Jun 30

Photos of The Week – Life’s a Beach, Learn to Surf

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Brandon

It’s been over 2 and a half months since we’ve been in Bali now, and though I wish I could say I’ve gotten as good as some of these guys at surfing, real progress is often slower than we would like.

We had a couple and their baby stay at our villa for about a week, and he’s an avid surfer so I went out with him a couple times to some spots with some really nice breaks. The thing with that is, just because you paddle out into these big waves with confidence, doesn’t necessarily mean you’re ready for what they throw at you.

After being pounded and thrown around by some monster waves, the message of humility was received loud and clear. A deep respect for the power of the ocean is needed, and a massive wipeout from a huge wave aiding me in that remembering.

Sometimes, you have to let the natural progression of time and practice unfold for your skills to improve, and no amount of force can quicken that process. For the rest of the day I was content photographing the amazing surfers that populated the famous break at Keramas Beach.

This guy was rippin it with authority.

Catching a little Tube!

This guy had powerful and aggressive style, and he looked like he might kick your ass if you said otherwise.

This guy’s airs were off the charts!

The journey to becoming a rad surfer, only begins when you are willing to take the first step..

When all else fails, you can always get naked and play on the beach!

Getting good at surfing means you never give up, even when the sun starts to go down.

It’s always important to take time and reflect on how far you’ve come…

And never be discouraged by imperfection, cracks are how the light gets in!

And when the last wave has been rode, its good to give thanks and appreciate how awesome life is, in all its forms.

Then its time to enjoy a cold beverage, spend some quality with the ones who mean the most to you, and soak in a beautiful sunset.

Thats why Life is like a Beach. Sometimes you get rained on, or get pounded by waves. Sometimes it feels like your a little out of sync, or just can’t catch a break. But amidst all of that there is meaning,beauty, and love weaved through the rolling of the waves that makes it all worth it.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired!

All photos copyright of Brandon Nadeau Photography

Jun 02

Photos of the Week, Dare to Live the Life you Want

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Brandon

Its been about two weeks since we’ve moved into our new house in a smaller village just outside of Ubud. Since then, we’ve rented a scooter and are discovering the joy and freedom of having your own wheels. Since I’ve never really driven, I have the same zest for life that a teenager who just got his license would have. Here’s the best Steve McQueen look I could give on a moped.

Our house is full of really cool and interesting people all on their own unique journeys, all of which seem to have intersected at this little villa. Here’s our new friend Sunshine, filming his juggling for a circus performing school, far out.

Another day, we cruised out to this small village called Petulu, which is famous because every night at sunset thousands of white herons come to here to nest. They say the villagers had an special ceremony, and after that these herons started roosting here, bringing the village prosperity and good luck.

The village was filled with beautiful people who more than willing to share a smile and some good vibes.

Now que the endless stream of herons flying over majestic sunset skies, awesome!

We also had the pleasure of meeting a cool couple, Apple and Phil, who were running a Yoga Teacher retreat in the mountains. We hit it off right away and decided to have a beach day down in Nusa Dua, a high end resort area of the island.

Here they are showing off some yoga skills ….

Here was one my response…Karate Kick for the win!

We wondered into one of the 5 star resorts to get a breakfast, and after ” blended” into the colourful backdrop of sunbathers, palm trees, and high end pools. This one had a beach that merged into a salt water pool with waterfalls, classy.

It was a great beach day filled with childlike playfulness and it reaffirmed my belief that its important not to take ourselves too seriously and to remember to take time to play. We feel we’ve made some great new friends and we look forward to them visiting again.

Now that we’ve been here a little while, we’ve also been finding some sweet spots around town for live music. Last saturday was a Blues Jam session at a bar called Moko’s and it was a packed house. Everyone’s so friendly here so they encourage people to come up and join the jam. It’s hard to describe the joy you feel playing for a live audience, surrounded by amazing musicians, but I was definitely stoked after this !

What I’ve learned since moving to Bali is that when we have the courage to follow our dreams, things have an amazing way of working out. It might not be exactly as you planned, but there are few things in life more satisfying than just going for it. So be willing to confront the fears, doubts, and what ifs, and dare to live the life you’ve always dreamed of having.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired!

May 17

Artist of the Month-Kira Campbell

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Brandon

Here at Stoke we’ve decided to take the Artist of the Month in a slightly different direction. Instead of featuring musicians that’ve never heard of us or prolly never will, we’ll be reaching out to the truly indie musicians and artists who we feel the world should know about, and we’ll be collaborating with them for a more personal approach.

Going forward in this new direction, our first artist of the month is Kira Campbell, a young artist based out of Vancouver, B.C. She’s in school now pursuing her passions and expressing herself creatively in many different mediums.

Her skill, uniqueness, and originality have already started getting her noticed, and this is why I feel her stuff is worth your attention. See for yourself, her work speaks for itself.

Stoke: So tells us a little about yourself..

Growing up on Lantzville’s idyllic beaches on Vancouver Island, I was constantly drawing and sketching on every surface I could find, be it in my many sketchbooks or in the sand on the beach. After graduating high school, I realized my desire to pursue a career in the arts and attended a year of fine arts at Vancouver Island University. From there, I was accepted into Capilano University’s intensive IDEA program (Illustration/Design: Elements & Applications) after going through an interview and testing process, reducing over 100 applicants down to a class of 30. I am currently living in downtown Vancouver and in my second year of the 3 (optional 4) year program and have loved every minute of it.

Stoke: Who inspires you the most ?

I am inspired by so many different artists that work in different mediums from oils to digital to photography. Howard Tangye, Jason Thielke, Amanda Nedham, Baron Storey, Greg Girard, Mariana Garcia and Luke Dixon are some artists I greatly admire just to name a few.

