Our Success Lies in Soft Strengths
On Our Demise
“The report of my death was an exaggeration.”
.Much has been written about the impact that millennials are having in interfering with established patterns of work and leisure. If you were to believe it, you would think that millennials (defined by the Pew Research Center as those born between 1977 and 1992) are the most lazy, destructive, and economically irresponsible generation - at least until Gen Z's take over.
Whilst this may make for great clickbait, the truth is for more complex. Humans have been whining about young people since at least Aristotle. I imagine Homo neanderthalensis parents shaking their heads at the bizarre and disruptive behaviour of their child using a hand drill to create a fire. Millenials behave just like any other generation did according to their age. Take this 18th-century letter for example.
“Whither are the manly vigour and athletic appearance of our forefathers flown? Can these be their legitimate heirs? Surely, no; a race of effeminate, self-admiring, emaciated fribbles can never have descended in a direct line from the heroes of Potiers and Agincourt...
”
While hyperbole sells, there is no denying that we are struggling to understand the impacts of our progress and frame the legacy being left for future generations to wrestle with. The internet was to be the great democratizing influence, but once the revolution became "televised" (computerized), it became commodified. There is always a way to make a dollar, and entrepreneurs jumped on to this new platform to make their fortunes, causing changing patterns of consumption and interaction. As circumstances drastically changed, anxiety emerged.
Tristan Harris, co-founder the Center for Humane Technology and Silicon Valley critic, argues, "Technology feels disempowering because we haven’t built it around an honest view of human nature."
We suffer, not from a lack of information, but from an overabundance of it and the choices we make regarding where we direct our attention. Social media algorithms measure clicks, not quality. As Harris points out, outrage gets the most clicks, which then puts more of those same types of posts at the top of our feeds.
We lack the time and mental space to begin to sift through the deluge of information assailing us as companies battle to fill our waking moments with promotion for, and use of, their products. Our reach and our grasp are not always in synch and millennials are at the forefront.
Source: whymillennialsmatter.com
A Reflection on Time
Any day immersed in the endless news cycle has us encounter stories that would measure up against classic dramatic works of ancient Greece. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the dot-com bubble, Enron, The Arab Spring, Brexit, the 2008 crash - millennials are all too aware of how mercurial borders, governments, finances, property, and security truly is. The stock market is an interesting barometer for the psychology of the West. Nowadays, the market is a playground for High-Frequency Traders, people who will knock down mountains or relocate servers by mere feet in order to trade one-millionth of a second faster. Fortunes are fleeting.
Companies such as Facebook and Netflix have created their own culture, language, and lifestyle patterns to the point that their primary competitor is now sleep - and sleep is losing.
When asked about whether he thought that social media was changing the way we are interacting too fast. Tristan Harris states,
"This is an interesting thing too about changing too fast. There’s these dimensions to being human and one dimension, per your point about too fast, is clock rate. If we start breathing at a slower rate, speak at a slower rate, being here with each other, that’s very different than if I just dial that thing way up to 10X that. Things start to fall off the rails when you’re going really fast.
This is one of the things that I’m kind of worried about — human animals, when dialed up past certain boundaries of speed, make poor choices."
It is worthwhile considering "millennial anxiety" as uncertainty over the future to which we are rushing and the implications of the society we are constructing.
Lost Skills...
Manpower Group conducted research across 25 countries with millennials and hiring managers and found that millennials' aims and behaviours are not necessarily at odds with employers' needs. However, how they define ideals such as workplace engagement, career enhancement, and company loyalty may look slightly different in this faster-paced world. It is no wonder therefore that millennials exhibit different patterns of behaviour, preference, and consumption. We are struggling to keep up with gadgets and diversions and the companies trying to generate them. We are the employees of those very companies and consumers of these products. This is requiring educators and employers to change in turn.
Employers are reporting feeling dissatisfied with millennials due to patterns of behaviour: inability to empathize, poor communication skills, mental illness, an abundance or lack of confidence, ingratitude, an absence of accountability, disrespect for authority, lack of professionalism, and resistance to hands-on management or team-work.
Now consider what Google discovered about its employees. By prioritizing "hard" (STEM) skills in its employment practices, Google discovered it was lacking in some very essemtial areas,
"In 2013, Google decided to test its hiring hypothesis by crunching every bit and byte of hiring, firing, and promotion data accumulated since the company’s incorporation in 1998. Project Oxygen shocked everyone by concluding that, among the eight most important qualities of Google’s top employees, STEM expertise comes in dead last. The seven top characteristics of success at Google are all soft skills: being a good coach; communicating and listening well; possessing insights into others (including others different values and points of view); having empathy toward and being supportive of one’s colleagues; being a good critical thinker and problem solver; and being able to make connections across complex ideas"
After years of telling future employees that they must prioritize competency in "practical" STEM areas over the humanities (languages, literature, history, philosophy, ethics, the arts), we have created a major problem. Instead of blaming millennials for doing exactly what they have been trained to do, sloughing off those "unnecessary" and "impractical" skills that wouldn't contribute to (or indeed might hinder) a lucrative career and lush lifestyle, we must take a sober look at the monster we stitched together and shocked into animation.
This starts with the acknowledgment that prioritizing hard skills and devaluing soft ones does a disservice to employees, workplaces, and to the public in order to rectify the situation. Instead of attempting to keep up with computers, we must specialize in things computers cannot do. As Kamenetz wrote, "computers’ strengths lie in speed and accuracy, while humans’ strengths are all about flexibility" and therefore humans should be focussing on:
1. Solving problems without structure, where rules do not exist.
2. Discovering, collecting, and interpreting new information and deciding what is relevant, connecting concepts.
3. Physical work without routine or structure (Note: these are often categorized as "unskilled" jobs).
4. Being human - empathy, touch, creative expression, expressing emotion, vulnerability.
We remediate this shortfall by re-introducing these skills into schools and enrolling young people in programs that teach these skills. In the meantime, adults in the workforce benefit from training to stregthen these skills.
Source: https://studentloanhero.com/
Remedial Roadmap
This is where I get excited as Vibrance specialises in teaching these skills. With us, clients of all ages build an awareness of self and of others in order to ensure success in the following.
Intrapersonal Skills
• self-awareness
• emotional regulation
Source: http://medicalfuturist.com
• self-confidence
• initiative
• managing mental health and stress
• taking responsibility
• resilience
Interpersonal Skills
• communication (non-verbal and verbal) and listening
• body language
• workplace etiquette
• accepting feedback and criticism
• problem-solving
• relationship building
The Big Picture
We are out-innovating our laws and ethics. Places of innovation are in a race for profit at the expense of quality of life - for both employees and users. As Lunshof, an ethicist at Harvard Medical School’s Department of Genetics argues,
"in biology — the science of living systems — there are no definite answers. At most, there are lines in the sand that are washed away by the next wave of discovery. The theoretical ethics quest for deep answers is slow, remote from and outpaced by the developments at the bench. One practical solution is to bring the philosophy and ethics toolbox to the floor of the lab itself, to the point where the lines begin to be drawn in the first place."
Google discovered its most valuable skills were “soft” skills, not STEM. communication, problem solving, team work, company vision, taking the long view, empathy. These skills added great value to their workplaces. Employers now complain that Millennial employees are lacking these exact skills. We are doing future generations and humankind a disservice by trying to have them embody the processes of technological tools instead of teaching mastery - and excel at doing the things computers cannot. There are, therefore, a myriad of reasons to have philosophers, artists, linguists, historians and those who bring well-developed inter- and intrapersonal skills back to work.
References and Further Reading
Here Is When Each Generation Begins and Ends, According to Facts
Here's Why The Dot Com Bubble Began And Why It Popped
High-frequency trading: when milliseconds mean millions
The origins of the financial crisis
11 Reasons Talented Millennials Get Fired
Top 11 Reasons Millennials Are Getting Fired
21 Things Millennials Are Doing Pathetically Wrong
The Four Things People Can Still Do Better Than Computers
'Psychologically scarred' millennials are killing countless industries from napkins to Applebee's
Millennials Are Over. It's Gen Z's Turn To Ruin Everything
The Five R’s of Engaging Millennial Students
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings: Sleep Is Our Competition
How technology is designed to bring out the worst in us
Why is Simon Sinek Adding to the Millenial Myth?
The 14 Most Destructive Millennial Myths Debunked by Data
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
Five Essential Skills When Preparing a Presentation
Whether you are preparing to give the only presentation you will ever have to do in your life or presentations are an integral part of your career, these five skills are essential for anyone preparing to speak. As you will see, each skill builds on each other, they are interconnected. By integrating these, you will be ready to give your presentation (well, writing the thing is still up to you)!
1. Be Prepared
Preparation is what makes something appear effortless. The worst mistake people make is thinking they can fake it through a presentation. If you find yourself resistant to preparation and rehearsal, the reason behind your struggle may just be the exact reason you need to take it seriously.
When preparing, also rehearse what you will do if something unexpected occurs. Practice taking a breath, looking around the room, and have a small comment or joke prepared. Be prepared for technology to fail and to carry the presentation without any bells and whistles. This is why having paper notes with you is a must.
