Between 2019-2021, I blogged about the creative process and the business of being an artist. I did my best to cram-jam my posts filled with useful tools, tips and hacks and straight-up honesty from my own point of view.
My focus was figuring out how we can overcome our creative blocks, actually finish our projects and earn money from our art. I also shared the work of Black and Global Majority artists.
Take a look around or see the posts by categories: creative process, self-producing, artist life hacks, artist series. I hope you find something useful here.
I’ve been working on a new project about climate change (sounds awful but I think it’s going to be good 🤞). The research I’ve done, and the research I’m poised to do, is jet fuel for my creative process.
Today I wanted to share the beauty of research with you. Where it’s been a part of my work, how I conduct it, what the pitfalls are and why I recommend it so highly.
Read MoreFor years (years!) I’ve been promising to teach you what I know about commercial voice work – a career I’ve stumbled into, and which has changed my life significantly.
Read MoreBeing a voice actor has transformed my life. Here are 5 steps to help you get rolling as a voiceover actor, and open yourself up to a new, and potentially lucrative, revenue stream!
Read MoreMy unfiltered response to a Canadian friend’s questions about taking a show to the Edinburgh Fringe.
Read More“By creating work for my own personal purposes, I end up creating work that makes space for other boys who have been made fun out of for being their own kind of boy.”
Troy Cabida is a poet and freelance creative producer based in London, from Las Piñas City, Metro Manila.
I asked Troy some questions!
Read MoreI've been reflecting on the power of throwing our own parties.
In a sense this goes along with the philosophy that we are responsible for our own happiness AND with my belief that if you can’t get in the front door, build your own house! How did I get to thinking about this?
Gabriel Akamo is an actor, poet, educator and sometimes creative producer and dramaturg, based in North London.
I asked Gabriel some questions!
Shereen Jasmin Phillips graduated from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2010 with a degree in Drama, Applied Theatre and Education. She has worked in the artistic and creative learning departments of a variety of London Theatre's working with community groups of all ages for over ten years.
Read MoreA couple weeks back, my debut memoir ‘The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale’ hit the shelves in book stores all across the UK. So, let’s talk about how I ended up being a person who has published a book!
The idea that incited all of this came to me while I was on the phone with my credit card company.
Amina Koroma is an actor, voiceover artist & writer based in London, UK.
She trained as part of National Youth Theatre (2019) & Theatre Peckham REP Company (2020). Her goal is to be “recurring characters on hit UK/ US series, voice in Netflix original animations, anime simul-dubs and animated films, and feature in AAA games with voice and motion capture…”
I asked Amina some questions!
Read MoreLast week I shared a story that began in 2006, all about assuming another artist thought I was a hack.
Today I’m diving into the vaults again to share another paradigm-shifting experience. In 2011, ten years ago, I was invited to be part of the Tarragon Theatre’s playwrights’ unit – a yearlong programme run by Toronto’s “playwright’s theatre”.
Arji Manuelpillai is a poet, performer and creative facilitator based in London. For over 15 years Arji has worked with community arts projects nationally and internationally.
Recently, he was the Jerwood Arvon Mentee mentored by Hannah Lowe. His poetry has been published in magazines including Cannon’s Mouth, Strix, The Rialto and Bath Magg.
In 2006, in my final year of theatre school, I was cast in a lead role in one of our big shows.
I was so excited, but on our first day of rehearsal, when our director asked us to improvise the show, scene by scene, it quickly became evident that my classmates and I were grossly underprepared.
Read MoreKate Kamo McHugh is a dancer, actor, arts educator and mom to Isabel. She studied Theatre Performance and Dance at Ryerson University in Toronto and is now based in Kitchener, Ontario. I asked Kate some questions!
Read MoreAbigail Sewell is a film and theatre director. She is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Uproot Productions, a socially driven cross-arts production company with the mission of supporting Black artists. Her work centres Black joy and is driven by the transformative power of storytelling.
Read MoreMy Mum, Donna Penrose turned 70 a few weeks ago.
I genuinely lucked out with her. Or, if you go in for the idea that we choose our parents before we’re born, holy sh*t did I choose well.
In honour of her seven decades on this planet, I’m sharing 10 extremely useful life lessons she’s taught me by example…
Read MoreCharity Muiruri is an actor, filmmaker, freelance creative and Co-founder of The Basement Bunch (with Adeyinka Akinrinade and Hannah Kelly), based in Luton.
I asked Charity some questions!
I’m back in the fray with my new solo show, Age is a Feeling. I got a commission from Soho Theatre – such a dream, especially after literally trying to get them to notice me since 2016.
Every couple weeks I meet with their associate director Adam. He’s a great dramaturge and director and he’s working with me as an outside eye and frankly, accountability buddy. I share the material I’ve been working on and we talk about what I should focus before our next meeting.
Holly Khan is a half Guyanese half British multi-instrumentalist, composer and music facilitator, based in London. She works first and foremost for, by and with communities.
As a facilitator, she works with award winning charities and arts organisations for individuals and groups at all stages of life, with a particular focus on engaging with vulnerable members of the community…
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