Joni explaining how she regained her sense of self after struggling with criticism in a conversation with Rita Westvik in May 1988. | Joni Mitchell

Joni reminisced on her life's journey through the ages for the documentary ‘Making Sense of the 60s’ 34 years ago this month. | Joni Mitchell

“I was not happy with mass public attention and I withdrew. I built a stone cottage up on the northern coast of British Columbia. There I planned to spend the rest of my life as a hermit. My soul was recovering, repairing itself. One day I dove off the rocks into the water and I came up. It was like a black mirror, the trees were reflected in it. As I burst the surface I broke into laughter I so happy. And I had seen mink and animals you know sliding off mud banks and playing with their own joy