Here is an example. If something stops working or breaks:
"Well, it appears [object] has decided to take a long weekend / go home to watch the game / join my first generation ipod in the electronics heap in my garage.
2. Say More Than Your Slides
Source: http://www.emergingedtech.com
You are not creating an audiobook or narrating a movie, YOU are the show! Your slides are merely aides, not the main attraction.
If your audience is able to see your slides, they don't require you to read them aloud. If you can organise your presentation into chunks using keywords on your notes for you to expand upon, you will be contributing much more in your role as speaker and adding true value to your audience's time and attention. This is another reason why preparation is required. Scanning your notes and speaking simultaneously requires practice. Use strategies such as different colours, large writing, and symbols to help you interpret your notes quickly.
In addition, your notes can have reminders to breathe, pause, smile, and slow down at various key moments.
3. Be Aware of Your Crutches
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (2010 - 2018)
Not only do presenters often rely on their slides, speakers may have unconcious verbal or physical habits. These may take the form of filler words such as “um,” “uh,” “so," or pacing, making the same unrelated gesture repeatedly, or leaning on the podium. If you notice yourself doing one of these, don't let it throw you. Simply take a breath and move onward. When rehearsing, record yourself so that you can see or hear your crutches and practice your presentation without them. Your habits have helped you this far, but now you are upping your game - just as a professional athlete might retrain their techniques to prevent future injury or improve power.
4. Be Concise
Source: http://resultsempowerment.com
Do you tend to speak in a flood of words when you are nervous or throw in additional tangents? Draw a straight line for your audience. Be clear on your desired outcome - by the end of your presentation what must the audience walk away with?
If you notice that you are rambling, stop, take a deep breath, smile and have something to help bring you and the audience back together.
Here is an example:
"As you can tell, I have a lot to say / many thoughts on this subject. In essence, what you need to know is... "
5. Breathe and Smile
Laurel and Hardy
You'll notice in the tips above, breathing and smiling are important aspects of helping you get back on track. However, start off right! Smiling will not only make you feel happier and more positive about the experience, it will change your voice. In return, smiling will change the way your listeners feel about you.
Breathing shallowly and becoming anxious will tighten your vocal chords and make your voice go higher. Practice diaphragmatic breathing regularly and feel your anxiety reduce, your vocal tone improve, and your voice have all the "fuel" it needs to be expressive, and heard.
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#PodcastReview: Storytelling For Adults
I am an avid listener of podcasts, be they news, business, politics, health, economics, culture, literature, education, drama, and more. Sometimes it feels as if I don't have the time to read. Therefore, I love having the opportunity to hear stories while I am doing something enjoyable, such as cleaning, organising, or cooking. Here are two that I am enjoying right now. When I don't have time to read for pleasure, I can listen!
LeVar Burton Reads
I grew up watching LeVar Burton host Reading Rainbow and perform as Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation. His is a fantastic example of a beautifully trained and unique voice, clear, expressive, authentic, and immediately recognisable. As an Actor, Director, Educator & Cofounder of the award-winning digital library for children Skybrary App, it comes as no surprise that LeVar is the face (and voice) of great literature. The first short story I listened to was "What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky" by Lesley Nneka Arimah (the fifth episode of the podcast). I was hooked.
http://www.levarburtonpodcast.com/
Tales
These are not your Disney-style fairy tales. If you like fairy stories but want to hear them in their original, great gory detail, this may be the podcast for you.
Vanessa Richardson is the co-host and researcher of several other podcast shows on the Parcast network, experienced in weaving together storytelling, voice acting, and psychology to educate and entertain listeners.
https://www.parcast.com/tales/
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
Transform Your Talk: Ten Tips
When working with clients preparing to give a presentation, we rehearse and break down the speech in detail. We also get into how best to prepare prior to the talk, how to manage unexpected things that might occur during the talk, and how to decompress afterward. Here are some general considerations to get you started:
1. Drink Water
It is important to hydrate your voice well before your talk, even more so if you are in a dry environment or tend to get a dry mouth when speaking. If you are using a microphone, it will amplify those qualities in your voice even further. A warm-up that incorporates your articulators will help to prevent tongue suction and popping. If possible, have water with you when speaking. Don't be afraid to pause at an opportune point in your presentation in order to take a drink if you need it.
2. Get Excited, Not Anxious.
When we drive a car, we don't stare at the barriers. Instead, we look where we want to go. Prior to a competition, athletes will go through every aspect of the game or course, imagining everything detail. As Vanessa Van Edwards says, "Anxiety and excitement are similar emotions the only difference is mindset." Focus on where you want to go, on how exciting this opportunity is. Instead of thinking, "I have to do this" change your mindset into "I get to do this!"
3. Channel Your Nerves
While waiting, move your body. Walk, shake out your hands, contract and release your muscles without movement at the joints, push against a wall. Listen to a song that gets you dancing. Use power poses
4. Breathe
Bring your awareness to your breathing and consciously drop it down into your diaphragm. If you feel adrenaline course through your body or anxiety rachet up, simply inhale for a slow count of four, exhale for a slow count of four. Inhale for a slow count of five, exhale for a slow count of five. Inhale for a slow count of six, exhale for a slow count of six. Inhale for a slow count of seven, exhale for a slow count of seven.
5. Move with Purpose
When speaking, nervous speakers will often sway or pace or gesticulate in ways that are distracting. It's a good idea to video yourself in order to notice your "tells." A good strategy is the "rule of three" sometimes used in theatre.If you notice that you are repeating a gesture more than three times, you are not supporting your words. Instead, walk a "map" of your ideas. When making a new point, walk to a new spot. If getting personal or driving a point home, walk toward the audience. If the room needs to breathe, or you are speaking more universally, put greater space between yourself and the audience.
Source: http://voice-international.com/
6. Your greatest Asset is Your Voice
The quality of your voice can support the content of your talk or detract from it. Developing a voice that is expressive, powerful, and authentic is one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself. This includes the musicality of your voice, the pace with which you speak, how and where you pause, the words you emphasize, and more. The more skilled and intentional you are with your voice, the better you can craft your talk, and the more influential you are.
7. Allow People to Adjust to Your Delivery
Open your talk with a well-rehearsed opening and speak at a slightly slower pace with attention to emphasis and inflection. This will give the audience time to "tune their ear" to the sound of your voice and any accent differences between you.
Pictured: Artiz Aduriz
8. The Audience Wants You to Succeed
Remember that each person in the audience took the time to show up to see your talk. They want you to do well. Few speakers are their best if they perceive the audience as antagonists. Come in with an energy of welcome, high regard, and excitement. Put your focus on them instead of your nervousness and you will transform as a speaker.
9. Allow For the Unexpected
No matter how much you rehearse, allow there to be room for something to happen. Technical glitches, or tripping over your own feet doesn't have to be embarrassing or a "loss of face," it can be an opportunity. Have a joke ready or be prepared to ad lib. The audience might take it as an opportunity to relax.
10. Be Prepared To Be Done.
It is a skillful speaker who has a decompression strategy in place. A presentation will take a lot of energy and may stir up anxiety - which will lead to a crash. You may also experience a lot of emotions stirred up inside you. Have something set up beforehand such as a debrief with a trusted friend, sit down and write a reflection, go for a walk, or sit in a hot tub or bath. Take some deep breaths, shake out your hands.
Sources And Further Reading:
A TED speaker coach shares 11 tips for right before you go on stage
Does body language help a TED Talk go viral? 5 nonverbal patterns from blockbuster talks
You Are Contagious - Vanessa Van Edwards
Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are - Amy Cuddy
Is Your Voice Ruining Your Life? - Roger Love
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#CreativeInnovative with Lee Su-Feh: Yielding, Dissolving, Fighting, and Dancing Within Inquiry
Lee Su-Feh on Creating, Communicating, and Encountering the Humanity of Others
This is the sixth in a regular series of blog posts in which I speak with exciting artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs exploring how their creative skills have enabled them to do incredible things in their personal and professional lives.
You can find all of these interviews by searching for the tag #CreativeInnovative.
Lee Su-Feh, Still from the film Migrant Bodies, Dir. Laura Bari
Lee Su-Feh is a force of nature. Until December 2017, we have been two ships passing in the night in the “real world” but we operate in some of the same circles. I avidly follow her online and come to her for advice. I am lucky to consider her a mentor and friend. In December, we finally had the opportunity to sit down together and our discussion ranged over the personal, the political, the artistic, and several other topics we won't divulge here.
"The notion that you can make a go of anything all by yourself is a capitalist myth. You are who you are because of others"
Photographer: Joerg Letz
F: Lee Su-Feh, you has a remarkable background in children’s theatre, traditional Malay dance, contemporary dance, contact improvisation, and martial arts, and your career is a neverending cycle of shows, projects, accolades, and collaborations. You have also recently been touring your latest show, Dance Machine. This work consists of a kinetic sculpture, formed by sticks of bamboo suspended from a copper disk, creating an immersive space in which the public is invited to work with the artists, becoming collaborators and mindful participates in cause and effect, play and rest. Oh, and you are an Instructor in the Theatre program at Simon Fraser University where you teach voice.
