This episode of Molly's minutes is sponsored by default. The pop is the fashion market place after created going to buy yourself and discover the most unique items from around the world nowadays. We know that fashion is a major contributor to climate change, but that doesn't mean we all have to stop shopping. There are better options including using deep up to discover second hand and vintage fashion shop sustainably without the Sacrifice by downloading deep up and searching for amazing fashion Your Love without the footprint. Download it for IOS and Android now or head to default.com to get started. Yeah, let's take a little stretch paracels. Hi. I'm here with Karen me on. Oh is that in my saying your last name correctly? Yes, it's like piano but instead of the P&M, I like that. Yeah me an oh man. Oh, it's a gorgeous name. I think it's Italian, but I couldn't really tell you really Don't know. I'm not too sure. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. What do you have you ever looked it up? I well a lot of people in Hawaii have the surname me. Ah, no, but it's like quite a popular sternum in Kenya. Okay. There's there's a whole story to us. Okay. Okay, we won't get into it. So I was just talking to Karen. I was saying that I would love you. Excuse me. That is okay. I think that I'd love to do a podcast with someone who is kind of like a multimedia multi-dimensional creative. I need to sneeze again. No, I'm not get it there. Yeah, that is the worst feeling ever and because I feel I was saying not I feel you are someone who does so many different things that even when I was trying to research you I was like, I think I'm just going to have to ask her. Yeah, because you seem to be doing like every type of art form. You have a little finger in you know, and I just I find that really really inspiring but I also think that like a lot of people are working in that way. Nowadays and I always whenever someone asks me how I'm going to describe myself or like you want to you. Do I never know what to say because I'm a bit the same but like what do you do? You know and we can start this completely schizophrenic. Oh my God. I love that phrase. I see. Yeah, I do a lot of things but I don't really put them out there. Like if you were to look at my Instagram, you wouldn't really tell I don't know except for the links that I have which is like a blue which is the podcast that I do and then Origins which is the I guess I Community organization that ideas well for Cutie Pox which is queer trans and intersex and people of color. But yeah God, what are you? Okay, I always hate this question. So I know it's the worst question and I'm genuinely asking you it but I just obviously you have a loop. I didn't a loop as well and it's absolutely fantastic. And that's I think how I first came to Like be like what what is she doing? You know? Yeah, and but then I have seen that you were like releasing music or yeah, I don't know like you're asking me. Oh, do you know someone that I could film for this? I was like, I'm one that are you doing ask you really random questions. Like do you know anyone who does would work or and I think that's yeah. I'm I tried and I try and be really resourceful. So I'm the person that people usually ask like hey, do you know anybody that does? God cast yes, I do or yeah, I'm quite a resourceful person. So I think that's kind of work to my advantage in terms of all the bits that I do so in a nutshell in a nutshell, it doesn't have to be so it's our it's a very big nut shell I so, okay. So I'm like a freelance producer for music videos and I usually work with goldmouth media which is my girlfriend's company. So we work together on the amazing you would do like filming and stuff and then I'd like produce it or facilitate it in some way or another and then we have an independent music label called diadem and then yeah alien Origins and I DJ under the moniker Karma and what else do I feel like there's something I'm leaving. I we can always remember of Blackfish Collective, which is Sit Collective based in London, but they are from Dublin and yeah, just general General bits. I tore manage bad bones. I do visuals for bad bones. I am what did you do third level education. Did you like? Where did you learn this somewhere or are you like self-taught and all these things? So I'm one of those people that if if I've see like a problem. I like to come up with a solution. So I yeah, I'm self-taught. - very much so so I'm just one of those people that would like look YouTube tutorials or you know, the way always is like who goes welcome to my show same-same. This is how you work Ableton and shout out to the people who actually make those choices. Those are Anonymous people because honestly, you've gotten me through so many trials and tribulations so much know they're amazing because it's such a skill. I would I'm not able to do a tutorial. I'm really bad at teaching people things. So if anyone's listening to this and they're like, I mean we tried to care and they'd Avenue able to teach me how to do. Visuals and I can't I'm really bad at like teaching so that's not my forte putting it out there because I have gotten those questions. Like can you teach me how to be a producer? It's like I really don't know what to tell you kid. Also my pronouns are they them? Okay Henry just in case anybody was listening was like wait a second. You've got a very feminine voice. Thank you. Yeah, I my pathway into it wasn't necessarily. Through education so but I start like I guess for some background I started off wanting to be a photographer and I went to still organ and then I did IDT for a little bit and didn't finish. I'm real name. Yeah, I don't finish things either except for like these projects which is why I love the project that I'm doing because I'm able to finish the thing. Like I actually feel like it's more natural for someone who's Creative in the way that maybe we are and to not do for years of the same thing or three years of the same thing unfinished products and put your whole heart into them. And I always like have this sense of guilt that I won't be able to do other things because I didn't finish college, but when really I've done so many different things you're Syndrome has yeah. Yeah, but if you have experience, I feel like that's just that's just as much I just don't I Lee and this is took a lot of trial and error of like going back to college and being like, okay, I'm gonna go do digital marketing and I'm going to go do la for a year like ridiculous things and coming out