The Creative Myth
The Creative Myth
Radha Engling - Travel Journalist, Influencer, Foodie
In this episode of The Creative Myth, we chat with the ever awesome travel journalist and content creator Radha Engling. Based out of New Zealand, Radha has made it her mission to live a life well-travelled. She and her partner Brooke are travel journalists, content creators and photographers. They write for multiple publications and create videos and photo essays for tourism boards and private establishments around the world! If you've ever wondered what it takes to be a successful travel blogger, then listen up cause today's guest has those answers and more. Spoiler alert - creativity has a little something to do with it.
Hello, you beautiful people and welcome to the creative myth. The podcast that attempts to inspire the uninspired but unfolding breaking down and distilling that mythical force of nature and or nurture. No one has creativity. I'll go to bust the myth that creativity is only the birthright of the few. And each biweekly episode, we find a new and engaging self confessed creative and strike up a dialogue. Otherwise, Sergio and I sit down and discuss a topic that has got something to do with creativity, and how it relates to us in our role as artists, nomads and now parents, we aim to find out just what creativity means, how it can be channeled into your passions, and where exactly you might find it. But who is we? We use search nursing and Benjamin lane wife and husband Indian and Kiwi adventure photographers, international travelers and curious minds? You may know us as nomadic lovers of adventure tended photography, and if not, you can follow our adventures on Instagram at Turner photography on our website Turner photography.com. And on the Tennant photography YouTube channel, today on the creative myth sadena chats with Radha angling one half of the creative and super talented nomadic journey known as global admirer on Instagram. The daughter of two especially well traveled parents and former flight attendant Radha has made it her mission to live a life well traveled. She and her partner Brooke, a travel journalist, content creators and photographers. They write for multiple publications and create videos and photo essays, but tourism boards and private establishments around the world. If you ever wondered what it takes to be a successful travel blogger, then listen up because today's guest has those answers and more. Spoiler alert, creativity has a little something to do with it. So let's get started. Okay, welcome, brother to our podcast. Thank you so much for coming today. Thank you so much for having me. It's so nice that you asked me I feel privileged? No, there are few reasons why I've been so excited to chat with you. And number one being you've made the idea of traveling within New Zealand since COVID. Started not just glamorous, but something that is a must do for everyone over it your account, you edit the photos, and the reels and makers drool. Plus, you are the ideas person as you broke your Uber talented partner, travel around the world and New Zealand and plan these amazing epic trips. So that's number two. And number three, on top of all of that, and most importantly, you have a way of creating, maintaining, and like just blossoming, these relationships you build on social media. So since we you said hello, and I said hello to you. It's been so easy just chatting with you connecting with you. So yeah, these are the three reasons I was very excited to have you on this podcast, or that sign is it's amazing how social media connects people these days. I find it early. Yes. Are they awesome platform. It's been so cool. And thank you once again, for joining us on the creative myth. I would love to know first of all, how come like how did you end up traveling the world? This is something everyone wants to do? And I'm sure you've answered this question like a million times. But can we have the answer one more time? So I'm probably is probably a long answer. So I've kind of when I was younger, my parents took us to India, I was only about 12. And that kind of started my love for travel. And then a few years after that, we went to Europe because my parents are both European. So we went to see my grandparents. And just those trips, kind of just let something up inside of me that made me realize how you know incredible This world is and how much it teaches you as it is kind of is the person that you are and kind of, you know, you grow that way. And yeah, so that's kind of where it started. And then I met Brock at high school, and he kind of knew that I was obsessed with travel. And so he was super encouraging when I kind of wanted to do the whole travel thing. And I studied travel and tourism and then I got into flourishing doing and I had a bit of a seven years. So my life is kind of just being tribal. But a few years ago, we Brooke was a political reporter for TV three, and as my partner and he worked a lot, he also traveled a lot and we never really saw each other so I said, you know, our jobs are great, but what's the point and having relationship when we kind of can't spend time with each other and enjoy life? Really like you know together? So I suggested that you know, maybe we should just go on trail. We're still young. We don't have a house yet. Why? Why don't we go and do it. And he decided Yes, that's a great idea. Luckily, oh yeah. Yeah. And he So I'm kind of more of a relaxed and go with it type of person. In Brock, there's more of a kind of let's make it happen. And let's make it amazing in kind of APEC, next level type of person. So when we leave for traveling, I had my backpack and I was kind of thinking, you know, we might have some little jobs overseas, and then we'll come back and to kind of do what we started, but we didn't really have a real idea of what we were going to do. It Brookes idea was to start travel writer and start making videos. And so he was kind of the he's the brainchild of, of what we've created. And yeah, so we just started creating videos together and just people started seeing them and liking them. And that's kind of where it's gone. From there. We've just spiraled into this tribal team where we just Yeah, I would like to correct you here rather actually not liking them loving. The gorgeous you do such amazing reels and such amazing videos. I'm just sitting there going, Oh, what? We're supposed to be adventure photographers, we need to do more of this. Crazy. So no loving them. I just like so what does your work day look like? As always the front? Like, why? So sometimes at the moment, I'm home and rockers away on a trip. He's on a media trip because it was the first flight and about 20 years direct from New Zealand to Hobart in Tasmania. So it was kind of lousy story and not not really what we normally do. So he decided to go by myself, and I'm here. So I'm kind of just doing social media videos, I'm editing photos for tourism companies, regional tourism, tourism operators, mostly New Zealand stuff at the moment, obviously, because we haven't been overseas. And yeah, it's just kind of little things like receipts, like getting reimbursements on taxes. Like, that's not that exciting. And then we broke comes home. So he's coming home for two nights after this trip. And then he goes away on another trip that I'm not going on. And as basically he's going to come back and I'm going to be unpacking, washing, drying, repacking