Creative thoughts can't be switched off
That’s why Andrea Tóth, Regional Creative Director at Kastner responsible for Red Bull campaigns, believes in proper channeling and spending time with inspiring friends. She takes us into the worlds of Berlin exhibitions, wine spritzer terraces, Lisbon museums, and writer’s rooms.
I could make up all sorts of flashy hobbies and ultra-unique passions for the sake of this article. But I think I’ll go with something simple and honest.
The past few years have been about rebuilding my friendships - and still are. Because, let’s be real, I have some catching up to do. After many years of being completely absorbed in work, I realized how much my relationships had suffered due to urgent deadlines, submissions, and pitch presentations. And it doesn’t help that almost all of my closest friends live abroad now.
Turning that into a positive, I made a decision: I’ll spend as much time with them in person as I can. Luckily, this means I now travel regularly to places like Madrid, Lisbon, and Berlin - and I’m planning a visit to Melbourne this winter.
I’ve already done a Lisbon round this year - I especially recommend the city in spring. The weather was amazing, and the tourist season hadn’t kicked in yet, so even the narrow streets were still comfortably walkable. One of the highlights - and I’m not joking - was the puppet museum. We passed by it every day, and one time we just decided to go in. It turned out to be an incredible experience. From a historical overview of puppetry, to crafting techniques from around the world, to set designs from famous Portuguese puppet films, the exhibition is truly rich and diverse.
The other big highlight, of course, was surfing. I wanted to try it before signing up for something like a Moroccan surf camp, only to find out I have absolutely zero talent. That talent spark is still pending, but we took a few hours of lessons with friends at Caparica beach - and it was amazing. I realized I still need to build up my core strength, but I haven’t enjoyed a sport this much in ages. High-factor, water-resistant SPF is a must (yes, for the ears too)!
My second friend-visit this year took me to Berlin. Berlin is always a good idea. Instead of the techno parties, I tend to gravitate toward contemporary art, and just soaking up the local vibe - cafés, small gardens, evening spritzer terraces. The Fotografiska museum opened here last year, and besides the exhibitions, the building itself is a total experience. It used to be a house taken over by artists, and many traces of that past remain even with its new function. Andy Warhol’s After the Party photo exhibition is on view until mid-September.
Of course, there are exciting encounters at home too. Along with a few screenwriter friends, we created the Punchline writer’s room. We regularly meet to discuss the most exciting current films and series - and we’re working on our own movie and show concepts as well. I’ve always been drawn to the world of film, and together with Fruzsina Fekete, Áron Horváth, András Petrik, Krisztián Balassa, and myself, we’re now working on expanding this small circle into a larger, film-themed meetup. Kommunity will be the perfect venue for that.
This is how recharging turns into work - and work into recharging.
Creative thoughts can’t be switched off, so I try to channel them properly. And doing that with friends makes it all the more inspiring.
