Explore Everything

Bradley L Garrett, American urban explorer and member of exploration group, 'Place Hackers', held under conviction of 'conspiring to commit criminal damage' has, today been released with a conditional discharge. 

Garrett, 33, first gained media attention following the publication of  a set of incredible nightscape images. Climbing London's shard in the middle of winter before its completion, Garrett took a series of images of the city from a perspective previously unseen by public eyes.  

Since this time, Garrett has published much of his work and remarkable urban discoveries online and in his book, 'Explore Everything'. It was following an incident in 2011 at Clapham Common Underground that found Garrett in trouble with the law. 

The release 'Explore Everything' not only shows beautiful images of lost and forgotten England, but symbolises just how important explorations and adventures are to us as humans, retaining excitement and in the case of Bradley Garrett, 'peace of mind.'  

The book not only reveals how exiting and thrilling such experiences are, but also explores the concept of money and materialism. At one point in the book, Garrett and friends 'Gary', 'Winch' and 'Guts' are in Germany and decide to take a trip to a cinema to kill time. Garrett later states "that night demonstrated the reason we never watch films or do any 'normal' stuff- because our lives are more exciting than anything that can be offered to us for passive consumption."

We all stoop into a sense of subconscious where we consume rather than produce experiences. What Garrett does is both one of the cheapest and most thrilling experiences imaginable. Im not saying that we should all be risking our lives in attempt to climb Battersea power station or explore London's sewer system, but instead start to focus our energy on exploring new experiences rather than only connecting with life on a two dimensional level. This could be anything simple from walking the countryside to painting a picture.

I have recently spend ALOT of money which I feel terrible about, but when I look at the adventures im going to have this summer, I don't regret a thing. I could easily have wasted all of my money on clothes, material items and general shit, but instead I have a crazy summer to look forward to. 

I love gigs and music festivals so I've registered to both go to and work 5 festivals this summer:

-Glastonbury (Oxfam Stewards)  

-Benicassim 

-Secret Garden Party (Festival Volunteer- Bar Work)

-Reading (Oxfam Stewards) 

-Bestival (Festival Volunteer- Bar Work)

I know by September I will be absolutely exhausted, but I am going to meet so many interesting people and experience loads of  awesome things. I've put my savings into something I love and really want to change the way I look at money, focusing it on experiences over materialism, so I hope that this summer will open my eyes a little. 

I also plan to write about all of my festival experiences so STAY TUNED!