Gazing upward, Greg realizes that the Sequoia overgrowth is thinning out. Usually the perfect campsite is easy to find, but this evening it seems as though the forest has plans of its own. He can’t truly rely on technology either; cell service dropped out about a half-mile back. Greg passes another large family of trees, a thicket or two, and there it is: The clearing he has been looking for.
Quickly he sets his pack down. Holding a hand up he measures how much sun is left— about 1.5 hands away. He has an hour and a half to setup before dusk arrives. No problem. Determined, he starts on assembling his tent. The tent pops up quickly as Greg feels a very familiar feeling. He is home. He is where he belongs at this very moment. As long as he has his tent, he is comfortable mentally. The outside forest becomes the backdrop. Inside he is free.
Being a seasoned veteran of camping, as well as having his share of small manageable disasters, Greg knows what comes next. FIRE. And lots of it. He builds a robust fire, gathers additional wood that should sustain him for the next 12 hours and hunkers down for the night. Surrounding him is the fruit of his labor. In this alien land he has managed to setup the essentials and these in turn have become pillars for him: shelter, warmth, fuel, protection, freedom. Untethered from the outside world, Greg focuses on what matters most to him. In a small way, a different man will make the return trek. He is hoping for clarity and change.
Camping has always intrigued me. As a young boy I didn’t get to do much of it. My parents actually “glamp’d” quite a bit before the world created a meme out of it. We would drive around the Southwest with the family RV, occasionally setting up a small tent outside. True camping found me later in my young adult life. I have a lot to learn, but I feel I have found a zone of this planet that speaks to me. I cannot help but look inward. I can only compare it to one other factor in my life— the creative process.
Camping and Creativity are brothers. The simple setting-change of being in the wilderness, outside of our normal duties, can reignite the creative fire inside of us. One of Camping and Creativity’s primary adversaries is the cold. That complacent, chilly, stagnant feeling you get when you realize your current work, brand or campaign needs a complete revamp. It has lost its fire.
The cold seeks to steal our comfort, security and momentum. We need to clearly define what we are attempting to create in order to be in the right place at the right time for those unforeseen thoughts and ideas (sparks) to enter into play. If not, we will miss them. That process is our firewood (more to come on this soon). The ideas are the crackles and sparks…Then hopefully, if we get a fire hot enough, we can actually cook something.
We look forward to this creative exploration and are excited for you to join us. Here at The Roost [RADAR Creative], we are always looking for new and creative ways to tell your story using rich and vibrant media. Highlighting and exposing the modern creative process is paramount if we are to successfully collaborate with our partners and clients. We’d love to hear your story.
Do you have amazing memories sitting around the campfire or maybe an epic outdoor excursion? Together we can find new connections between the creative process and your own unique experiences.