Secret spaces and simple things
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This week I was perusing YouTube, as I often do, and I came across a new video from Peter McKinnon. (If you don't know Peter McKinnon, then where you been?) He's an amazing videographer, photographer, and actually started years ago as a magician. He has several businesses other than just being a YouTuber with millions of subscribers. He runs a company called Pirate Life (or something like that), and I think he's even gotten into leather smithing. He's just amazing! In this video, he was showing his huge studio space in Canada, where he built a small room that he uses as a creative getaway. It's kind of unplugged; the top floor is totally unplugged and all analog, with a typewriter and a notepad. He said there were no electronics up there except for one LED light, and he even joked that he broke his own rule. He can go in there, put on sound-canceling headphones, and just immerse himself in creating. It literally looked like a very small closet, built so that everything is in arm's reach. He's maximizing the space, and I just thought that was really cool. He even talked about how, as a magician, he created a secret door so he could be in there working away and nobody knows he's there! But what I thought was fascinating was that he has a USB mic in there so he can record voiceovers, and he doesn't really talk about the mic. It's not even listed in the description of the gear he uses. But I noticed it's a Rode USB mic, and I thought how funny. I think it's around 160 bucks, but I thought, "Okay, this is really cool." Here's a guy that can afford probably the best mic ever and has amazing equipment. And yet for this, he has found a very simple USB mic that he can plug in that works, and it was apparent he was using some of it for the video. I think that's just a great reminder that it's easy to get caught up in thinking, "If I can have the right tools, I can create." And tools are just that. You can create some amazing work with cheap stuff, and just because you spend a lot doesn't mean you can do a lot. And here's a case of a guy like Peter McKinnon who just picked up a simple USB mic that didn't cost a lot, and it does what he needs to do. So I thought that was really cool. Check out the video, and when you're ready to create, don't let what you don't have stop you from sharing your gifts and creating. Thanks for reading.
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Kevin Kolbe
Real talk and random thoughts about creativity, work, and life over 40.
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