with the same sort of feeling of like this doesn't work for me like that. I guess like an educational sort of format where we're focusing on just one thing doesn't work for me because I artistically schizophrenic. Yeah, I think It's a terrible phrase and I probably shouldn't be using it because it's not fancy at all. But I could I don't know you mean when you're focusing on one thing for a prolonged amount of time and it's labored over and it's something for instance when I was going in. I was like, oh look at I did a project on Natalie cones work and my lecture was like, oh you should have chosen an Irish person and like didn't get the work at all and I was just like, why am I here if you don't even understand that like Natalie cone, is it goes right? Yeah, you know what I mean? Why why am I doing this? It's I completely understand what you mean. It's like a pro. It's just dragged out version of what you would do and I'm short my daughter died. Anyway, yeah. Yeah, I think that's another thing also that put me off like photography because I had a really weird tutor said it there's some other people who like reach out to me like I did that same course tutors really weird. He came up to you and time to Psycho which he knocked you like a piece on I don't know. No, like the African diaspora in our lives. He didn't say diaspora because we didn't have that sort of like this is all I really knew that not even new language, but it's being used more like the roots or Aspera the more buzzwords now, I guess in the way, but he just randomly he came up. Yeah, we had a photo project where we had to the brief was like to capture people moving and movement in any way so it could be it was really broad because it's orange. I've never really broad so it could Been someone taking the darsh from one place or another their morning Journey or it could be someone running or just movement was the General theme it didn't necessarily have to be what the photos look like. They didn't have tub like made movement Sports shots. Yeah, and I can't remember what I did for because I was like suppress it so deeply but he came up to me and he's like, oh would you not do a piece on like, I don't know, you know be really beautiful African woman standing at a bus stop in the rain and just showing like the differences in climate and blah blah blah. It's just like why why are you trying to pigeonhole me into the like you should do this thing? I don't know. It just didn't it's bizarre. And yeah, and at the time I didn't have the language to even reply to him. I just was like, okay, I guess I'll try and focus on that more and that's not to say that I don't have an interest in African artists African trade mark, you know, there's specific countries in Africa and they all have like different Realms of artistry's bush. Yeah, just I don't know. I'm just to come up to you and say that yeah, but he can't he had I feel like he had me and him just didn't yeah, we did we had a bit of friction. Yeah, we don't know difficulties in in because he hadn't come back to because you're actually works so closely with them. There's a couple times where I'd nearly like blow up at like people if they were like, why don't you do this? I'm like, okay if you're suggesting I do that then you of you and you don't know really don't look at what I'm trying to do. I meant to be and you're like standing there. They're like because you're an adult but you're also Speaking to an adult. So you're like standing there. I'd be I whenever it's the way to use up. Yeah, I think so. I'd be like covering my eyes. Look my friends were like Molly relax. I'm like, I'm not because I don't get angry, but I just get like I just miss go silence. Yeah. I'm like, I can't we see right now. Let me get back to you my person. So when you left like did you start any sort of project straight away was that the beginning of you learning all these different forms of media, I guess in a way Way, yeah. So what I had like a big lull in between so when I left I I went off and worked in a cafe for ages the kids like I did I still would work in a cafe if I could. I just I personally can't anymore because I don't have enough social battery where oh my God under the smile that you have to put on some to Smiling. You know, this was hard enough. You're like I didn't want to burn your mighty fine. I'll just bring your coffee actually like we're going to get into Aubrey right. Now. I'm just going to stop this here want it hotter. Okay, that's fine have a just so you know, it's gonna burn I'm gonna find and then the next day did like hot again, please here like okay extra hot and the milk is screaming as well. And you're like, oh looking at the other people in the cafe near like I hope you know that this is this is okay this we are going on here. It's happening. It's happening. But yeah, so I did that for a couple of years and kind of fluff to beige freaking out. What like what am I going to do? And like what is my purpose on life? See? That's the thing as well. Is that sorry? I'm eating doughnuts. Okay, go for it. No, sorry to the people listening delicious. And that's the thing as well. Is that when I was working I was like, I need to find one thing that I'm really good at focus on that and just do that for the rest of my life. So I need to find that thing. So I'd be like, I'm really into fashion room. I'm really into painting. But I can only do one of those but I don't want them to be my career. So I have to stop you know, I was trying to find one thing which was so the wrong thing to do. Yeah, and I think they're there that's a very traditional way of looking at creativity and creatives. Is that a creative just like one thing they're really good at it. Sorry Molly is Stephen, but I'm leaning back because I can feel myself to me shooting a very delicious chocolate ball. Is it? What is it? It's like a Briny. It's so so good. It's very good. I am like pigeon holing yourself. Yeah, we were saying before talk refer or you're just an artist or you're someone who makes websites or you're someone who's a musician. It's like there's this idea that you can only be one one like not multifaceted and I think to create things like podcasts you have to be multifaceted in a way because you have to have a creative eye and understand like what the aesthetic Matches for the sonics. Like how am I going to put these two together? And then you also have to have which is why I was interested in doing digital marketing because you have to have some sort of career out of it and you need to actually eat