Stefan Hunt & Vanessa Marian Spend A Few Days Off-Grid.
The stupendously creative couple tell us what it's like to switch off for a few days
Married couple and Very Busy People In The Arts Stefan Hunt and Vanessa Marian recently spent some time out at Ashi, one of our twin cabins in the Byron Bay area. So busy are they, in fact, that they forgot to talk to us about their time away for at least a month. (We'll take that as a sign that they got properly Unyoked.) Since they headed out into nature, the pair have become one of few Aussies to win a BAFTA for their combined work on their short film They Saw The Sun First, while recently smashing out campaigns for the likes of Apple, Kathmandu and Critical Slide. Safe to say they're still at it. We caught up with the freelancing pair to see how they found it to leave work behind for a few days.
Since returning from overseas, you've made Byron your home. Is it as chill as everyone imagines, or are there a lot of people working furiously up there now? Vanessa: Hmm that’s a good question. It’s as chill as you want it to be, I guess. I’ve intentionally gone for business minimalism this year. My business baby, Groove Therapy, now only runs one dance class per city and has an online course that just ticks in the background. I spend way less time on marketing and just kinda dabble in other stuff on the side. It’s literally the lifestyle of my dreams!
Stefan: I have some friends who spend most of their time surfing with dolphins and riding rainbows and other friends who are super driven creatives working harder than anyone I know. I love that it offers me both types of people to float between.
Both of you balance multiple gigs at any given time - sometimes together! How do you guys switch off when there's always the next job to chase? V: Well I’m fantastic at switching off and feeling zero guilt about it. I’m a big enjoyment kinda woman. I mean if I spend my entire day scrolling on social media I’ll feel awful of course, but if I simply spend my day listening to music, reading, drawing, listening to podcasts and watching films I feel hugely productive. I see it as creative marinade for my brain in preparation for when the next job comes along.
S: Ness is way better at switching off without getting itchy feet. I get restless pretty quick if I’m not tinkering away at some kinda project. Whether it’s a commercial job or passion project or just planting a garden in our backyard I’m always ticking. My switch off time comes in the surf. I know that’s so cliche for a Byron person to say but this magical stretch of coastline recharges me like nothing else. Byron is famously surrounded by natural parkland. Do you often get the chance to get away from all the crowds and spend proper time outdoors? V: No! This is largely my fault because I’m a city mouse and my default mode when winding down is to consume art. I think I’ve cramped Stefan’s style greatly in this aspect, but we’ve caught this early and are putting steps in place to get me outdoors more. It’s a whole new world out there for me. S: Haha. Yeah Ness unwinds by walking through the most crowded parts of Byron listening to music. We’re so opposite it’s hilarious. Nature is my happy place so living in this region I feel incredibly spoilt for choice. Especially after moving back here from New York. That concrete jungle ate me alive so my gratitude levels these days in the rainbow region are through the roof.
Nature is big. Us humans are small. Immersing yourself in it reminds us how insignificant we truly are.
Stefan, one of your larger projects in recent years centred around using a simple concept to put anxiety and fear into perspective. Do you feel like being out in the wilderness has a similar effect on widening our thinking? S: Nature is big. Us humans are small. Immersing yourself in it reminds us how insignificant we truly are. And that can either be channelled into apathy or excitement. Reminding myself of the big picture (life & death) has had profound effects on my personal fears and anxieties. And being in nature I’m reminded of that big picture very quick. Just on that, how were you guys feeling mentally and emotionally before you went out to our cabin? Do you feel like being far away from phone reception / the studio helped at all? V: We were actually in a rare life chapter of chill when we went, which meant we were in an energised headspace during that trip. We channeled it into lots of long talks about our dreams, values and life ambitions whilst cooking, playing cards, listening to music, taking baths and generally being off-grid. What a dream. S: Digital detoxes are so good. Suddenly 48 hours feels like an entire week. So beneficial to reset like that regularly. You probably put on the most impressive spread we've seen from a guest that wasn't a chef. How much planning went into that? Have you cooked over a fire before? V: Cooking is one of my 2021 goals but, until recently, I wasn’t a natural at it. I learnt the secret to cooking well is to just follow a recipe until you download that understanding of flavours into your intuition, your soul. So we literally just followed every recipe that was in the Unyoked app. It was a resounding success, I came back filled and fulfilled. S: And it was so rad to see our mate Sarah Glover as the brains behind those campfire dishes. Cooking on open flame is such a vibe. Probably my second favourite experience behind the bath. Vanessa, long shot here, but would you consider doing Groove Therapy in the forest at dusk? V: Yes. I’m thinking we’d light a bonfire, set up party lights and have a live DJ (as opposed to a not live DJ?) spin some vinyl. No phones would be allowed on the dance floor. I think everyone should be encouraged to dress up in intergalactic red carpet disco clothes as long as it’s from an op-shop or borrowed. The whole thing would culminate in cocktails, wine and boogies all night on the dance floor. You in?
For more on Stefan and Vanessa's work, check out their respective portfolios here and there.
Inspired to spend some time alone in nature? Click here. We got you.