A Life With Experience
So, I recently received my new #Timberland watch and posted a story on Instagram – Timberland Watches SA soon after got in touch with me and asked if I would be interested in creating some content for them. As always; I was up for the challenge. So, first thing first I called my trusty partner in crime, the talented Cameron Kernahan, and told him “We’ve got some work to do.” They then asked me to create content that encapsulated a life with experience. Now, as a true millennial, I still have no idea what a life with experience means. We were stumped…
Does a life with experience amount to the countless hours dedicated to one task? Or does a life with experience amount to the variations of hours amongst several tasks? Or, does a life with experience consist of living presently in the moment, far in the deep end, on the road less travelled, where minuscule moments make long-lasting memories? Here, at 22, these are some of the questions I am still asking myself.
I suppose as a creative & content creator I often am putting myself in various people’s shoes in various locations and often discovering new experiences, making new memories and learning a little more each day about myself and the world around me. Of course, being a content creator and living a life with experience is more than that.
Watch us chase the sunset, HERE.
As a creative, I believe that I am the canvas. Not the painter. You are the painter. You choose how you perceive the canvas and the colours thereof.
"The artists perform only one part of the creative process. The onlooker completes it, and it is the onlooker who has the last word." -
Marcel Du Champ
These words resonate deeply with me since I started my journey as a creative and artist.
Just as how the canvas is not the masterpiece; it is the emotion that you chose to feel in that moment by observing the canvas; by observing moments. They say that true acting is not shown out of expectation and result, but it is felt and experienced in that present moment. That’s when the audience goes through catharsis. They may not empathize with the exact emotion I happen to choose on the night, but they resonate with a variety of feelings dependent on their perception and past. Getting deep and complex. I know. Sorry. Lol.
Acting on SABC 1’s Skeem Saam as Francois Swanepoel over the past 3 years has helped me train this skill of being in the moment and feeling the experience rather than showing it. Which is impeccably hard - especially when it comes to soapies. Just in case you were hoping to check me out on Skeem Saam, follow me on Instagram @jamespilkington, like my Facebook page @jamesavpilkington, or follow me on twitter @jamopilkington to stay in the loop. Alternatively, you will be able to catch me on DSTV’s Catch up, or SABC 1 @ 18:30 PM every day. Moving on…
So, instead of just trying to show a life with experience – I was going to feel it.
So a couple weeks back I hit up some friends and fellow influencers, Ryan, Mike, Jeff & Sabrina to join me in my journey to find the perfect sunset – to ‘find’ and ‘showcase’ the experience; the journey.
Watch us chase the sunset, HERE.
As always it started as a mess. Where to go, and furthermore questioning if we will even get in, or be allowed to be there? A couple hours later after a short stop in Melville, we found ourselves in Maboneng. Just like every Sunday, the vibe was ecstatic. Flashy fashion, diverse cultures, drinks in hand and with smiles on people’s faces – joy was in the air.
At 6 PM, our smiles turned up-side-down as were declined access into the living room. This is where grit comes in handy. Grit is passion and perseverance for your long-term goals. With 30 minutes left before sunset, we were kind of lost thinking there was no way we were going to see the perfect sunset and showcase the experience. Furthermore, there was no way we would have enough time to find another location. This set back represented the every-day distractions; the societal insecurities that set us back and try to keep us on a conditioned path where your experience is determined by the people around you & restrictions thereof.
However, we didn’t give up there. We wanted an experience and so we made one. As a content creator – the number one rule is, always ask for forgiveness – not permission. So, we sneaked past security, climbed up a few fire escapes, found a window inside, took an elevator and eventually found ourselves higher than the living room on a rooftop, that we now had, all to ourselves. Boy was the view breathtaking!
See what I'm talking about - watch my Instagram memory, HERE.
We realized that this whole journey to find the perfect sunset and get that perfect shot was a metaphor for a life with experience. And more than anything, it was organic and authentic. We realized that we had put so much pressure on ourselves to make things work that we forgot to enjoy the crazy journey we were having. As always there are bumps in the road, roadblocks and well, increasing fuel prices every month in South Africa – but, if you stay focused on your goal; you never-give-up and you remember to sit back, smell the roses and enjoy the view - You’ll find that perfect sunset. You’ll find that perfect experience.
And when you do, you’ll realize that the awe you feel when you see that beautiful sunset, is every second of every day in this frightening, but exciting, yet daunting, and exhilarating, beautiful world we live in.
You don’t always have to make other people see it or understand your journey. But if you live it and feel it – they will too.
Just in case you were wondering… When I received my new Timberland watch, the checkout and delivery process was extremely slick & fast. I received my watch at my door within 3 days; they say It can take up to 5 working days. Furthermore, it comes with a 2-year warranty.
For watches; they have a decent variety. Oh, and did I forget to mention that because of #BlackFriday – every watch is on special. You’ll find at least 26% off and up to 54% off. Christmas is around the corner, so if you don’t want to buy yourself one, at least consider one for your brother, and/or even your dad.
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JP - 'Timing' Out.
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Photo’s by Cameron Kernahan
Videography & editing by Jeffery Morrell