and pay rent. That's the regular stuff and that's the thing also is that I feel like how I deal with some of my creativity is that I work in like a retail place that's vintage and that I really love and that's another aspect of like what I do but yeah. Thing that I don't get old guys good. That was my reason together though real money job, you know, I know but I hate that phrase. I know that's my money job. Yeah. This is my other job. Yeah, but I called the other things that I do for free. Also my job, whereas like people think that's just something I do wear like a hobby, but that's like what it's worth but my job go to think about all the things that you're doing in terms of like because it's all building up to one thing right? It's building up to something and I think it's really Ali good that people do say like, oh no I have to block this day off because I'm flopping about on websites, but your kind of researching in between and it's about doing things as well in your own time. So I think for me the main reason why I have so many different Outlets is because I find it really boring to just do one thing. I found it really if I was just a photographer. I know I'd end up doing something else for sure like I'd end up making I don't know I just have to I have to do other stuff. Otherwise I get to yeah, I got bored. Yeah it board on. It's also like the pressure of coming up with ideas for just like one art form kind of yeah, I would find to be quite difficult mmm, but I suppose it depends like there is like I know so many people who are like my friend Julia for instance is like photography photography photography like she and that's great and that's actually a really good. That's if you notice I'm not like on this podcast by the way being like no one has to do anything. Because I'm like, I wish I just had this Focus but she seems to have but that's why I was like, I really want to talk to you about this because also in like in terms of careers or whatever. If you go to say work in some sort of Journalism or work as a presenter work as a radio DJ, you have to have all these things and I would like yeah, they they're not hiring editors separate to well maybe for big projects but like Step 2. Deuces separate two presenters like you have to be able to do everything and that's something that I've only learned recently that like that is an expectation of you and I'm so glad now that I like taught myself through YouTube because I was taught at at YouTube. It's that shout out to YouTube. I actually don't know what I would do without you and you only I don't know what I like. I don't know what I would be genuinely. So talk to me a little bit about a loo, which I call Diallo before is really addressing any new means escape and Irish and it Is a podcast that I run with estimate Garda and my Nunes both who are also like just amazing creatives on their own terms and windings is this wear eyeshadow my friends because I always do this and like let me just do it. I am at my friend's a great do it. And so my Nunes is a performance artist based in Dublin. They're doing amazing stuff with the moment to definitely check them out. And then as time Regatta is running a thing called creating a space up and Belfast. Which is very literal just about creating a space and yes, just like multimedia stuff as well. She's really amazing. So yeah, we were having these come a loo is I always think of a Leo is like an educational space where people can learn about what the personal experiences of being black in an Irish context art because I think when you talk about Blackness and when you talk about race, there's a sort of Americanized Lens or a British black lens on on those conversations and we just we were having a kind of started just from us having conversations in our rooms are in cafes are in different spaces with each other and we're liked it. What we're talking about is amazing. We should put this on a podcast which is not to like to down horn. No. No, you're very likable very articulate. I think it's thank you. I think it's really I feel like I'm not articulate you always feel like I just scrub. No, well, I mean going on tangents is different. I feel like everyone who has a podcast. That's like there's right my car because I like it. Yeah. Yeah, but know you're all very very Arctic. Thank you. But yeah, I think it's it was just we wanted to create a space for ourselves to have those conversations and to widen those conversations conversations and hopefully other people who are black and Irish like listen to it, I guess and feel like R not so alone in their head because when you're going through the were going through Arland not even say the world is going to be specific when you're going when you're navigating Irish white spaces as a person of color or as a black person or as a queer black person when you have those different intersections, there's just so many bit like you feel like you're being attacked sometimes at different angles, but you don't have the language or the space to have those conversations if you I have many other friends who are who share the same intersection to see you. So yeah, I guess it's just to make people feel less isolated as well because it can be really you can be really in your head. And also like I used to get like ridiculous paranoia because something would happen but then you don't have anyone to like bounce that awful more like was that was that this was that racism or was this like homophobia or was this this? Like what what was that? That's your kind of just like in your head going through the events that have happened to you in the day trying to and then when other people around you who are like white it's hard to have those conversations with them openly. So we were like, how can we have like a space where we openly talk about race? We openly talk about race and an Irish context. We openly talk about just ourselves because like we really fluff on I might out here saying alien is about race, but also we fluff on So what you're going to listen to it and be like Jesus feels like like I want to listen to it and I had like a cup of tea my hand. I think I was like straightening my hair or something and I do genuinely forgot that I was and not in a cliche wait, like felt like you were in the room with you guys. That's what we want to create a yeah. I want to enter I know it sounds really creepy Island and to people's bedrooms to say that I love to do bedroom adduct you what it's just to create and also we wanted to create a assert a community - we see on on social