The Art of the Personal Project is a crucial element to let potential buyers see how you think creatively on your own. I am drawn to personal projects that have an interesting vision or that show something I have never seen before. In this thread, I’ll include a link to each personal project with the artist statement so you can see more of the project. Please note: This thread is not affiliated with any company; I’m just featuring projects that I find. Please DO NOT send me your work. I do not take submissions.
Today’s featured artist: Michael Greenberg
Climbing Sherpa’s: Everest’s Heroes
These are the giants whose shoulders serve as the stepping-stone for westerners to become hometown heroes by summiting Everest. Little consideration goes to the climbing Sherpa’s who make sure the conditions are safe. They do the heavy lifting and take on the bulk of the risk. The Sherpa’s are the front line and have lost friends and relatives. The westerners do it for the challenge, thrill, bragging rights, and fame. The Sherpa’s do it because it’s the biggest paycheck available to feed their families.
53yrs old
Summited 10 times ’97, ’98, ’99, ’02, ’05, ’06 (twice), ’07, ’08, & ’10
Saw the 2012 Khumbu ice fall accident from the Lola side where 16 climbing sherpas died. Decided to retire.
Owns 4 yaks and uses them to transport goods for Everest expeditions.
64yrs old
Summited 3 times ’96, 2000, & ’01
Started at age 40 “to get rich”
Retired in 2004 after having an accident in 2002 where he fell 35m through the ice carrying 9 empty oxygen tanks he was transporting them down to replace.
49yrs old
Summited 19 times
Was the climbing Sherpa for Rob Hall’s Adventure Cunsultants 1996 Everest expedition in 96 when a storm lead to the deaths of 8 climbers. The story from Everest / Into Thin Air
Currently a mechanic in Boise Idaho
63yrs old
Summited once May 14th 1983
He guided 3 climbers to the summit. The climbers abandoned him at the summit without equipment to get down. All he had was a “crumby old ice axe”. Fell and rolled down about 300m. Lost consciousness and woke up hours later without his goggles or axe, meters from the cliff. Rested 10 mins had some water. couldn’t sleep all night wondering who is going to take care of his parents when he dies, when he woke up he prayed “I’m sorry but thank you for chumulumu for saving my life” (Nepali name for god?) Remained a climbing sherpa on other mountains but refused to ever summit Everest again despite be offered more money. Kept his promise.
Age 87
Summited 7 times- ’53, ’63 (twice), & last time in ’71
Last living Climbing Sherpa from Sir Edmund Hillary’s May 29, 1953 climb. The first successful summit of Mount Everest. He was 20yrs old when he snuck out of his parents’ house to meet up with Tensing Norgay in Darjeeling because he heard Tensing “had a job”.
To see more of this project, click here.
APE contributor Suzanne Sease currently works as a consultant for photographers and illustrators around the world. She has been involved in the photography and illustration industry since the mid 80s. After establishing the art buying department at The Martin Agency, then working for Kaplan-Thaler, Capital One, Best Buy and numerous smaller agencies and companies, she decided to be a consultant in 1999. She has a new Twitter feed with helpful marketing information because she believes that marketing should be driven by brand and not by specialty. Follow her at @SuzanneSease. Instagram
Success is more than a matter of your talent. It’s also a matter of doing a better job presenting it. And that is what I do with decades of agency and in-house experience.