charging everything. And then that's kind of the whole day that you know, that's Tech's entire day. So yeah, that's not that exciting. But sometimes it's amazingly exciting. Like we recently went to, you might have seen the puppy notary point accommodation, Wellington. And Yep, I hear first time where when we first pulled up to a place of like, Oh my gosh, this is so amazing. Like, wow, oh, my God, and I saw, you know, I can't wait to go and film and all that kind of stuff. So I get super excited each time we go to a new destination. And that that's an amazing like, we're so so lucky to have done the things that we've done. It's like, quite surreal in looking back at photos and video, like, often I'm like, how, how is their life even real? But there's definitely, definitely times where, you know, it's a lot more stressful and we are a capital, we're in a relationship. So we do have clashes and differences and opinions and things like that. So I mean, generally we work as an amazing team that is, is with the people that spend 24 seven together. Yes, quite some time. I absolutely vouch for that. Ben and I always say that the most creative thing that we have done over the last specially over the last three and a half years when we were living our nomadic adventure life is being able to create a relationship where we could balance everything and not murder each other long nights, a few hours of sleep in between. And like you said, the days are so different that you can just plan a routine and carry on is you know, constant planning and constant changing of those plans. So no absolutely agree with that. And also can vouch for how glamorous and envied deducing adventure lives look from the outside and then living it even though is amazing. It's It's surreal. It is also very stressful. So what is your favorite thing in the role that you have, obviously being able to do all the amazing workwise I love editing so I love hanging out photos and creating, trying to make them i mean i don't try and make them look unrealistic. I try and make them look as natural to the naked eye as possible. But I love playing around with the colors and things like that and making the light you know China but extra from from the sun and that kind of stuff. So that's probably my favorite part and that kind of moves into the creative creativity process of of what I do. And that is definitely one of my favorite things about your account as well. That Whenever I have seen a post come up or a story come up, it doesn't feel like somebody is trying to sell me something that isn't real, the colors seem so true. The words that you write about that place seem so true. And your experience and your expressions as you sharing everything and your creativity with us is always very relatable. So lovely. Seeing absolute true thing. No, I have because I follow a lot of travel influences. But you know, after a while, you keep looking at photos, and you visit those places. And they don't seem like they looked in their photos. And we have been to some places that you have shown on your channel and gone there and felt the same sort of beauty, but also seeing how you have creatively enhanced it. So that has been really lovely following you on Instagram and seeing all of that Oh, come through. Okay, so we understand this would be obviously the most fun part, what's the least favorite part about your role, probably the time, I've had to really practice and be patient with I'm naturally quite an impatient person. So it's taken me quite a while. But to be on the computer a lot. I mean, I love the whole editing process. Because of that just sitting in front of a computer doing all that work for an entire day, either time photos for companies and things like that, like it's a lot just sitting in front of a computer screen all day. I'm a real kind of outdoorsy person. And I grew up kind of being in the outdoors, we didn't have a TV growing up or anything like that. So nature is super important to me. So I think that's the biggest thing I struggle with is all the time spent on technology. I mean, I'm a real edit to Instagram and tick tock like I just open it and I will just stay on there for hours, I'll just kind of get caught up in this vortex and really catch myself because I feel horrible afterwards. I just need to get out and do some yoga or go for a walk or go for a run. So I'm I'm struggling a little bit with it still kind of trying to get myself off that. Especially when I came the whole day Ada Tang as well. So yeah, I think that's the hardest part probably that I can think of at the moment. Yeah, that's an insightful answer. I thought you would just say accounts accounts as taxes so much involved. So considering that you're an outdoor person, is this something that Mother Nature has taught you about creativity or living creatively? That you see that Oh, I see that and I you know, it just infuses in me this feeling? Yeah, absolutely. I think nature is so important to me. And I think with a lot of people growing up in cities and not having nature surround them. I honestly don't know how people like that survive not heaven you know that exposure like it just to me, it just seems so this seemed almost like imprisonment to me. I grew up like I said, you know, in a really natural environment. We had a very small house and my play time I've probably played PlayStation once in my life and I would have crashed instantly and then given up. And so yeah, I don't play computer games I never really have I've my childhood was climbing trees and you know, playing in the river and going down mudslides and riding horses and you know, things like that. So I really love hiking and I really try and do as much of it as I can. But I guess that's another hard thing with what we do now is that things like that are really hard for us to film and do videos about because they require you know, when you go like hiking, you have to take all your gear with you and your computer and you need to have internet and all that kind of stuff. So yeah, I do I miss that a little bit p having more time for them. Yeah, but yeah, I think nature definitely definitely has a massive role in creativity. Like you just go outside and you just try and think of nothing. And that's when Yeah, you know, that's where you get crazy creativity from it just kind of flows into you, when you're when you're out there a lot more than if you're just inside a cube. Absolutely, it is so unpredictable as well how the cloud clouds will move in sky, the colors they will produce and the feelings they will evoke in you. And I think for me, the second thing nature taught me about creativity was everything has its time, and you can rush things. And that was like one of the biggest lessons that I learned during my adventure nomadic life is I'm just like you not patient at all. And so there used to be times when you have to take some photos, you have to, you know, be at a certain spot for some light for your couple and it just wouldn't happen and then you let you stop stressing and there are 1000 other things that pop up around you. You're like Okay, this can wait. And I can do this in the meantime. So yeah, for me nature was definitely a great teacher for creativity. Man, your answers are so so different from what I would be imagining. Because so far we've been so how we met is I don't know who messaged him first, I think you commented on some something really lovely under one of our