media. Mmm. So we're like, how do we do this? How do we reach age? So like that's make a podcast and I know you were saying earlier like everyone and their mother has I feel like there's so many podcasts about everything but that just felt like there was a hole there. Okay Katie. Is there anyone open are talking about this podcasts are brilliant as well. I really think they're like because they're so simple. To what I say, there's some things great things but I didn't lie for this. We actually had like nearly an hour long conversation with podcasts and how difficult they are. And aesthetically like, what are you going for? Yeah, they podcasts are not easy. So shed it other podcast podcast easy. Yeah wash it but as in like in terms of like equipment or like you don't have to have like a huge skill set. Like for know, I don't really do it in our country. Yeah. Yeah. And that's why they are brilliant and I feel like especially I love podcasts that are between friends. Like you're one and like even when I have done ones with friends like I did one with my friend Jess. It's very informal. It's kind of like nothing best one. That's the one that everyone's like. Oh my God. I felt like I was there because we're mostly just talked my relationships and people were like are crying and we're like, oh, yeah, so he's like, you know think that's hard. me crying like we actually had to stop the podcast because we're all just like Actually, I'm having an ex constantly having an existential crisis constantly. They passed me on the Street Lamp. That's Karen. I was just crying. Well the first time I met Karen I was crying so fine. It's fine. But how important is then community and friends if you didn't go if you didn't finish in ID t or wherever you were how important has friendships or just people even be In learning and supporting what you do and like feeling able to go into all these different fields. I think it's super I'm really lucky because I'm from a generation where Everything feels really interconnected and you just feel it. Like it's really easy to reach the community that you're trying to reach. Yeah, but I also am really lucky and also on looking away. I guess I'm like a first-generation poc in Ireland and and a lot of the people that I grew up with and Val brick in Shadow be 10. All the best people are from Bob's Burgers, and I'm not even asking myself all but a lot of the people that I grew up with involved broken were people of color there block their creative, sir were musicians and still are musicians and we just constantly gas each other up and we had this there's something in the water I feel involved again, honestly because God I need to go up to about right? Yeah, but don't drink the water. Haha. She you're not you can't Some of the beach there. It's really dirty its filthy. It's filthy. But when I was there, it felt really magical. So yeah, but we we all just really gas each other up and just had this sort of sense of we can do whatever and we all felt really capable. Yeah. I think we were really good support system for each other. So yeah, I got friendship has been so important in my journey into a lot of The things that I'm doing now, so like most of the all actually all the projects that I'm currently working on our with friends in a way. It's a bad thing because it means that all of my friends I work with all of them and we're always talking about work. Yeah, but I wouldn't want to have it any other way because it creates such a good support system and such a good environment to just openly be creative and not and I think there's this sense of Like okay if you're a creative you I don't know. How can I wear this? There's for a long time myself. I had this idea that okay. I need to shut off at some point. But the way my brain works is like I'll be in bed being like Oh my God. I totally record this sound right now and I can add that to this and then make a weird like me and Maya have started doing weird videos not weird videos, but videos are to Videos and will be like up texting each other being like Oh my God. I had this great idea of so we need to get like 10 snakes and go to a field and record the 10 snakes. Its that's just how my brain works. Yeah, but I because I took so much on so when I was starting all these projects I took so much on and burnt out so quickly. So then I was trying to create a structure for myself because if you are freelance you do you have to create a structure for yourself you have To be like, okay, I'm gonna like be up at this time to me. That's your look like waking up at a certain time and finishing doing something at a certain time and like not talking about certain projects on like Friday's through to Mondays because I'm only going to work on them choose day to Thursday and it just doesn't work for me anymore. And I think for a while my burning Ash was also like making my friendship suffer, but I started taking on less, okay. And like taking a step back because I'm a little bit of a control freak and just have I've started trusting my friends more because I work with them started trusting them more and being like, okay. I know this Sal you can probably do this video without me in Gold math or like proud. I know you can like take over diadem for a minute and I can focus more on this thing. It was difficult. Yes. It's difficult. It's I'm I'm constantly trying to find a balance. I feel like I found it but I could say that in the next week being like yeah another exercise. And then why do you feel like you find it now? I feel like I found it now me possibly because I have put a like boundaries with saying because I used to be such a yes person be like, yes, I'm on board. I'll do this thing for you. And I think that's really the real reason why I burn Ted if I'm being honest with myself. It's because I was I did a year of yes, essentially. Yeah, and I think everyone should do that. Everyone should just have a yearly Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes, I'm gonna do all the things and just like go into these spaces and be really scared and be like, oh my God. Why am I here? Yeah. I'm not even like a year of yes. Also created a year of imposter syndrome for me. Yeah. That's that's the year. I've had 100 percent and I think in some cases The Imposter syndrome was valid like I shouldn't have been in the places I was but I just wish your but I it you have license their lessons and I think I was really afraid of failure and I've had so much failure. And I look back on it now and I'm like I've learned so much from all that