(ep 4) How Can Living Abroad Change Me with artist Beatriz Chachamovits

01/12/20 • 39 min

Collective Drift: Celebrating International Women, Culture, and Travel

The Collective Drift platform was created to celebrate all women, the beauty of their cultures, and international travel experiences. I believe that women possess magic, that gives them strength and grace to change the world. We learn how to tap into our power in various ways based on our cultural backgrounds and our journeys. Join me and an amazing collective of multicultural and ethnic women that are artists, cultural leaders and travel enthusiasts as they tell their stories about their culture, their tribe of women, their passions, their art, and their favorite international experiences. Welcome to Collective Drift.

During this episode of Collective Drift, I sat down with marine activist and Brazilian artist, Beatriz Chachamovits. We dove into a multitude of topics including her art, marine life, Brazilian culture and living abroad.

Beatriz is passionate about marine life and her artwork is a display of her love for it. A large body of Beatriz’s artwork is on coral reef systems, these drawings and sculptures are highly detailed and intricate. Her work largely depicts endangered sea life to show the destruction of the ocean and its animals due to human disregard. Rather than finishing the pieces in their lifelike bright hues, Beatriz leaves her corals and sponges absent of color for you to see the corals as they are dead.

Beatriz told us about how she gained her love for the marine world. She told us about her passion for marine life and the importance of protecting it. And also discussed her rituals for beginning and ending her artwork. We also touched a little on the fires in the Brazilian Amazon.

Growing up in Brazil provided Beatriz with access to an array of cultures. We talked about the rich diversity of cultures within Brazil, the positive impacts of it as well as the current ethnic and racial divides that seem to be happening around the world. We also spoke about her Jewish and Brazilian cultural influences including a story about her very passionate grandmother. The center is her favorite place in Sao Paulo where you can go to really feel the authentic essense of the city. We talked about how cultures are expressed through Brazilian food.

Although Beatriz grew up in a very culturally diverse Brazil she mostly was exposed to other Jewish Brazilians. When she lived in Australia for 6 months in a student exchange program she had the opportunity to actually experience other cultures. That time in her life changed her - it made her understand that she needed cultural diversity. She tells us about her time in Tel Aviv, how the women there are so strong, the amazing art scene, the night life, and even her first experience with another woman.

Beatriz wants to know “What makes them stronger?”.

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift:

Instagram: @CollectiveDrift

Facebook.com/CollectiveDrift

facebook.com/groups/CollectiveDrift/

collectivedrift.com

Where to find Beatriz:

Instagram: @beatrizchachamovitz

https://www.beatrizchachamovits.com/

(ep 4) How Can Living Abroad Change Me with artist Beatriz Chachamovits

Beatriz wants to know “What makes them stronger?”.

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift:

Instagram: @CollectiveDrift

Facebook.com/CollectiveDrift

facebook.com/groups/CollectiveDrift/

collectivedrift.com

Where to find Beatriz:

Instagram: @beatrizchachamovitz

https://www.beatrizchachamovits.com/

Previous Episode

(ep 3) How Can I Transform My Life by Experiencing Other Cultures? With Asanyah Davidson- Part 2

In this episode of Collective Drift we sat down with Asanyah Davidson, child of the world, Fashion Designer, and educator. Asanyah is Jamaican born, American raised, and has lived in West Africa. She is the founding director at the Miami Fashion Institute at Miami Dade College, she has her own fashion line Circa24. We had a really fun conversation on a wide range of topics from being Jamaican, being vegan, living in West Africa, the influence of her European fashion teacher, mentoring and more.

During part two of our interview with Asanyah Davidson the conversation goes a little deeper. Asanyah talks about how having a diverse group of mentors helped her development. Then she discusses the people; cultures; schools such as Design and Architecture Senior High (DASH) in Miami , the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in NYC, and studying at Polimoda in Florence, Italy; and living in different countries influenced her as a fashion designer.

Asanyah goes in depth about her time in Nigeria and Ghana. Her time there gave her a greater appreciation and understanding of textiles and the work behind them. This period in her life greatly influenced her career as a fashion designer. She will teach us about shibori, Adire, Ashoke, and Kente textiles. Asanyah learned about the significance of these fabrics and in this conversation you will learn the difference between what is and what isn’t real African fabric. Through this we delve into her viewpoint on cultural appropriation. How people think Ankara fabric is African fabric but it actually Dutch. Asanyah wants you to know what you are actually wearing so that you can truly appreciate it rather than appropriate it. All of these topics reflect how the importance of leaving your home country to understand the world better. If you disagree with Asanyah she says you can feel free to contact her.