photos, and I checked your page, and I was just what she's doing such amazing work, and through you found broke, and then saw how Uber talented he is, and then started following you guys just to know of everything that you guys do. So that's how we met, but we've never spoken face to face or verbally resolved through DMS. So you know, you have certain notions about someone, this is what they would be like and everything. And yeah, it's really, really interesting. Having this face to face chat. I remember saying your photo, you like your account on Instagram, I was like, wow, this these guys are amazing. I couldn't believe how like, you're Honestly, I was amazed at your creative creativity. Your images are just so stunning. And it's funny, because I've been following you for a while. And then I talked to my sister. I can't remember what I was talking about. But I said, you know, do you know these guys on Instagram? Just like, Oh, yes. They went to a wedding with him. I love him so much there. Oh, my gosh. Oh, that lights up my heart. Thank you so much for sharing that. Hey, while we're talking about creativity, again, like just on the fact that you said you loved our creativity. Do you consider yourself a creative person? I know the answer to that. Definitely, yeah, I like how I grew up. I've already seen it. My dad was. He's a chef by trade, but he's also a musician. So I grew up with a lot of music and Creative Cooking. My mom's a childcare teacher. So with kids, she was always super creative with us with art and all that kind of stuff. Yes, absolutely. I mean, I grew up like that. And like you were saying earlier, when we're having a check before recording, I totally agree with you that this is idea that some people are born creative, you know, if they've got music, or really amazing drawing or something like that. But I totally agree that everyone is creative. And it's just dependent on whether you want to nurture that creativity, and whether you kind of grow up being surrounded with, you know, support to be creative, because I know that some families might be more supportive of, you know, education and more serious, the serious side of life. So yeah, I think creativity is available to everyone, if they want it enough. It's not the birthright of the field. Like we keep saying here on this podcast. It's definitely something we all possess. And also, I think, before even before even thinking about nurturing it, it's just recognizing the fact that we are all creative in finding ways in which we have been creative all our lives, and we have just discounted it. Because it comes so naturally to us. Like some people have great in their gardens or cooking or how they just manage their lives and their kids lives and how they are perfect at doing things, you know, being a perfect homemaker. And all of that takes creativity. And sometimes we just don't recognize how how much potential we have. That just wouldn't describe it as creativity. So was there a moment in your life when you created something and you were the most proud of it? Was there something that you did or you created or you were part of? And you were like, Whoa, this is cool. This is a good question. I was actually thinking when you kind of approached me about creativity, I was kind of thinking most of this question like what is my proudest creativity moment? I guess? I honestly can't think of something I think my whole life has kind of been tiny little bits of creativity. Yeah, my I think the thing I'm I mean, I love photography and I love editing and I love travel obviously but I think the thing that I'm mostly creative where there's actually cooking I love cooking and I love the photos and I think from the travel that we've done I just I love all different types of cuisine. So at home when I get I've got a tiny kitchen here just got Once cooked up in one microwave I had no oven so well when we decided to move here we just we reentering so we don't live here. That was kind of my one thing when we decided to move here was like oh you know I don't know if I can handle not having an oven. Cook. Creative. I've just made really amazing me it was just with what we've got. And I love it. And I just love especially when we come home and we don't have that many ingredients like I just love creating something random with what we have. And that's I think gives me the most joy when it tastes good. It gives me the most joy you get to sit down and eat something that I've just come up with on the spot. Oh my god go you. I'm so excited as you were talking about it. I love people who are foodies and People experiment with food and like, enjoy cooking because I'm the saver and I'm just so excited. You're the same we have to catch up in real now. Before you started doing this travel thing you said it just started for your love of traveling and you've always been traveling your entire life. Has there been a role model that you looked up to? Or were there people in your family that just was that inspiring when it came to travel? Or was just something that was born out of you? Do you felt like inspired by my parents? I were kind of heavy parents. So they left home and now quite early. And at the whole travel thing. They're both so my dad's Swiss and my mum is German. My mom's a lot of trips to Africa by herself. She was a bit of solo travel. And my dad had a good friend who he did he kind of traveled around the world doing shuifeng and he spent a few years in India and then they both ended up moving to Australia and my mum worked at a kiwi she was she owned a kiwi fruit orchard I think and my dad worked there and they made and they fell pregnant with me and then decided to move as far away from Europe as possible. Because the whole you know Shinobu and all that kind of stuff around around them. So they want us to get away from that and yet moved to New Zealand. And I was born in the Coromandel you are you based you live in the car, my God, we did our lockdown incremental, but otherwise, of just yeah. Not based anywhere for the last three and a half years. And but yeah, so so I was born on the corriendo. And yeah, so it's kind of just like I say, my whole life has been travel has probably traveled before I was even born as well. Yeah. So yeah, I guess I was just born with that mentality of needing to travel. And growing up with all these stories of incredible adventures that my parents had had. And then going overseas as a young child, you know, going as a 12 year old to a place like India is just it's life changing. Like it's just so polar opposite to anything that New Zealand is. Yep. And yeah, it really changed me as a person, I think on that trip completely off topic. But is your name inspired from India? Because your parents were there and had credible experiences? Yes, my dad so my mom hadn't been to India until we went as a family. But my dad, right he my dad spent quite a few years the only left and ashrams and quite deep into the Hindu culture. So yeah, my full name is Radha Rani, and my last name is angling, which is German. My mom's my mom's last name. Oh, right. I always wondered that. Like, what's the connection here? Yeah. Oh, okay. So now that you've been traveling for a long time, and since your passion for traveling, has come from your parents from a very, very early age, even before you were born, when you meet other travelers, do you see a difference between the way you guys are you particularly travel and other