Povestea suna simplu: Cagri Cankaya, un Art Director din Istanbul, dezamagit de ce se intampla in publicitatea locala, si-a propus sa porneasca intr-o calatorie in jurul lumii, sa lucreze in agentii de pe diferite continente cat sa reuseasca sa supravietuiasca si, la final, sa scrie o carte despre asta. Pana acum i-a iesit. A lucrat in Africa, Asia, Europa sau America de Sud, a strabatut mii de kilometri, a cunoscut oameni, a sarit cu parasuta, a desenat schite in cateva secunde, s-a indragostit, a fost abandonat, dezamagit si fericit. In septembrie a ajuns in Bucuresti pentru 10 zile, la ThinkDigital. Cititi mai jos un interviu despre calatoria lui, despre frici, greutati, oameni, puterea design-ului si intelegere.
See the English version here.
In Bucuresti
IQads: Ce faceai inainte sa incepi calatoria? Cum era viata ta in Istanbul?
Cagri Cankaya: Dupa ce am absolvit Universitatea de Design, am inceput sa lucrez ca Art Director in agentii mari de publicitate.
IQads: Ce te-a determinat sa pornesti in calatorie? Cum a aparut ideea?
Cagri Cankaya: Nu eram deloc fericit cu viata mea. Munca incepuse sa devina plictisitoare. Petreceam mult timp lucrand pentru campanii publicitare pentru vanzari si faceam lucruri elementare, fara niciun fel de creativitate. Faceam multe lucruri din proprie initiativa doar ca sa-mi mentin motivatia, dar clientii aleg intotdeauna calea cea sigura, asa ca m-am saturat.
In plus, nu castigam destui bani pentru efortul depus, nu aveam o prietena, viata mea sociala lasa de dorit, nu aveam timp sa citesc sau sa ma intalnesc cu prietenii in oras. Pe scurt, uram viata pe care o duceam. Era ingrozitor. Eram ca un robot care nu facea decat sa doarma un pic si in rest sa lucreze. Cand am ajuns la limita si am crezut ca lucrurile nu pot fi mai rau de atat, mi-am asumat riscul de a face o calatorie in jurul lumii pe care sa o finantez din design.
IQads: De ce ti-a fost cel mai teama cand ai plecat in calatorie?
Cagri Cankaya: De obicei, nu ma sperii usor. Oriunde ma duc, incerc sa gasesc si sa ma implic in activitati locale neobisnuite si periculoase. Fac asta ca sa compensez timpul petrecut in trecut la munca. Cred ca am trecut deja prin orice experienta nefericita pe care o poate avea un calator in diferite tari.
Bineinteles, cel mai rau e sa fii bolnav. Cand esti sanatos, ai energia necesara sa faci fata oricarei provocari. Dar daca esti bolnav si abia te poti misca, poate fi o mare problema cand esti singur si departe de casa.
IQads: Cum ti-ai planificat calatoria? Care a fost parcursul intre momentul in care ti-a venit ideea si prima tara pe care ai vizitat-o?
Cagri Cankaya: Inainte sa incep calatoria am trimis e-mailuri catre studiouri de design si agentii de publicitate in care le-am povestit despre proiectul meu. Le-am cerut sa lucrez cu ei 3-4 saptamani, in functie de nevoile lor. Pana m-au contactat primele 6 companii, am trimis 1.408 de e-mailuri si apoi am deschis o harta si le-am marcat pe toate. Le-am unit apoi cu linii si asa mi-am planificat prima calatorie. Apoi lucrurile au inceput sa se miste si am inceput sa primesc invitatii si de la alte agentii.
IQads: Ce tari ai vizitat pana acum?
Cagri Cankaya: India, Thailanda, Vietnam, Coreea de Sud, Ucraina, China, Indonezia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Emiratele Arabe Unite, Africa de Sud, Argentina, Brazilia, Columbia, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala si Romania.
In Costa Rica
IQads: Cum ai gasit agentiile? Ce le-ai cerut si ce le-ai oferit?