LSF: You should write my bios from now on!!!
F: Well, I try my best! Now it's your turn to tell me a bit about yourself - what about your training in the arts?
LSF: I did Chinese martial arts as a kid, when I was 11-12. Not a lot. But enough to awaken something in my body, something about the pleasure moving my body, training. When I was 15 or 16, I joined a children’s theatre class led by Janet Pillai, who is now an award-winning arts activist, recognized for her work in cultural mapping. We learned traditional South-East Asian forms like Pencak Silat (martial arts), Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry), and became part of a larger questioning of what it meant to create contemporary Asian performance out of the debris of colonialism, half-remembered traditions and sitting in the interstices of multiple cultures and languages. We created work and toured across the country. Through this experience of Teater Kanak-kanak, I met my first dance teacher, Marion D’Cruz, from whom I learned traditional Malay dance as well as Western contemporary dance. These lessons took place in the basement of a place called The Temple of Fine Arts, which was a temple honouring Krishna as well as a school for Indian classical dance and music. So I was immersed in Bharatanatyam, Odissi and Kathak, even though I never studied those forms. My first performance in public with Marion D’Cruz and Dancers was a dance from the East Coast of Malaysia called Timang Burung; and we performed it amid a show filled with Indian classical dance with The Temple of Fine Arts. All this is to impress upon you the plurality of approaches, aesthetics and culture that surrounded my entry into the arts. Janet, Marion and Krishen Jit, Marion’s late husband and a notable theatre critic, historian and director in the region, were my teachers and mentors; and they eventually founded, along with others, Five Arts Centre, which remains a provocative arts organization in Malaysia. This hotbed of cultural activity which also grappled with post-colonial politics really set the foundation for me as an artist. I think how I see the world and how I approach performance has been formed by this period. I eventually left Malaysia to go to Paris to study contemporary dance. And eventually ended up in Vancouver, where I continued learning new skills (more Chinese martial arts, more dance, contact improv), but always, always wrestling for my sense of self while being acutely conscious of how power structures play on my body.
F: How Has your art/training taken you to other places? What are some of the most interesting locations you have experienced?
LSF: Lots of places. Lots of complex relationships to different places. Two examples: Paris for being an incubator of my western contemporary dance ideas, and where I awoke to being othered by white society. Manitoulin island recently for showing me a glimpse into Anishnaabeg ways of being and artmaking as an alternative to settler-colonial ways.
Lee Su-Feh and Benoit Lachambre, Body Scan, 2010
F: Many of your projects are collaborative and call on your ability to communicate. What are the benefits and challenges of collaboration?
LSF: Collaboration invites you to expand your knowledge - of yourself, of your collaborators and of the form you are engaged in. Any kind of growth is often also painful and involves judgement, a dissolving of who you think you are, a constant question of whether you yield to new knowledge or to take a stand and fight for your (tenuous) beliefs.
F: How did you decide to take your art in this direction?
LSF: I’m not sure it was a decision. The notion that you can make a go of anything all by yourself is a capitalist myth. You are who you are because of others - humans and non-humans. I usually choose to work with people who I think I have something to learn from.
F: Did this require you to take on additional training or did you encounter any learning curves?
LSF: Choreography requires communication skills - listening deeply, speaking honestly, while taking care of everyone’s humanity. Maybe my history as a marginalized, racialized person has contributed to my skills in this department. But as I encounter new knowledge and new areas of my ignorance, I also become inspired to learn new skills. Contact improvisation, voice, new ways of dancing...
F: What drives you in your work?
LSF: My questions. About myself, about my relationship to the world, about my relationship to the sacred.
F: How do you create? From where do you draw your inspiration?
LSF: Usually, the spark of a new project comes from the unfolding of the previous project. For example, the beginning of my current project Dance Machine was 8 years ago and began as simply an inquiry into the energetic relationship between the human body and inanimate objects. This question came out of working on a piece called Body Scan with the Montreal choreographer Benoit Lachambre, where we worked a lot with fabrics and texture and sensation. I really loved the energetic quality of the costume designer we worked with, Alexandra Bertaut and proposed to her that we explored some things together. I proposed that she do my physical practice, which was deeply informed by Qigong and martial arts, and then see if she could respond by making objects. I would then live with those objects for a period of time and see what came out of my body as a response to those objects. It was during this period of living with the objects - which were fabric based, with personal objects of mine knitted and woven into them - that I went into the studio with my friend and colleague, the choreographer and dancer Justine Chambers. For about a week, we hung the objects up with fishing line, made very shoddy pulley systems and the beginning idea of an environment that was attached somehow to the dancer emerged. After that, I invited a designer/architect Jesse Garlick to help us actually build it. Along the way, I also started to want it to address a whole bunch of concerns - political, social, and underneath it all, my questions about what it means to dance. Anyway, this is a long story. But the gist of it is that works don’t usually pop out of anyone’s head fully formed. I’m usually looking to ask the most interesting question possible and then to construct a process that can lead me to an even more interesting question at the end of that process. Repeat as often as necessary.
You can follow Lee Su-Feh and her work through her company website, Battery Opera, her blog, and on her Twitter page.
We can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#WritingWednesday What Can We Learn from Standup?
The other day I began watching Pete Holmes' comedy special Faces and Sounds on HBO. Sometimes I will play something in the background as sound to mask other, the more distracting central air, refrigerator, and old house noises. Pete Holmes quickly had my full attention. His incredible facial reactions and self-deprecating humour won me over. Something that is unique about his special in this era of Chappelle, Silverman, Minaj, Maron, Hart, Schumer ... and that is how clean his comedy was. I love shock controversy, I love comedy, but sometimes it's refreshing to find laughter in something that doesn't require me to throw my relatives out of the room beforehand.
Something He Said Stayed With Me:
"I'm a silly, silly fun boy, right?"
Well, that was so adorable I perked up and stopped working in order to listen.
"And one of the reasons is I've recalibrated my brain to reward me for the things I am doing, not the things I could be doing. And that's what I think you should do, that's one of the keys to happiness, love yourself for the things you are doing, not the things you could be doing [....] I don't mess with my joy quota [....] you gotta keep an eye on your joy quota"
This got me thinking about my own "joy quota." When do I intentionally gift myself moments of pleasure with intention and fully experiencing them in order to make a deposit into my joy account and truly allowing myself to laugh or feel joyful.
I sat down and tried to come up with a few:
- Getting silly with my husband and giggling until my face hurts
- My father-in-law's deceptively outrageous sense of humour
- Shuffling my bare feet through carpet
- Listening to this guy's ridiculous laugh (at 1:08:48)
- Sitting in a hot tub, or better yet, attending a traditional Korean bath/spa
- Creating art with my hands
- Stretching in bed following a rare, long, deep sleep
- Reading for pleasure
- Listening to the 2 Dope Queens podcast
- Standup comedy by Aparna Nancherla and Issa Rae
- Thomas Haden Church in Divorce
- Stephen Merchant in Hello Ladies
- Pete Holmes in Crashing
- Eugene Levy, his son Dan Levy, and Catherine O'Hara in Schitt's Creek
I love looking at these photos because I don't often get to see myself in the midst of experiencing joy. Not a posed selfie representation, but being captured in the midst of a spontaneous reaction. It reminds me that the right people bring out the best in me.
Standup comedy has a lot to teach writers of all persuasions. Most comedians are writers first and foremost, sweating over the wording of each joke in preparation for bringing those jokes to the stage and utilising body language, pace, pauses, pitch, inflection, emphasis, and a range of public speaking skills to connect with the audience and create a performance.
Comedians train themselves to be observers and writers - both requiring attention to detail. They typically look to their own experiences and interactions as raw material. They listen closely to how people speak in real life and record dialogue to use later. They understand that simply changing the order that information is given or the order of words will change something from an anecdote to an act.
Comedians must also understand human behaviour. In observing the world around them, in crafting their jokes, and in connecting with their audiences their comedy is only as good as their ability to "get it". Is anything as immediate as the feedback one gets from a set in front of an audience? While I have never done a standup as a comedian, in the course of MCing I have written and performed sets designed to elicit laughter. It can really be hit or miss at times, a joke that I have been gloating over is met with silence in the room. Something I throw out there off the top of my head requires me to pause and wait for the laughter to die down. Even in the course of conversation, notice what seems to just "work."
Comedy is about understanding the mechanics of what makes something funny in that language, which also incorporates an understanding of cultural and contextual nuance. Moroccan-French Comedian Gad Elmaleh is a celebrity in Europe who played to sold-out arena shows. Growing up in Morroco, Elmaleh speaks Arabic, French, and Hebrew. He decided to create a career in America, in English, which meant starting over.
Elmaleh made a film "10 Minutes in America," documenting his experience. The film explores how comedy doesn't translate, it is much more than simply transferring each word into the new language, jokes must be crafted from the ground up.