people travel? I mean, yes, and no, it's really hard. Because I've done I haven't done solid travel really at all, I was a flight attendant, and I did you know, that kind of solo, but I've never really gone overseas for a long period of time by myself. So I've always been with Brooke. So we haven't done a huge amount of interaction with other travelers while we're away. And now that we do this, it's even less Unfortunately, because of these travel experiences, you know, talking with locals and things like that. So yes or no, I think some people don't see it as a privilege, I guess. And they see it just kind of to go there. And it's, you know, they have the money, they want to spend it and they don't really think any further than that. Whereas when I travel, I kind of I'm more conscious about how people live there and the way of life in my culture. And I'm quite busy with language. I, my mom is really good. So when she travels somewhere, she'll literally try and learn the language before she goes well. And I would love to do that. But I'm not I'm not quite as good as that. But I think things like that are really important. And I think that's lost a little bit now on the social media will we everyone just wants to go to a destination to get the perfect shot and then leave without really experiencing it. I mean, some of the best travel experiences in the most talked about travel experiences for me and Brock are a capital of families that we stayed with in Sri Lanka. It was just so fun. And these people were amazing. And they kind of made the experience in the food that we had to share together. And yeah, it was so much more than what a luxury resort was that we stayed it. I mean, that was incredible too, but we don't ever talk about that. So I think really that's the biggest difference is just having been be more conscious of that experience over just to get the shot especially considering now that it's kind of our job to go and get just go and get the shot. So yeah I'm really conscious of that when we, I mean, we haven't been doing much overseas travel, but I know that when we will, I'll be a lot more conscious again, trying to make that time to kind of really be immersed in everything that these nationals Ben and I do these series called into Tuesday's were much like you guys, we have to create self portraits and create that shot from a place that we are at, to showcase our relationship and also the beauty of that place. So in the beginning, it was just about just showcasing the beauty, then it became about showcasing our relationship with it as well. And then Then came the third stage where we had to put those two things together, when you guys are creating those shots, or when you're planning a trip and thinking, we're going to do this, this and this, what is the creativity process behind it is a just you guys go there and feel the place and do it? Or is there a lot of planning involved. So when we first started, we did a lot of planning, we planned out on trips, and we kind of had an idea of what we wanted to capture where we wanted to go. But now it spiraled into us having we get a lot of kind of trip offers and things like that. So we just don't have time to do our own planning. Sometimes we still do if we really want to go on a trip. But recently, it's been a lot of tourism boards giving us itineraries that we follow, and then we kind of have a read through and then if we want to change something, we'll just let them know. But other reading an itinerary, we do anything. We just don't I don't I just go with the flow. And sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's bad like we before COVID I've got so bad that we are capital phases winter, we didn't even know what kind of currency we're supposed to hit. Oh, wow. It's how much planning we do sometimes, which I think is kind of magic. Sometimes when you turn up in it's just the end, you just take it all in as it is you have no plan, just go with it. That is for kind of shooting like an accommodation, for example, we just go on and we'll have a look around, kind of assess, feel, feel what we feel. And then it's pretty much just trying to put on camera what we feel and just try as much affect destination as possible in the best of it. So again, that's what I was interested in that to create a feed like yours, where you want to also attract people to to create a photo that makes people stop their scrolling, and you know, double tap on something. But also having a feed that showcases your passion. I was wondering if there's a lot of planning involved in that, or is that more spontaneous for you guys? Yeah, I'm really bad with kind of planning my feet, it was something that I struggled with a little bit when I first started on Instagram particularly, is seeing all the you know, big influences and things having these beautiful fades, and it looked all cohesive and you know, the same kind of filter over everything and look beautiful. And I really didn't know my style. And I kind of didn't know how to edit things. I used a few filters, and I just didn't really understand what I was doing until I kind of forgot about that aspect of it and just edited photos like I you know, I just kind of took each photo is its is it being under the Jo and edit edited like I felt in the moment. And over time, I think that's kind of just turned into my personal editing style and what I like to look at, and also, I mean, Brock's amazing feedback. So he always gave me lots of incredible feedback. And it's I think it's good to have another pair of eyes as well to kind of say, you know, that's far too bright or whereas over Calla gone? Absolutely. Yeah. So I think it's just what I love personally, and I just post it, I don't care what it looks like on the feed. And I think naturally, it's kind of just turned into this kind of rainbow II color, colorful, bright platform. I think it changes sometimes according to what destination. But I definitely like in terms of what I put on there. It's totally dependent on the day and if I have time to post anything and our recent trips and what content I have. And yeah, to be honest, Instagram is kind of like a non afterthought, but it's not my priority, right? So we priority is kind of helping with all our staff articles in our video and that that side of things. And the social media content is kind of like a it's almost more of a diary for myself that I love to share with everyone in give tips and things like that on, I guess well, that's an interesting way of looking at because my next question was going to be Do you feel like social media has hindered or helped with your creativity? So do you have thoughts on that? A bit of both. I think it's definitely pushed us both to strive for the next level and be a lot better and I think competition is good. But I also think that social media has turned into a bit of a unrealistic platform. In a lot of ways, and massive pressure and I think young people Brookes got a younger sister, and I almost feel sorry for that generation and that they've grown out with this mobile phone with all these perfect faces. And people, you know, with Tick Tock coming along incredible dance moves, and amazing Yeah, you know, singing voices. And it's hard to know whether these things are real or fake. But when you look at it, you just assume everything is real, just as the you know, the human mind, you just like, Oh, my gosh, you know, that person's incredible. Their skin is