Asanyah talks about the similarities she noticed of African women and Jamaican women. She reminisces about the forever young spirit of African people, about partying with people of all ages and drinking champagne on the dance floor. We talk about her travels to South Africa and the importance of living in the moment. This was an important lesson from her travel.

We then of course talk about Asanyah’s two favorite city’s Accra, Ghana and Siem Riep, Cambodia. She adores both of the cities because of how easy it is to get around. She tells us about a great Mexican restaurant in Siem Riep, yes, you heard me right - a Mexican restaurant. Getting a traditional bamboo tattoo while in Cambodia. And she talks about nightlife in Accra, which lead us to talking about how she went to the Guinness Beer factory in Ireland and beer culture around the world.

Of course we circle back to Asanyah’s favorite places in Miami, Broward County AKA Greater Fort Lauderdale, and even West Florida. We finalize the conversation with Asanyah’s question for all women - “How are you dealing with life?” and her powerful definition of what a woman is.

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Find this episode on the CollectiveDrift.com/podcast-blog to get the links to all of Asanyah's favorite places.

I'm Erica Vernet Knowles, a Miami native, an international traveler, and a culture enthusiast. I am the founder and producer of Collective Drift. I spent a lot of time in the corporate world, but I honed my leadership in media. Operating as the Editor-in-Chief, Publisher, and the Executive Director for multiple publications on business and entertainment.

Culture and travel have always been my passion. Having the opportunity to spend 3 years abroad between Peru and Thailand, and traveling all around the world gave me experiences, friendships and memories tha

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(ep 5) How can I practice self care? An interview with Hopi Noel Morton

(Ep 05) How can I practice self care? An interview with Hopi Noel Morton

In my interview with Hopi Noel Morton I learned that self care is the way she lives her life. In order to be successful and to help others you must help yourself first. You must put your air mask on first before you can help someone else. Self care is something that Hopi’s mother taught her. Through her mother she’s learnt that even beauty is a part of taking care of yourself. If you at a minimum wake up and get dressed and make yourself look good it can start the projector of feeling good. You must create time for yourself.

This episode is sponsored by Knight Foundation in support of PAMM- Perez Art Museum Miami’s fund for African American Art. Their annual ART + Soul Celebration is this Saturday, February 15th. It’s my favorite party of the year in Miami. Purchase your tickets at pamm.org/artsoul2020 choose celebration for the party and feel free to use my discount code DRIFT2020.

In our interview with Hopi we learn about her company Hopi Works where she helps people who helps people. She gets to work with artists and filmmakers, but more importantly she gets to work with people and projects that she likes. This exemplifies how Hopi has mastered the art of self care. She’s worked on projects with Will and Jada Smith, on Caribbean film festivals, and is now traveling the globe supporting a documentary on tattoo artistry around the world.

Hopi has traveled all over the world. And has had the opportunity to see some amazing places, have authentic memorable experiences, and connect with the people when she travels. Hopi talks about her trip to the Island of Lamu, Kenya. Through her experience in Lamu she was able to learn more about Muslim culture as well as gain a deeper understanding and respect for the modest aspects of being a Muslim woman. Prior to visiting Lamu she looked at their modesty as oppression rather than a choice. After getting to know the women of Lamu she learned that this was a choice, that they were flourishing leaders, and they were empowered. That the women felt there was a time and a place for modesty and a time for being sexy. She tells us about a magical experience she had while attending a women’s celebration, where only women attended.

Hopi has traveled extensively around the world and has provided us with a few authentic travel tips. Hopi’s preference is traveling to places where she can stay close to nature. Hopi recommends renting a house and possibly having a local chef so that you can have authentic food.

While Hopi has lived in multiple cities around the world she calls Miami home. She feels like Miami is a place where she feels most comfortable being her. Hopi’s background is mixed, her mother has Dutch and Finish heritage and her father is African American. Miami’s diverse culture allows her to fit in. She also loves that Miami gives her easy access to cities around the world. She’s able to fly to places nationally and internationally with ease right out of Miami International Airport. She also loves the arts and feels that institutions such as the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and Art Basel making Miami an art hub of the world.

What is being a woman? Embracing all that our higher power has empowered us with and graced us with.

Where to find Erica and Collective Drift:
Instagram: @CollectiveDrift
Facebook.com/CollectiveDrift
collectivedrift.com
Travel Chat Dine - Feb 27 travelchatdineethiopia.eventbrite.com

Where to find Hopi
Instagram: @hopinoel