NAVIGATION
  • Home
  • What Do I Do?
  • Hire Me
    • Performing
    • Musical Directing
    • Coaching
    • Composing
    • Orchestrating
    • Arranging
    • Accompanying
  • Reviews
  • Check me out
    • My Albums
    • Lyrics
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • What Do I Do?
  • Hire Me
    • Performing
    • Musical Directing
    • Coaching
    • Composing
    • Orchestrating
    • Arranging
    • Accompanying
  • Reviews
  • Check me out
    • My Albums
    • Lyrics
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Blog
  • Contact
NAVIGATION

Gratitude Stories #9: My Favorite Memories (chapter 01)

1/18/2021

0 Comments

 

MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN 720 HD! It really makes a difference :)
so sorry this isn't available in HD, these videos were taken on my little flipcam between 2009 and 2011. i didn't have a good video camera yet ;D

Gratitude Stories 09: My Favorite Memories; Chapter 1

i have had the most amazing life, so filled with magic and wonder and travel and love. here are just a few glimpses at a few of my favorite memories from about 2009-2011. there are many more of these videos to come :)
0 Comments

Gratitude Story #8: "Big Sur, Backwards"

1/15/2021

0 Comments

 

MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN HD! It really makes a difference :) click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 1080p!

Gratitude Stories 08: Big Sur Backwards

another drive to Big Sur... but in reverse :) i said it all in the last video, but i'll say it again, here:

​"b and i are both so grateful to be born and raised california kids. some people go their whole lives without seeing anything as beautiful as our coast.. not only the coast but the valley, the mountains, the fields... all of california is so stunning, and it's not lost on us. we feel so lucky, every day, to wake up in our wonderland, and i hope you enjoy this little glimpse at how majestic california really is. a lot of people think california is mainly los angeles... but the truth is - california is massive and expansive... from huge cliffs to massive deserts to huge mountains and lakes to expansive farming country to major, sprawling cities to our statewide canal system... california is our home, and we are so grateful to be here, still."
0 Comments

January 07th, 2021

1/7/2021

0 Comments

 

MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN HD! It really makes a difference :) click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 1080p!

Gratitude Stories 07: A Drive to Big Sur

we took foxy on a day trip to big sur :D b and i are both so grateful to be born and raised california kids. some people go their whole lives without seeing anything as beautiful as our coast.. not only the coast but the valley, the mountains, the fields... all of california is so stunning, and it's not lost on us. we feel so lucky, every day, to wake up in our wonderland, and i hope you enjoy this little glimpse at how majestic california really is. a lot of people think california is mainly los angeles... but the truth is - california is massive and expansive... from huge cliffs to massive deserts to huge mountains and lakes to expansive farming country to major, sprawling cities to our statewide canal system... california is our home, and we are so grateful to be here, still.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CONTACT:
website: www.shellybort.com
spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5A5c3...
my musicals: https://www.instagram.com/shellybortp...
my art: https://www.instagram.com/sbzartcrafts

MUSIC: 1. "glacier" by chris haugen
​CAMERA: Android Galaxy A71 phone
0 Comments

Goodbye 2020! Gratitude Story #6

1/4/2021

0 Comments

 

click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 720p! i recently got a new camera and didn't know it was set to a low resolution for recording for the first few weeks, so this video is only available in 720p. i'm sorry! the next one will be MUCH better and back to being available in HD! ;D

​i miserably failed at making videos after Thanksgiving! My mom had a heart attack and my brain just wasn't in it anymore. But she's doing GREAT. We are soooooo grateful for every second with her. I picked up the camera a few times in December, and i really tried to do Vlogmas, but stuff was just so crazy around here i couldn't fit it in! But the excitement surrounding that event has calmed down, and i am ready to make weekly videos again in 2021 :)

a huge shout out and thank you to my wonderful, amazing husband... what a year. oof. one for the record books. and here we are - still surrounded by our magic. we have what we have - and we are happy. we've lost what we've lost - and we're still happy :) we are so lucky. and i am so unbelievably grateful for you. xoxo

CONTACT:
website: www.shellybort.com
spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5A5c3...
my musicals: https://www.instagram.com/shellybortp...
my art: https://www.instagram.com/sbzartcrafts

MUSIC:
​1. "french romantic" by turpak
2. "mind stream" by chris haugen

CAMERA: Android Galaxy A71 phone
0 Comments

I HATE BEING A LANDLORD! Also - life is beautiful :) Vlogmas: 02

12/5/2020

0 Comments

 

MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN HD! It really makes a difference :) click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 1080p!