perfect, that's flawless. And I think that puts a lot of pressure and I think it can put a real downer on creativity, because of, you know, feeling not good enough. Or, you know, that person is so creative. I can never think of something like that. So I think Yeah, yes, yes or no, it's good and bad. Yeah. And definitely do things that have helped my creativity with social media was the requirement to keep creating. So even on the days when I have felt like I don't want to create because of social media, I have to create, and then something magical happens. And I'm very, very thankful for that almost like a barrier that I have to cross. And it always makes me do something different. But also connecting me with other creatives like yourself, because then it just gives you a window to a completely different way of viewing world. It's like going out in the nature and that and those times, when you're stuck in suburbia, you're like okay, I'm just gonna see what rad is doing. Oh, that's nice. All right, that inspires me to do this. So recently, I saw your video about yoga, your morning yoga routines. And I'll show you after I think I haven't posted or have I posted it. I don't I don't remember. But I came up with this idea of this rabbit, doing yoga, seeing your stories, I was just like, oh my god, I want to do more of these. And it just came because I had seen your stories, going running and talking about breathing techniques when you're running. And then seeing a lot of your morning yoga stories. And I don't know why I put rabbits in you and running a series of paintings like that. So no, for me that has definitely something I'm very grateful for social media is to connect me with creatives like never before. And they always expand my worldview. But you're right, having social media also makes you think you're flawed in some way. Because everything else is so flawless. And something that Ben and I both have to check. And we've promised ourselves to, you know, help each other in that area because you see these flawless bodies, and flawless relationships, flawless lives and social media. And we have to remind ourselves and tend to Tuesday's our days, not only on social media, where we share about our relationship, but also the days that we take for ourselves, where we remind ourselves how much we've got, and what we have all the with all the flaws is so beautiful, and that it's real. So no, definitely a big added pressure there in social media. I was going to say my favorite picture of yours as your pregnancy announcement. Picture and the stars, it was the most magical facture I just I have tears in my eyes when I saw it. I think it's the most beautiful thing of real early. Oh my gosh, I loved it. I just hate. And honestly, that is what I mean by social media, we wouldn't the how crappy I was feeling during the first trimester vomiting, almost non stop, and just heartburn and all of that, I don't think we would have been able to create a photo like this if it was not for this pressure of Tinder Tuesday on us. And that photo was created at three in the morning. I was just like, not able to move in bed. And I asked Ben to go scout outside and see where we can see the best stars. And he came back at 3am. And the way we had to drag me out photo. But the moment we reach there, the beach and seeing those stars was just, it was pure magic. And to think that we're going to bring a baby boy in this world and he's going to see those stars was just like, Oh my gosh, she's gonna see this for the first time. Remember when we saw it? It was so incredible. We got talking. And then that idea was born of the stars and all thankful, very, very thankful for social media, because otherwise I would have been like, I can't be bothered. Please don't take me out of the bed. This question is for so many people who follow you and to feel like they want the life you guys live, because it is very envy inducing. Is there a type of personality that suits the kind of work you guys do and the type of personality that shouldn't even think about it? Well it's funny because You both have very different personality. Yeah. And I don't think we could do it without each other. Most right, mostly couldn't do it without Brock because I'm an incredibly impatient person and patient person. And I think it takes a huge amount of patience in a huge amount of stamina and a huge amount of resilience and a huge amount of persistence and hard work. And being able to get over that hump when everything becomes so hard that you just want to give up. If you have a kind of Renison that can approach your project and overcome that hump, then it's not a problem for you can do it. But if you struggle with it, this job would be quite hard, I think because it's, yeah, looks incredible, it looks amazing. But the amount of work that mean, broke down is quite huge, especially broke, like he doesn't get much sleep at all, I have to have a lot more sleep than he does. So I will just go. He'll be typing away. But yeah, it's a takes a lot of work and a lot of time and a lot of energy. And I'm doing a lot of learning as well with, you know, photography skills, and all that kind of stuff. So I can app scale and learn more. So it's always like, it's a never ending process as well. So once you feel like you've got the or you've got a couple of jobs, you've just got to keep pushing and keep going. Because, yeah, it's it's I mean, it's amazing. It's hugely rewarding, but I think it's definitely something that you kind of need to have another person the wealth to help you push on. I mean, we've both had moments where we've been like, you know, I can't do this anymore. Let's just why are we doing this at some teens? And the other person will just, you know, motivate the other person and say, that's just yeah, we'll get through this. It'll be fine. Yeah, we've had many moments like that. But luckily, oh, yes, I can attest to. I can attest to so many, I mean, first six months of our adventure nomadic life, I was miserable. I was absolutely miserable. We didn't hide it on social media. But if Ben wasn't there, I was like, it was my idea. Let's do it. And I had to convince Ben for like two or three months of like, let's do it. Let's do it. And then once it started, our man, the days are so long, you barely get four hours of sleep at night and beds are so different, have achy backs, and you don't see the benefit of it when you first start, because like you said, it needs a lot of perseverance in the beginning to really reach your goals. And it's very, very hard. So no, very grateful for our partners who were there supporting us, and vice versa, and they had their low times we were there. And during the lockdown as well. I think what helped both Ben and I were that we were in this together. So there were moments where I would have a completely depressing day, and he wouldn't, and vice versa. And we luckily never had those days together. He's I don't know what would have happened to a liquor cabinet. The other thing I wanted to ask was consider you again, I think you got this question today as well, on your Instagram stories, when you ask people ask me anything, but to people like us who are adventurers and nomadic and doing the travel life? Where do you see your life next five years, or 10 years? That's a really hard question. Because it's not something I'm not kind of the type of person that has a huge plan, you know, get married, have children buy a