Gary Turk
GARY TURK is an award-winning filmmaker and spoken word artist best known for his viral film ‘Look Up’, attracting over 500 million views worldwide. Through poetry and film, Gary explains how overuse of smartphones and social media can disengage us from real relationships, human interactions and living in the real world.
‘Look Up’ is currently the most viewed Spoken Word film on YouTube, and went on to win Best Viral Film at Cannes. Scroll down to watch his latest video - IN OUR NATURE
Gary’s work, which has explored our relationships with money, politics and nature has gone on to inspire masses across the globe and gained worldwide coverage including BBC News, Fox News and TIME.
Gary has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, Sunrise (Australia), among many others.
Gary continues to make short independent films, as well as performing live around the world. He can also be found giving talks, workshops & performances at schools, universities, and corporate events.
3 words to describe Nature?
Boundless
Magnificent
Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
To travel
To take my time
To appreciate the little things
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Looking Glass Rock, Appalachian Mountains, NC.
Cuckmere Haven, South Downs National Park, England.
Beneath the Redwoods, Mendocino CA.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Protected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Inconsequential
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like everyone and everything is connected
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like looking for lightning
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like there's no point standing still
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain person - I love being able to take in my surroundings from up high (especially if I can see Oceans, Forests or Deserts from there).
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
An easy 10 - If I ever don't feel 100%, I know that being in Nature will always make things better, put things into perspective, and provide the answers I need.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
After a long day of trail hiking with my cub-scout, we went to sleep under the stars in our sleeping bags on the forest floor. What I did not realise as we went to sleep was that I still had a cereal bar in the pocket of my shorts. When I woke up I noticed there were lots of tiny pieces of foil wrapper in my sleeping bag. I climbed out to find that my shorts now had a large hole in them leading to my pocket, which had clearly been chewed, and inside my pocket was the remaining foil wrapper and the crumbs of a cereal bar that I had not eaten.
I became immediately certain that I had been attacked by a bear in my sleep, and that I must have somehow slept through the encounter.
Our group leader then reassured me that considering the size of the hole in my shorts, and the fact my sleeping bag and limbs remained intact, it was most likely a mouse that attacked me during the night.
I often remember this moment in nature as a child, as part of me still likes to believe it could have been a bear.