Cagri Cankaya: In principiu, cer cazare si un salariu saptamanal care sa acopere cheltuielile de zi cu zi. Nu pun intrebari despre bani. De obicei, nici nu intreb cat intentioneaza sa ma plateasca. Uneori ma intreaba cand vorbim, insa le spun ca nu stiu. Vreau sa ma considere un alt designer local. Nu caut luxul. Am nevoie doar sa supravietuiesc in aceasta calatorie.
Vreau sa arat ca un designer se poate intretine intr-o calatorie in jurul lumii fara sa faca nimic altceva. Eu cred ca designul este important si ca este nevoie de design de calitate oriunde in lume. Agentiile nu acorda designerilor valorosi recunoasterea pe care trebui sa le-o acorde si asta se intampla pentru ca nici designerii nu se apreciaza la justa lor valoare. Asa ca am vrut sa arat ca ceea ce facem noi este valoros si ca toata lumea ar trebui sa fie constienta de asta.
IQads: Care a fost feedback-ul pe care l-ai primit in general? Oamenii au fost deschisi sa te primeasca sau au fost mai degraba reticenti?
Cagri Cankaya: Majoritatea sunt deschisi, de vreme ce ei sunt cei care ma invita sa lucrez cu ei. Eu nu oblig pe nimeni. Dar, stii cum e, unii sunt mai deschisi, altii nu, imi platesc doar banii si nu petrec timp cu mine.
IQads: Care a fost tara care ti-a placut cel mai mult pana acum?
Cagri Cankaya: E greu de spus, pentru ca fiecare loc are plusurile si minusurile lui. Dar mi-ar placea sa stau mai mult in Chiang Mai / Tailanda, Cape Town / Africa de Sud, Bali / Indonezia si Medellin / Columbia.
IQads: Care sunt principalele diferente in modurile de lucru pe care le-ai observat in tarile pe care le-ai vizitat?
Cagri Cankaya: Unele lucruri sunt peste tot la fel. Dar exista intotdeauna diferente in functie de cultura tarii respective. De exemplu, in Coreea, domeniul nostru este atat de competitiv, incat designerii muncesc pana la epuizare. Exista designeri in Coreea de Sud care mor din cauza ca muncesc pana la epuizare. Am un prieten care a fost internat in spital de 3 ori. Intre timp, am ajuns sa scoatem telefoanele din priza la agentie dupa ora 17:00 ca sa nu mai primim comenzi de la clienti.
IQads: Care a fost cea mai mare surpriza de pana acum in calatorie?
Cagri Cankaya: Au fost multe surprize! Cea mai mare cred ca a fost dezvoltarea mea personala. Cand am inceput calatoria, cautam multe lucruri. Am vrut sa schimb aproape totul. Joburi noi, prieteni noi, o prietena noua, orase noi, alti bani, limbi straine. Le-am gasit pe toate, dar nu m-am asteptat sa ma gasesc pe mine. Nu stiu de ce, insa nu am crezut ca ma voi schimba atat de mult incat sa devin o noua persoana.
In China
IQads: Te mandresti cu portofoliul adunat in ultimii 2 ani?
Cagri Cankaya: Bineinteles. Primesc comenzi din toata lumea si cred ca asta e foarte important pentru un designer. Cu toate astea, ar putea fi mai bine, intotdeauna e loc de mai bine. Mi-ar placea sa primesc mai multe proiecte creative din intreaga lume. Dar in calatorie nu-mi permit luxul sa aleg proiectele. Cateodata mi se intampla sa am si proiecte mizerabile si plictisitoare. Dar n-am de ales pentru ca sunt in situatia "muncesti sau mori".
IQads: Cum hotarasti cat timp o sa petreci intr-un loc?
Cagri Cankaya: Nu eu hotarasc, agentiile hotarasc. Eu ii intreb cat timp au nevoie de mine si ei imi spun. Dar incerc sa nu stau mai mult de 4 saptamani intr-un loc. Bine, in India am stat 3 luni, dar a fost o exceptie.