house, we actually before we started, we quit our jobs. And we started traveling, we have started the process of buying a house. And right, for some reason that just didn't work out. And around that time, we were also kind of considering you know, quitting our jobs and traveling. So that was kind of the the point where we just hit you know, the fork in the road if you like, and we just sold everything. And so we kind of had to build up because we obviously when we first started creveling we used up most of our savings. So we've kind of slowly built those savings app again and hoping to buy a house soon Fingers crossed the housing market and Okay, and sign as I'm sure you know, but unfortunately Auckland is kind of the place it's the hub, but like it's just makes it easier for us to travel. Other than trying to buy a house. We're not really looking at stopping traveling. If we don't have to. Yeah, yeah, we we just love it so much. And we have so much more planned, so many more ideas that we want to implement in so much more that we want to learn. So yeah, we're a long way away from from settling down with anything and we're both children wise, I think. I mean, there's so many people on this planet and I think that it's such a it's it's funny how it's still such a kind of tradition for for the entire human race to have children at a certain age or to have children at all as a capital. So I think it's changing a little bit, which is good and I think people definitely need to have These children are the way that the world has gone. I think humans are the biggest contributor, you know, we are the people that create the rubbish, we are the people that create, you know, all the problems. So, to heal the planet, I think there just needs to be less human. So that is a big, big answer with your question, but I just children are not really part of part of our plan. Definitely not at the moment anyway. So yeah, travel was I think, I mean, people do travel with children, but it definitely would make a lot. Absolutely. The specially doing what we do, although we get a lot of requests to do family trips. So in that sense, we can borrow you. Yeah, absolutely. You, you are so right about my question. By the way, it was not about are you guys going to get settled and have a house or because they want a bit as well, because of our age is a question that people can't hit on their minds automate. When they say people like us, are those a capital in the age that we are? And yeah, bring that out? Yeah. You're absolutely right. I mean, this was number one question we would get, how will you guys do it when you will have kids and kids were not on our radar at all, until we read this one book. And then it became on our radar. But anyways, we decided not to have kids for exactly the same reasons. But yeah, you're right. It's you reach a certain age. And it's almost like expected, out of you that what are you doing, fulfill your destiny? What destiny, I am supposed to do whatever I'm supposed to do. And the fact that you guys will be traveling and showing us parts of the world that we can't see, we can virtually travel with you guys. But also like you guys do it, you don't just talk about glamorous spots and places that you need to go and take some amazing photos, you guys talk a lot about environment, human impact on the environment, and how to have a lesser footprint. So thank you for educating us on that on almost daily basis. With your stories, and with your posts, that is really wonderful. I'm far from perfect blackout, so many things that I need to improve on. I mean, especially travel, it's definitely not that great for the environment. But I think travel makes you appreciate what's going on in the world, like going over to places and Asia and seeing the horrendous amount of rubbish in the ocean in the, you know, nature's and this the sidewalks and the pollution in the poverty like it's, it's really overwhelming. And we went to the Maldives for the first time, just before we did this whole tribal thing just as a personal thing. And the roof was incredible. It was super colorful, they have fish everywhere. And we went back a few years later, and it had already changed just until three years. And then we're back again a year after that, in the end, it really changed again. So things like that, that we see when we travel that you're just not exposed to if you don't travel, and it just gets you is so much made, you know, a real view of what's actually happening on absolutely no, you right, and it all comes down to our intention of why we are traveling. Yes, travel does increase our carbon footprint. However, how we travel and the message we share with the world message we share with people who are not going to travel, for various reasons may be their jobs, or their family or whatever the message reaches them from things that we have seen, and things that we bring back home. So it's a double edged sword, isn't it? It's important, but it's also not very good for the environment. But if the intention is there, then we probably can make it a good thing. Has being impatient helped with your creativity? And the things that you create and the ideas that you come up with? No. How about the whole process of creating a photo? He's taught me to be more patient, right? Yeah, I think everything we do and especially being with Brock 24 seven, he has taught me patience pays off big time. Right, et cetera. Like it's a patient people. I think it teaches you travel differently teaches you patience. Yeah, no, that's what I said. Like nature has taught me just being out in nature has taught me to be more patient. But one of the things I can tell you and maybe you're just neglecting it is that our impatient personalities do come up with ideas at weird times, and at very regular intervals. So even if they can't be executed, they add to the idea pool of things that you want to do and must do and have to do right now. Possibly pushes our partners who are more patients do you know Put them here in there. So they get ticked in the process. Yeah, I haven't thought about that like that. But 100% windbreakers just an example. It's come to my head at the papanui place mean and Wellington and I was in the bathtub in Brock was shooting with the dryer and I was like, get it from the angle go there. The sun was setting and I was looking, I was like, you need to wait, like, I'm just getting my shot. But we ended up getting both shots. I don't know if my impatient you know, yelling at him to get that shot and bet and then did match that sometimes you differently like but just the persistence of patience, I guess is what what you say meaning? