Surviving The City

The legacy we leave through art and interaction is just as important as the footprint we leave on this planet through our consumption.

In our highly capitalist society with consumerism skyrocketing higher than ever, with no end in sight, especially living in the city, it feels impossible to stray away from the comforts of efficiency.

Living outside of this paradigm is of course considered alternative, so in order to create a new paradigm, it is up to smaller groups of like-minded people creating solidarity economies all over the world, using trading as a means of purchasing items.

Our guest on today’s episode is living this truth and has joined us to let us in on how she does it. Christina Freeman, is a teacher at Hunter College, a practicing artist and curator, creating conceptual art using photography, video, artist books, multimedia installation, and participatory performance.

Christina has shaped her life to be one that is true to what she believes, and that is to operate in an economy that makes sense to her, and is living by example inspiring others to do the same.

Christina is a talented artist with beautiful insight that you don’t want to miss!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How efficiency culture manifests in our lives
• How the project ‘Plums for Trash’ was created
• Solidarity economies around the world
• Personal insights on selling for money vs. trading
• The psychological and emotional power of exchanging items
• What economy means to Christina
• Why Christina isn’t interested in efficiency
• Recommendations on how to participate in alternative economies
• The Amazon trap
• Why must artists take what they can't get?
• The disparity of cost of living and artist income in NYC
• A piece of art that has changed Christina’s outlook or behavior
• Art life crossover
• Christina’s response to critique and pushback of conceptual art
• Why Christina moved out of NYC

To get in touch with Christina head to her Instagram page or her website!

Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram!

We are joined today by an incredibly wise and humble guest who is an artivist (art + activist). He shares with us the stories of his passion for music and his artivist journey. His name is Y?

Y?’s journey was anything but conventional, being born in a family fleeing their home country of Guyana to the US due to unrest, and having humble beginnings, his passion for art and music was always apparent, but could not be nurtured until he was in his 20s.

Although Y? had dreams to go to school for art and music, these dreams never came to fruition, but he still managed to find his way to his passion and is now a successful artist with a wide array of talents. Y?’s natural ability to connect and hold space is a lost art in and of itself, but he carries this deep love for himself and others so gracefully, it can be felt through this episode.

Tune in to hear some of the most inspirational content yet, and a beautiful story of Y?’s last moments with dear friend Robert Enamorado. This is a special episode you do not want to miss!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• The story behind Y?’s name
• What is artivism?
• Y?’s experience with artivism
• Y?’s education journey
• A piece of art that has impacted Y?’s life
• The importance of community for artists
• How Y? created connection during Roberto Enamorado memorial event
• The story of Y?’s last moments with Roberto Enamorado
• How Y? stays present and positive with all the pain and suffering in the world
• Importance of honing in your purpose and perspective
• Why trying to convince others of your perspective is not beneficial
• How to cultivate self love and stay in the community
• Rediscovering creative purpose in the midst of a tragedy
• The difference between expressing perspective vs convincing

CW: Please note that at 36:00-50:00 in we reference suicide as the friend that we speak about took his own life. Tap out and forward if you need to take care of yourself during that portion of the episode.

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is now active across the United States by dialing 988– it is available 24/7 to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Visit https://988lifeline.org/ for more info.

Connect with Y? by heading to Why Not Show Love here. You can also catch him on social media via Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. You can also shoot him an email here!To learn more about Y?’s company Creative Expressions, visit his other website here.

Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram!

To build authentic connections requires being authentically connected to your body first. Disassociating where connection is required can cause detrimental consequences to your mental and physical health. Especially for creatives living in or just moving to the city to work on their craft. The transition isn’t always easy and the individualistic nature of living in a big city is a breeding ground for disconnection. So how do we come back to ourselves and enjoy living in our own bodies to create space for connection?

Today's guest went through major dissociation and depression when she moved to New York City many years ago. Having just broken up with her boyfriend and starting school, it was a rough start that brought out some inner demons that were locked away for a long time. She found solace in dance, a place where she could connect with herself and express herself through movement. Expression, which was next to impossible for her in any form prior to finding dance.

Justina Kamiel Grayman is a dancer, artist, choreographer, and psychology professor, who has bridged the gap between dance and psychology to create a program called Raw Movement, that helps others that were in her shoes connect with their bodies through unstructured movement, dance, conversation, and much more. Raw Movement is to co-create spaces for deep connection so others can thrive by feeling comfortable in their bodies.

Tune in for an authentically raw conversation about mental health, dance, art, and how we show up for ourselves and others in society.

Topics discussed in this episode:

• How Justina discovered dance and choreography
• Justina’s battle with depression after moving to New York
• How dance helped with Justina’s mental health by expressing herself
• How Justina bridges the gap between dance and psychology to create connection
• How Justina created raw movement
• What is body safety and expression
• Why Justina dislikes the word transformation
• Is there a place for hierarchy in growth and liberation?
• Information about raw movement
• What a raw movement session looks like
• How city creatives can build more authentic connection through community

Listen to more Surviving The City podcasts by following this link. Also, connect with us on Instagram!

To learn more about Raw Movement workshops, visit Justina’s website here.

Connect with Justina on Instagram and Facebook!

In this episode, we delve into what constitutes gossip and the ways we tend to get pulled in despite our best intentions. We also talk through venting and how we can move beyond what can feel like gossiping and venting loops into either deeper ways of connecting or problem solving.

Have you ever chatted with someone who pushed you to consider what it means to go after your creative projects day in and day while staying true to yourself and your values? Is that even possible? And, what does it really look like to grow and evolve your craft with integrity especially in the comedy scene? In this episode, we hear from Gabe Pacheco, a thought-provoking storyteller, performer, podcaster and comic with over a decade of experience performing comedy all over the city and country.

As you’ll come to understand through this conversation, Gabe has a strong sense of values and we often felt like we were chatting with a local philosopher.

Topics in this episode include:

• The origins of Gabe’s podcast “Halal Cartels” with co-host Sameer Naseem
• What it means to be in his “third childhood” and on “the bleeding edge of progress”
• The importance of incorporating “grace” into your philosophy as a creative
• The hustle in comedy and how part of showing up consistently is surrounding yourself with others who aspire to be better
• How Gabe landed the gig co-hosting a weekly comedy show at Pete’s Candy Store
• Having an ideology before you start to put yourself out there and knowing the boundaries you won’t cross
• The emergence of transphobia on the comedy scene
• Why it’s important not to hold performers to their past selves and leaving space open for self-critique and growth
• Reflecting on mistakes Gabe has made on stage
• Willingness to abandon a fan base to speak your truth
• Understanding who the gatekeepers are and whether or not your message aligns with theirs as a metric for whether or not you should keep your day job
• Traversing anti-capitalist topics on stage with audiences outside of Brooklyn
• Why it’s important to build, invite and create your community vs waiting for your community to appear
• Psychedelics and personal growth
• What he loves about living in the city and the connection to people
• How he hates the struggle required for so many to live and stay here
• What utopia of a living situation looks like and means to Gabe
• Why the movie Blade Runner helped shape his world view

Keep up with Gabe’s work here or by connecting with him on Instagram or Twitter. You can also follow his weekly comedy show on IG Funhouse Comedy. And finally, definitely check out his podcast Halal Cartels!

Listen to more Surviving The City podcast episodes by following this link. And don’t forget to connect with us on Instagram.