you have to fail and if it's something that you're really passionate about I think you are going to be scared and you are going to have imposter syndrome about it. But essentially, you know what you're doing when you go into those spaces and there's a reason why you're in X space. Yeah. Yeah. It was also the same year that I was named like one to watch by Irish Times in the meat and I think it was like person media to watch and the Irish Times of 2018. And that was the year the most thing yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Then the start of this year. I was just like oh my God, I think oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah and it's so easy way to do if you're if close. Oh, he's a thing is that that you're like, oh my God, I'm only doing one project and film but I am I love filming, you know, oh my God, I'm only doing this podcast and that's like kind of the only thing where I'm expressing myself as an individual. Oh my God, how am I gonna and if you if you are like a multi-dimensional artist, it's like All those things you do. You still love as much as if you are doing one thing. You still have probably have as many ideas, but you have to like choose between them or you don't yeah, and then there's the things that other people ask of you. He's like this has like lavender. Yeah, it's earl grey. Oh, it's nice. Yeah. My mom is obsessed Earl Grey. So that's the only TV have I highly recommend it guys. It's kind of peppery. Yeah, honey lavender you love Andre relaxing. Yeah, like I can drink that tea cult which is weird. Oh as in I mean I prefer To but anyway guys I had it anyway, so talk to me a little bit Origins Allah Origins. Yeah, so our Origins is something that started last year and that caught that came out of a need for seeing that there's a community out there but not like we needed spaces together which were we still need space if anyone has any space, but they like to give to me as in the physical space a physical space not Like forever not like a studio, but just like a fit a venue space. Okay, did you probably help you with that Grace? Thanks. Molly. Actually cut this also Bush. Yeah Arjun started as I guess as a kind of a personal project and if I'm being honest with myself, it's a very selfish project because I'm attempting. I know it's like a Monumental task. I'm attempting to create a queer community of color within Ireland. I don't see what so what it's very much for myself. And I had this it's been an idea of mine for ages and I was kind of fighting with the fighting with fighting against it in a way because I'm like am I the person to do this? Like should I be the person that's like attempting to start a community of a queer community of color and inclusive community because it's like A wool or don't have any like Community work background. Like that's not my background at all. So it's a very new project. It's not your background, but you're so young. So I know I don't do people start with these backgrounds, you know, yeah, I know. Yeah for sure for sure. So yeah, it's a community that I'm trying to start and we've had like really nice events just really like wholesome events and all of our events for the time being anyway. Our POC centered because I feel like there's so much healing that needs to happen within that Community just like we need to have those conversations outside of a loo and outside of all that we need to have that those sort of safe spaces and conversations and just space to rest and space to decompress and I think that's why it's been so hard as well to find a space because people are like, wait, what do you mean white people aren't allowed and I'm not I've never been like white people. Aren't allowed but essentially what people aren't alive because there needs to be just as much as there would be like a feminist space where it's like women only I feel like that is something that is lacking in Ireland like - that space to just heal and rest and recoup and learn but you know, I don't I'm not trying to stick to anyone for Matt. I'm not saying like, oh, yeah, we're just gonna have like, I don't know. We're just going to have dinners or we're just going to have Movie screenings. I think they can be all of those different things. I think the space just needs to be created first and be consistent which I'm working on consistency is not been no, but it's difficult. You know it is I feel like when you're different thing when you're but especially when you're looking for a space and then when you get down to the nitty-gritty and they're like, yeah, it's basically Marlins. We were talking about this event and we're talking about decentralizing, you know, like you have to move out of Dublin because like the rents too high and whatever I'm going to different cities, but then we're talking about that like even in those different cities or towns space is still very hard to get especially when you're like dealing with someone that maybe doesn't understand what you're trying to do. Even if it doesn't affect them or whatever like Issue of spaces. It's just it's very very difficult. It is. Yeah. Yeah, so it gets you usually we like get to a point in the conversation where we're like, yes, we're creating this space for people of color blah blah blah blah and then it gets down to the nitty-gritty of it and were like, yeah, so you as the venue person can't actually be here. Yeah because you're white and it's important that we could we feel safe and comfortable to discuss things in our own. Own language because we're still learning how to navigate navigate race unlike navigate our emotions around that navigate the experiences and Trauma that we go through so that's when usually it's met with like oh, oh why it's just yeah, it's a hard one. I think that's where like allyship or a comp accomplices come into play and they're really important to Origins. So yeah, yeah. A lot of learning that needs to be done and there's a lot of I think it's like a wider conversation that I don't necessarily know if I'm the person to be having those conversations, but I know thought I can facilitate those spaces really well. So on you're very organized person which is important for what you seem to be if you like produce being outside. Yeah. I wanted to talk to you a little bit about starting projects because obviously we've talked about all your projects but like You obviously are person who has loads of ideas and who wants to do loads of things. What makes you actually want to like start something or what? What is the process of say starting