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So the being impatient. Do ideas come to you at random times as well, when you can't do them, but they they're just buzzing in your head taking shower and be like, Oh, I should do this and have like, bazillion projects in your head that you want to start right now? Yeah. Okay, so yeah. Yeah, no, this is what I mean, I, I absolutely adore how Ben has bought more patients in my life, I would never though, give away my patience. Because of just the sheer volume of ideas that just keep pouring in. We have a diary just made. For me, it's called the impatient journal. And I just keep writing in them all the things I want to do, and it has so many, we thought we were just divided into personal and professional, but very quickly, it became personal professional, and then house ideas and other things, you know, it's just become so many headings, and so many ideas under those headings that I want to do. And it's just not fair for Ben. Because he can never feel like it's ever anything is ever done. like four pages more. But I think Yeah, ambition space off, when it comes to the just sheer volume of ideas. Just, I could do this. I could also do this. every third day, I have like we should start a furniture store and cycle what this is how we can mix it with adventure. positive thought, because that's good. Yeah. Now that Brooke comes tomorrow to be like, you know what, I'm proud to be impatient. So now you've answered the question about patience. What are other skills, you know, that you find are very valuable in the kind of work you do and things that you guys create? I think, I mean, creativity is probably the biggest the biggest one. And it's fun to see the different types of ideas that mean brought both here. Because we often when we go into a place, we have different kind of shot ideas and ways of which we kind of imagined the video shall apply in the end. So we we have a lot of, it's good, because we both raised around with our cameras and our you know, doing little videos and do our separate thing. And then we'll kind of come together and do do things together as well. So definitely, creativity is probably the biggest one. Patience is a good one. Yeah, I think time management as well as a huge one, because we've got, we've got so many lists, we've got so many things we've got. So Brooks emails are just constantly he's got to ever watch. And it's all the time with all their requests coming through. So I think we've got all these ideas for websites and different social media platform kind of ideas, and creating different types of reels and videos and all that kind of stuff. So it gets a bit overwhelming when we have such a boat to do less than so many things that we want to do, as I'm sure you're fully understand. So I think Time management is a huge is a huge one, which I'm definitely still working on it. I think we are all working on time management because the world around us is changing so fast. That things that we're okay are in fact really good about, you know, the things that we could use to manage our time are now integrated. Because things have changed so fast around us the way social media demands our time and how families are now formulated and how office hours change and our jobs are absolutely there. There is no precedent for our jobs, you know, we are creating them as we go on the fly. So Time management is I think something that we need to keep revisiting even if you think we've got it, we've nailed it. Everything is sorted. Now, three months later, those systems don't work. But you're right Time management is so essential. Okay, Rob has come to almost the end of our podcast, and now we're going to do something we call a rapid fire round. I'm very excited to hear your answers for this. You ready? I don't know. Okay. All right to the rapid fire round now. One, three words that you would use to describe yourself as a traveler. adventurous, hungry and excited. Oh, I love that hungry word. And there it goes for both the foodie new, as well as the person who is seeking so many adventures. Okay, morning person or a night person. I was always a morning person, but I've kind of turned into a night person. But I want to turn back into a morning person. I see that perseverance on your stories. You're trying to be the morning person back again. Are you creative more during mornings or night? Or is that something that is not time bound for you? Not really time bound, I find that I have a lot of creative ideas when I go to bed and I close my eyes. And I think I need to remember this in the morning and I need to do in terms of doing something creative. I love doing that on the morning. So ideas come at night and the doing happens in the morning. Okay, what is your biggest addiction? Third? Right on? Right, oh, the tripod, just came out. Spontaneous or planned adventures? spontaneous? Is that something you get to do quite often in your job? No, no, not really. Right. But yeah, I used to love laughter in it, like we did a road trip around Europe. And I had planned at all. And we didn't follow one day of the plan. And like, we just totally just don't worry about every day. And it was the most amazing thing. And I think differently since then, I realized that not planning is the best way for me. I mean, I love it. I am loving that you give that answer because Ben was a planned adventure planner, when it comes to adventuring, very detailed, he would have his timetables and schedules. And he would show me like before we met, he had gone to Africa and China and and seen his Excel spreadsheets, etc. So I had this idea that every time we would go to Europe, he will not know where we are going, I would plan the whole thing, because I'm more of a spontaneous adventure. So I took his role. And he wouldn't know any day where we were going. So before he would sit in the car and the GPS output the address of the place we were going, and then he had to drive. And some days he would sit in the car and be like, Oh, it's a three hour drive away. And we'll reach a border. And I would ask him questions at the border about that country in hopes of him guessing that place. And sometimes he would sit in the car and be 16 hour long drive if you just go like what are we doing. But I've turned him into a very spontaneous adventure. And it's just so much fun, right? I get jealous of the experiences he gets to have now I think we need to now rule change the rules and say, when it comes to the photos that you have put on your feed, if you think about your favorite shots, were the ones that respond taneous more your favorite are the ones that were planned, your more favorite ones. To be honest, most of my posts are spontaneous. I don't hardly ever plan I went through a stage where I tried to make my feet kind of pitched where I had a lot of kind of blue water shots. And we just done a trip to the Australian outback. So a lot of orange shots. And I was getting really caught firing in my face going to look amazing. And I had to blow and blow and read for about six photos, and then I hit nothing leave and I kind of got bored of it. So it's what I feel like on the day or what I yeah, mostly? Yeah, I'd say about 90% spontaneous. What about when you're actually creating the photos? So when you're in that place? You know, you guys went to Hamilton gardens a few months ago, and you did some photos there. And other so many other places? Are those photos, something that you plan beforehand that you've seen the place and you're like, this is how we're going to shoot this? Or is it something that happens when you are there and you're just feeling it and rook takes it or you take it How does that happen? Mostly spontaneous. And we try and get shots that have kind of Instagram or eyes or Instagram eyes. I've got a thing called a dictionary where I make up words and I'll just put them into the dictionary. That's great. Sometimes with social media, I definitely see a person thing you know, I want to go and get that but we'll go to the destination and it picture will be totally out of my mind when we get there because I will just kind of come up with my own ideas. I love that. And I really try and steer clear of copying other people's pictures and trying