November 03, 2025

Raw Notes - What I Learned from Bruce Springsteen

18 minutes

Karen recently went to the cinema, something she doesn’t do very often. However, on this one-off trip to see the new Bruce Springsteen film, something resonated with her. We often chase perfection, either from our own standards or from what we assume others expect from us, but sometimes, the real beauty lies in imperfection. In this week's episode, Karen is here to talk about how the thing you create might be more successful if you just let go and be true to yourself.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

One of the main storylines of the new Springsteen film is how the record he created sounded raw and unfinished, but how that sound added to the beauty of it. Karen describes how you can apply this working method to your perfume creation.

Karen tells the story of Mark Buxton and how creating an accord based on the markets of Marrakech ended up launching a perfume brand.

A lot of indie perfumers try to replicate the big commercial brands, but, as Karen points out, they are not your competition. Karen shares what really matters when creating your fragrances.

BEST MOMENTS

“Sometimes that raw first version might be exactly what it needs to be.”

“If you try to make something more commercial, you're in danger of moving away from what you set out to achieve.”

“Whatever the thing is that you create, if it expresses what you want it to express, that’s what it should be.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Getting Started Guide

Artisan Perfumery Mastermind

ABOUT THE HOST

Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way.

Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances.

With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques.

Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing.

CONTACT DETAILS

Website

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This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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By Karen Gilbert

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