unproductive by daydreamers

Mira Mariah is a pioneering tattoo artist based in Brooklyn, New York who is changing the face of the industry with her femme, minimalist illustrations that feature all body types, ethnicities, and styles (which has landed her celebrity clients, like Ariana Grande). Mira started her career as a fashion designer, but took a leap of faith after her daughter was born to begin her tattoo artist apprenticeship - and never looked back.

As a queer mother with a disability (Mira had her leg amputated at 17), she deeply understands the importance of speaking up with confidence to represent all. In our chat, Mira shares her journey from illustrating in her room as a kid to using people’s bodies as a canvas. She sheds light on the tattoo apprenticeship process (hint: it’s not as accessible as you might think) - and how tattoo artistry is truly an act of freedom.

Join us for a refreshing conversation about creating space for the fun stuff, being honest about what you really love doing, and how we could all be a little more confident in our own skin - no matter what.

Some stuff we also cover:

Resources you might want to check out:

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

The Chat

Dr. Anthony Brandt is a world-renowned composer, Professor of Composition and Theory at Rice University and co-author of The Runaway Species, a book that inspired the Netflix documentary, The Creative Brain - and deeply impacted our philosophy at Daydreamers.

In our chat today, Tony (or Dr. Brandt) shares some awe-inspiring truths about the human experience - most importantly: creativity is part of our DNA. As humans, our ability to imagine a future that doesn’t yet exist is literally what makes us different from llamas or robots, and what Dr. Brant calls “magical.”

Tony not only does a brilliant job at explaining the biological and neurological research behind creativity, but he also gives accessible and tactical advice about how to exercise this muscle in our daily lives. As a career artist and composer, Dr. Brandt walks through the exact steps he takes to buck fear, access vulnerability and create something new.

Join us for a deep conversation about what makes us human over robots (or llamas), how we can move beyond fear to actually start creating every day, and what we need to do to access our imagination and logic at the same time.

Some stuff we also cover:

Resources you might want to check out:

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

Ronnie Fieg is one of the coolest people you’ll ever meet. He founded KITH, the revolutionary streetwear, and fashion brand from scratch after a long-time obsession with product and culture. KITH is known for major creative collaborations with everyone from Coca Cola to Disney - and they’re some of the best master marketers in the game. Their products sell out within milliseconds once they’re dropped.

But, Ronnie didn’t always live at the top - he actually started his career as a stockboy at his uncle’s NYC shoe store, David Z. (and trust, it wasn’t that easy - he had to ask for this position as his Bar Mitzvah gift!). Ronnie’s story is one of hustle, passion, and the ability to take risks - even when it means losing everything. It’s one that any immigrant kid, any human being with a drive to "just do" can relate to.

During our chat with Ronnie, we dive deep into the moments that defined him, the moments that tested him, and the moments that inspire him (truly - he doesn’t use this word lightly). This trendsetting guru whose products sell out within seconds after they drop shares the exact moment when he consciously realized what “marketing” was - among many other personal stories.

No matter if you've been following Ronnie's work from the start, or have the simple belief that you just have to put your ideas out into the world - this episode will make you want to drop everything and do it. 

Some stuff we also cover:

Resources you might want to check out:

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, speaker, radio-host (on PBS, NPR and others) and author of the new book, Do Nothing: How To Break Away From Overworking, Overdoing and Underliving. Celeste’s Tedx Talk on human connection has garnered over 23 million views.

In our chat today, Celeste takes us through a hundreds-year-long journey, which has led our society to be inducted (unknowingly, of course) into the ‘cult of efficiency.’ Her research and historical knowledge shows us that we humans are inherently good at being unproductive, but a major societal shift in the 1800’s has led us to become work-obsessed and leisureless.

Celeste shares some brilliant findings on our human trajectory - and why all the hacks in the world won’t help us find more joy and fulfillment. Plus, she shares some tactical and accessible ways to begin incorporating more “free” time into your life - no matter what your schedule looks like right now.

Join us for a chat about the turning point in our modern world that led us to become sick, lonely and suicidal (hint: it’s not technology), what the ancient Romans had right all along, and why giving your mom a phone call is infinitely better than sending a text message.

Some stuff we also cover:

Resources you might want to check out:

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com..

Morgan Harper Nichols is a poet, painter, artist, and musician who created two #1 best-selling books and amassed over 1.2 million Instagram followers. But, even though Morgan has crafted this creative career all before the age of 30 (seriously - she’s 29!), don’t let that fool you. Morgan is still one of the most grounded, humble and vulnerable people we’ve ever met.

Think of this conversation as a big, virtual hug. During our chat with Morgan, she takes us through her childhood as a homeschooled kid who always felt “other” to her musical career that left her feeling unfulfilled - all the way to her big Aha moment: when she realized that her first love, writing, could be her life’s work all along.

Join us for our first (un)productive chat where we dive deep - we talk about how to tuning into your true self, what it’s like to “go viral” and build a sustainable career off of it, and why our creativity will never fail us.

Some stuff we also cover:

Resources you might want to check out:

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to meet us IRL at: daydreamerspace.com.

The (un)productive Podcast is a new show by Daydreamers that digs into the habits, mindsets and experiences of some of the most creative minds in the world today. We know that our world today is obsessed with productivity and efficiency - but it comes at an expense. So, let's start dreaming a little bit more.

(un)productive Podcast hits the airwaves in April 2020 - subscribe to stay in the know.

The (un)productive Podcast is a new show by Daydreamers that digs into the habits, mindsets and experiences of some of the most creative minds in the world today. We know that our world today is obsessed with productivity and efficiency - but it comes at an expense. 

(un)productive Podcast hits the airwaves in April 2020 - subscribe to stay in the know.