Vlogmas 02: I hate being a landlord! also: life is beautiful :)

today, i thought i'd give you a glimpse into what my husband and i have to deal with as landlords. GRRRRRR. I HATE IT SO MUCH. also - this is my favorite time of year and the fall colors are reeeeeally hanging on in the central valley this year, thank goodness!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

CONTACT:
website:
www.shellybort.com
my musicals: www.instagram.com/shellybortpresents
my art: www.instagram.com/sbzartcrafts

MUSIC: 1. "zodiac structures" by noMbe
2. "i love my mom" by reed mathis

CAMERA: Android Galaxy A71 phone

0 Comments

Thanksiving, Birthday, and New Camera! Vlogmas: 01

12/3/2020

0 Comments

 

MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN HD! It really makes a difference :) click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 1080p!

Vlogmas 01: Thanksgiving, Birthday, & New Camera!

i will be uploading video logs of our Christmas season :) i doubt i'll be talking directly to the camera, since i haven't done that in.... 12 years?! around there... and i am just not interested in creating that kind of content at this point. instead, i will be making little videos of our daily life in december. i hope you enjoy them :) HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON! xoxxo
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
CONTACT:
website: www.shellybort.com
my musicals: www.instagram.com/shellybortpresents
my art: www.instagram.com/sbzartcrafts

MUSIC:
1. "no. 6: in my dreams" by esther abrami
2. "'tis the season" by justnormal song license:
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/v...
artist license: https://www.epidemicsound.com/artists...

CAMERA: Android Galaxy A71 phone
0 Comments

Life With 4 Dogs! Gratitude Stories #5

11/22/2020

0 Comments

 
MAKE SURE TO WATCH IN HD! It really makes a difference :) click the wheel on the bottom right of the video and watch in 1080p!

Gratitude Stories 05: Our Kids (Life with 4 Dawgs!)

for those of you familiar with our dogs - we still have 5... although olive has gone to live with my parents at their new house because she has grown quite attached to my mom! ;) while we still get to see her all the time, this video only features kenya, juniper, foxy, and squeak. living with these 4 (and ollie) has been the absolute joy and love of my life. there are very few things in this world that make me AS happy to be alive as our kids... i'd say- they are second only to my husband... and it's a close second :) enjoy these 5 minutes of pure joy, love, and adoration. these babes make our lives worth living every single day. ❤️

MUSIC:
1. "overdrive" by corbyn kites
2. "hulu ukelele" by chris haugen
3. "two little bums" by the great north sound society
CAMERA: all pictures and video taken on my little Android Galaxy S9
0 Comments

November 07th, 2020

11/7/2020

0 Comments

 
Watch in HD! it really makes a huge difference :D

i have this kind of weird thing that happens with me: i loooove to draw, and i know i'm absolutely TERRIBLE at it.

my husband actually completely disagrees with me and thinks i'm pretty good, but i personally know that i just don't know how to use colors together, i don't know how to do shading or calligraphy ... i don't even know what you call it? the words on it? the script? i don't even know the lingo. but i do have a strong message that i try to get across with my "artwork".

i like to draw about girl power, and i like to draw people that are under or misrepresented. i was SEVERELY bullied growing up, and i wish that i'd had a book full of pictures that taught me how to - and that it was OKAY to -BELIEVE in myself! because back then all the grown-ups i was surrounded with had no clue how to teach a little girl how to be brave and okay in the world. and because i was raised like that - i STILL have a hard time believing that my personal feelings are valid.

​so, i like to draw people being validated, and i like to draw people being brave :) it might not be good, but it makes ME feel good, and validated, and brave!
MUSIC: "experience nature, experience you" by south london hifi
​CAMERAS: all pictures taken on my little Android Galaxy S9
ARTWORK: all pictures hand-drawn and/or painted by shelly bort
"feel and deal so you can heal" copyright shelly bort 2020
all drawings copyright shelly bort 2020
all drawings available for purchase: www.instagram.com/SBZArtCrafts CONTACT: website: shellybort.com
music: instagram.com/shellybortpresents
​art: instagram.com/sbzartcrafts
0 Comments

Gratitude Stories 03: How The Sun flickers warm magic through the trees

10/30/2020

0 Comments

 
Watch in HD! it really makes a huge difference :D

when i was a kid, my favorite thing to do was lie under trees and look up at the sunlight flickering through the branches waving in the wind. i felt like God lived in trees and i could talk to Him through the sun... i still feel like that. i can't describe the feeling it gives me.... i've tried many times and failed miserably at capturing in words just how special it makes me feel. it's beyond explanation. i really don't know why it's so meaningful - it just is. .

when my parents built our famously huge Bort-Fort in the late 80's, we planted 2 huge trees in the backyard together, and those trees have meant more to me than most people in my life. unfortunately, a few weeks ago - we had to chop those trees down... 32-year-old trees... my magical trees... the trees that have healed my heart time after time, the trees that hold my wishes and prayers... the trees i wept to God in... the weeks leading up to their demise were some of the saddest weeks of my life, and mourning those trees and what they meant to me has been so much harder than i could ever explain.

