Estate, America’s largest home, in Asheville, North Carolina. This was our 3rd visit to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and we always love the beautiful gardens, great restaurants, mountain biking and Southern hospitality.

Due to the mild winter, the vibrant tulip garden was blooming a few weeks earlier than usual. After touring that and the orchid conservatory, we headed to the Biltmore Winery to lunch at the delicious Bistro and browse the Wine Shop. For wine afficionados, they have free and informative wine tastings. Then we headed back to walk through the azalea garden towards Bass Pond.

Back at the ranch or Bear Creek RV Park (highly recommended), we met our new neighbors, Gary and his adorable Pomapoo Harley from Maine, who actually do ride a Harley together. Then we were off for dinner downtown to one of the best vegetarian restaurants we’ve ever experienced The Laughing Seed Café. We dined on the vegan Indian Thali Plate and one of their sparkling health tonics.

The next morning, we were back at the Biltmore where Greg hit the bike trails while I toured the impressive 250-room chateau in over an hour. I then had time to visit some of the cute shops nearby — the candy shop and (my favorite) the Christmas shop.

On our first visit here a few years ago, we thoroughly enjoyed a traditional English afternoon tea with delectable, tiny pastries at The Inn on Biltmore Estate. The highlight of our food experience in Asheville is always at Deerpark — an elegant Southern brunch that is truly phenomenal. This time, we tried our first fried green tomatoes in their eggs benedict — southern-style. Our first time here, we met Brad Daugherty from the Cleveland Cavaliers at Easter Brunch. (I, of course, had no idea who he was, but Greg seemed suitably excited.)

Before leaving, we stocked our trailer fridge up at Earth Fare for delicious, healthful deli items like chicken curry and live kale salad. This ends our warm, flower-scented weekend in Asheville, filled with Southern beauty, perfect weather, grace and charm.

-CL

OK, we’ve had warm days in March before. Never have we experienced a March like this in Northeast Ohio!

We actually had an opportunity to picnic outside in 85F degree weather on my birthday (see picnic tables below) at the Daffodil Trail in Richfield, Ohio.

Because of this warmth and early blooming, we thought we would share a few early spring photos with you.

Remember, you can now click on any of the images below to see a large version of the photos. Happy Spring!

What are Water Films?

These short films give a glimpse of beautiful natural areas with a focus on the water features. Water is the source of life on this planet and it’s something that all of us experience and value. I’m always amazed at the infinite variety of manifestations of water.

The creation of a Water Film is totally unplanned with an emphasis on allowing the scenery to gently direct our (Candice and me) attention toward certain features of the landscape.

I’ve discovered that creative ideas come to me most easily when I’m in a relaxed state, frequently while hanging out in nature.

In fact, I used to be a very detailed composer of music who wrote out every detail on paper. The process was not easy and tended to get bogged down in the process. Now, I just let the essence of the area being featured in a Water Film animate new music. The music comes effortlessly, in finished state with very little editing.

Because we are in a peaceful, meditative state while capturing the images, our intention is to give viewers a similar experience. An inspiring quotation sets the tone at the beginning of the film and a reflective statement is found at the end. Long clips, slow transitions and tranquil music help the viewer to get into a relaxed state.

Here’s a brand new Water Film, “Kananaskis Country,” which features a wilderness area just east of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. This area is meaningful to us because Candice is from Edmonton, Alberta and we started visiting the Canadian Rockies 10 years ago on a regular basis. We’ve been inspired and captivated by the area ever since that first incredible visit.

We recently visited Orchid Mania at the Cleveland Botanical Garden.

It’s such a pleasure to walk into the warm glass house and see the vibrant colors of these amazing orchids. Here are some of the images we captured while walking around the CBG. If you want to see any of this in person, you have until March 25.

By the way, we added a new feature to the Studio Blog. You can now click on any of the images below to see a large version of the photo! Give it a try.

If you read the Studio Blog occasionally, it comes as no surprise to you that we are creatively inspired by the Canadian Rockies.

Banff National Park contains some of the world’s most stunning natural landmarks. A lifetime of discovery awaits visitors of this incredible park.

We’ve been to the park about 25 times over the last 10 years and we always find new gems. There are a few spots that I frequent with each visit. Lake Minnewanka happens to be one of those places that holds spiritual significance for me.

At the end of our trips there, I usually spend time in the morning watching the lake, walking the shoreline and listening to the utter silence that permeates the air around this lake (you only need to walk about a half mile away from the boat dock to experience the quiet).

This Water Film gives a snapshot of this “Water of the Spirits” (the translation of Minnewanka from the Stoney Indian Nakota language). Minnewanka is the largest lake in Banff National Park.

The new music inspired by these images is available here.

If you’re like us, we like to vacation to warmer climates in the winter to get a dose of bright sunshine and to relax on the beach.

The Nature Portrait below was created after a visit to Sanibel and Fort Myers, Florida. You can watch this video anytime you’re feeling like you want the relaxed tropical vibe . . .

Brand new ambient music, On the Beach, serves as the soundtrack to the video, available here for download.

Do you have trouble getting to sleep?

We keep hearing from people that lack of rest is one of life’s major disruptions. So, we decided to create a guided meditation that can give sleep assistance to others.

The video process incorporates simple techniques to relax the body and mind. In addition, you’ll bring your waking hours to a close with appreciation for your life and the events of the day while releasing any racing thoughts.

You may close your eyes at any time during this guided meditation and just listen to the audio.

When you finish the video and get into bed, you may continue to use the technique in which you imagine writing down your thoughts and setting them into the river. Or, you may just follow your breathing in and out as you drift off to sleep.

Please remove all distractions from the area where you watch this video to experience the full benefit.