Stoke: Do you have any words that you live by ?

Day to day, I like to remember these quotes:
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going” – Beverly Sills
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all” Helen Keller

Stoke: What gets you the most stoked ?

I love love love photography, art shows, being inspired with ideas for new work, travelling to unique, out-of-sight places, catching a good wave in Tofino, sailing around the west coast on my dad’s boat and hot sauce on absolutely everything.

As we continue to move forward in this new direction, I want to give a special thanks to Kira to getting the ball rolling.

You can keep up with all Kira’s new works of art, by checking out her website, and she would love to here your feedback, and of course is always open to doing commissions.

Kira Campbell’s site: http://kcworks.tumblr.com/
email: kiracampbell@me.com

By being willing to share these amazing creations, it is my hope that it inspires others to pursue their creative passions.

When we let our light shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired!

May 01

Photos of the Week

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Brandon

It has been a busy week and this post marks the end of our first month in Bali. It has been an amazing ride so far, and we sometimes feel we have to pinch ourselves to make sure its all real.

As with most places we visit, beyond the aesthetic beauty of the place, it really is the people that make all the difference. This could not be truer for Bali. The people here are so genuine and friendly, that everyday presents new opportunities to make connections with these incredible people. Here are a just a few we’ve come across so far….

This group of performers we’re just finishing a musical performance at the Royal Palace. Music permeates almost all aspects of their unique culture.

This guy was taking a bit of a smoke break from his work in the rice fields.

We met this guy at the Elephant Caves, a Hindu Temple. I asked our guide if he was a priest but he said he was just in charge of the maintenance, but their was a deepness to his eyes that suggested something more.

One afternoon, we went on this incredible walk through the rice fields, and there was no end to colourful characters we came across. They all seemed extremely hard working but never too busy to stop for a smile.

These rice workers were some of the friendliest people we’ve met yet.

This guy was my favorite. His name was Gusty, and though he was a little older, his vitality and vigour were almost tangible. We chatted for a bit, and he invited us back to his hut for a coconut.

As we sat under 30 feet coconut palms, enjoying about as organic a beverage you can get, I asked him, do these just fall when there ready ? He then showed me this figure eight piece of cloth, and said he climbs up those 30 foot palms and gets them himself. There must be some magic in these coconuts. It just goes to show the only limitations that exist are the ones we impose on ourselves.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired..

Apr 20

Photos of the Week

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Brandon

We’ve begun to settle in our new home here in Bali, and things so far have been amazing. My wife and I live in Ubud, the cultural and spiritual centre of the whole island, so there is no end to the amount of amazing artists, delicious restaurants, and cool cafes to go to.

There also is a thriving music scene here, so you can find live music any night of the week, which is really getting me stoked, and I’ve already made a connection at this smaller cafe with a balinese guy and we played our first gig last Tuesday.

Both of us really feel we are exactly where we are supposed to be and the Universe seems to be giving us subtle reassuring nods that this is the case.

The internets been a little hit or miss here, and our amount of time on the computer has drastically dropped, but I’m going to try and post new photos from this incredible place each week. Hope you enjoy!!

Bali has some very unique Temples.This one’s surrounded by a lotus pond and is right in the heart of Ubud.

Ubud also boasts some amazing rice fields. You can spend hours walking around enjoying the sun, the friendly people, and all that nature has to offer.

And when in doubt, you can always take a walk in Monkey Forest,

Just don’t take yourself to seriously….

This weekend we’re headed to Kuta Beach for some surfing and sunset beach parties, so stay tuned for pictures of me attempting to surf, wiping out and having a great time doing it,

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired

Mar 29

Life is Short. Live your Dream and Share your Passion

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Brandon

I know its been a little while since my last post, but the last 3 weeks with my family and friends has been an amazing opportunity to reconnect with all the people I love, and not much time for blogging was available. As my wife and I ramp up for our big move to Bali, I hope to get back on track as far as posts go, but times of transition usually always have unexpected surprises and things unplanned for, so all I can do is my best.

This is an amazing video brought to you by Holstee, who have created a Lifecycle Manifesto in order to inspires others to live their best lives now.

Holstee’s says ”It is a call to action to live life with more intention, creativity, passion, and community.”

When we begin to live with more intention we see that the life we want won’t just come to us, but we must go after it. We begin to use our creativity and passions as the fuel to get us to our dreams we have for our lives.

The best part of the journey is the people we meet, and the experiences and things we create with them. Go out there share your passions, and connect with people that can help you reach your dreams and you theirs.

When we passionately follow our dreams, we inspire others to have the courage to do the same.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired

Mar 09

Farewell Korea K POP MIX

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Brandon

After spending two and a half years teaching English in Korea, I’ve learned that nothing gets a party started or puts you in a better mood than listening to some K Pop music.

One Part RnB, one part Rap, one part Rock, this style blending genre gets the mojo rising and feet moving in no time.

K Pop needs to be experienced to be fully understood, so check it out and see for yourself!

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired!

Feb 27

The Journey to Now

Posted on February 24, 2012 by Brandon

It’s hard to see the forest through the trees, but when we reflect back, we see that everything has enfolded with a purpose, and things that have happened to us, good and bad, have helped shape the person we are today.

Our Journey acts as the sculptor, revealing the statue hidden inside the stone, one chip at a time.

We are daily becoming who we are meant to be, slowly but surely, carving away piece by piece, until the masterpiece is set free from the stone.

Lets appreciate how far we’ve come, and trust in the Journey.

Check out more of our ” Words to Live By” here.

Stay Stoked, Stay Inspired!