a podcast or starting Origins before you even get to there? Like what is your thought process that makes you go? Okay. This is something I really want to do. I think with some of them it's with some of the smaller projects that I've done in the past. It literally is just like fuck it. Let me just try it. Yeah, because I think Everyone needs to I think it's really important to just throw your haunted everything like throw the kitchen sink at it and just do your best and if you fail you fail if you're really passionate about it do it again. Don't be scared of failing because I know there's a lot of perfectionist out there that are like, oh now is not the right time to start this like the right time is literally tomorrow. Yeah, like whenever you can do it in a year you can do it tomorrow and I also say to people who are listening don't be afraid to do something just because someone else This is doing at yeah, because yeah, there's this like I don't like, oh, I can't especially in Dublin Dublin and problems the nature of the game. I mean, we're all very big Personality. Yeah, we're all drama queens. Yeah, but don't be afraid to do something just because someone else is doing it because you're going to put your own twist on it you're going to now obviously don't like coffee someone. Yeah. Well, it's different. I feel like people will know that that's what for instance people some people who No of come to me being like to mind if I start a podcast, I'm like, yeah first I was oh my God, I was asked do you mind if I start a oh my God, and I'm so upset by it. Yeah. I asked me. Do you mind if I start a queer POC group and I was like, why would I because actually for me if there's strength in numbers, I'm like, please do the more people. I didn't love to see another group who is like doing something similar to Me I'm not opposed to then when please please. It actually helps me because there's no one that I can necessarily look to in Dublin that I'm like you're doing the exact thing I want to do and I feel really encouraged and let's swap. Like what was this experience? Like, what was this experience? Like if there's someone that's doing a podcast and you want to do a podcast. You don't need to ask Molly. Yes you podcast was even with what you're talking about. Is that like the more podcasts are or the more actually makes it easier for everyone. You like your more your presence is more known like when you're emailing people they are aware of like that someone with a podcast could you know guess know like if you're emailing a space for instance trying to do a live show. They're like, oh I know what a podcast is or you know it. Yeah and like for instance I did a talk the other day with Jameson and it was half the time would you get free time soon? I actually did not do it and okay. Sorry. It was to like business. Owners and stuff and they were genuinely want they really wanted they was about like how they could so our generation is the first generation that were seen to be drinking less. Yeah, so they wanted to know not only signed Bob like how they can get people into bars and pubs with I like great like an ice cream. Yeah times are bad but like it like a healthy Community around quite understand. They don't want their they're not necessarily looking for people to drink more like just how to tie to make it I think are very needy. Yeah, so I was trying to explain that like the marketing to Millennials of like, you know brunches. And so that's not the same for necessarily what they're looking for with if you're trying to get like a creative communities to meet you and I've spent half the time explaining what a collaborative was now I'm sure they have tons of emails in their inbox about like collaborative want to do but they are genuinely were like but wait like, you know, they didn't know what it was. So then maybe they'll be more aware. Maybe they'll see any like the more of these things that Are happening the better it is for everyone like the more sure but I listening to podcast if someone's listening to your podcast about listen to my podcast. If someone they might listen to another podcast because there's suddenly into podcasts instead of music or you know, all those things like intertwine but I think that's such a good tip what you're saying. Is that like don't don't please. Yeah my God, please don't like just do it. Yeah, do it make it happen. Even if you do like one one if you want to get into events and you want to like do a gig with Different artists just do it. Even if you did it the one time that's not necessarily a failure failure. You've learned from Ash you've done it and if you want to do it again, and it was a complete flop bitch do it again. Just do it again and keep doing it because there is a pairing consistency. Yeah, like I'm sure your first few podcasts like I don't know I have what the rate monitor their they know. Well, they actually numbered well, but that was more I think people from my life being nosy. Yeah, like I'm keeping them. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it's not because I'm so going to keep them up there. Yeah, because that's not shows. It shows the progress and it shows the growth. Yeah, but that's another thing I think would like especially with creative people because there's so many people doing so many things that are really really good and they've been doing things for years that some people like people are afraid to Their work out there because it's almost like because of social media, you're like defined by even like your the beginnings of your work and the beginnings of your career when you shouldn't be and it should be like a progression and like just a whole learning experience. Yeah and numbers aren't everything. Yeah, but I think it's really good. Actually. I'm just thinking about numbers. I think that's really good why they took the like the numbers of likes on Instagram. Oh my God in like it's much change for some people. It's been huge for me personally like I I just think it's amazing and I think for art I think I'm seeing more art and I'm seeing more people. I know who are really really talented who were really scared to post their work. Even if it's like someone I know with a private profile but they are not necessarily wanting to get into the whole like creative scene. I'm seeing more people just being more creative without like being embarrassed this whole ashame. Yeah, like centers right? You only have one like yeah exactly. Nobody knows. Yeah, nobody. Yeah, it's great. Yeah, and I think it's just about