IQads: Ce cuvinte in alte limbi ai invatat?
Cagri Cankaya: Cel mai mult am invatat cuvinte urate. Nu stiu de ce, dar pe oriunde m-as duce, oamenii ma invata mai intai cuvinte urate. Dupa aceea ma invata cum sa spun "buna" si "multumesc". Cuvinte de baza care-i fac pe oameni sa zambeasca cand vorbesti putin din limba lor. Mie imi place si incerc sa invat cateva cuvinte in limba locala.
IQads: Ai avut si dezamagiri in timpul calatoriei? Si daca da, care au fost acestea?
Cagri Cankaya: Am avut o dezamagire in Dubai, unde oamenii din agentie s-au razgandit sa mai lucreze cu mine cand eu eram deja pe drum si imi cumparasem biletele. Nu cunosteam pe nimeni in Dubai, nu aveam bani, nu aveam unde sa stau, nu aveam de lucru; aveam numai un bilet dus si rucsacul. A fost o experienta dura sa supravietuiesc acolo.
IQads: Ai vrut vreodata sa pui capat proiectului si sa te angajezi intr-un loc?
Cagri Cankaya: Da, in unele locuri mi s-au oferit slujbe pe termen lung si unele erau chiar foarte avantajoase. Dar am vrut mai intai sa termin ce am inceput. Probabil ca o sa ma gandesc la aceste oferte dupa calatoria in jurul lumii.
IQads: Care sunt cele mai importante lucruri pe care le-ai invatat datorita acestui proiect si pe care nu le-ai fi invatat altfel?
Cagri Cankaya: Oamenii sunt cei mai importanti. Am vazut locuri minunate, dar m-am si plictisit in multe locuri. Pe de alta parte, s-a intamplat sa ma aflu in locuri mizerabile cu oameni minunati. Momentele acestea sunt cele mai frumoase amintiri din viata mea. Cladirile si orasele frumoase nu au impact atat de mare asupra noastra cum au oamenii. Asa ca oamenii frumosi sunt cel mai bun cadou pentru o viata fericita.
Timpul este foarte important. Daca nu e prea tarziu, cred ca poti face orice in viata. Calatoriile in jurul lumii nu sunt ceva iesit din comun, dar lumea nu face astfel de calatorii pentru ca le e teama de riscuri. De obicei, lumea spune ca o sa faca o calatorie in jurul lumii in viitor sau cand ies la pensie. Poate ca pot, dar stiu sigur ca nu pot trai experientele pe care le traiesc eu. Cand esti in varsta, nu poti sa calatoresti in conditii grele si sa faci lucruri extravagante. Cand esti in varsta, esti bolnav, n-ai nevoie de prieteni noi, n-ai chef sa incerci mancaruri noi, nu vrei sa inveti lucruri noi. Vrei tot lucrurile cu care esti obisnuit. Asa ca momentul este foarte important. Mult mai important decat banii.
Calatoriile sunt cea mai buna metoda de educatie. Dar trebuie sa calatoresti ca un calator, nu ca un turist. Daca mergi in Vietnam si mananci la McDonald’s, e gresit.
Nu exista tara perfecta sau un oras perfect pe glob. Fiecare loc are avantajele si dezavantajele sale.
Pot sa fac designul unui logo in timp ce fac skydiving (am facut asta in Cape Town si puteti sa vedeti documentarul video pe blogul meu). Pana acum am fost mereu de parere ca designerii au nevoie de timp ca sa faca o treaba buna. Am urat intotdeauna deadline-urile scurte si cred ca pentru un design bun e nevoie de timp. Cred in continuare acelasi lucru, insa cateodata lipsa timpului poate fi cea mai mare inspiratie. Am avut la dispozitie numai 40 de secunde sa desenez schita in timp ce eram in cadere libera. Din fericire, am mai avut inca 4 minute dupa ce s-a deschis parasuta.
IQads: Cum ti-ai promovat proiectul? Unde te pot gasi oamenii?
