We all have our own ideas of what camping is. Some reminisce about being a little kid at summer camp, you know, crafts, friends, canoes, and s’mores all the fun stuff. Others tend to envision being alone in the wilderness fending for themselves with nothing but the flannel on their back and a utility knife.
Ahh nature.
But how about being boated out to a secluded camping spot surrounded by some of the region’s best creative minds for two days? Or how about an augmented reality course? Maybe you think of the vector master himself, Von Glitschka, giving not one, but two keynote speeches as well as teaching an impromptu logo design course? Camping has forever changed for me.
In addition to the ADDY’s, the Spokane AAF organizes a camping trip (branded the Collective Campout) intended to bring together anyone interested in enriching their creativity. During our time at the Collective Campout , Derek and I experienced non-stop stimulation of our creative muscles. From the moment our boat hit the shore of Camp Sweyolakan we were split into teams tasked with getting to know one another over dinner. This meant creating a team name. My team was an eclectic collection of misfits and this was reflected in our name–Team CrunchBerry. Derek too was fixed in a group of distinct creative minds but their team far more arcane, Grey Area.
THE DAYS
The next morning we were tasked with creating banners over breakfast, a fun and delicious way to flex our creative muscles. After our team bonding experience we broke for our first course of the day. Derek and I both took Augmented Reality lead by Jon Deviny of Seven2. This course required us to venture out into nature and using only a few supplies, augment our realities. This meant finding the right spot somewhere around camp and using clear acrylic sheets and markers to insert (draw) something into the scene, hence “Augmented Reality”. The rest of the day consisted of two additional workshops, lunch, team building activities, dinner and a final presentation on creativity by Von Glitschka. The last event of the day was the annual draw-off that sees the entire camp split into two separate teams.
THE DRAW-OFF
A tradition that is as old as the campout itself, the weekend culminates in a two team draw-off. A draw-off involves large teams that are broke into smaller teams. After a topic is provided each team must quickly plan how they are going to execute their illustration. There are multiple rounds so that each of the smaller groups get a turn to add a layer to the proposed drawing.
Our entire camp was divided into two large teams and from there we made 5 smaller teams. Our original topic was scrapped so both teams could create an ode to Joel Barbour, who was scheduled to teach a workshop but was involved in an accident a few weeks prior to camp and wasn’t able to attend. If you aren’t familiar with Joel Barbour check out his apparel line The Great PNW. There were five rounds that required plenty of planning, sketching, and of course brews! The end result was two righteous displays of creative solidarity for Joel.
THE SWAG
The swag bag put together for the campers by Spokane AAF made the entire trip worth it. Every item in the bag carefully arranged and steeped in camping nostalgia. The coasters that have some of the most wicked typography treatment you’ll ever see and there was even a sweet pouch of stickers and branded patches. The bag itself is stylish and functional.
THE FUTURE
Going into the weekend Derek and I didn’t know what to expect. But the 2 days ended with a creative high that inspired us to continue exploring hand lettering, creative writing, and illustration in general. We made many friends from the Spokane and the surrounding areas who we look forward to further our relationships with. If you’re looking for an opportunity to enrich your creative side then consider attending the Collective Campout next year, maybe you’ll run into Derek and I.
A big thanks to our camp counselors and everyone at the Spokane AAF and Camp Sweyolakan who put on a fabulous weekend. We’ll see you all next year!