Comedians Must Have Deep Knowledge of:
- Language - including puns, turns of phrase, and the mechanics of what makes something funny
- Body language and facial expressions
- Verbal gesticulations - a well-placed sound can put an audience in stitches
- Cultural sensibilities - including cliches and stereotypes
- Specific audience - the community, the venue, the night
Writing Practice
A. Exercise 1:
This week, listen and/or watch some comedians and play close attention to their set-ups and wording. Better yet, compare a comedian telling the same joke during a different performance. Notice how the order of words are changed in order to become more effective jokes or how segues evolve to better introduce the new subject matter.
B. Exercise 2:
- Pick a short personal story that you like or have told to friends and family.
- Write it out, aiming for around 250 words.
- Now use 100 words to tell the story.
- Then tell it in 50 words.
- Now 25 words.
- Write it using 140 characters.
Achieving a full stand-up routine is so difficult because a successful set is so condensed. Amateur comedians (and writers) often have extraneous detail that derails the joke, lowers the energy, or occludes the narrative. Learning to generate material and then filter and compress it is a powerful skill. Learning to be concise and to choose each word for its ability to convey meaning will transform your writing.
C. Exercise 3:
Pick a story out of the newspaper and cast yourself in the story. For example, a government turns into a metaphor for a dysfunctional family, a silly local incident becomes something your cousin did, an episode involving a celebrity mirrors something you have done. Do not try to be funny, just go for 10.
Further Resources
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#CreativeInnovative with Aliya Griffin: Deeply Personal and Universally Resonant Theatre
Aliya Griffin on Creating Fearless Political Art and Refusing to be the Conventional Entrepreneur-Artist
This is the fifth in a regular series of blog posts in which I speak with exciting artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs exploring how their creative skills have enabled them to do incredible things in their personal and professional lives.
You can find all of these interviews by searching for the tag #CreativeInnovative.
Aliya Griffin
Aliya Griffin and I first met in 2004. We quickly became friends and spent several years together studying and training at Simon Fraser University. Aliya was studying a joint major in Theatre Performance and Political Science. This was fascinating to me and, in introducing me to the forgotten stories of people and the hidden power structures that underlie things we take for granted around the globe, she challenged a lot of my assumptions about global politics and the role that theatre could play in speaking to the wounds of the world and amplifying voices that often go unheard. Aliya's work is unique, reflecting the influences of her Ukranian heritage and her political conscience. Uncompromising in her vision, Aliya isn't afraid to tackle the biggest of ideas and most challenging of material - true stories, fragments of the historical record, deconstructing our global consciousness.
F: Tell me a little about your experience in the arts.
"See Him"
A: I grew up immersed in the arts. I took piano lessons from age 4 to 12 and participated in Ukrainian Dance from age 4 to 15. Music and singing was always a part of my life, and I sang in choirs, took voice lessons, and eventually started a vocal trio with my step-sister and a friend called Vostok that specializes in (mostly) a cappella music from Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I also have been acting from a young age. I toured the lower mainland with numerous "issued-based" productions through the Vancouver Youth Theatre throughout high school. This along with my parent's political involvement is where the seeds were planted for my political and socially engaged theatre. I then studied theatre performance as SFU while also getting a joint major in Political Science, and now I am currently pursuing my masters in Arts for Social Change also as SFU. I've also created, produced, and directed a number of pieces through my small independent company, the Troika Collective.
F: You are based in Vancouver, BC. Has your theatre taken you to other places?
A: So far, no, but I certainly hope the skills I've learned in facilitating socially engaged theatre creation will take me to new communities across Canada and beyond. My trio Vostok is also hoping to take a trip to Ukraine to immerse ourselves in the culture and train in traditional vocal forms. Inevitably this will also result in some research for potential Troika Collective productions as well.
F: That's an exciting opportunity to deepen your work! You have created some incredible projects, many of which are collaborative and call on your ability to communicate. What are the benefits and challenges of collaboration?
A: Collaboration undoubtedly creates richer and more complex works of art. In the west we have long been caught up in the idea of the "lone genius" as the model of an excellent artist. But I think the most important role of art, especially in this fraught world, is to help understand the "other" and to foster empathy. This exploration of "otherness" inherently requires different voices and perspectives in dialogue with one another. Great art to me is that which is simultaneously deeply personal and universally resonant, and the only way to create this is through deep collaboration with others. That being said, having your values, your ideas, and your aesthetics challenged and interrogated can be incredibly difficult and uncomfortable, but it is, in my opinion, a vital part of collaboration and thus art creation.
Natashas R Us
F: How did you decide to take your art in this direction?
A: In some ways, it was inevitable. Coming from the deeply political background that I did, I don't think I could have ever been satisfied with "conventional" theatre. In fact, despite my love of theatre, I always struggled with a feeling of the form as being somewhat "self-indulgent". Reading Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed was a big turning point for me. Not that I am a proponent of everything he says, but simply that he offered an alternative to theatre as purely a form of entertainment.
F: Did this require you to take on additional training/learning curves?
A: My masters degree in Arts for Social Change is definitely my way of more fully immersing myself in the questions of why I make art, who it's for, and how it can be used to create, well, social change.
F: What drives you in your work?
A: It is partly selfish for sure, I feel more fully alive, happier, and engaged in the world around me when I make art. But also, it is my way, however small, of trying to impact my community and the world in a positive way. I'm not a politician, nor would I want to be, and I don't have the skills to become a doctor or aid worker, but I can make art. That's what I do to give myself and others who may not have one, a voice.
F: To what extent have you been able to make your creativity work an aspect of all of your jobs?
A: In some ways, I am incredibly lucky that my "day jobs" are at least peripherally in the arts. I work as an administrator for a company that creates issue-based shows and tours them to children and youth across BC, Canada, the US, and sometimes even farther abroad. Though the work is not strictly creative, it is in aid of others people's creativity and I believe in the work they are doing to foster empathy and understanding in young people through theatre. I have never enjoyed the neoliberal "gig" economy and think that all humans (including artists) should have stability, benefits, and a pension, but until that becomes a reality across the board, I will have to have "day jobs".
F: How do you use your performance skills in undertaking “day jobs?"
A: My other work is as a front of house manager for some major theatres where I live. This work has definitely involved my skills as a performer. In the ways you'd imagine (ability to lead a group, projecting my voice to be heard over a crowd, being confident in the world of the arts). But also in other ways. Collaboration and empathy, which I learned through the arts, is incredibly useful for collect resolution between staff, between patrons, and between patrons and staff. I also happen to be the shop steward at my workplace, which definitely involves a great deal of collaboration and empathy.
F: How do you create? From where do you draw your inspiration?
A: I usually go through phases of creation. When you have to work other jobs along with creating art, you burn out quickly. Usually after a period of not making art, I will get that itch and need to create something. Since my work is theatre, and inherently involves other people, it is a big undertaking. Self-producing can also be challenging. So unlike, say, a visual artist who may have a small personal practice that they do daily, if I want to create and/or direct a piece, it usually involves a great deal of time and energy. Generally, I find myself inspired by political and historical events. I've also become VERY interested in verbatim or documentary style theatre, so I am often inspired by non-fiction books, journalist memoirs, podcasts, and documentaries.
F: Aliya, you have a remarkable biography as the founder of a theatre company, director of a myriad of theatre pieces, and a singer. For you, what are your proudest accomplishments?
F: Hmm, that's a hard one. Voices from Chernobyl (formerly Chernobyl: The Opera) was a very successful production. We managed to get critical feedback, sell out our run, and get some buzz in the community. It was also an example of the success of collaboration - being co-created with composer Elliot Vaughan. It was also my first foray into Verbatim theatre - with the text being taken from interviews in Svetlana Alexievich's book by the same name. But, I'm also quite proud of our production of "Nordost" by Torstein Buchsteiner and translated by David Tushingham. We presented the North American premiere, It's a three-woman show about the hostage-taking of a Moscow theatre in 2002 by Chechen rebels/terrorists. I was proud of the fact that we were able to offer three amazing actresses strong, complex characters to play. It told the story from the perspective of a hostage, a rebel, and a paramedic, and I felt like it was an important piece to do in these polarizing times. It truly tried to investigate and understand what drives people to do the things they do, and encourages empathy even in the most extreme circumstances. Labeling people as EVIL does not help us solve the issues of war and terrorism, we have to understand what motivates people and realize that in the correct circumstances we might be capable of terrible things ourselves. Strangely enough though, despite studying theatre and starting a theatre company, my side music project Vostok, is turning out to be quite successful. We now sing in 10 different languages and dialects from Eastern Europe and the Balkans, and we've been singing all over town at festivals and concerts.
F: How incredible that you are bringing an array of language and music to Vancouver. Isn't it amazing when a project unexpectedly takes off! In a city as full of creative work as Vancouver is, one often has to go, "What's happening here? What have we tapped into that this city is yearning for?"
What role does communication, performance, and using your voice and body have in your life? Why is it important?
