Amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be pretty tricky to get your creative juices flowing when working on a project.
That’s why we wanted to send off three incredible creatives for 48 hours to the woods to do nothing but soak up the secluded vibes and do what they do best — make stuff.
A while back, we asked our readers to submit a project proposal that they could work on for two days while holed up in a cosy cabin in Kiama. After sifting through a bunch of epic ideas, we landed on three creatives who span different disciplines — James Vallance, Joel Ludemann and Amee Wilson.
Earlier in June, they headed out on their journey (kitted up with a brand new Lenovo laptop, powered by Intel EVO) and we caught footage of them while they were in the zone, getting inspired by nature and cooking up their ideas. You can check out what they created in the video below:
To get a little further insight into their creative process, and a bit of background on what they created we sat down with them for a yarn:
James Vallance
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How did the secluded space impact your work? What environment do you usually work in?
James: The secluded space forced me to focus on my piece fully. With no distractions and being surrounded by nature, it was super nice to be stuck in the flow state and make something that funnelled in themes from my surroundings. Usually, I’m working in my room or the studio, not to say they’re bad spaces, but the distractions are there. It’s also awesome to be able to just go outside and shoot references, without having to do a google search.
What did you create? Can you explain the concept of your piece?
James: I made an animation called “The Lost Eshay”. I wanted to make a piece demonstrating the huge scale of everything and how I felt as an animator out of his element in the woods.
What does your creative process usually look like? How did it change being in a new environment?
James: My creative process usually involves gathering references online and building up a concept step by step. My process didn’t change too much but it was great to be able to skip gathering references online since I was surrounded by them in real life. It was super nice to be able to just open up, plug in my drawing tablet and create. It’s important to have a nice flow from the creative concept in my head through to the realisation of it, and the Intel EVO laptop genuinely made creating smooth when out in nature
Joel Ludemann
How did the secluded space impact your work? What environment do you usually work in?
Joel: Being in a secluded space really forced me to slow down and focus on just the project one step at a time. It removed many of the usual distractions that can hinder creative work.
What did you create? Can you explain the concept of your piece?
Joel: I created a cooking video. The concept was to level up the kind of food I usually eat when I’m outdoors and be a bit indulgent, and document this with a really transportive audio and visual piece.
What does your creative process usually look like? How did it change being in a new environment?
Joel: I usually lie in a lukewarm bathtub in the fetal position waiting for good ideas to come, but unfortunately, there was only a shower. In all seriousness though, it was great to just follow only my own personal desires in what I wanted to create. Using the Yoga Intel EVO laptop also made the whole production process so easy because it was so quick. It also had such long battery life so I didn’t have to charge it using the solar panels in my accommodation once.
Amee Wilson
@queeeerchameleon Just a lil’ reminder 💚 #lgbtq🌈 #affirmations #queertiktok ♬ original sound – Queer Chameleon
How did the secluded space impact your work? What environment do you usually work in?
Amee: It finally gave me a chance to think more freely! I usually throw creative things together last minute, without much thought, so it was great to have the quiet time to spend actually thinking about what I wanted to make. I usually work from my couch! I’m still largely working from home, and my desk is in my bedroom, so there aren’t very many spaces that don’t feel related to work. I chuck on a lo-fit beats playlist and just get my head down to make things!
What did you create? Can you explain the concept of your piece?
Amee: I created an animated poem featuring my character Queer Chameleon. It follows the chameleon as it looks at the nature around it, to remember that being ‘different’ isn’t actually a bad thing; it’s something wonderful. LGBTQIA+ people are sometimes called ‘unnatural’ because we don’t fit the norm, but actually, if you look at nature, there is SO much difference! Yet we still appreciate it all for what it is.
What does your creative process usually look like? How did it change being in a new environment?
Amee: Chaos, if I’m honest. I should be a lot more organised – I tend to flit between different parts of the process depending on my mood. But broadly, it’s time spent thinking about the concept. Then I do rough sketches and storyboards. Then I’ll move into more refined illustrations and eventually take it into After Effects! I decided to try something new because I was in a different environment, writing a little bit and creating something original. My workflow was probably just as chaotic though — just with a more serene backdrop!
I’m not the type who can sit at a desk for long periods of time – from curling up on my bed or going for a wander and sitting in a park. So it’s pretty important to me to have tech that can travel well as I think best when I can work where I’m comfortable. The Lenovo Intel laptop was so light and seemed to stay charged forever. Gave me a good excuse to do some work whilst in the hammock outside!
Well folks, that’s what can happen when you’re not surrounded by distractions and procrastination traps. If you’re inspired to go off and create after seeing what our comp winners were able to accomplish, suss out the latest Intel EVO laptop range were developed with creation in mind. They’re packed with fast performance features, swift connectivity and long battery life which makes putting your thoughts on paper (or screen) easy-breezy — so your masterpiece can come to life even quicker.
