Now that I am home, and have been thrust back into the whirlwind that is my life here, I am anxious to tap back into the beauty and serenity of the north by pulling together this Arctic Inspired project. So, if you have not yet submitted your creations to our book project, then now is the time!

We will be accepting submissions until October 20th, so dig out those photos, sketches, journal entries and musings and contribute to this great community project. If you want to contribute and cannot make the deadline, drop us a line and we’ll try to work something out. Remember: Arctic Inspired is for everyone. We want to capture a cross section of impressions of the tundra, from the seasoned guide to the first time visitor.

Send submissions to: arcticinspired [at] gmail.com or sherwin [at] pinksheepmedia.com

Warm regards,

Arctic Inspired is a collaborative art project designed to pay tribute to the tundra of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. I envision a self-published, professionally designed and printed book, containing a diversity of writing, photography and artwork inspired by the tundra. I am inviting paddlers and other northern travellers to share how their arctic travels have impacted them and inspired them to create.

George Back once wrote:

“There is something exciting in the first start even upon an ordinary journey. The bustle of preparation, the act of departing, which seems like a decided step taken, the prospect of change, and consequent stretching out of the imagination, have at all times the effect of stirring the blood and giving a quicker motion to the spirits. It may be conceived then with what sensations I set forth on my journey into the arctic wilderness.”

Explore this site to learn more about this project and to find out more about contributing.

• Your poems, sketches, songs, photographs, paintings, short stories.
• Vignettes from your journals or books.
• Any other creative works inspired by your tundra travels.

Stumped for ideas? Dig into that photo album, journal or shoe box and send in the stuff you already have or create something new. Write a black fly Haiku. Submit a quote from other arctic explorers that have inspired you. Or, write a letter to the tundra, a caribou, your grandchildren, the people of the north to anyone/anything else. Anybody can contribute. The only prerequisite is that you’ve paddled or travelled through the tundra of Nunavut or the Northwest Territories and been moved by your experiences. All submissions will be considered.

You will maintain all rights to your work and will be given full credit for everything that you submit. Arctic Inspired will not use or reproduce any contribution for any purpose other than inclusion in the book.

Arctic Inspired believes that anything that is not shared risks being lost and anything that you give is a tribute to your creativity and that which inspired it.

• MP3 or CD Recordings of your songs, journal entries, etc
• High resolution digital photos or high quality 5×7 (or 8×10) prints

Direct questions regarding submission guidelines to:

Sherwin [at] pinksheepmedia.com

SEND SUBMISSIONS TO:

arcticinspired[at]gmail.com or 1307 Pembroke St Victoria, BC V8R 1V2, (250) 592-8520.

Please include your contact information with your submission and the part of the Barren Lands that inspired your creation. All contributions will be considered.

By request, the May 10 deadline has been extended until November 20, 2008, to give folks a chance to contribute after their trips this summer.

You can also help enormously by spreading the word about Arctic Inspired.

Even if you have never explored the arctic, you can still be a part of this project. Maybe an arctic trip is a dream of yours. In that case, getting involved by sharing your skills and insight is a great way to meet people who can help you get there.

I also work as a wilderness guide. I love nature, I love to paddle and I am captivated by the Canadian Arctic.

I was introduced to canoe tripping as a kid, paddling on the Canadian Shield in Ontario. In 2002 I spent the summer paddling through the tundra for the first time. That year, six of us paddled a tributary into the Coppermine river before taking the Hood to the coast. I was hooked. In 2005 we went north again, this time to paddle the Back river and mingle with thousands of caribou. Both were fabulous trips – I am fascinated by the rugged beauty and vast space of the tundra.

This summer I am returning north by myself to explore, daydream and immerse myself in the tundra for 50 days. I’m bringing a journal, a ukulele and my camera. Also, a bug shirt. The idea for Arctic Inspired emerged while planning this trip as a way to go beyond my own adventure; to build community between arctic aficionados, share our experiences and take a peek at the tundra from each others’ perspectives.

I hope you will join me in this tribute to the tundra.

Happy exploring,

Tim Irvin

BACK TO F.A.Q.

It is for all those who are intrigued, but have not yet made the journey, cannot make the journey, or would rather read about black flies than swat them. It is also for the people of the north; in gratitude for the opportunity visitors have had to see, and be inspired by, themselves and their land.

Sorry, Arctic Inspired cannot pay you for your submissions. Think of it as a charitable donation to a fabulous cause.