A: I think, as a performer, we take for granted how powerful being comfortable in your body and being able to properly use your voice is to all sorts of things in our life. At work, at school, speaking to a crowd of colleagues, presenting in front of a room of classmates, being able to present yourself clearly and assertively is not a skill that everyone has. I've also found it incredibly useful as a shop steward. Having the ability to empathize with the people you are speaking to and on behalf of and being able to express yourself with clarity and diplomacy. It's not just the technical side of how you learn to use your body or voice as a tool, but also the practice in walking in someone else's shoes, in empathy, that makes the performing arts so invaluable. Sometimes I get upset when we talk about how kids should be put in the arts because it give them skills to be better students, or business people, etc. The performing arts are not just important as a means to a successful end, they are an end in themselves. There is inherent value in the arts because it makes us better humans.
F: That seems to be a major theme in your work, experiencing "the other," taking them from the dark periphery to the center. As the motor behind such huge undertakings, how do you manage burnout?
A: This is an ongoing question/challenge for me. The truth is, I don't make as much art as I would like, and I don't spend as much time as I would like on the pure art part even when I am working on a project. I have to balance my desire to create, with all the other responsibilities of living, and as I've mentioned before, I crave more stability than some other artists I know, so I'm limited to one to two projects a year. Singing with Vostok has been a way to fill the gaps. It doesn't require as much effort as producing a show. We just show up and sing, which is pretty much just pure joy.
F: I think people find ways to keep creating, I certainly found that when I was doing my masters - doing smaller performances and solos as simply giving it up wasn't an option.
Vibrance has the philosophy that training in voice, movement, and performance gives individuals concrete and adaptable skills. Would you agree with this argument?
A: As I touched on before, while I acknowledge that there are clear skills gained from performance training, far too often that is all it is marketed as the, "Put your kids in the arts because it will make them better at something else" mentality. The important other half is what you've mentioned, that the arts have inherent value to make the world better. We shouldn't have to constantly be proving the "marketable skills" aspect. The larger scale, harder to quantify value of the arts must not be forgotten.
F: Yes! I find that it's very difficult to evolve the wider conversation because we are still 'selling' the basic ideas behind an arts education. Some people truly get it, but it often feels like we cannot get past the step one, especially in North America. Some other countries have very different relationships to the arts.
How do you set boundaries with regards to managing your personal from your creative spaces?
A: I'm not sure I fully understand this question. I function in life with a lot of compartmentalization. This time is allotted for work, this for school, this for art, this for resting. But that being said, the creative and personal gets much more conflated than the personal and work, for example. My home is a meeting place and rehearsal space often. It is in my "free" time that I have to use to create my art. I think this speaks to a society that undervalues the arts. I have to treat my art as a "hobby" rather than my life's work even if I don't think of it that way.
F: What roles do intuition and aesthetic play in your personal life?
Olya The Child
A: I'm not sure that I've thought of this before. I think that working collaboratively with people in the arts makes you more attuned to the subtleties of human interactions. Perhaps this makes artists more intuitive, and often more empathetic. I have a very strong aesthetic in my theatre work, but I'm not sure how that translates into my personal life. If anything, I think the opposite direction of translation might be the case. I'm not a hugely emotionally expressive person in real life, so in my art, I appreciate subtlety and abstraction, as opposed to psychological and emotional realism. I am drawn to verbatim theatre because I see more power and authenticity in the actor as a vessel for another's story than trying to pretend the story is theirs. We need to understand and empathize with the other, but in doing so, we do not become the other. The power is in that play between the real and the representation, the storyteller and the story, not in trying to perfectly replicate something.
F: Do you have to behave “differently” or be different people depending on the environment you are interacting with? What skills served you in these different places?
A: I think we probably all do. But the thing that is useful in all spaces, I think is empathy. Also, an ability to express yourself clearly and with confidence. Empathy, clarity, and the ability to make those around you comfortable in that you know what you're doing at any given moment, are all pretty universally appreciated skills.
F: What do you say to people who claim to “not be creative”?
A: Creative has become a bit of a buzzword that doesn't always mean the same things to everyone. A lot of people think because they can't draw a realistic looking person, or sing in key, that they are not creative. But to me, creativity is the ability to think in abstractions. To represent an idea or concept with something other than words. We all have the capability to think in non-linear, non-representational ways, we just don't all get a lot of practice at it. Or we've been encouraged by society that it's pretentious or indulgent, or silly.
F: How can creative training benefit someone who doesn’t wish to be a performer?
A: The obvious ways - confidence, public speaking skills, all those tools that are a means to an end. But also, in ways that are an end in themselves. Creating, and I believe specifically co-creating something as a community, has a profound effect on levels of happiness, on the ability to resolve conflicts within a community, and to create a sense of agency for participants. We underestimate in our society, the importance of giving people (all people, not just artists) a platform and medium to tell their stories on their own terms. I think being heard and seen is something that all people crave on some level in some form.
F: Did you have any teachers who were pivotal to your learning? What qualities/actions made them so influential?
A: I think one teacher in particular introduced me to a number of concepts that have stayed with me and influenced my work. Because I often make theatre that is political in nature, it is important to be aware that your art doesn't become didactic. The idea is to open space to talk about an issue, not to push a particular agenda. I am not seeking to make agit prop. This teacher was the first one to really hold me accountable to that idea. He also introduced me to the notion of play (and maybe a little friendly, no stakes competition). Play, like creativity is often encouraged out of us as we become adults, but it can be a powerful way to open up the body and mind to new ideas and new ways of working. It shakes things up and leads to new discoveries.
F: Exactly. I find that audiences have often become used to accepting moralizing, which becomes propaganda, instead of having the room to have their own experience and draw their own conclusions. It can be difficult as an artist with something so compelling to say, but there has to be a room for the audience to be conscious and reflective as opposed to passive witnesses who can leave the experience behind as they exit the performance space.
Tell me about your business?
A: I don't have a business. I don't sell anything, nor do I have the skills, or desire to be a business person - perhaps that's part of my problem, or perhaps that's societies problem for forcing artists to also have to be business people. I think the stories that I tell are important. I think I take universally resonant themes and filter them through a unique cultural, historical, and political lens that is close to my heart (Eastern Europe), but to "market" that is not where my skills lie.
F: How did you start your own theatre company The Troika Collective?
A: I started my theatre company because I wanted to make a certain type of theatre. Because there were stories that I wanted to tell, that no one else was going to. Because I needed to create, and no one else would give me the platform (or I couldn't handle the hustle to make someone give me the platform) to do so. This was not a dream. In fact, it is something that I find scary and daunting, and which I only do because the need to create is more powerful than my dislike of self-producing.
F: What was the toughest learning curve that you experienced?
A: Honestly, I have realized that without a partner, my company will likely not grow beyond what it is now, a vehicle for me to create work when I feel the creative need to do so. I do not have the skills, nor the desire to be an artistic entrepreneur. I need to find a partner who is good at networking and promoting.
The Vostok trio, source: https://www.thetroikacollective.com/vostok
I don't consider myself [an entrepreneur], and I'm deeply resentful of the fact that the "creative industries" have been co-opted by the idea that all too often artists must be contractors or entrepreneurs. My company was born of necessity and I'm proud of the art we create and hopefully will continue to create, but my skills are not in running a company and I have no plans to grow The Troika Collective on my own. If I were to find a partner with the skills and interest to grow the company, that might be a different story, but I think my long-term path will not be as the founder and director of a theatre company.
F: What are the most useful strategies/tools/devices/programs that support your business and work?
A: Collaboration and knowing your strengths. If I self-produce again, I will hire someone for marketing and promotion. I simply can not pretend that I am any good at it, or that it isn't soul destroying to me.
F: Through your creative work, you are connected with some very interesting communities around you. How does this inform the theatre you create? What drives you to do this?
A: Honestly, my goal is to do more community-based work, and that is partly why I am pursuing this masters in Arts for Social Change, but I haven't done a lot of truly community engaged art. Most of what would qualify would be work I've done with high school students. This is a particularly interesting group to me, because they are at an age when values are being shaped, when young people are asserting themselves outside of the views of their parents and teachers. I think it's an important time to be offering opportunities for critical thinking, for investigating "otherness", for fostering empathy, and for giving youth the tools to tell their own stories in their own ways. To empower them that those stories matter and that they have value. I think I appreciate high school students because, like me, they have a low tolerance for b******t and condescension. To not speak down to youth, to hold them to high expectations, and to give them the reigns to engage with and create art around the important issues that affect their lives is massively important for all of our futures, and the sort of citizens these young people become.
F: How has your community activism evolved? What lessons have you learned along the way?
A: I think in a lot of ways my activism has quieted somewhat. I'm more careful and less quick to jump on slogans or ideas. The older I get, the more grey area I see in the world. Part of it is also a conscious effort to try harder to understand the other. The world seems more vitriolic and polarized than ever before, so I think some empathy and diplomacy goes a long way. That being said, there are some issues that are black and white for me, and I will stand up for those to the best of my ability.
You can follow Aliya Griffin's work through The Troika Collective's website and Facebook page, or follow her vocal trio on Vostok's Facebook page and on Soundcloud.
