Between Wind and Will, Maya of Sailing Magic Carpet

Welcome back to the Fire Pit Talks Podcast, a celebration of long-form conversations taking place around the digital fire pit.In my most recent recorded conversation, we meet Maya — musician, filmmaker, sailor, and boat builder, perhaps known to some of you as one half of the phenomenal YouTube channel Sailing Magic Carpet.I have followed Maya and Aladino’s salty stories for several years, so it was an absolute pleasure to finally speak across oceans — me in Brighton, she on the west coast of Canada. I think Maya’s journey has become one of the most honest chronicles of a creative life at sea, from the $1 boat that first ignited her curiosity at 18-years-old, to the more recent five-year gruel of rebuilding a Cape George Cutter (and, at one point, having two refits on the go at once, uff!).Our talk meanders through Maya’s journey from home schooling throughout her childhood, going to university and getting her first boat, setting out to sea on a tall ship inspired by her parents, meeting her husband-to-be Aladino on a beach, then shortly after falling in love and launching their YouTube channel that would become a full-time job rich with creativity and equal volumes of adversity.Note: If you’re thinking of doing a refit, watch their videos first; I admit that Remy and I leapt at the chance to build a new Wharram after watching their most recent refit, ha, we were totally put off despite being deeply awed by Aladino’s exceptional work ethic and craftsmanship!Maya is full of life and conversing with her was like catching up with an old friend, but what I find most inspiring is her love of the craft of storytelling and how she was able to carry her art through the tough times that knocked her to the ground during their refit. It takes absolute discipline to keep creating when the dream turns to drudgery, and I am moved by Maya’s humility to share that truth with others.Maya’s storytelling has evolved into something extraordinary over the years — high-art filmmaking churned out week on week. As a producer, I appreciate just how hard that is to achieve. Bow to this woman, she is an absolute bad ass.Yet what struck me most in our conversation was her honesty about the moments when she almost gave it all up: when the refit broke her spirit, when she stopped playing her beloved violin (which, by the way, she is VERY good at), when the only way forward was through.We talk about the idea of “living the dream,” about how perfectionism can both protect and potentially poison the creative process, and about how transparency in the work — the willingness to show the hard parts — might be the most radical act of all.Maya speaks of the tenderness required to film one’s own life, the discipline of editing at sea, and the slow evolution from performer to filmmaker. She even hints at the beginnings of a book, one that will carry the voices of the people she meets, the kind of stories that don’t make it in to the YouTube episodes out of respect to not shove a camera in the faces of every person they meet. If she does find time to fit in publishing one, I will be the first to pre-order.There’s a moment in our talk that still lingers with me, about how finishing the boat reconnected Maya to joy. Beauty and endurance can be, in this sense, inseparable. Sometimes art is simply the act of not quitting. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit voyagevirage.substack.com/subscribe