Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
I am a really lucky person. As a young child, my parents hauled my brother and I through airports, mountains, resorts, unknown cities and through backwood forests whenever they had a chance. It’s a rare gift, because it makes you unafraid of the world. Too often, I meet people who only discovered their wanderlust after making their way overseas during a study abroad trip in college. For me, studying abroad was no big thing - I was a veteran of being in unusual places by my twenties.
Earlier this month, I was reminded of my great fortune when my two dear friends joined me on an adventure to Las Coloradas, Mexico. I didn’t think twice about renting a car in Mexico. Or driving three hours to a remote part of the country. Or using my rusty Spanish to figure out if it was a safe region or not. My friends didn’t even tell me until we were on our way back that they were a little bit afraid of this decision, which I appreciated. The fact is: Nothing will make you feel more confident about your decision than people keeping their reservations to themselves.
But here’s the thing: It was totally worth it.
Going to Las Colaradas is not for the faint of heart. It requires driving through some fairly remote areas of Mexico. There are entire hour stretches with no gas stations, no rest stops, no nothing. It’s a challenge, to be sure. And with that, there is very limited cell reception.
So you don’t want to get lost. But you also don’t want to miss the opportunity to see something so perfect.
And that’s what really brings me to my point. If you’re a creative, you spend so much time inundating yourself with inspiration. My first step on any new client or any new project is to start a search of visual inspiration. I scour Vimeo. I play video after video on YouTube. I scroll through photos and graphics on Pinterest for hours. I put endless visual ideas into my mind. I let them swirl around and eventually, I start creating myself.
All these visual ideas are right there, at my finger tips. That constant access to the beautiful, creative work of others is a double edged resource, though. It’s a delicate balance between being inspired and falling into feelings of inadequacy. And once those feelings of not quite being good enough or not being able to reach the bar set in, it’s next to impossible to push them out.
Until you get your damn smartphone off the grid.
And you see something so amazing that no image on Pinterest can compare to - that no video can compete with - that no script can overwhelm you. And that’s why these adventures are ultimately worth it. Not just because you get to see something amazing, but you get to FEEL the beauty of something without judgement of yourself or the person that created it. Instead, you experience beauty exactly as it is - right in front of you.
The next time you find yourself creatively exhausted, go see something beautiful. And ideally do it without any hope of cell phone service.
“Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.” - JK Rowling, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I’ve been reminded in my crazed state of mind to find ALL.THE.PERFECT.GIFT.THINGS. that I’m not as into this holiday thing as much as I think I am. So I’m here to make a plea. Instead of spending all your pennies on crazy gifts and expensive cocktails this holiday season, make a pact with your favorite peeps to instead spend your precious cash on an adventure. My brother and I do this every few years. Last year we opted to buy plane tickets to the United Kingdom and indeed, it was the trip we both needed and hoped for.
It goes beyond the gift giving too, though. Traditionally I would have spent my dollars on a Christmas tree and decorations these last few weeks. I would have put up a new wreath. Stocked up on pine scented candles. Even replaced the burnt out lights for the outdoor spaces. I wasn’t up to it this year… so instead I bought flights and spent the last two weekends on a different kind of adventure altogether. I spent a day jumping on a giant trampoline and munching on grilled cheese sandwiches filled with macaroni. Yeah, I know, it WAS as amazing as it sounds. I spent an afternoon driving around a new city listening to musicians I’ve never heard before. I even went to a restaurant that only serves desserts and I didn’t think about calories. What a freaking joy. Call it an escape if you want. Maybe next year I’ll get the tree. But this year, the adventure was exactly what I needed.
If you are stumped trying to find the perfect “thing” for that person on the list that needs no… thing, well, stop. And go on an adventure instead.
(Print above is from Pinwheel Print Shop - so if you can’t actually go on an adventure with a friend or family member, at least remind them to try.)