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#WritingWednesday Cowboy Poetry and the National Gathering
Photograph: K. Usayed
Cowboy poetry emerged from the tradition whereby workers on ranches and cattle drives would gather together at the end of a day, sit around a fire and decompress by extemporaneously composing and sharing songs, stories, and poems.
It is important to recognise that this is a contemporary, evolving poetic form as cowboy culture is still alive and well. It is not a historical form such as Victorian, Renaissance, or Romantic poetry.
Romantic in style, cowboy poetry retains its realism. Thematically, cowboy poetry may describe funny events, the work of cowboys, tales of people and events from the past, expressions of cowboy values, criticisms of new technologies and culture and Western landscapes, livestock, and lifestyles,.
Photographer: Maria Itina
Structure: Traditionally a cowboy poem is:
- Written by cowboys, ranchers or those familiar with the lifestyle
- Rhymed, metered verse often in couplets (free verse is uncommon)
- Written to be recited aloud
Keep in mind, these aren't hard rules, poetry isn't formulaic and cowboy poetry is evolving. Once you understand the form, you will appreciate exceptions to it.
Photographer: Lena Ivashinka
No Rest for the Horse - Anonymous
There's a union for teamster and waiter,
There's a union for cabman and cook,
There's a union for hobo and preacher,
And one for detective and crook.
There's a union for blacksmith and painter,
There is one for the printer, of course;
But where would you go in this realm of woe,
To discover a guild for the horse?
He can't make a murmur in protest,
Though they strain him both up and down hill,
Or force him to work twenty hours
At the whim of some drunken brute's will.
Photographer: Brett L. Erickson
Look back at our struggle for freedom—
Trace our present day's strength to its source,
And you'll find that man's pathway to glory,
Is strewn with the bones of the horse.
The mule is a fool under fire;
The horse, although frightened, stands true,
And he'd charge into hell without flinching
'Twixt the knees of the trooper he knew.
Photographer: Alessandro Passerini
When the troopers grow old they are pensioned,
Or a berth or a home for them found;
When a horse is worn out they condemn him,
And sell him for nothing a pound.
Just think, the old pet of some trooper
Once curried and rubbed twice a day,
Now drags some damned ragpicker's wagon,
With curses and blows for his pay.
I once knew a grand king of racers,
The best of a cup-wining strain;
They ruined his knees on a hurdle,
For his rider's hat covered no brain.
Photographer: Andrej Sevkovskij
I met him again, four years later,
On his side at the foot of a hill,
With two savages kicking his ribs,
And doing their work with a will.
I stroked the once velvety muzzle,
I murmured the old name again,
He once filled my purse with gold dollars;
And this day I bought him for ten.
Photographer: Anneke Paterson
His present address is "Sweet Pastures,"
He has nothing to do but eat,
Or loaf in the shade on the green, velvet grass,
And dream of the horses he beat.
Now, a dog—well, a dog has a limit;
After standing for all that's his due,
He'll pack up his duds some dark evening,
And shine out for scenes which are new.
But a horse, once he's used to his leather,
Photographer: Samantha Whitelaw
Is much like the old-fashioned wife;
He may not be proud of his bargain,
But still he'll be faithful through life.
And I envy the merciful teamster
Who can stand at the bar and say:
"Kind Lord, with the justice I dealt my horse,
Judge Thou my soul today."
from Songs of Horses, 1920
The Elko Cowboy Poetry Gathering (Elko, Nevada) started 33 years ago as a place for cowboys and ranchers to gather and a love of poetry. It was later renamed by Congress as the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering. This annual event has become a destination for thousands of folks to gather and share in a love of the West and cowboy culture over six days of poetry, music, dancing, workshops, exhibits, discussions, food and friendship. The event blends tradition and history with contemporary rural culture.
Photographer: Marklin Ang
This year's event will take place January 29-February 3, 2018, with the theme "Basques & Buckaroos: Herding Cultures of Basin, Range and Beyond.”
Also, mark you calendars as the 17th annual Cowboy Poetry Week falls on April 15-21, 2018 (April is poetry month)!
Sources and Further Reading
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering
Images from: National Geographic: Horse
Whatever your aims, we can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#CreativeInnovative with Claire Ogden: Entrepreneur and Professional Acrobat
Claire Ogden on Navigating the Political Circus and Changing Culture One Student at a Time
This is the fifth in a regular series of blog posts in which I speak with exciting artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs exploring how their creative skills have enabled them to do incredible things in their personal and professional lives.
You can find all of these interviews by searching for the tag #CreativeInnovative.
Claire Ogden is a business owner, circus performer and activist. I first heard of Claire and her acrobatic duo Scrambled Legs in 2013 through her performance partner, Shane. I was putting on monthly showcases at Brisbane Square Library and looking for performers who would bring something unique and wild to the library.
Born in Canberra, Australia, Claire lives in Brisbane, Australia and represented the Queensland Greens Party in the Lilley district. In their performances, the interactions between Claire and Shane were a hoot and their performances a big hit with audiences. Earlier this year, Scrambled Legs went on a hiatus. Understandable, as both have moved on to other projects.
I am especially excited that Claire agreed to answer my questions because of her diverse life as a performer, teacher, and politician.
Claire Ogden pictured with Larissa Waters, former Senator for Queensland representing the Australian Greens, and Richard Di Natale, Australian Senator and leader of the Australian Greens.
F: Tell me a little about your training in the arts.
C: I first became interested in the arts in primary school through participating in choirs and school bands. My parents didn’t have a lot of money but I was able to borrow and learn musical instruments through the school instrumental music program. In high school I got the opportunity to participate in drama and I went on to study drama at university.
After graduating, I got a job in the office of a contemporary circus company. I didn’t know anything about circus but I was inspired by the company’s performers and circus trainers to start learning some circus skills. I participated in the circus classes for adults run in the evenings and on Saturdays. Before long I was obsessed! That job changed my life. I am now in my eighth year of business, performing circus professionally and teaching circus classes for children and teenagers.
F: Has your art/training taken you to other places?
A few of Claire's students at the end of the year show
C: In 2012 I went to Indonesia and taught some circus workshops with children living in the slums and in orphanages. It was a great experience.
F: What drives you in your work?
C: Empowering young people and changing culture. I feel strongly that we can all be a part of changing culture and those shifts are vital to create a better world. I try to be a role model for my students to show them an alternative, fun and creative way of being an adult.
The acrobatic duo Scrambled Legs, Claire Ogden and Shane Smith
F: To what extent have you been able to make your creativity work an aspect of all of your jobs?
C: I make all my income from either teaching circus skills or performing circus. I feel lucky to have entrepreneurial abilities so I have been able to earn enough money from a fun and creative path. I am in my eighth year of business.
F: That is incredible! What are some of your accomplishments of which you are you proudest?
C: I am most proud of generating my own income for nearly eight years. I am also proud of getting a good work-life balance that allows me to engage in the world around me and the many aspects of my personality.
F: How do you manage burnout/feed yourself creatively?
C: I’ve streamlined my life so I actually have quite a bit of free time. I often consider what I need to be focussing on and that helps me to cut out the things that aren’t really important. I’ve become good at maximising the things that I enjoy and minimising the things that I don’t enjoy because I know that life is short and I’ll be more effective in the world if I am doing the things that bring me peace rather than frustration.
Claire Ogden ran for the federal seat of Lilley in the election last year
F: My work is underpinned by the belief that an arts education not only makes people better citizens, but that training in movement and performance gives individuals concrete and adaptable skills.
C: Yes. As an environmental activist and Green party political candidate, communication has been very important. There are many people in the world who come up with great ideas and innovative technologies but I feel that we already have many of the solutions to a happier and more sustainable life like for example, embracing the minimalist lifestyle and considering the impact that our diet and purchases have on the environment. I think one of the biggest challenges of our time is communicating the solutions and helping people to see how they can be part of a more sustainable and compassionate world. I’m grateful for my public-speaking skills which I have developed over the years.
F: What adaptable skills have you gained through your art form that you apply in other contexts?
C: When I was younger I watched circus with the belief that I was a mere mortal and the people on stage were somehow super-human. I realise after years of circus training that everyone can learn and practice to become good at what they do. This has been very empowering as I realise that nearly anything a person has passion and interest in can be learned to some extent. This has been particularly useful as I become more involved in politics. I see politicians talking with such confidence and I remember that I could also do that if I practiced all day, every day for years. Speaking to the media is a skill that can be learned and practiced like any other skill and I think that concept has helped me to take up challenges outside my comfort zone like running for parliament which I have done three times now.
F: That is incredible, particularly as you perform, and run your own business teaching circus!
C: Yes, I work with children, teenagers, and adults who want to learn circus for fun and fitness.
Students at Claire's Circus School
F: What values underpin your pedagogy?
C: I believe that choice is ultimately very important and I like to run classes where students have a lot of choice over their focus. I think people will get a lot more targeted and efficient progress if they are experiencing a state of creative flow. If they are lost in the moment that means they are so engaged in what they are doing that time moves in a different way. This is what happens when children are playing so I try to make my classes with children very playful.
