Essence of Laurel YouTube Videos
Art in Motion is where my art moves through time instead of staying still. Each piece begins with a feeling, an idea, or a reflection, then unfolds through imagery, poetry, music, and movement, creating an experience that a single image or poem alone can't quite reach.
These videos are another way I tell stories, explore meaning, and invite you into a moment of stillness, delight, or reflection. Enjoy! Laurel
After all these years, I knocked on the door of my inner child… and she answered. This song and video celebrate the reunion between the woman I have become and the playful, curious child who was always there. It is a joyful reminder that our inner child never truly disappears — she simply waits for us to open the door.
There is something wonderfully freeing about taking off your shoes and feeling the world beneath your feet. This playful song celebrates the simple pleasure of going barefoot — on warm sand, soft grass, cool floors, or anywhere that lets us feel relaxed and carefree. I hope it makes you smile and remember the joy of kicking off your shoes.
Sometimes getting lost is not about losing our way, but discovering something within ourselves. Born from my poetry and brought to life through music, Beautiful Lost Places invites us to revisit uncertainty with tenderness and trust that even when the path is unclear, an inner sense of direction can emerge.
Catching the Light is a reflection on how life shapes us through time, change, and experience. Like colored glass catching the sun, even the parts of us that have been touched, weathered, or broken can still hold beauty—and reflect the light in a new way.
Born from my poetry and beautifully sung by Phil Leber, Come Home to Your Heart is an invitation to soften, pause, and return to the quiet place within where love has always lived. When the world feels noisy or heavy, may this song offer a little comfort and peace.
We may come from different places, hold different beliefs, and see the world in different ways. Come Sit With Me is an invitation to listen without judgment and meet one another with open hearts. Through words, music, and images, it celebrates compassion, understanding, and the connection we share.
Inspired by my book Emerging Voices: Living On — A Journey Through Loss to Renewal, this video reflects on grief, healing, resilience, and the inner wisdom that slowly rises after loss. Through poetry, music, and imagery, it traces a journey toward finding light — and finding my own voice again.
Life is filled with endings that quietly make room for something new. This piece reflects on loss, change, and the courage it takes to move forward when the future is uncertain. It is a reminder that every ending can also become a threshold to another beginning.
Sometimes something within us begins to awaken — almost like a remembering. Essence grew from that feeling: the return to who we are beneath experience, expectation, and time. Through art, music, and movement, it invites you to reconnect with the part of yourself that has always been there.
What if gratitude begins not with words, but with presence? Grateful Together offers a quiet moment to slow down, breathe, and notice what is already here. It is a gentle reminder that gratitude does not have to be forced — sometimes it simply appears when we become present enough to feel it.
Holiday Lights celebrates the warmth and beauty of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Through candles, traditions, and the glow we carry within, this piece honors the many ways light enters our lives and reminds us of the love and connection we share.
Inside Out reflects the journey of turning inward and uncovering what has been hidden beneath the surface. Inspired by my own evolution, it explores the movement from pain toward wisdom, from silence toward expression, and from hiding parts of ourselves to becoming more fully who we already are.
I have long felt that we are connected to something larger — made of the same energy as the stars themselves. This piece grew from that sense of wonder and from the belief that life is measured not simply in years, but in the moments that shape us. Sometimes the guidance we seek above has been within us all along.
Life has a way of teaching us some lessons more than once. I've Learned Again reflects on the winding roads we travel, what we discover along the way, and the gentle remembering of who we are beneath it all. It brings together my art, words, music, and imagery in a moment of reflection.
A smile can soften a difficult moment, connect two people, or simply make the day feel a little lighter. This video celebrates those small sparks of joy and reminds us that happiness does not always arrive in grand gestures. Sometimes it begins with something as simple as a smile.
Orchids, uplifting words, color, and light come together in this gentle visual meditation. Each bloom becomes a reminder of resilience, grace, and the beauty found in slowing down. May these reflections offer a quiet moment of peace and renewal.
Beneath our stories, struggles, and all the roles we play lies something deeper. Peace & Love Is Who We Are is a musical reminder of the shared humanity that connects us and an invitation to return to the peace and love that already live within.
Reflections of Nirvana is a journey into the space between thoughts — where silence becomes presence and the boundaries of everyday life begin to soften. Through imagery and music, it invites you inward toward stillness, surrender, and a deeper sense of connection with something timeless.
Within each of us is a quiet space where healing and transformation can unfold in their own time. Sacred Cocoon is a gentle reflection on that protected inner place and the slow, sometimes mysterious process of becoming.
The fall of a once-majestic tree became, for me, a reflection on resilience, aging, and letting go. Strength & Glory honors the strength carried through a lifetime and reminds us that even when something visible is gone, what it touched and inspired can remain.
The Bench Calls Out reflects on the quiet stories a simple bench can hold—the people who have rested there, the thoughts they carried, and the memories they left behind. Through autumn light, drifting leaves, music, and imagery, the video becomes a gentle meditation on stillness, memory, and the traces of life that remain long after we have moved on.
There are times when the path feels uncertain and the light we once knew seems far away. The Light Within is a reminder that what we seek has not disappeared. Through music, words, and imagery, it invites us to rediscover the strength and light that have been within us all along.
We all wear layers that once helped protect us. The Mask explores what happens when those layers begin to fall away and something more authentic is revealed. It is a reflection on vulnerability, courage, and the freedom that comes from becoming more fully ourselves.
She appeared to me in a quiet pond at Selby Gardens — part statue, part fairy tale. In that moment she became my Water Maiden, a gentle spirit of stillness, imagination, and wonder. Her song is a reminder that magic often appears when we slow down long enough to notice it.
What Never Ends reflects on the mystery of what remains beyond loss, change, and the passing of time. Through music and imagery, it explores the idea that while form changes, something essential continues — a quiet reminder that not everything meaningful can ever truly be lost.
Inspired by the memoir I am writing, The Architecture of Becoming, this song and video grew from my search to understand my mother, my history, and the experiences that shaped my life. Though deeply personal, it speaks to something universal: we are shaped by loss, love, and longing — but they do not have to define who we become.
When Friends Reach Out is a tribute to the women whose friendship, encouragement, and wisdom have shaped my life. Inspired by the consciousness-raising group that helped me find my voice in the 1970s, as well as the friends I cherish today, it celebrates the enduring power of women supporting one another.
Original words, creative direction, and video concepts by Laurel D. Rund, with AI tools used as part of the creative process.
🎶 Music created with Suno AI.
© Laurel D. Rund | Essence of Laurel — Art from the Heart