#jackgap

I never particularly liked the idea of role models. To my independent soul the thought of intentionally seeking to follow in someone else’s footsteps seemed ludicrous. Awkwardly, at school-camps, I’d fidget around when the question was asked “who is your role-model” and I’d reply with something absurd like saying “the queen.” Today, however, I have discovered that my role models are not people who I aspire to be, but rather people that inspire me to be. Jack Harries is one of those people.

For those not lucky enough to be born on the eve of the millennium, or blessed with a childhood spent outside, Jack Harris is the icon of the YouTube Generation. Today he’s a filmmaker, YouTube content creator, seasoned traveller and activist, but when it all started in 2011 he simply wanted to document he’s gap-year.

What started out as a means to vlog (video blog) Jack’s experiences quickly grew into a major online brand that explored a totally new genre of content on Youtube and, in many ways, created guidelines for other content creators to follow. Today JacksGap, Jack’s channel, has over 4.2 million subscribers with and expanded reach of over 4 million followers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram combined. If someone is on top of the YouTube Game, Jack is the one.

However, the reason for my admiration of Jack Harries is not born out of his success of speaking into a camera, or looking good enough for girls to get lost in his eyes, but rather out of he’s conscious decision to do things he’s way. Jack could’ve easily followed the course of the countless other Youtubers (YouTube Content Creators) of over-used effects and jokes, but rather chose to invest in his passion for film-making and activism. Jack could’ve stayed famous and, in doing so, stagnated, but chose to test the unknown.

JacksGap grew from producing silly clips driven to make people laugh to thought provoking well edited masterpieces; Jack grew from a silly world-famous guy to a filmmaker and activist. From 2012 onward a sense of purpose was felt within the brand JacksGap as it transgressed its boundaries and this was clearly reflected in the content being produced. To working with the non-profit Comic Relief in South Africa to the RickShaw-run in aid of cancer in India, JacksGap followed its creator’s passion.

Just this past year Jack Harries, together with his brother Finn, was on a mission to save to world through filmmaking. Using all their platforms to mobilise millennials across the globe to fight Global Warming, they added thousands of new voices to pressure world leaders in setting clear goals to tackle this issue at the Paris Convention last year. They visited Greenland to showcase the damaging effects of climate change on the ice-caps there and so introduced an entirely new generation of humans to this pressing issue.

Today Jack’s main aim is not to reach a million views with in 24 hours. He has rather chosen to shift his focus to filmmaking and is now working with self-taught filmmaker Fraser Rigg to create a war documentary about Alegna which follows the British solider Adam, looking at both the mental and physical effects during and after his captivity by the Iraqi Freedom fighters.

Jack Harris has shifted the boundaries of YouTube Content, he followed he’s passion and he helped saved the world, but my admiration for Jack Harries stops there. I respect him, but I do not idolise him. I do not want to be him. Jack Harris is my role model, not because I aspire to be like him, but rather because he inspires me to follow my passions and make a difference – he inspires me to be.

Watch Jack's video's here: https://www.youtube.com/user/JacksGap

When I was making gifs from the new video a lot of gifs didn’t made it on my blog,here are some of them :)

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE7vkCz39eg)