putting stuff out there. Yeah, it's the only way to learn. Yeah. Sorry. I'm just like repeating what you're saying. No, I feel like I'm really enjoying this conversation. I am on this Folly has a question for me. So okay. I'm giving you advice. Okay. So how do you get past blocks in creativity? Whether that's like you're on a project and you're like, oh, I think I can't get this to where I want to be but I don't know how to get there or whether it be like hmm. I I'm just not feeling creative at the moment. I'm not afraid to take my time because time is social construct just like gender. No, but genuinely I'm and I think you can see that in my work. There's like big stints of me not doing stuff because I don't fight against that and I think if you try and fight against that feeling of like stopping because I think naturally your brain will tell you it's like I'm tired man. Yeah, I'm I really don't want to do this and it's okay. It's okay to stop. Mmm. It's okay to just take take a take a minute. Take a breath take a month. Take two months because in that space of time you that's I feel like when there's silence that it's it's like a magical time. Yeah, you know, you're like something will come up it just it always kind of does and it's scary though. Yeah, and I feel like the thing is is that if you are like experience that kind of block it is frightening and For a while, you might be technically taking a break because you're not doing anything but you're still searching for it in your mind. And then it just takes longer but also personal and emotional and spiritual growth is so important as well for your create create creative growth. Yeah. So take the time baby. Yeah. I'm I like at the moment. I'm kind of like I'm just tired, you know, but there is there's so much pressure to constantly release and like have something weekly and well and I really push against those Things and it for a long time it really annoy annoy myself some like I should be like doing more. Yeah, we should be posting daily every single month, but you know 80 takes a really big emotional toll on us because we're essentially inviting people into our into our bedroom and having a conversation that we just record Like Richard just put a thing. I deeply personal. Yeah, it's soup. It can be super personal but sometimes even then we're just like touching the surface. So it's like a little bit of a therapy session but like we take our time with that and I think it's really important to we that we check in on each other as well. It's like hey haven't heard from you in a while you okay? Because we did get we got stuck in a rut were just talking about work. But yeah, I think taking time and not being afraid of because I would then see other people posting their podcast and be like, oh my God, I'm glad like fuck like yeah, I have to can I hear something? Yeah, you kind of pick up. You say whatever so much. Yeah, I get like really anxious for like posting things. Maybe I should I should be posting as well. Yeah, I'm gonna be left behind people are going to forget. We're going to lose our traction. It's like it's fine. If people are there for it. They're there for them. They'll just pick up where they because naturally like say vote Vogue magazine or any sort of magazine and I'm using that as like a an example that comes out monthly or weekly and some some weeks. You don't get it and some once you don't get it. Just like man. I'm actually getting another magazine. That's okay. That's okay to fall off of something and then like jump back on. Yeah, so I think it's it's about not having that sort of and I know it's I'm still dealing with it. So I don't have fully have the answers right for me at the moment. I'm just not fighting against taking time, but I still got what you mean about like, okay. I have to have this weekly and like going on to you like wake up one day. You're like I'm gonna have a lion And then you wake up and you've seen that someone has already gone to two meetings that they can't talk about it and yeah finished two meetings to yeah. Yeah and like it's like it didn't I do it. Yeah. It's in Trend to be busy it is so when you take even even when you are working really hard you feel like you're not working hard enough on it's like it's fully this online social media Trend that if you do it because we use maybe our Instagrams or whatever as our CV we want to be seen that we're like really booked up constantly honest. Yeah booked in busy and here doing bits baby. Yeah. Yeah. It's yeah, it's definitely like a pressure but I think that that's like the plus and also the negative that comes with Instagram is that it's so accessible and you can just go onto someone's page and like oh cool. This is what you do, but like you're not busy. Yeah. I'm I'm not trying to toot my own horn, but loads of bits that I do that I just don't post on Instagram because I feel like The work speaks for itself, but also quite shy. Yeah. I'm quite a shy person which is weird because you'll see we have your like I'm everything I wear and how I dress is really loud. Yeah blue eyebrows right now. Yeah, but I'm actually quite a like shy socially awkward person. And and I think that's yeah. That's just how I am with Instagram as well. I like to I don't I don't I say I hide behind some of Some projects, but definitely when I'm in facilitatory rolls, I prefer to let the other person shine and take that. Yeah that space. Yeah, which I love doing that. So yeah, I don't know. I don't have the answers for you know, but that's it's just the conversation, you know? No, but I feel like I'm still thinking about that question. I'm like, what do you do when you're feeling blocks? Yeah, because it does feel like like someone asked it in the audience the other night at the creative Island thing which by the questions that were so nice because I've recently I've been doing loads of panels where this adults in the audience and whenever people put that up there Hannah move this like yeah. Yeah, of course, you can no it's fine. You can even take it off if you want to recently I've been doing panels. I'm gonna go recently I'm doing doing panels where the audience is mostly adults and it and even when I went See Naomi Klein people who put their hand up. They were just trying to show the information that they had, you know, you know like in school when people do that or is phone Buzz words around. Yeah, like hi. I'm this from this like organization like obviously, that's great but then like statistic and it's like well, where's your question, you know or