​it feels dumb to say out loud - but those trees were part of us... part of me... and now they're gone. like all things - they eventually had to leave. and i miss them... i miss them so much, i have tears rolling down my cheeks as i type this. it's like a sudden death happened and i'm lost and confused and mourning my loved ones.

i get unbelievably sad when i look out into our empty backyard, now... it's not the same... i don't even want to look out there... i don't even want to live here, anymore. my heart is broken, and i miss my magical trees.

this video is to honor them. they made me feel so special, and calm, and peaceful, and like i mattered, and like everything was going to be okay. they made me grateful to be me - because i got to grow under them... with them.
MUSIC: "Love" by yehezkel raz
music licensing//song:
https://artlist.io/song/17216/love-you
music licensing//artist:
https://artlist.io/artist/614/yehezke...
CAMERAS: all footage shot on my little Android Galaxy S9
Contact Shelly Bort:
website: shellybort.com music:
instagram.com/shellybortpresents
​art: instagram.com/sbzartcrafts
0 Comments

GratiTude Stories 02: Stillness

10/22/2020

0 Comments

 

ever since i was a little kid - i have had a great need for stillness. i never knew that's what it was, but it definitely made itself known. i have always been extremely empathetic; most counselors, therapists, and my parents and friends even say to a fault - and that takes a big toll. it's exhausting and dangerous. as i've grown up- i have learned to somewhat protect myself, but i haven't learned how to ALWAYS protect myself, and most of the time before i even know it's happening - i'm drained. it makes me susceptible to narcissists, sociopaths, and energy drainers. it's surrounded me with stalkers and addicts and people who are lost and sad and need encouragement. that's the other challenging part of my personality - i'm an enneagram 7: "the enthusiast, the cheerleader, the entertainer". all 3 of those things are quite exhausting to a highly sensitive person, even though it's my natural state to be those things. as an extroverted introvert and empath - merging all these personality traits has led me straight into a crisis of mind and body this year.

several months ago, i fell into a deep anxiety-driven depression and haven't been able to pull myself out. right now - i'm on a doctor prescribed wellness-retreat. i am only 3 days in.. in the mountains, in the cool, in nature, in the quiet... and already feel more at ease and more at peace than i have in the last 2 and a half years. my mind is starting to relax. the tightness in my chest is starting to let go. i'm starting to sleep and don't feel like sobbing or screaming every time something slightly irritates me.

dealing with my empathetic nature has been a very double-edged sword. on one hand - i believe it makes me a great human, a good friend, a good listener, a good teacher, a good daughter, and a good wife. it helps me be non-judgemental, kind, encouraging to those in pain and to people in general. HOWEVER - when i don't take care of myself (and like i said, for most of my life i have had no clue how to take care of this part of me) - it makes me a nightmare to be around. i can't listen, can't concentrate, am angry for reasons i can't understand or explain, start crying at the drop of a hat, am constantly filled with intense anxiety, can't be near people i'm not completely comfortable around, and can't get more than an hour of fitful sleep at night.

and so - i need stillness. i'm needing it more and more and more. i'm finally learning how to ask for it, and how to be ok with giving it to, and creating it for myself. it has always been a very hard thing for me to say it's okay to be me. but i can do it for everyone else- so now it's time to learn how to do it for myself. being a highly sensitive person is TOUGH, but the stillness it requires- i love. i'm thankful for these challenges, i'm thankful for the uniqueness of me. it makes me grateful to be alive... and grateful to be me.

video credits:
1. music: "the light within" by The Westerlies
2. "AnaCptainslogue" by Noir et Blanc Vie
​all footage shot and edited by shelly bort

0 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    hi, i'm shelly :D
    ​i'm a composer/performer/musical director in central california.

    ...gories

    All
    Shelly Bort Presents
    Sugar Beat

    ...chives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    June 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020

    RSS Feed

Social Media: 
Instagram, Facebook, Youtube /// All Content copyright 2009-2021 Shelly Bort 

Music:
Spotify //​ Amazon: Just Wait and See (Act I), Just Wait and See (Act II), Makes Sense, Still