Stole the bible and found god. Not true, but when I was in art school I got busted stealing a @redbull and some sushi from Whistler Mountain's cafeteria and got barred for 2 years. Somehow I still made it up the gondola without a pass, but that’s another story. I was broke in many ways but wanted to find some peace and quiet, so I went to the Chapters and stole this little yellow and red book called “Zen & The Art of Happiness”. I read it on the shitter everyday. A couple weeks later, after having a beer in the #darkroom, I went to Whole Foods with a buzz and stole some almonds and candied salmon. Two undercover security guards grabbed me on the way out. I was thrown in a holding cell at the cop station where they scared me pretty good, in a good way. They told me that my dreams of travelling as a #photographer would be crushed if I was ever caught again. That night In the cell was my first experience #meditating. I realized I sucked at stealing and never stole again. #UnapologeticApologies #WakeUp #film
life
"I've always been a person who cared to talk about the real shit, real life, real feelings… I want to get to the heart of a person. I want to feel the freedom of living my authentic self, and in doing that I want to liberate others to do the same. At the risk of sounding like this is some noble cause… it's more that. It is a cause that is very close to my heart, and because of that I think it. perhaps resonates with people." - Alexa Mazzarello Photography talking about her new baby, The Elephant Project.
Our trip to ICELAND is done. I’m at home now editing my negatives. Looking back on the everything- it was the best trip I’ve ever been on in my life. The dramatic daunting landscapes, the drop dead women, the gas station food, the wild nights, the new pals, and the consistently burly surf.
Surfing is the common denominator between us. When I travel with the boys it’s the one thing we have all agree on. It’s the one thing that has saved us. It’s an important piece of the puzzle. It’s a starting point but not the end. There’s a lot of other shit in between to put together. There’s a lot to see and do. Highs and lows. Good and bad.
I believe in yin & yang. A balance between forces. You endure some painful moments on the road. Your pals see you at your best and your worst. If you want a high the whole trip, bask in artificial pleasure- then realize nothing has changed in you. Your daughter still hates you, and your job still sucks. In yoga you move into a position until you feel that Point Of Discomfort. It’s then that one can understand how deep your body and mind can go. Pain is pleasure. I believe we need to voluntarily push ourselves into a place of discomfort to grow- whether it be surfing, traveling, work, sex, art etc. Take what you hate most and what you love most and work with them. Your a racist asshole and hate Asian people? Then go to Asia on a surf trip and understand that they are seeking the same thing as you- happiness.
In Iceland there’s no naked girls on the beach, there’s no gated off all inclusive bar either. It’s cold and lonely. But there’s no one trying to get a piece of you. It’s quiet and it gives you time to think… There are empty barrels, with a landscape that can shake your shit back in place. It’s then that you can truly start enjoying the road in between.
Thank you, Logan Landry, Mike Bromley, Ingo Olson, Hreinn Halldorsson, Heiðar Elíasson, for making this the most enjoyable controlled and chaotic trip ever. See you soon.
More Point Of Discomfort work coming out in the near future.