Cagri Cankaya: Am o pagina de Facebook si am si un blog.
IQads: Cum vrei sa continui proiectul? Cat de mare o sa devina?
Cagri Cankaya: As vrea sa scriu o carte candva despre experienta asta. Si cred ca se va gasi cineva sa faca un film dupa aceasta carte.
It’s a simple story: Cagri Cankaya, a disappointed Art Director from Istanbul decided to go on a trip around the world, to work in different ad agencies and when he’s done, to write a book about it. He’s on the right path. He worked in Africa, Asia, Europe or South America, he traveld thousend of miles, he meet a lot of people, he skydived, he drawed sketches in 4 seconds, he fell in love, he was abandoned, dissapointed and happy. In september he worked for 10 days in Bucharest, at Thindigital. We talked to him about hist trip, about fears, people, the power of design and his goals.
IQads: What did you use to do before you started the trip? What was your life like in Istanbul?
Cagri Cankaya: After I graduated from the Design University I started to work in several big advertising agencies as an Art Director.
IQads: What was the thing that got you started on this road? How did the idea of the trip come up?
Cagri Cankaya: I was unhappy with my life. My work was starting to get boring. We were using our time for advertising for sales purposes and were dealing with really basic things with no spark inside. I did a lot of proactive work just to stay satisfied, but since the clients always want the safe way I got tired of it.
Moreover, I wasn’t earning enough for my effort, I had no girlfriend, not much time for social life, didn’t have the time to read books or meet with friends for drinks. So I hated my life. It was terrible. I was like a robot that would get some sleep and keep on working all the time. When I hit rock bottom and thought that things could not go any worse, I took the risk of a no money world trip with the power of design.
IQads: What were your greatest fears regarding the trip?
Cagri Cankaya: Usually I don’t get scared easily. Everywhere I go I try to find and get involved in crazy and dangerous local activities. I do it to make up for my former work life. And I think I have already experienced any possible dark moment a traveler can encounter in different countries.
The worst is being sick of course. Because when you are healthy, you have the energy to deal with anything. But if you are seriously ill and you can hardly move, it can be a big problem when you are far away from home all alone.
IQads: How did the planning part of the trip look like? What was the road from the first time you got the idea to the first country you visited?
Cagri Cankaya: Before I started, I sent e-mails to design studios and advertising companies and told them about my project. I asked to work with them for 3-4 weeks depending on their needs. For the first 6 companies that contacted me I sent 1,408 e-mails and then I opened the world map to mark them on the map. I drew lines between them and that was how I planned my first route. Then things started to happen and many other companies invited me as well.
IQads: What countries have you visited so far?
Cagri Cankaya: India, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Ukraine, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Romania.
IQads: Explain us the process: how do you find the agencies, what do you ask them and what do you offer in return?
Cagri Cankaya: Basically I ask for accommodation and weekly salary for living expenses. I don’t ask them about the price. Usually I don’t even know how much they will pay me. Sometimes they ask me when we talk online and I say I don’t know. Just think of me like a local average designer because I am not looking for luxury. All I need is to survive on this trip.
I want to prove that a designer can survive a world trip without doing anything else. Because I think design is important and good design is needed all around the world. Society doesn’t recognize valuable designers as it should and that is because designers themselves do not value themselves correctly. So I wanted to show that what we are doing is actually valuable and everybody should know this.
IQads: What were the responses you got in general? Were people willing to welcome you or were they rather reluctant?
Cagri Cankaya: Most of them welcome me well since they are the ones inviting me to work with them. I don’t force anybody. But you know, some do it more willingly, so they just pay me the money and don’t spend any time with me.
IQads: Which country did you like most until now?
Cagri Cankaya: It’s hard to decide that because every place has its cons and pros. But I would like to live longer in Chiang Mai / Thailand, Cape Town /South Africa, Bali / Indonesia and Medellin / Colombia.
IQads: What are the main differences you noticed in the countries you visited, regarding the work style?