to do something that's trending on social media through I've definitely got some pictures that are like that, but most of the time is definitely spontaneous. And we just let the destination kind of speak for itself. Yeah, like with the Hamilton gardens, we looked at what they looked like like we looked up their Instagram page and just kind of hit us Scroll through it to look at what, where we wanted to go, and what locked ranked what looked like the best for photographs. And then we kind of went the interest around thing from there, that makes me feel so good. Because every time I look at other people's feeds, I always feel like they have really, really planned everything. And I keep complaining to bend, we need to plan stuff, we just land at places and then start thinking about it. And sometimes the light is not right. By the time we've got it, we've nailed the shot, and the lights God and I'm always complaining we need to plan. But that makes me feel so much better. My final question is for you, what gives you most joy, the act of creating, or the final product once it's in your hand that you've created? Definitely the act of creating and enjoying the moment and you're doing it. I mean, I love the joy, especially of sharing the destination. If it was an amazing place, sometimes I get a little bit like, or do I want to share this, it's so amazing, I don't want to run. But I've just got to set for that. I love like I just love sharing, sharing all the amazing places where you go to bed being in the moment is definitely. I mean, sometimes it can be quite stressful, and definitely not what the picture portrays it to be like a romantic, you know, it's still just just having the privilege of being able to do these incredible trips. As it's amazing to me, I mean, it's always been my dream to have travel is is a job and being able to do it. And the way that we do in the level that we do is still like, I still feel like I'm living living a dream. We finished the rapid fire round, but if so many questions still. Okay, I'm just gonna ask a couple more. This is not the format. But I just want to know, I really, really just want to know, it's definitely not the format. When you are editing, it's still the part of the process of creating, does it ever make you feel like I could have done it better? How do you deal with those emotions? This is something a lot of creatives face, you know, doing something and then immediately feeling the pressure of I could have done this better? Is there any advice that you have in that department? If you feel it? Or are you still struggling with it or something that has worked for you? Yes, I think the biggest thing is when I think you know, I do try and do like styling and things like that like moving things around in a room just to make them look a bit bit nicer. And things like where I position myself if I'm in the shot, and thinking that it looks good on camera. But because Brock's behind the camera, most of the time, I don't often see it, I will be frustrated with myself for not being more patient with both of us to kind of get a few more shots and review the photos and see that we're both happy with them. So I think sometimes when I am going through the editing, I think, Oh gosh, why don't why why didn't we do a shot here? And why don't we do a shot there? But yeah, I think it's almost a silly way of looking at it. Because when you're in the moment, you're doing your best as long as you're enjoying it. And the outcome is, you know, something that you can use? Yeah, I mean, it's hard, because I know, I know. It's I definitely look back and think maybe I should have offered the pictures and had a look at them first. But I mean, often we get them. Yeah, I mean, we get lots of amazing shots as quite picky. Just a few individual. Yeah. So we should start, I think the biggest thing for anyone feeling like they might miss out on a shot or moment is Yeah, take some time to really be in the moment without the camera and kind of feel everything that it is. And then take bazillions of photos. Because then even if you're not happy with the end product, you at least know that you loved and enjoyed being the part of that creative process. And you also didn't rush through this and also now feeling nasty about stuff. What would be an advice for those people that want to pursue what you guys do or be part of something similar? I think if you really love something, so if you really love photography, or you really love writing, or you really love taking video and you're super passionate about it, it's just doesn't seem like a job. And if you can hear really hone in on those skills and become the best, best at what you what you do. It'll just flow from them. That's fantastic. Okay, all right. This is what I want to end on. And I've always wondered because every time you put it on Instagram to ask for people to ask you more questions, you do get so many questions. Both of you guys. You've also done live q&a is and also recorded q&a is so is there a question that never gets asked that you both wish someone would ask about your lives about your creativity about just you guys in general No, not really. We honestly wider I'm probably more of an naturally private person. So I don't I think that's why I mean, I could do a lot more on social media I think with behind the scenes and kind of every day you know, talking to the camera kind of thing, but I'm just not quite comfortable with it yet. I'd love to be you're doing so well is doing so well. I don't know if you saw our live that mean Proctor but it was a We really enjoyed doing that we had a good time. And got some fan questions through that. But yeah, I don't. Yeah, I think everyone is super supportive of us. And we love sharing all the all the things that we can share. Yeah, and thank you for that. Thank you so much rather for joining me. It's been a real pleasure chatting with you. I have found various reasons, as you know, over the last few months of catching up with you guys and having you chat with us face to face. And I have made it happen and very proud of myself, even through ridiculously busy schedules more. Thank you so much. It's been such a pleasure. And it's so lovely to finally talk to you and meet you in real life one day. Yes. And hopefully we can have you both back on our podcast this time with Brooke and we can discuss more creativity and more ideas and have your two different personalities and we can balance each other really well and learn more about creative lives. Thank you. So there you have it peeps. Thank you so much for tuning in. We hope you learn heaps of new junk and stuff today. If you enjoyed today's episode or indeed any of the other episodes of the creative myth, please rate this podcast that leave you a review on iTunes. It would absolutely make our day and help other like minded individuals find the creative myths so we can forge a kick ass creative community for you all here. We appreciate you listening in with all our heart. Also, if you can think of someone who you would like to hear interviewed about their creative process. Send us a DM on out tena photography Instagram page and we'll reach out to them next time on the creative myth surgenor and I sit down for one of our informal chats about our very own creative process. So make sure you like and subscribe to be notified when Episode Seven goes live. But until then, you know the drill. Stay rad. Stay tuned and be creative.