The clocks have changed. The down jackets are out. It's time for RGS Explore! A weekend of inspiration and networking, serving as a catalyst for the creation of future expeditions. Last year I jumped in at the deep end, full of beans and not knowing what I was letting myself in for. I sketched my socks off and the RGS snapped me up. Gaining Fellowship two months later and I've been on a rollercoaster of a journey ever since.
This year I walked through the doors with a very different energy. On the brink of burn out from over-working, anxious for an impending best man speech and totally knackered from moving house. The last couple of months had tested me to the limits, and arguably pushed me past them. Putting an end to four years of nomadic travel and adapting to life in the suburbs with my partner, having a dream opportunity to sketch in Kenya pulled out from underneath me and a sprained wrist that simply wouldn't heal all being a bit too much. I was done. The spark that fueled me to passionately chase the dream of being an Expedition Artist for the last five years was extinguished. Gone. And I had no idea how to get it back. I hadn't drawn a thing in two months!
Ooph.
How on earth was I going to survive a couple of hundred people energetically milling about the place, making their dreams happen when all I wanted to do was be in bed!?
I sat in the opening talks, sketching the speakers on autopilot. Neither present or able to engage with the content. Felicity Aston as host brought some fantastic energy to the room but I quickly found myself avoiding new people or sparking up conversation. I'd had such an insanely positive experience the year before, I quickly began to beat myself up for not being in the right head space this time around.
Putting on my self care hat, I concentrated on looking after myself. I put much less emphasis on networking and concentrated on simply "being". I'm practically a piece of the furniture at the RGS now so there would be plenty more time for meeting people. Skipping some workshops in favour of properly feeding and watering myself, it also allowed me to catch up with various RGS friends I'd worked with over the last year. Graham Jackson, animating his Camp 6 maps. Roseann Hanson, founding the Art of Exploration Collective and her fantastic BioArtBlitz Project. Kirsten Carlson and her penchant for sketching underwater. All the while, sneaking off to frantically finish my best man speech in the corridors.
Half way through Saturday's proceedings I found myself sitting at Nigel Winser's help desk. Founder of RGS Explore and my sponsor Fellowship, he generously donates his weekend and impressive network to aid people in joining the dots to make their expeditions reality.
"I don't even know what I'm sitting here to ask you Nigel. I just thought I'd sit in front of you, check in and see what happened".
To my surprise, and mild embarrassment, what happened was promptly bursting into tears! In the halls of the Royal Geographical Society! Well. That happened.
A year of frustration poured out of me. Regularly having life changing opportunities present themselves, only to be snapped away by a lack of funding or life simply getting in the way. A gnawing feeling that I was sat in RGS Explore a whole year later and I hadn't made it out on any expeditions. Low energy from the last four years of chaos. I was decidedly lost.
Much to my relief, I was met with empathy and understanding. And simply the act of getting everything off my chest in front of one of my peers felt like a huge weight had left my body. I by no means had the answers. I still have a long journey ahead to realise my potential as an Expedition Artist. But at least I was no longer an emotional pressure cooker!
Thankfully this marked a turning point in my weekend.
An inspiring talk by Mattias Hammer's talk on Citizen Science and Biosphere Expeditions sparked some energy back into me. While I find my feet in the expedition world, perhaps the easiest way to get into the field is the same approach as last year's Ocean Mission adventure. Simply signing up to citizen science expeditions as a member of the public, doing some good, BUT turning up armed to the teeth with stationery.
During the Q&A it was mentioned that he had to leave imminently, so not wanting to miss an introduction, I ran out of the lecture hall, and threw a business card in front of him.
It would appear I was back to my old tricks :)
Another highlight was witnessing an animation I'd created to celebrate the results of the BioBlitz project played on a HUGE screen in the Ondaatje Theatre. Being a freelance animator, I don't often get to see the results of my work on the big screen and thinking of all the prestigious characters who had passed through those doors brought a tear to the eye. It was difficult not to reflect on how far I'd come in the last year.
Sketching all the speakers again allowed me to see how much I'd upskilled. I was presenting with fellow artists, so our movement was growing. I'd returned to RGS Explore a year later with my beardy face printed in the programme and wore a speaker's lanyard. I was about to contribute to my first ever panel discussion!
It was an interesting chat and surreal to find myself on the receiving end of the audience in such a short space of time. A well placed question found me proclaiming that my artistic practice was "being at risk whilst doing dumb things with pens." So there's an accidental mission statement to live by!
"Oh Tom, you're going to be an Expedition Artist". - Kirsten C.
By the end of the night I was milling about the bar, swapping business cards and excitedly discussing future collaborations with research teams, film producers and expedition leaders. Ironically I had turned up completely lost and an event designed to support geographers in finding their way had done exactly that. Touché RGS Explore. Bring on the New Year and new adventures.
Thanks for reading!
Motion Graphic Designer, Expedition Artist & Illustrator available for commissions
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