Cagri Cankaya: Some things are always the same and international. But there are always some differences depending on the culture as well. For example in Korea, the industry is so competitive and all the designers are working to death. Seriously, every year designers die in South Korea because of overworking. One of my friends was hospitalized 3 times. Meanwhile we were unplugging the phones in the agency after 17:00 pm so as not to get any more revisions or briefs from the clients.
IQads: What were the biggest surprises of the trip until now?
Cagri Cankaya: There were many surprises! But the biggest one is my own personal development I guess. When I started this journey I started to look for many things. I wanted to change almost everything. New jobs, new friends, a new girlfriend, new cities, new money, new languages and everything new. I found them all for sure but I didn’t expect to find myself. I don’t know why but I didn’t think that I was going to change a lot as well and become a new me.
IQads: Are you proud of the portfolio you made in the last 2 years?
Cagri Cankaya: Absolutely. I have works from all around the world and I think this is priceless for a designer. However, it could be better for sure because there is always room for improvement. I would like to have very creative works from all around the world. But I don’t have the luxury to choose my projects during my trip. Sometimes I had to really shitty and boring things as well. It’s a design-or-die situation and I have no choice.
IQads: How do you decide how long you will stay in each place?
Cagri Cankaya: I don’t. Companies do. I ask them how long they need me and they tell me that. But I try not to stay more than 4 weeks. Well, I stayed in India for 3 months but that was an exception.
IQads: What words in foreign languages have you learned?
Cagri Cankaya: Mostly bad stuff. I don’t know why but everywhere I go people teach me the bad ones first. Then how to say “hi” and “thank you”. Basic things that help make people smile when you talk a bit of the local language. So I love it and try to learn some local words everywhere I go.
IQads: Where you disappointed by anything during the trip? If yes, what was it?
Cagri Cankaya: I was disappointed when I was going Dubai, people in the company changed their mind to work with me when I was on the road but I had already bought my tickets. I had nobody in Dubai, no money, no house, no job, just a one-way ticket and a backpack. It was a bit hardcore to survive there.
IQads: Were there times when you wanted to stop the project and take a job in one place?
Cagri Cankaya: Yes, some places offered me long-term jobs and some of them were quite good deals for me. But first of all I wanted to complete what I started. Probably I will think about the offers after my world trip.
IQads: Tell us the things you’ve learned through this project that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
Cagri Cankaya: People are the most important thing. I have been to wonderful places, but I got bored a lot in some of them. On the other hand, there were times when I was in a shithole with wonderful people. And those times were the best memories of my life. Nice buildings or beautiful cities don’t affect our daily life as much as people do. So nice people are the best gift for a happy life.
Time is very important. If it is not too late, I think you can do anything in this life. A world trip is a common trip, but people just don’t do it because they are afraid of the risks. The common thing is saying: I will do it in the future or when I retire. Maybe they can, but I am sure they can’t have the experience I am having. When you are old you can’t travel under harsh conditions and do the most exciting things all around the world. When you are old, you feel sick, you don’t need new friends, don’t want to taste new food, you don’t want to learn new things. You just want whatever you got used to. So time it’s really important. Much more important than money.
Traveling is the best education. But travel as a traveler not as a tourist. If you go to Vietnam and eat McDonald’s you are doing something wrong.
There is no perfect country or city on the planet. Every place has its own problems or good points. That’s why.
I can design a logo while skydiving. (I did it in Cape Town and you can watch the video documentary on my blog). Till now I have always said that designers need time to do good designing. I always hated short deadlines and I always think good design comes in time. I still think the same, but sometimes limited time can be your biggest inspiration as well. I had only 40 seconds to draw a sketch during my free fall. Luckily I had 4 extra minutes when we opened the parachute.
IQads: How do you promote your project? How can people find you?
Cagri Cankaya: I have a Facebook page and I also have a blog.
IQads: Where do you want to take the project? How big will it get?
Cagri Cankaya: I would like to write a book about it someday. And I think somebody would like to make it into a movie in the future.
