The
What's Hip Docufilm Project
When
I was in high school, I felt the desire to see the world.
As a
senior, I was living on my own and desired to drop out
and pursue
this goal.
Yet I stayed to get a diploma, since American society
places formal education in high revere.
After my first year of
college, in 2010, I dropped out to travel the
country.
The
temptation to experience life was overwhelming,
I had to see
and learn things which could never be taught by TV, movies, or
school.
I gave nearly everything I owned to charity. The only stuff I
kept was art, books, and my vehicle.
With the idea of freedom and not
much else, I hit the road.
While on the road, living in my car
and in the woods,
I learned there isn't much a person needs to
sustain themselves;
and as for companions,
After
living at two organic farms, my film maker friend Mateusz Gugalka
contacted me
to ask if I wanted to make a documentary about
“hippies”,
since he was interested in how I lived.
In
the summer of 2014, we began filming the documentary “What's
Hip”.
Our agenda was to go to festivals, interview
historians, and go to intentional communities.
Due to several unfortunate events, “What's Hip” was put on hold.
Mateusz and I
have temporarily split ways until we can generate enough money for
travel.
However, we plan to reunite in 2015. Our goal remains the
same:
Show
how the hippie movement has progressed from the 60's to today.
With a
focus on intentional communities
and
living off the land.
So,
from dropping out, I traveled the country, volunteered, and set my
life towards the
betterment of Earth.
Unknowing of what to do or where to go, I
simply went.
I've heard from numerous people who want to to do as I've done.
Only,
they believe money is an issue. It's not; anyone can find a community
by word of mouth, through directories such as the website ic.org,
Wikipedia, or even random browser searches.
As
for travel itself, a person just needs courage.
There are so
many options to living alternatively,
and the populations of these cultures are growing.
If you've heard of
an alternative lifestyle which you want to live,
but don't know how
to start, you can learn from someone who has done what you'd like to
do.
Or, you can do as I've done – quit
everything you're doing, and just go.
