Art Pays Me

We back! On the first Art Pays Me episode of 2020 I interviewed up and coming Dancehall/Hip-Hop Artist, Lexxicon. Lexxicon shares how living in 3 different countries influenced his sound and how his relentless hustle helped him develop a high level of skill and knowledge in a short time as a musician. He also talked about how his experience as a community organizer helped him understand how to build infrastructure for himself as an independent in the music industry.

Lexxicon online

A lot of us see the end product of success and don't consider all of the losses and lessons that need to occur on the way there. In the the 2010s my business evolved quite a bit so on this episode I'm sharing the top 10 lessons I've learned as a creative entrepreneur over the last decade.

On this solo episode I get into the importance of repetition in my process, why immediate success isn't always failure, how artists are like athletes and why it's important to lower expectations.

Lola Brown is one of the top travel writers in Canada who happens to be a friend of mine. I reached out to her about doing the podcast when she tweeted about some of the challenges she faced as a mother with a business and as a father on a similar path I, wanted to bring that conversation to the podcast. We also talk about how Lola got her start in writing, how she promotes her work and how charging what she's worth means she can provide more for her children.

Lola Online

• lolaaugustine.com
• Twitter

Rhys Waters is an award winning television and radio producer from the UK whose now based in Nova Scotia. Rhys had diverse creative interests, growing up but didn't know exactly how he wanted to apply them to a career. We talked about how watching the DVD extras on the movie Evil Dead helped him figure that out and how not following others and exploring your individual "weirdness" as a creative can make you a leader in your space. His time co-creating, directing and producing the BAFTA-winning BBC TV show 'Rhod Gilbert's Work Experience' and the hit Podcast 'The Unexplainers' (Now a BBC TV and Radio show too). Rhys also has a podcast called Podstarter that I was featured on so make you check that out.

• Rhys Edits
• Podstarter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

International Outsider Artist, Flavia Testa is a rebellious free-thinker whose raw, unapologetic work drew me to her. We share our thoughts on pursing an art career without formal training from an art school, how pushing risky concepts in her art has been rewarding, how being a "third culture kid" with UN Diplomat parents impacts her work and why it's important to take your ego out of your art. Flavia also shares her thoughts on the purpose of art and the nuance associated with pricing it.

You can find Flavia on:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• www.flaviatesta.com

In this episode I spoke with model, Lily Lightbourn about how someone from the tiny island of Bermuda is working with some of the biggest brands and publications in the world, what it's like working with a modelling agency, the casting process and what it's like backstage at a major runway show. We also talked about diversity in the modelling industry and how social media is affecting the industry as a whole. We discussed Lily's mission outside of modelling, her spirituality and if that impacts the type of jobs she takes. This is an inspiring episode for anyone who's ready to take a big risk on a big dream.

Lily Online

• Marilyn Models
• Instagram

I chat with hip hop artist Maje about his passion for music, how winning $10,000 in the Viola Desmond Singing/Songwriting Competition simultaneously made his mother a believer and proved to himself that it's possible to make money from music. We discussed the importance of having systems in place to help hip hop artists grow, spending time in Atlanta to make music, his involvement with Spotify Secret Genius and what he learned from working with fellow artist Kayo while there. He also talked about the importance of stepping away from performing to give himself time to create.

Maje Online

• Spotify
• Apple Music
• Instagram

On episode 30 I interview award winning Filmmaker, Public Speaker and Mental Health Advocate, Tyler Simmonds. We talk about his film projects, about growing up in North Preston, where masculinity and mental health in the Black community intersect, what it was like working on the Bell Let's Talk campaign and I even open up about my personal journey with mental health.

Get in touch with Tyler

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Email: [email protected]

On this episode I chat with multihyphenate, Kayla Borden about being an Event Coordinator, Promoter and Community Advocate. We talk about how we faired during hurricane Dorian, how Kayla supports and advocates for artists in the community, the importance of getting offline and networking in person and how to create impact through board membership.

Contact Kayla

• Personal Instagram
• Personal Twitter
• The Om Arts Collective on Instagram