F: That's a great approach, and people often lack agency in their own learning. It requires a lot of work on the part of the Teacher to give options and be responsive to students' needs. How would you describe your dream student?
C: Someone with a willingness to learn and a commitment to persevere
F: What do you say to people who claim to “not be creative”?
C: In my third year of studying drama I had a crisis of creativity. I thought, "Oh no! Maybe I’m not very creative.' I realise that this is nonsense. There are many ways to be creative like having a fascinating conversation that goes on all sorts of tangents or merely choosing to make a change like walk home along completely different streets. I also think the way a person lives their life can be a creative act. Simply questioning and being conscious of the forces at play in the wider world is a creative way of being. We can all be creative in our thinking and work on having the courage to let that take hold in our lives.
Hoops performance at the Mullum Circus Festival
F: How can voice, performance, training benefit someone who doesn’t wish to be an artist/musician/performer?
C: Nearly all of the people I teach at Claire’s Circus School won’t go on to be performers or even work in the arts but I am passionate about helping people to see the value of the arts for our society. In a world that is increasingly corporatised and polluted, it is imperative that people can think for themselves and question things. We humans are living in a time of shocking waste and we are actually resourceful beings who can imagine and create a better future if only we have the willingness, courage and strong communities to do so. At a more personal level, circus training can help a person grow their brain and improve their posture - two things that are very important for a long and healthy life.
F: Did you have any teachers who were pivotal in your learning?
C: I have sessions with a kinesiologist and she has one of the best teachers I could ask for. The sessions help me to identify and get rid of subconscious beliefs that hold me back in life for example the belief of not being good enough etc. I think we are all making decisions based on subconscious programs that don’t necessarily help us and working on some of mine has been a truly profound, humbling and life-changing experience. My kinesiologist always helps me see the world in new ways and open my mind to new possibilities which has helped me more than I can possibly say.
You can follow Claire Odgen's work through her website here and her circus school site here.
We can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us:
#CreativeInnovative with Emma Dean: Leading From The Heart
Emma Dean Reflects on Forging A Unique Creative Path And Using The Healing Power of Music to Build Community
This is the fourth in a regular series of blog posts in which I speak with exciting artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs exploring how their creative skills have enabled them to do incredible things in their personal and professional lives.
You can find all of these interviews by searching for the tag #CreativeInnovative.
Source: http://www.emmadean.com/
Born in Brisbane, Emma Dean is Australia's best-kept musical secret. A genre-bending powerhouse with a heavenly voice, she garners accolades and conquers the hearts of audiences and critics wherever she performs. In 2013, she lit New York's off-Broadway scene on fire and the New York Post named her “one of 10 artists to know."
Returning to Brisbane, Emma fell in love with music all over again. While her work has always been ethereal and electric, this latest phase of her career is a whole different level of musical magic - new creative collaborations, a community choir, and a business collective.
Emma Dean's many contributions to the communities in which she comes into contact are immeasurable. She is someone who lifts up and inspires others simply by embodying what it is to be a creative entrepreneur who leads with her heart.
Note: "Tall Poppy Syndrome" refers to an aspect of Australian culture where people who are seen as aspiring to excellence are targeted, resented, criticised. It is often contrasted with the way America tends to celebrate those who work hard with the dream of attaining success.
F: You have spent a lot of time in Australia, but also have worked in New York.
E: Yes, Brisbane is home. Though, I have lived in both Sydney and New York. Both of these places were vibrant and alive, but I have found I need somewhere smaller and quieter to create.
F: How did the New York scene compare to communities in Australia?
Source: http://www.emmadean.com/
E: Both Aussies and New Yorkers are a friendly bunch. The thing I loved most about New York was the non-existence of ‘tall poppy syndrome’. If you were talented and good at what you do, people would WANT to work with you, not find a way to cut you down. What I missed about Brisbane, in particular, was space and time. Everyone in New York was so busy, juggling multiple jobs, sometimes just to get by. I missed having the space (I lived in a shoebox) and time to invite friends over to eat and jam and drink wine.
Working in New York taught me about what I didn’t want. I saw firsthand what I needed to do in order to climb the ‘ladder of success’ as an original musician and I realized I wasn’t cut out for it. So, I had to redefine what ‘success’ meant for me. I continue to redefine it’s meaning all the time, but I always come down to a few simple things: Success, to me, is to lead a rich life, full of adventure, earning a comfortable living from musical pursuits, working to create a supportive and thriving musical community, helping people find their unique creative voice, and always nurturing my own.
F: What skills served you in these different places?
E: In New York I was often asked, “So, are you any good?” As an Australian with a long history of dealing with ‘tall poppy syndrome’, my ‘humble’ answers often sparked remarks like, “Oh stop all this false modesty!” I found that really challenging. I was also told, at the age of 29 that I should lie and say I was 24. New York certainly taught me how to hustle, took me to my edges, and brought me out of my shell. I still struggle with confidence, but I do believe the experience of living in New York made me prove to myself that I am tougher than I think!
F: You have released EPs with an American label. What has it been like engaging with companies in America and Australia?
E: I had a really positive experience with Candy Rat Records in America. One of the owners – Holly - I now call my ‘US Mum’! They were very nurturing, which I think is a quality lacking in a lot of music companies these days where the emphasis is to keep churning out new material rather than nurturing and growing raw talent. Nowadays I don’t have much experience dealing with companies at all, as I am 100% independent. If I met someone who wanted to work with me, I would need to feel nurtured and safe and that they were as passionate about my work as I am.
F: Tell me a little about your background in the arts.
Photographer: Kate Davies @ KD Photography
E: I started at a classical ballet school when I was 2 and a classical music school when I was 3. By the age of 6, I was learning classical violin and a few years later, a horrible dance teacher told my mum that my bum was too big to be a ballerina, so as much as I loved dance, an emphasis was placed strongly on music. In late primary school I began learning piano, though I was a terrible student and only wanted to write my own music rather than learn the pieces my teacher had given me! I was terribly shy growing up, so I used to lock myself away in my bedroom and compose songs, kind of like a diary entry. When I was 13, I started my first band – Halo. We performed my biggest gig to date, at The Brisbane Entertainment Centre in front of about 7000 people, when I was just 14. Band politics and hormonal teenage girls did not make for a good mix, so the band broke up a couple of years later. Though it sparked my love of singing, so I auditioned for the school musical – Little Shop Of Horrors – and got in as the lead character, Audrey. After school, I had a gap year and completed by AMus A in classical violin and then went on to audition successfully for the Queensland Conservatorium Of Music in Jazz Voice and completed my Bachelor Of Music. I have also trained with Brisbane physical theatre company, Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre, which gave me a brilliant insight and awareness of my body and made me remember how much I love to move, beautiful big bum and all!
F: Your projects often involve collaboration with other creative professionals and incorporate music with dance. What are the benefits and challenges of working this way?
E: I have tried to ‘go solo’ and I just get lonely. One of my favourite spaces is the rehearsal room, bouncing ideas off other creatives. It’s a space that can open your mind to new possibilities; things you might not have thought of before. As previously mentioned, I grew up studying dance, so movement has been an important part of my performance history. As much as I adore music, I have been equally as intrigued with the physical interpretation of it, and adore pieces with both music and movement. I suppose it is a natural progression to merge the two art forms in my work.
Source: https://emmadean.bandcamp.com/album/dr-dream-and-the-imaginary-pop-cabaret
F: How did you decide to take your art in this direction?
E: I actually wanted to get into acting so I contacted Zen Zen Zo Physical Theatre and they so bravely asked if I wanted to audition for one of their productions – The Tempest. I got the role as Arial and this is where I met my dance collaborator, Jamie Kendall. The rest is history.
F: Did this require you to take on additional training?
E: Yes! I began training with Zen Zen Zo and was in a number of their productions. I had to increase my fitness and get reacquainted with my body. It was life-changing.
F: What drives you to be a musician?
E: It is when I feel most in flow, and connected to myself and the world around me.
F: Am I correct in understanding that you have managed to make music an aspect of all of your jobs as a performer and teacher. How did you make that choice?
E: Yes, you are right! This has been the case for a number of years now, and I am blessed to have this reality. I perform, write songs, teach, arrange choir music, hold workshops and conduct my community choir – Cheep Trill. I made that choice because I’m not good at anything else. Ha ha!
F: How do you create? From where do you draw your inspiration?
E: It depends. I used to really completely on the creative force to strike me down. Then things got busy. I am sometimes part of the I Heart Songwriting Group which encourages members to write one song in an hour each week. When it comes to my arrangements, I have to be very disciplined as I’m usually on very strict deadlines.
F: When I look at your biography, I don’t know where to start, you have performed with Amanda Palmer and the Dresden Dolls, been nominated for a myriad of awards, played sold-out shows, and, above all, are known for creating moving and innovative performances. When you consider your career thus far, of what accomplishments are you most proud?
