Who is Simon Skipper?
- A Treasure hunter which tells stories from new angles
- A person that takes photographs to disconnect from the world and connect to self
- Helps people through his different jobs, growing into the bigger brother he wanted to have.
What is Simon working with?
- Coaching & therapy work. Diploma in 2019 (10-20% Work load. Has been working with it for 10 years)
- Documentary Photographer, Visual Storyteller. His main work and Tool of choice for 10 years.
- Owns a Skateboard Company
- Part of MDO Think Tank “Samfunds Tanken”- Solving global challenges.
When did he start with photography?
After high-school and it turned from a hobby to profession. He used to introduce himself as “I am a photographer”. Lately he learned to become more detached from those labels and boxes and feels freer, less stuck to one role. Instead he now says: “I do photography”.
3 things he values about himself:
- Energy. Always eager to take the next step to move, to flow to grow and learn, and being proactive
- Optimism. Life is more fun when you look at the good stuff
- Vulnerability, sensitivity. (He didn’t like but he learned to like)
Color:
Red used to be his favorite. Now it’s Petroleum, a color somewhere between Blue and Green. Deep and calm. Underwater peaceful, mystical color.
The ex-partner of his dad, which was an interior designer used to have that color in her home.
For Simon this color reminds him of staying grounded as he sometimes can be too eager and takes too many projects on.
Petroleum is a mystical color which fits to one of his tattoos. The Dragonfly. It also symbolizes mysticism. Open for change and letting go.
That helps him to remember “We are not supposed to control everything.”
Secrets:
- During High-school he played a gay hairdresser for a school musical. Due to his sensitive personality and connection to his emotions he used to be asked if he is gay. But it never bothered him.
- He loves taking photographs with analog cameras. Using film rolls. We are overusing the tools we have. We can shoot so many pictures with our smartphones. A 35mm film roll has max 36 photos on it and Medium Format 12-15 Photos so you are more selective taking pictures.
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- To develop those film rolls he uses Lotus Foto a local Kopenhagen development company. The advantage with that is that Simon gets also a time distance to the photographs he took.
- It is all about searching the balance with all the stimulations. It’s about the quality.
- He shoots with Pentax 654. That camera can be bought with a lens for about 6’000 dkk.
- Simon changed his name due to insights from Numerology. The numerologist saw painful insights of his life his parents could not have known. Identity is so important. Changing the name was a very personal step which looks like it has helped removing some blocks.
Creative:
You can’ t be human without creating, we are all creative. Some people don’t give themselves permission to be creative as they drive more towards security.
Simon sees himself as a creative person. After all, he is self-employed, creates the connection to people, and the experiences in his life.
His Creative-Expression comes from play music, photographing, dance, acroyoga and skateboarding.
Travelling the world for 1 year changed everything! He visited 10 countries, visited friends, did volunteering work but mainly exploring.
Simon learned a lot during his travel, getting new views, a lens to look through and become more open.
We forget to be curious. We get accustomed to rhythms of life and don’t recognize and see the special things around us anymore.
Biggest Takeaway Travel. “There is No one correct way to live life.”
We have much to learn from each other. For example, gratitude for living in DK. During the 6months he lived in Costa-Rica he was never sure if the bus comes. Or if the homeless down the corner will survive.
Traveling can also come to you. You can meet international people everywhere. Invite them to you, meet at gatherings. You learn from them, from their experiences, habits and views. Go embracing meeting different people.
Creative Powers:
- Will power. Able to grow and persevere, keep at it
- Vulnerability. How to learn anything if you don’t start. Ask for help you don’t know it all. He uses mentors that can teach him knowledge in a short time instead of him trying out for years.
- Multifaceted person. e.g. Taking things from Skateboard and add it to his photography. Create combinations that are totally unique and become super good at it.
- He brings a lot of personality, and authenticity. Your voice makes yourself different and creative.
- Perfectionism as excuse for not doing something
- Big Toolbox
- Networking. Helping people to find a solution and help to connect the right people together.
Simon started his personal growth path in his late teens. Where he learned that apprenticeship is a forgotten golden trait. Learn from someone that is really good what they do. To become good at something you don’t necessarily need to sit in school. Many learn more without ever going to school. You could work for free or help someone you respect or do an internship with someone that has the knowledge and skills you want to acquire. Don’t be shy.
A Coaching Tip:
WHERE ENERGY FOCUS IS WHERE YOU ENERGY GOES. Everything what you are thinking about is like a plant. The more you think about it the more it grows, so if you think of things that worry you the worse they get.
Tell yourself a new story about who you are and what you can do. Don’t connect to your old story or identify with that story any longer. It only holds you back from growing and becoming your true self. If you hold on you won’t be able to heal.
For example:
Instead of believing that you are a perfectionist and afraid of failing. Tell yourself: “I am getting better and better in experimenting, and I am starting to understand that; either I win or I learn!”
If you have no money you can’t tell yourself that you are super rich. But you could say: “I am on the way to be financially abundant.”
This way you start shifting the energy in the right direction.
Many compare themselves to someone else. Compare yourself to yourself. WE ARE ALL WORTHY and have our own path to go.
What is the reason why people feel pain? WE strain from our true path. Our body tells us that we are going wrong and we feel in pain, sick or uneasy.
One way to break the habit is using meditation:
“Being too much in our head is not good. Sometimes we just need to breath and feel our body”
Many of our problems we can solve with our body. Listen to your breathing, your heart.
Exercise:
Where is your negative feeling in your body. e.g. shame is stuck in throat… Put your hands there and focus your energy, and love in your hands and then throat. Ask yourself if this uncomfortable feeling had a movement, how would it move? In circles, up, down etc. Help it move that way. So you’ll help the trauma, the negative energy to release.
When was the last time Simon tried something new?:
Piano Lessons. When he was younger Simon had 1 year piano lessons as his father was a pro musician. But the guitar was Simons instrument of choice. So now he went out to learn to play piano with two hands. He had to eat his pride, fight his Ego which tried to protect him. Telling himself not to try because he is too good for it or similar- it was very nice to surrender to the teacher.
The next thing he wants to learn is to do a backflip. One of running up the wall and then do a backflip.
Advice how to get into the Creative Flow:
- Turn your phone off
- Focus, structure and prioritize your creativity. Schedule your time and make it super simple
- Simon has an “Untouchable Day” per week. Out of town in nature, without phone (leave it at home) and allow space to be stimulated. For Simon the camera or a notepad.
- Force yourself into the process. Write one word, take one picture, draw one line etc.
- Use accountability. In a creative way. He uses a mentor, colleague or someone else to keep him accountable. It’s so easy to let yourself down. Having someone else makes it harder.
- There is no Rush. False sense of urgency comes from fears.
- Don’t take things and yourself so seriously. There is always a helping hand somewhere.
- Enjoy the process. Be process oriented. Remember all our goals are on a timeline. It’s hard to stay focused.
- Always ask! If done in a nice way you will get many things done.
Be present and enjoy the process.
"The present is a present. "
Links:
Website photography: skipperphotography.dk/
Instagram:
- Therapy practice: instagram.com/simplybe._/
- Photography, instagram.com/officialskippz/
- Skateboarding instagram.com/Jazz_skateco
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/simonskipper/
Facebook: facebook.com/SimonSkippZ
Samfunds Tanken: samfundstanken.dk/
Petroleum: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/petrol_blue
Pentax 645: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentax_645
Books:
Amanda Palmer: “The art of asking”
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