Kids say the darndest things, but sometimes they are more right than adults. They speak what they think, while we questions our motives. Take a few minutes to listen and appreciate the moving art of life.
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A Moving Art original short. This inspirational video was well responded at TED conferences and filmmaker Louie Schwartzberg motivates those around him as happiness is revealed. Music is by Gary Malkin and narration is from Brother David Steindl-Rast.
My good friend Vinnie on his birthday at Point Reyes, watching the sunset dip into the ocean. We all laughed at the thought of being entertained by the view, it’s far better than television!
Love of the water only grows as you spend time in it. The feeling of freedom it provides and the sense of playfulness within is hard to match.
Whether it was at the pool, beach or on the river, I spent almost every day of my youthful summers in the water. But it was only recently that I started to truly appreciate the ocean in all its beauty and strength. As a surfer you become very in tune with the water around you. It’s very alive, always changing, moving and reminding me to go with the flow of life. Each time as I paddle around, sometimes alone, sometimes joined by dolphins and otters or thousands more people in California, I learn something new. I am continually humbled by the waves, some days they make me feel glorious, while other days it’s like I have no business out there.
It is difficult to explain the connection with waves that keeps myself or others going back. But I thought Mickey Smith, a charming, humble, creative and passionate surfer/ photographer did an exceptional job. In his recent appearance at the DO Lectures he shares a poetic story and the magic of waves in his film Darskide of the Lens, along with a few valuable lessons to live by…
DO arm yourself with a grin.
DO embrace being out of control.
DO let your weirdness flow free. Go mad and be yourself.
DO trust in the things you love.
DO get primal with nature.
DO trust your instincts and run with them always.
DO use your fears and failures as fuel.
DO what you love for a living. But be wise with it.
“Fires of happiness, waves of gratitude for everything that brought us to that point in life at that point in time to do something worth remembering with a photograph or a scar.”
His words are inspiring. Take 20 minutes to watch this talk and steep yourself in some of the wisdom that Mickey has to offer.
MICKEY SMITH
Photographer, film maker & surfer
Mickey Smith is a lad that has lived a life a little less ordinary. He grew up amongst a family of fisherman and mariners, so the ocean and the elements were inevitably where he was drawn. At the age of 9 he was given a disposable camera and an acoustic guitar and cameras and music combined with the magic of waves eventually led him to become a photographer and film maker. From Iceland to Tahiti, Ireland to Japan, Mickey’s love for waves of consequence and isolated environments has left him with many a fine tale to tell and worldwide acclaim for his groundbreaking creative endeavours.
The Fat Brains are Gen Yers anywhere between the ages of 20 and 35, also known as “Digital Natives,” born and raised in the digital age. It’s not just their proficiency in technology that distinguishes them, though; it’s also their crazy problem-solving skills, their McGuyver-like resourcefulness, and their 24/7 engagement in their own cultural experience. More ethnically, racially, and gender diverse than any generation before them, they live at the cutting edge of social innovation and embrace an entrepreneurial lifestyle.
It’s not very often that the conditions align for a full moon surf session in San Francisco. No fog, warm temps, fair waves and a crew willing to jump in the water at dusk. I got an email mid day on Monday September 12th, that simply said: “Conditions are right. It’s on. Who’s in?” The idea had always intrigued me, but it’s a little intimidating to jump in the water when it’s dark and waves are rolling in. Suprisingly at Pacifica that day it was calm, the water warm and the waves fun size and glassy. You could see deep into the water and your feet even glowed as you moved, it was wild. Our group of eight were the only ones at the beach, we laughed and caught waves like little kids. When we finally climbed out of the water is was around 10PM. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Now that I’ve checked of full moon surfing and running through the night, next on my list of night time activities is a full moon backcountry ski. Here is some inspiration to get out there and get it done in the dark; Nike Chosen Premiere showcases Paul Rodriguez, Julian Wilson, Danny Kass and the rest of the Nike team as they kill it at night on skateboards, snowboards and surf.
When I was little no one had to tell me to color, to play with chalk or to doodle on my books or furniture. It was natural, something I did without thinking. In an effort to keep those creative juices flowing outside the office, I’ve started Art Night. A casual get together with friends, collaboration is welcomed but judgment is not.
Space is luxury in San Francisco, and I am fortunate to have a garage that makes for a great urban art studio. About once a month I bust open the doors for an evening of coloring, painting, spraying, building, designing, dinner and drinking. We plug in a few flood lights, pump some tunes and make something cool. In the past I’ve encouraged people to bring something to work on, something to share and a medium to work with. We’ve worked on everything from surfboards, to pumpkins and driftwood.
The most recent art night was inspired by the Plywood for Good art show on July 14th at Project One. FTC Skateboards donated 30 blank skateboard decks to Collective Good. They gave them to Bay Area artists to use as a canvas for their thoughts and feelings on the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan. They auctioned off the skateboards for charity and 100% of the proceeds went to Direct Relief International to aid the rebuilding efforts in Japan.
We ordered our own blank decks and everyone got to create their own skateboard. Below you’ll find some photos from the process. One of the best reaction’s I’ve heard from a friend was “this doesn’t look like work, it looks fun!” well that’s the point. I encourage others to get together, create masterpieces…
200 miles, 4 mountain passes and 30 hours of running… who’s in?
Call me crazy, but I opted to fly to Utah to run a relay through the Wasatch valley with a few old ski friends, including my coach and roommate from Mt. Hood Academy. I wish I could say I didn’t know what I was getting into, but I had just run a relay a few weeks earlier from Napa to Santa Cruz. The only difference was that this time I had longer legs to run, at altitude and we were involved in a little marketing scheme.
When Courtney Vermaas, Director of brand for Salomon/ Suunto invited me to join the team I didn’t know we would be moving targets for the entire race. As one of the race sponsors, Suunto was giving away watches at the finish line. Anyone on the course could “Road Kill” (pass) us on the course and we gave him or her a red rubber band to be entered to win. I applaud the campaign, as many of the people who passed were thrilled to hear this, but the only downside is it made us very conscious of how many people were flying by on the road. As a competitive person, it’s rather humbling to hand out bracelets as your huffing it up the side of the mountain in the dark, which is exactly what I had to do numerous times on my first leg.
As the twelfth runner, I kicked my day off with an uphill trek to the base of Snowbasin lodge at 6,394 ft., a good way to wake up the sea level lungs. Our team which included folks from Outside Media trekked through the night as they tweeted and facebooked under multiple identities.
Our van of six quickly became close friends as our lack of sleep turned to humor and delirium. Our stomachs were in knots, our eyes blurry and our minds on the finish line. I had the final leg; unlike my first I made it a goal not to be passed. Instead I passed 29 runners and sprinted through the finish, almost losing my team at the final corner. After is was all over, I can say that unlike many of the other sports I do regularly running is one of those I don’t particularly find joyous. I do it regularly, it feels good, clears my mind and it’s a great workout. But I think next year I’ll opt for a ski trip to Utah instead!
Summit of Watach Mountain 8864′
Almost ten years after racing together in the northwest, we continue to get together and push the limits of our bodies!