E: Starting my community choir, Cheep Trill, which is now 150 singers strong and in two locations in Brisbane; writing a vocal arrangement of You’re the Voice for John Farnham to sing with 2500 choristers, singing out about domestic violence; moving to New York and giving it a red hot go; and the work I am currently doing with my brother – our upcoming EP and Cabaret, Broken Romantics A Vicious Song Cycle…
F: How do you manage burnout/feed yourself creatively?
E: Wine.
F: Part of the Vibrance philosophy is that some training in voice, movement, and performance gives individuals concrete and adaptable skills that enable them to excel at whatever endeavours they choose.
E: Yes, I agree! I think voice/movement/performance skills train you to listen, to adapt, to compromise, to negotiate, to work alongside other people who have similar beliefs AND different beliefs. I also think training in these ways gets you in touch with who YOU are – with your body, your mind, your soul.
F: Yes, exactly! And in your own experience, what adaptable skills have you gained through your training that you apply in other contexts?
E: My singing training has helped me with public speaking. My jazz and improvising training has helped me to create work on the fly, under pressure. My movement training has helped me to be more at peace with my own unique body. Working in performance teams has taught me how to work alongside other humans in a respectful way.
F: Then how do you set boundaries with regards to managing your personal from your creative spaces?
E: I am an incredibly private person and live alone. However, I also teach and work from home so I am constantly having to invite people into my personal space so I can work. I try to set boundaries around work times, however, this is an ongoing process for me that I am constantly refining.
F: Do you use intuition and aesthetic to help you manage this process?
I am trying to listen to my intuition more when it comes to work. I am trying to embrace Michael Leunig’s JOMO (the joy of missing out) mentality, as my tendency is to take on too much work, even if it doesn’t feel right. I think as freelance artists we get used to saying YES to everything for fear that the work will one day dry up. I’m trying to shift this and feel into my decisions more. Is it a F*** YES or just a YES?
F: Your work involves you being involved in several communities - the music community, theatre community, and wider community. What drives you to do this? What do you get out of this engagement?
E: I feel like I am mostly connected with communities I have built myself, such as Cheep Trill community choir. The reason for this is because I have never really felt like I fit in a box or been part of the music or theatre communities. Instead I have lived on the fringe of all of these worlds.
F: That's one of the incredible things about you, the entrepreneur in you creates something unique and the artist in you fills it it magic! Tell me about your community choir Cheep Trill. How did your idea to form it originate?
E: The idea was born from loneliness and a lack of community when I was living in New York. I decided I would move back home to Brisbane and I wrote a facebook status asking if anyone would be interested in joining a singing group. The next day I opened my email and facebook and had approximately one hundred inquiries. The choir has grown exponentially and we now have two locations and 150 members.
From our humble beginnings rehearsing on a verandah in Everton Park, we have expanded into two locations. This allows us to keep growing but also keep an intimate feel at rehearsals. We have a north and a south side location to also cater for people’s many a varying locations.
F: What are your proudest accomplishments?
One of my proudest moments was arranging ‘You’re The Voice’ for 2500 choristers (including Cheep Trill) to sing at a Queensland Music Festival performance, singing out about domestic violence. John Farnham made a surprise appearance and sang the arrangement with the choir. It was the only different arrangement of that song that John Farnham had ever sung.
Another proud moment was singing at Queensland Performance Arts Centre concert hall stage and ROCKING OUT! Also, seeing the female Cheep Trill members accompany Deb Conway, Clare Bowditch and a bunch of other amazing female artists at The Tivoli, singing my arrangement of Hymn To Her by Pretenders.
F: That's remarkable - and in a comparatively short time. It also strikes me that Cheep Trill integrates your skills as a composer/arranger, teacher/conductor, and singer/musician. You have been teaching private lessons for several years. What first drew you to teaching?
E: At first, it was quite simply the need to fund my art (and being a bad waitress).
F: Who do you teach?
E: I have actually quit my teaching job in 2017 because choir work was getting too busy. I was teaching beginners or people with naturally good voices but limited experience, mostly between the ages of 20-40.
F: Wow, that's really exciting! What approaches have you developed to work with choirs or individuals?
E: I put emphasis in finding my students’ unique voice and working with that, rather than teaching a particular technique or telling them how they should sound.
I try to make each lesson fun as well as informative and challenging
I value wo rds, so putting strong emphasis on story telling as well as technique
F: Describe your dream student
E: Someone hungry to learn, able to take constructive criticism, someone who practices, who listens, who is excited to try new genres and who is interested in song arrangement and writing!
Source: Emma Dean's YouTube channel
F: What do you say to people who claim to “not be creative”?
E: I’d probably say ‘B******t’. Then I would try to create something with them and prove them wrong.
F: How can musical training benefit someone who doesn’t wish to be a singer or musician?
E: Listening skills, confidence, connection, storytelling, public speaking, controlling nerves and breathing, fun and play, creative release, a sense of belonging, a sense of achievement…and the list goes on.
F: What are the moments that reward you as a teacher?
E: When someone walks away from a lesson feeling happier and more connected than when they walked in. Simple.
F: In your own learning, did you have any teachers who were pivotal ? What qualities or actions made them so influential?
E: My high school music teacher, Narelle McCoy! She is a firey, passionate, highly intelligent red head and she forced me to audition for the school musical after I had been in hospital with depression. She believed in me and showed me that I could do more than I ever imagined. She was the reason I realised I could become a singer and probably the reason I had red hair for so long too!
Source: https://www.tigercommon.com/
F: What is your business? What is unique about it/them?
E: The Tiger Common is my music school. We are different because we place emphasis on community and try to connect our students as much as we can, through choir, workshops and other informal events. Our mission is to encourage creativity, human connection, self-love and respect through the magical and healing powers of music.
F: How did you get into starting your own business?
E: I had already started Cheep Trill and I was working with Tony Dean (my brother) and Corinne Buzianczuk and we were looking to ‘formalise’ what we did and include our teaching work and workshops. It was a natural progression.
F: Do you feel that there are unique challenges when ones’s business is so personal?
E: It is certainly harder to not take conflict personally when you run a heart-based business. But I have learnt that the bigger we get, the more likely it is that we will not be able to please everyone.
F: What was the toughest learning curve that you experienced?
E: The toughest thing to do so far was splitting the choir in two. We were responding to so many location requests and we thought the best idea would be to have a north and a south side location. However, many of the choristers believed this meant we were splitting up the family. Another tough learning curve was to figure out what to do when we would receive gig requests for a choir of 50 people. We have 150. We are still figuring this out!
Source: https://emmadean.bandcamp.com/track/feed-it
F: What are the most useful strategies that support your business and work?
E: Honestly, the key is communication. Tony, Corinne and I have a whatsapp thread that has been invaluable and we have regular in person meetings. Knowing where all our different strengths lie has been incredible.
F: What performer skills have come in useful in your business?
E: Standing in front of a choir for two hours two nights a week and trying to teach as well as entertain is a performance in itself. My career as a performer has been invaluable!
F: Is there a tension between your career as an artist and your business?
E: Only when it comes to scheduling! In terms of the creative stuff, the business feeds into the artist stuff and vice versa! I feel more balanced than ever before because both itches are being scratched. The business also helps to take the pressure off needing to make a certain amount of money from my artistic pursuit!
F: How do you go about networking/promoting your business?
E: Word of mouth has been the most valuable thing alongside performing in front of new audiences!
F: What challenges does your business experience?
E: Community choirs have TAKEN OFF here in Brisbane (and perhaps everywhere!) which is a wonderful thing. Recently we had an experience where we had an idea to expand the business and reached out to a venue with a proposal. We didn’t hear back and then next thing we knew, an acquaintance was doing the exact idea we proposed at the same venue… This might have been a coincidence, but it took me about six months to emotionally recover. Now I keep things closer to my chest and instead of comparing our business to others, I focus on making our business the best it can be.
F: Yes! I have definitely seen that happen a few times in a city like Brisbane, unfortunately. When I get excited, I like to share or bounce ideas off others and I have to remember to stay quiet. Where do you see your business going?
E: I actually don’t want it to get much bigger, because the sense of community is lost when it gets too big. I am being contracted to do a lot of other choir work outside of Cheep Trill which is keeping me busy without disrupting the preciousness of my own choir community.
Source: http://www.emmadean.com/
F: What is the most draining aspect of your business?
E: It involves constant, time-consuming music arranging and having to be somewhere in real time to actually make money. So there is no passive income, it’s just a bit of a long hard slog. A slog which I love and enjoy, but a slog nonetheless!
F: And how do you manage maintain your enthusiasm for this work?
E: As mentioned, I don’t manage this very well. Wine?
You can follow Emma Dean through her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube channel or on Candyrat Records. You can read further interviews with Emma Dean and articles about her career here.
We didn't have nearly enough time to cover everything! I invite you to learn more about The Tiger Common, a collaboration between Emma Dean, Tony Dean, and Corinne Buzianczuk offering creative workshops, musical coaching, and the community choir Cheep Trill in order to build a community united by a love of music.
We can aid you in achieving your goals with our individualised approach and flexible sessions. Contact us: