Here we are at episode three of an exploratory video programme. It's one where I'm throwing in the kitchen sink, looking for interesting combinations of drawing, music, video, letters, numbers and accessible scenery, which, gladly, is San Francisco. It's a mission-style burrito of design with the goal to inspire people of all ages into a daily mindset of curiosity, adventure and creativity. Not to drive the similarity too hard, but I'm looking to tap into a sweet place like the best of Sesame Street and Bob Ross with a bit of a vlog approach.
This weeks episode pushes into some new territory with an unprecedented amount of footage, edits and bad guitar takes. After dozens of tries trying to create a live and original guitar soundtrack I just wasn't feeling it and grabbed a happy, already-completed groove out of my archives. It turned out much more energetic than it would have with the acoustic guitar. The hard part was knowing when to quit (In fact, I feel like I really should have changed course long before I did).
This one actually took much longer than I expected to create - to the point that felt overwhelming - like I felt certain I couldn't sustain this type of project indefinitely. But I also know that things get easier, processes develop and I should probably just keep going until it literally becomes impossible.
All the footage was taken last Sunday on a stroll from Hayes Valley down to the Ferry Building - except for at the end, there's a healthy dose of historic, public domain footage of the Ferry Building which seemed to round out the video and give it some depth - making it feel more unified overall.
The Ferry Building Drawing came as an afterthought and a happy discovery to bookend the whole episode. The original drawing is at my store which is available for purchase HERE.
If there's a personal takeaway from the experience of creating this episode it's to remember to take time to have fun and replenish my soul. The move to San Francisco has been probably the most beautiful time in my life, but it also comes with unique stresses and anxieties. It's easy to want to tune everything out and just get down to work - to assume a business-only, survival mindset. But the truth is that a sense of wonder, play and freedom are the most fruitful places from which to create or grow or evolve - whether that's art, a relationship or recognizing long-forgotten, yet happy sides of ourselves.
Taking a photo stroll is one of my favorite things to do. I love picking a destination and then giving myself permission to lollygag and snap photos or video along the way. Sometimes it turns into a focused collection (like last week's trip to the Model Yacht Club). Sometimes they're more scattered and random observations like this week, but the spirit is the same. No pressure, no rush, no judgement, just observe and capture. It's one of the things that will feed this programme - threading together moments in an unexpected way.
Thanks for tuning in, watching and listening.
If there's anything you'd like to see or if you want to share thoughts or ideas, let me know.