There is also an audio-only version of this video on the Creative Mentor page of our website.

Sweet dreams :)

I’ve always liked this timeless quote by Lao Tzu:

“Only those who know internal peace can give it to others.”

It’s a great gift to give peace to others. It’s become one of my dominant intentions. What about you?

I’m not sure about New Year’s resolutions, but if I have one for this year, I think that quote embodies the essence of how I wish to live life in 2012 and beyond.

As I write this post, I’m sitting in our travel trailer following a week long vacation to Florida’s west coast. The two of us had a wonderful time with our cats in the warm weather at the beach. We took photos, shot video, read books, watched sunrises and sunsets while enjoying moments of blissful leisure.

It’s easy to experience internal peace under such external circumstances.

Here’s where it gets interesting.

I’m happy (and somewhat surprised) to say that I still feel peaceful even though yesterday took an unusual turn for us. We were driving though Orlando, Florida on our way home when our “check engine” light came on. After consulting the manual, we decided to find a nearby dealership and get the code checked.

The diagnosis was surprisingly pessimistic. We were told that our transmission would fail and that we may or may not make it home to Ohio.

Guess what? it failed…20 minutes before we arrived at our destination in South Carolina on pitch black roads on New Year’s Eve. With an overheating van, erratic shifting and not much around, it was easy to feel stressed.

We hobbled to our destination and managed to hook up the trailer when it dawned on us that we weren’t sure how to get home or when we will be able to do so.

The odd thing is that we felt a certain sense of calm. We suddenly had no idea what we would do on New Year’s Day and there was a certain freedom to that realization. No car dealerships or repair places are open on a New Year’s Day that is a Sunday, so we were “carte blanche” (blank slate) for the first time in many years.

When is the last time you had a day in which you were totally unsure about how it would unfold? Does that make you nervous or does that seem appealing? How many of us would choose such a day?

We didn’t choose it, but it has really opened my eyes to a new perspective. I’m an improviser who began learning how to create spontaneous jazz piano solos around the age of 12. But, I’ve come to realize that improvisation in the creative practice does not always lead to improvisation in day to day living.

I think the peace I feel right now comes from the fact that there was no plan and total surrender today. This was a big lesson and I plan to employ that wisdom.

I felt compelled to share this story, perhaps to inspire others to consider ways to experience internal peace regardless of external circumstances.

Peace and joy to you in 2012!

Our latest multimedia innovation is designed to help people perform music with confidence. Most people who play or sing music wish to express themselves fully to others through this universal form of communication.

However, many people worry about being judged, compare themselves to others, and get anxious about making mistakes while delivering their musical message. Their focus turns away from the joy of expression to the fear of performing and being vulnerable.

A simple guided process, this brand new video was created to give both amateur and professional performers:

1. self-acceptance
2. self-confidence
3. freedom of expression
4. the idea that music is a universal language of connection
5. tools for mental preparation

For full instructions on how to use the video, go to the video’s page on YouTube and look at the description below the video.

As performers, Candice and I have used all of these techniques and experienced fantastic results. We also teach these concepts to our students. But, this is the first time we’ve organized the system in such a comprehensive, yet concise package.

If you know anyone who would like to be more peaceful and expressive while performing, feel free to share this video with them.

This video is the first installment in our brand new series entitled, GC Meditation Series. Upcoming videos will address topics like sleeplessness, goal attainment, public speaking, appreciation, exercise and health, abundance and forming an effective practice habit.

Greg, our two traveling cats and I spent Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (2nd weekend in October) on the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands in Ontario. We were enthralled by the quiet beauty and uniqueness of the area.

There are around 1865 islands in a 50 mile span of the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario that vary greatly in size. Some smaller ones have a charming house or two on them with small bridges connecting a couple tiny islands. Imagine living on your own private island! The Iroquois referred to this area as “Garden of the Great Spirit”. And this IS where Thousand Island dressing was created.

We accessed the Thousand Islands from Gananoque, ON, a lovely little town (pop. 5285) about midway between Toronto and Montreal. We were so impressed by the friendliness of the people. The optimal time to see Fall colors is generally the 3rd weekend in October. Here are some of our trip highlights and links for more info:

In order to see the islands, it’s best to take a boat cruise. The Gananoque Boat Line offers journeys of various lengths including a 5-hour Boldt Castle Stopover Cruise. The 1-hour cruise ($20 per person) was a perfect length for us. We happened upon the boat just as it was departing and since we missed the ticket counter, the dockhand trustingly let us on without tickets. We did buy them afterwards, and it saved us a 1.5 hr. wait for the next boat. The Gan Boat Line gift shop was offering 40% off most items for the holiday, and the cashier was very informative about the area.

For lunch, the gift shop cashier recommended the Ganonoque Inn and Spa for their waterfront view and wi-fi. We tried one of the Inn’s restaurants, Muskie Jake’s, which features delicious casual fare and generous portions. Try the lemon beer-battered fish and chips or veggie wrap. For Thanksgiving weekend, they serve a special all-inclusive turkey dinner for $20 on Sunday night by reservation only. Good deal!

Only 25 minutes away, Kingston sports a pretty waterfront reminiscent of Vancouver’s marina with some nice pubs along the river.

Visit 1000 Islands Gananoque for places to stay, like the picturesque Athlone Inn, and more activities. For campers, there are many nice resorts, including 1000 Islands Camping Resort which is quiet, pretty and has full hook-ups. The 1000 Islands/Ivy Lea KOA has Thanksgiving dinner and Trick or Treat this weekend, but it books up early.

If you want to access this area from upstate New York, click on Visit 1000 Islands.

Happy travels!