Let Life Lead: A Different Way to Navigate Midlife | Nic Askew

Nic Askew (0:00)

I never let anyone sits in front of the camera. I just say, stop everything. We'll start with nothing, no thing, no act on your part, and we'll let it. Let's let the experience find you. And so that's all I say. And then there's this stillness.

SPEAKER_2 (0:12)

Welcome to the Midlife Chrysalis Podcast with Chip Conley, where we explore how midlife isn't a crisis, but a Chrysalis, a time of profound transformation that can lead to the most meaningful chapter of your life.

Chip Conley (0:28)

Welcome to the Midlife Chrysalis. This is Chip Conley. And who are you without your personality? I don't know. That's a tough question to answer. I feel like I'm being like the emperor with no clothes when you would say that question, Chip. The guest today is somebody who reveals souls. He's somebody who, you know, not literally, but figuratively, unjustice people and allows them to show what's best about them, often something that's not physical on camera. And his name is Nic Askew. And this is a provocative conversation. It's not for everybody. You don't have to be a filmmaker to love this. Nic is a award-winning filmmaker who actually has two films this year. He had a film last year, a short in the MEA Film Fest, which highly recommend you come to Santa Fe in mid-December for that. And he's got two films this year in the Film Fest. And, but more than anything, it's really about how do you see someone? How do you get a different perspective on someone? I have a new book coming out in January, called The Art of the Reframe. And it's very much about how do you see things differently? And I think Nic sees people and things differently in a way that is quite beautiful. There's a moral beauty to his work that I think you will appreciate especially once you hear from him. You might actually on this one watch a film or two of his first in the show notes. And in so doing, you might say like, I want to get to know this cat. Well, we're going to get to know him together over the next 45 minutes. And then I'll have my three observations at the end.

Nic, welcome to the Midlife Chrysalis. I feel sort of strange. It's like we've put this shoe on the other foot because I'm used to being filmed by you and now we're being filmed together.

And it's not exactly your traditional format, your traditional genre.

So introduce people to who you are and your style of helping people to uncover their soul on film.

Nic Askew (2:26)

Yeah, okay. Well, I suppose I would say that most people know me as a filmmaker because that's my main output. But the way of film is more interesting.

And film is really just a way that I'm endeavoring to show what I can see and this way of seeing. Because I got this, you know, I've been making films for 20, maybe 22 years now, nothing but this. And it came out of nothing, absolutely nothing. I never picked a camera up before that moment.

Chip Conley (2:58)

How old were you at that time?

Okay, so you're 61 now. Yeah. Okay. So you were sort of early midlife. Oh, yeah. And all of a sudden, early midlife, this new idea. Had you ever thought about?

Nic Askew (3:11)

No.

Chip Conley (3:11)

No, zero.

Nic Askew (3:12)

So nothing.

Chip Conley (3:13)

What was the actual moment that you picked up a camera?

Nic Askew (3:16)

All right. The actual moment I know, I know the moment that I was caused to know that that was the thing.

Like it was the pattern of it was so interesting.

So I'm sitting in a hotel in London, Chancery Court. It's like Versailles Palace. It's that kind of French design. It's an amazing place. It was down the road from an office I rented.

But I used to go and sit there because there was no one in the bar in the mid-morning. So it's kind of really plush. I could have a cup of tea, just kind of sit there and daydream, which I'm good at. You know, like because I, well, I've come to understand why.

Chip Conley (3:50)

And what were you doing work-wise?

Nic Askew (3:51)

I was consulting, actually. I mean, I didn't start out in business. I was an explorer. I can do the Congo and the Amazon.

And I crossed the Sahara about 17 years old. I was an adventurer. I did that.

Chip Conley (4:05)

With without a camera?

Nic Askew (4:06)

Oh, totally without a camera.

Chip Conley (4:07)

This is so interesting. So you had you, you were seeing the world and all of the nooks and crannies and the soul of the world. But you didn't have a camera.