OK, so maybe camping is not everyone’s cup of tea. The annoying mosquitos are constantly after you, and curious grizzly bears are breathing down your neck, not to mention the lack of showers and abundance of greasy hot dogs your mom would scold you for eating. For some of us, the strange unsettling noises of the unfamiliar wilderness may not be as sublime as an evening at the opera. Yet, despite all of the mentioned inconveniences, we as people like to converge. It is the crackling fire, the break from civilized propriety, the chance to truly forge your own paths through the unfamiliar environments that draw us in.

A camp of any kind gives us the chance to sit down with strangers around the bonfire, and share stories of both triumph and failure, some of them grandiose, but hopefully most of them honest. At a camp we not only seek entertainment but also learn from the experience of others, and perhaps even gather the courage to try new things.

So you may ask yourselves, why the pep talk about camping? And what does camping have to do with technology? Often times, absolutely nothing. In fact, while camping, we try to unplug ourselves from the Matrix so to speak, to experience the world and communicate with each other more naturally. Here the idea of a camp serves as a metaphor.

Whether you are a student exploring career possibilities, or a professional wanting to see what the creative industry leaders are up to, CAMP Festival happening in Calgary on September 8-9 at Theatre Junction GRAND, may be just what the doctor ordered. As a celebration of creative technology, art and design, CAMP is about exploring the digital, and not the natural wilderness, but the principles remain the same. We gather around the fire to build a community, where accomplishments, ideas and stories can be shared, and where people can get inspired, meet their mentors and make new friends.

Naturally, not only surviving but also thriving in the wilderness relies on human ingenuity to either adapt to the surroundings or change them completely. In the digital jungle, creatives, technologists, and artists live in much the same way. We have to continuously keep up with evolving technologies, build our own platforms, make connections with peers, push ourselves creatively and continuously question the status quo. If this resonates with you, you should go to CAMP.

CAMP Festival celebrates cutting-edge creative technology, art and design by converging the digital industry and its members to share stories, connect and get inspired. CAMP runs September 8-9, 2014 at Theatre Junction GRAND in Calgary.

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