Are We Too Tame? How to Rediscover Your 'Wild' | Craig Foster, Director of 'My Octopus Teacher'

Craig Foster (0:01)

When you understand these animals, and you understand this oldest language, it really gives you that feeling of belonging to this planet. In every one of us, there's this wild person, and then the tame person, the balance is so unbalanced. And that wild person that's inside all of us, that's desperate to come out, is being smothered by that tame person. It's a beautiful experience, and it's quite simple. You just have to spend the time and have the curiosity.

Michael Gervais (0:34)

welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery Podcast. I am your host, Dr. Michael Gervais, by trade and training a high-performance psychologist. In today's conversation, we venture deep into the wild with a guest whose life's work challenges us to reconnect with the essence of nature, and in doing so, rediscover our own humanity. Our guest is Craig Foster, a renowned filmmaker, photographer, and naturalist whose immersive experiences in the wild have captivated millions. Craig is perhaps best known for his groundbreaking documentary, My Octopus Teacher, which not only won an Academy Award, but has also sparked a global conversation about our relationship with the natural world. I watched this movie with my son. We were gripped. It is such a good movie. It forces you to really examine how you go through your relationships, not only with yourself, with others, but with mother nature as well. We shared tears together in the movie. And when there's moments like that, you know that there's something very powerful, almost primitive that's taking place. So I immediately reached out and I wanted to meet him. In our conversation, we dive into Craig's profound journey through the great African sea forest, exploring the intricate balance between the wild and the tame in our own lives. Craig shares his insights on the importance of embracing the wisdom of indigenous traditions, the detrimental effects of our modern tech-heavy existence, and how shifting our mindset from infinite capitalism to a regenerative relationship with nature can lead to a more meaningful life. We also explore the transformative power of connecting with even the smallest aspects of nature and how these connections can re-ignite our sense of belonging in this world. So with that, let's dive right into this week's conversation with the incredible Craig Foster. Craig, this is a real treat for me to have this conversation with you. I sat with my son and watched your movie and it was just amazing. And so this is like, there's so many questions I have for you.

But before we get into it, how are you doing?

Craig Foster (2:54)

Really good. I'm back from a global tour, back in my favorite place here with the great African sea forest right next to me. So I'm feeling really good and relaxed and really excited to speak to you.

Michael Gervais (3:11)

We cannot hide the South African accent that you are bringing forward here.

Craig Foster (3:16)

No, I can't change it. Sorry.

Michael Gervais (3:18)

You can't change it. It's so good. Good try. No, it is such a fun. There's just such a, when I hear the dialect and the accent, there's such a refinement in the way that South Africans, to me, and so I'm always got a keen ear to it. So thank you for not hiding it, I guess. Okay, Craig, so you say I'm excited. When you say that, I don't hear, I'm excited. I hear, I'm excited. So are you pretty flat as it goes? Is that how you do life?

Hold on, there's something to this. There's a lot of laughter underneath that. Tell me more about it.

Craig Foster (4:10)

I guess, South Africans are more laid back, maybe, than Americans. But I mean, you're from California, so it's not that different. But I've just been in the ocean for quite a while today. Of course, I've done a lot of other work and so on, but, and it's later in the day, it's my evening, so I feel relaxed. But I guess we have a different way of expressing things.

Michael Gervais (4:39)

I loved your laugh. I can't wait to hear it again, hopefully, in this conversation. But so let me just start with My Octopus Teacher, the documentary.

I don't want to spend too much time here because I'm so fascinated by how you've designed your life. And that documentary really, to me, that's the story under the story. And so before we get into your purpose and how you've designed it, and your deep insights, and I know you've heard a lot of this so many times, but in 2020, like it's hard to believe it's already been four years when I watched your documentary, what an impact it had for me and my son. And he was driving me to watch it. And I was like, you know, interested, but I didn't know what to expect. And he was like, no, dad, we got to watch it. We got to watch it. I just want to say thank you for that moment with my son and for my whole family. And congratulations on an amazing piece of work there. So for folks that haven't seen it, I highly want to encourage you to go watch it. But so first question here, 10 years to film it?