Between 2019-2021, I blogged about the creative process and the business of being an artist. I did my best to cram-jam my posts filled with useful tools, tips and hacks and straight-up honesty from my own point of view.
My focus was figuring out how we can overcome our creative blocks, actually finish our projects and earn money from our art. I also shared the work of Black and Global Majority artists.
Take a look around or see the posts by categories: creative process, self-producing, artist life hacks, artist series. I hope you find something useful here.
I heard an apocryphal tale from a fellow writer, that when Ottessa Moshfegh, author of My Year of Rest and Relaxation, was broke and wanted to write a book that would make her money, she purchased a book about writing books and followed its method. That book, Eileen, won the Man Booker Prize.
Read MoreNina Bowers is an actor & theatre maker, now based in London & raised in Ottowa, Canada.
”I make plays and things mostly related to escapism rooted in afrofuturist ideas and aesthetics. I spend the day writing, researching, and procrastinating.”
The saving grace for me right now is the good weather in London.
Daffodils and crocuses have pushed through the earth. We've got daylight beyond until almost 8pm. And the temperature is above 10 degrees.
Sorry to open with a paragraph on the weather, but really it's having a HUGE impact on my mood.
“Drag is about breaking rules! If you are only seeking out the queens from Drag Race, you are missing the real magic of drag.”
ShayShay (they/them) is a nightlife producer, drag artist, writer and director working across theatre, queer cabaret and shows for children and families.They are also one of the founders of Pan-Asian cabaret collective The Bitten Peach. They’ve lived and worked in London for 7 years but grew up in the Bay Area of California & studied at UCSD.
Read MoreTheatre animals, performers, creators of live performance I’m talking to YOU.
Do you feel frustrated because while you’ve got the artistic skills, ideas and desire to share your work with audiences and earn money for your art, you find yourself totally flummoxed as to how to make it happen?
Helena Almeida is a Sound Designer & Location Recordist based in London UK, originally from Lisbon, Portugal. She studied at Goldsmiths and is inspired by a range of multidisciplinary artists and forms.
I asked her some questions!
Read MoreI get emailed frequently from artists grappling with IMPOSTER SYNDROME and how to overcome it so they move into the careers and lives they desire.
Read MoreGboyega Odubanjo is a poet and Creative Writing PhD student at the University of Hertfordshire, now based in Dagenham in London, UK.
I asked him some questions!
Let's talk about how depressing this time of year is. Good grief.
I've been reflecting on what I know I can do to keep my spirits up.
If you're struggling with malaise or glumness these days, here's a grab bag of tools that work for me.
Read MoreJanisè Sadik is an actor, director and creative facilitator currently based in South East London, with a rich portfolio of work.
I asked Janisè some questions!
I think SM is a slippery fish. It can be a great way to promote your work, connect with audiences or fellow creators, but it is also the source of MUCH suffering!
The suffering takes many forms…
In my forthcoming book there’s a scene in which I improvise a monologue about a bad date for an improv comedy show. My fellow performers pull some of the things I mentioned as fodder for scenes.
To quote myself, “Seeing my foibles reflected through this comedic prism makes me weep with laughter from the backline. They genuinely make light of it all, and this lifts my spirits tremendously.”
Read MoreHarveen Sandhu is a professional actor and environmental and sustainability educator of Punjabi descent. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya and is now based in Ottawa, Canada where she has just finished her Masters in Education.
First off - if you’re needing to read something positive and beautiful in the midst of everything going on, here’s Harveen…
I had a realisation recently.
I'd been rejected from a competition I'd applied to, where the winner would have had their one-person show turned into a Netflix special. What a dream! I'd love to do that with 'The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale.' I was feeling bummed.
Read MoreHoward J. Davis, aka HAUI, is a diverse multidisciplinary entrepreneur of many artistic trades, including performing, directing, design & visual arts. A graduate of Ryerson Theatre School (2014), he has worked with companies such as the Shaw Festival of Canada, Native Earth Performing Arts, Cahoots Theatre as well as in film and television.
Read MoreMy Mum, Donna Penrose, is a scientist. Between her early twenties through her fifties, she worked in all sorts of labs, and earned a PhD in Molecular Biology.
Not long ago she was talking about scientific work and what makes a scientist. It struck me that the key ingredient to a successful career in science, is applicable to those of us in the arts.
Read MoreNorman Yeung is a writer, actor and visual artist working cross-media. Born in Guangzhou, China, he was raised in Canada and is now based between Los Angeles, Toronto and East Vancouver. He holds a BFA in Theatre/Acting from University of British Columbia and a BFA (Honours) in Film Studies from Ryerson University.
Read MoreI hate asking for help. I get tense and uncomfortable. Not only do I not like to admit my own fallibility, I struggle to trust anyone else to do what I want, how I want.
This mindset makes life (ostensibly) more in my control, but getting sh*t done is slow, arduous and overwhelming.
Beau Dixon is an actor, playwright, sound designer, music director and all round renaissance man currently based in Peterborough, Canada. He’s almost certain that “theatre can prove to us that race is a myth and true art can save lives.” I asked Beau some questions!
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