I was up late one night browsing the internet for entertainment when I stumbled across a really interesting documentary made by Murray Siple, the documentary follows a group of homeless men who created a lifestyle removed from a conventional living, these men use bottle recycling as a source of income, to fuel their hobby of extreme shopping cart hill racing.

Above is the full Carts of Darkness documentary as well as a short trailer

Although most people feel like they need to work and live within the confines of society’s expectations of a productive citizen, these men are living detached from this, and somehow they find happiness and meaning in their own unusual way of life. I interviewed Murray Siple, the documentary maker through Instagram and told him about my project on finding meaning, he said that he found it interesting to see a completely different way of life that feels more intuitive to him than modern living and at the time of making the documentary he didn’t feel like he belonged where he was living but somehow spending time with these men made him feel at home, part of something.

These people are living very simple lives and without many of the modern commodities that people spend their lives chasing they are happy to live in a bush or a trailer, picking up bottles and living off around $20 a day. One man makes only what he needs, and any exess money he gets, he spends on growing flowers, which he gives away to the community, he spends all his time picking up bottles, painting, playing guitar and looking after his plants and pet bird, he said “my definition of riches, is not dollar bills and things, if you have one friend, you are very very rich because true friends, they will not let you down. I have cultivated a large number of friends and I am without a doubt the richest person in this area”

This mans message made me happy, because I knew he meant what he said and that he was happy. While I was watching the documentary I decided to draw some of my favourite moments.

Although they are all quick sketches I think I managed to express the calmness that I see in their life, as well as the joy that it brings them.