Fox - Feel the Wild

As an intellectual species, we love to define and categorize what surrounds us. It is one of the reasons why we have job titles. They define our responsibilities and where we stand in society. It helps by giving us a framework on how we can interact with each other. Personally, I have always felt that people would figure me out simply by meeting me and talking to me; that my work and actions would speak for themselves.

But reality isnt that simple. I am a complex person who cant be defined by a single word. I have always walked the unbeaten path, unafraid of stepping outside the box and questioning the preconceived. One day, while driving back from Napa, California, my wife said something and the light went on. The clarity that came about presented me with a solution, something that would explain so much with only three letters and a small number. I am an A.P.E.2, literally and figuratively. Genetically, I belong to the Hominidae taxonomic family, the great apes. And beyond that I am an artist/author (A), photographer/philosopher (P), explorer/entrepreneur (E). Three letters and a number give me all the freedom to be what I want to be and do what I want to do. It is an acronym that connects me to my past while elevating my future.

I thrive on creating and finding new ways to inspire and educate. Through my work, I seek to inspire experiencing Nature as a framework, mindset and mentor for personal transformation. I believe in the power of Nature to nurture, awaken, transcend, uplift, restore and elevate the human spirit.

I am the founder of WILD.ECO, a nonprofit organization that mentors and raises funds to send disadvantaged students to wilderness immersion camps. Its mission is to foster resilient, empowered, adaptable, curious and empathetic students of life.

I am extremely fortunate to be an ambassador for Lexus, Fujifilm, SanDisk, and Manfrotto.

I live in Vancouver, British Columbia, with my wife, Tristan, and our dog, Kobe.

Vancouver Island, British Columbia
ISO 250, 10mm, /8, 1.4s

I am a professional photographer and a solo wilderness explorer. I am an artist who goes out into the wilderness for two to three weeks at a time. Wilderness is my studio. It is where I go to create to photograph and write. But, most importantly, I go there to meet with my mentor and teacher, Nature.

Since my childhood, Nature has always been a place of comfort and an endless source of inspiration. By opening myself and listening to it, I came to understand the value of life and death, and learned the dynamics of change and evolution. Nature guided me to discover who I am. It taught me about challenges and perseverance, about perspective and balance. Most importantly, it motivated me to become a better citizen of this planet, humble and spiritual.

Through my experiences and observations, I have come to believe that Nature is more than a destination, more than a place. Nature is a mindset and a way of looking at the world. It is a set of values and principles upon which one chooses to live accordingly; a framework for personal transformation.

It is an energy that can be deadly, strong, destructive, intimidating but also beautiful, relaxing, humbling, uplifting, motivating and inspiring. Beyond these things, it is resilient and a source of priceless insights. It teaches about connectedness, reciprocity, duality and the necessity for disruption and tension.

Nature is life life is Nature.

All this time alone in the wilderness has led me to experience many epiphanies, moments where I felt the veil of mystery obscuring some of lifes most precious secrets had disappeared. I realized along the way these revelations appeared in a certain pattern, a certain formula that seemed to work as a calling card for these insights to sneak up into my mind and reward me with a eureka moment. This pattern I have observed has translated itself into one of my most powerful mantras: Stop, Breathe, Relax, Listen. These four words have helped me manage my way out of challenging and struggling situations. They have given me a way to connect with life, with the world and with others. By following them, I have come to understand who we are, individually and collectively, how we learn, grow and adapt. Through this book, Im going to share with you how feeling the wild transformed me and how it changed the way I experience life.