just was like, what do you think of that? But at the creative creative Ireland event, which is actually really well run and thank you to the people who organized it and there was it was freed tickets for In to 21 year olds, but it was mostly people who are like 16 17 dope. So there are actually wanting to know the answers to the questions. And one of the questions was from a young girl and she was like she was doing loads of work while she was in school, which I think is amazing because I was never like that. You know, she was like kids have so much energy. I say that like we're a little know what was it like kids have so much. I don't understand it's brilliant and I think she was like running a deep up and then she was also trying to do these like videos. Hunting I know she was like but I'm like feeling really tired and blocked and I was like, well, I'm feeling the exact same to wonder you are a few doing. Yeah things that's the thing is that like this expectation that we have of ourselves is so humongous. And I don't know if that comes from like like capitalism. We're working, you know, like yeah, I know it does. Yeah, but I think we know it does. Yeah, I think in deep in all of us, we know that this is not how we're meant to be living and I also know that I think it's as well as that like we all want these things to be our job that we make a living off and that we can survive off and so we were like constantly like chasing our Tails. Just trying to get to that point where we can leave whatever like even like college or even yeah, whatever job that like pays your bills to manual labor to the other. Yeah ping and I like I feel like that's where the I'm busy. I'm busy. Busy thing comes from because most of the time when I'm online, I'm like, I'm busy. It's actually because I have to go into work. Yeah things before that, you know so busy, I've loved it. Yeah same but for me when it's like oh, I'm so busy. It's because I've left everything to the last minute. Yeah, like now I have to do everything today. If I don't do everything today. I need to go to Tesco and he's your future by need to dye my hair blond again. I need to do my roots. Um, yeah, I know you like so I got so busy, so, Well, I think we'll finish it there. Is there anything that you would like to direct to your Instagram and projects? Yeah. Sure. My Instagram is shukra my heart. I have like a thing with Irish words. I don't know. What yeah. Well, they're gorgeous. Yeah, Sugar Mama. Yeah, SheiKra my heart I see. Are you see or a what's up underscore underscore? Hey Ma. Thi Orry, I think I kind of know I'll link it in the description and then the other project that I definitely direct POC and black and queer people to follow is Origins Allah, which yeah, I left dormant for so long on the Instagram but was doing loads of bits on it. So you'll do well. Yeah. Yeah, but I only just like started posting pictures on em, like I guess I should put things on that. I feel like there needs to be some other alternative platform. Yeah. Instagram, yeah, because I feel like it's going to crash and burn. Well, it's it'll be so powerful. It's because even though my treating it like a portfolio or archival. Yeah thing and if it like crash tomorrow not even like oh like to do with numbers like, oh I wouldn't get booked for things. I genuinely want to have proof of things. I've done. Yeah. I think I need to like start a website or there needs to be something where I have. I just need to get a hard drive and put everything on that harder and be like, oh, well you this is the back of ya if this yeah sales. Yeah, well do that. Let's see that absolutely Ailee Ailee Ailee is on Mixcloud. You can find it. It's easy father ALU father and make squared and the same on Instagram. He father ALU father on Instagram or on Facebook as well, but I don't use yeah neither. Am I don't you we're also on Twitter. Yeah. Our Twitter is like a bit of a hole for me. Okay, that's it could be don't look at her. Yeah. Well, you know what fuck bars. So yes people of the - yeah, and thank you so much for listening guys. And sorry for all the ASMR me chewing that delicious brownies. Thank you, sir. And thank you too deep up for letting me interview everyone and also being great to me. Thank you. That's my bills. Thank you for coming. Thank you, even though it's lashing rain and you know gorgeous I'm sad that I didn't film you just for your look. No, it's fine and trust me. This is like hiding an array of of things. Okay. Bye guys. Hi.
Starting out as a photographer Karen Miano has always had sights on the bigger picture. Named as one of the People To Watch in 2018 in the media category of the Irish Times & GCN, their entrepreneurial work to date has always been to uplift their community. In 2015 Karen started working with musician, producer & filmmaker Sal Stapleton (aka Bad Bones) they interned with Goldmoth Media as an assistant then working as a web designer & producer for small commercial projects and music videos. Making the switch from film & design to the music industry was an easy transition as Karen grew up with musician’s in their friend group and regularly offered advice and oversight they have also worked as artist liaison with festivals such as Body & Soul, Electric Picnic & stage managed the trenchtown EP stages. 2016 saw Karen managing Blackfish Collective & Tour Managing Bad Bones. With Blackfish winning AFROPUNK’S (2018) highly sought after slot in London, they are currently roundhouse resident artists. After a stint as Bad Bones manager they made the move to tour manager. Both have since started a co-op record label DIAxDEM with Karen acting as A&R and management, they also DJ under the pseudonym KARMA all of their sets are a conscious effort to play 87% sonics/tracks with poc or queer artists. In early 2017 Karen started the inception of GXRLCØDE with partner Mona Lxsa, working on the branding launch event and name. Seeing the importance in seeing themselves represented the small but pivotal decision was taken to play on gender and wording hence GXRLCØDE... Autumn of 2017 they started radio training in RTÉ with hopes of starting a show on rté Pulse with GXRLCØDE, with family issues taking precedent on one of the members the show fell through - Karen has used this knowledge to start Éalú (escape in Irish) With nearly 10 years of creative work behind them, outspoken, unequivocal, resourceful, and empathetic in their approach to community work through arts, Karen Miano is a creative with a focus on inclusion and uplifting marginalised voices. 