WEBVTT - Why representation matters & making sure BLM isn’t just a trending hashtag w/ trailblazer & actor Ayeesha Ash 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:13.600 Welcome to the Rise and Conquer Podcasts. This podcast is 0:00:13.640 --> 0:00:16.599 for women who want to take ownership of their lives, 0:00:17.000 --> 0:00:21.280 live unapologetically, and are ready to turn their biggest dreams 0:00:21.320 --> 0:00:24.880 into their reality. If you're ready to be armed with 0:00:24.960 --> 0:00:29.040 the tools that will inspire to take bold action, feel 0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:33.080 confident within yourself, and conquer your goals, then you've come 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:37.160 to the right place. I'm your host, Georgie Stevenson. I'm 0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:41.480 a lawyer turned entrepreneur, co founder of Naked Harvest Supplements, 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:45.800 and social media personality with a community of over three 0:00:45.920 --> 0:00:49.760 hundred thousand. I grew up believing I had to pursue 0:00:49.760 --> 0:00:53.240 the safe option and fit into a mold others had 0:00:53.280 --> 0:00:56.400 created for me. But then I entered my corporate law 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.640 job and I realized that settling for a reality that 0:00:59.760 --> 0:01:02.720 did I didn't set my soul on fire, was something I 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:06.120 was not prepared to do. I wanted more, and I 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:09.800 have a feeling you do too. Join me and special 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.800 guests weekly as we get down to the nitty gritty 0:01:12.920 --> 0:01:18.000 on all things health, mastering your mindset, creating lasting habits, 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:22.240 thriving in your career and relationships, plus so much more, 0:01:22.800 --> 0:01:27.000 and together we'll gain the knowledge and perspective to pursue 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:31.000 our wildest dreams and kick fear to the curb. Well, 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:40.479 what are you waiting for? Let's rise and conquer. Hey guys, 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.800 and welcome back to another episode of the Rise and 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:47.600 Conquer Podcast. Today on the show, I'm sharing a very 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:52.360 important conversation. I'm joined by Aisha Ash. Aisha is a 0:01:52.360 --> 0:01:57.640 proud Murray Grenadian woman. Born in Grenadia and raised in Brisbane. 0:01:58.000 --> 0:02:01.680 Aisha is a trailblazer in her field of creative arts. 0:02:01.920 --> 0:02:06.480 She started her own highly acclaimed creative arts company called Blackbirds. 0:02:06.720 --> 0:02:10.400 Aisha started Blackbirds when she noticed a lack of representation 0:02:10.560 --> 0:02:13.400 of women in color in the creative industry, and in 0:02:13.440 --> 0:02:16.400 our chat we get down to why this representation is 0:02:16.440 --> 0:02:19.960 so important and why it's important for women of color 0:02:20.040 --> 0:02:23.200 to take control of their narrative. Towards the end two 0:02:23.280 --> 0:02:27.400 we also discuss cultural appropriation and how we can better 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:31.280 check ourselves. I truly believe that having open discussions about 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:34.320 these issues and how we can actively help to make 0:02:34.360 --> 0:02:38.120 sure everyone around us feels welcomed, love and seen. If 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:40.519 you want to learn more about Black Lives Matter movement 0:02:40.600 --> 0:02:42.760 and how you can help, I've put a couple of 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:46.160 links in the show notes Aisha is truly in inspiring 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:49.040 and an example of being able to build a company 0:02:49.080 --> 0:02:51.440 from a pain point to lead the way. I am 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:54.320 so grateful for her energy in opening up about some 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:59.000 serious issues. Let's get into the show. Hey, Ayisha, welcome 0:02:59.000 --> 0:02:59.560 to the show. 0:03:00.080 --> 0:03:01.440 Hi so nice to be here. 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:06.200 Thank you so much for taking the time to chat 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:10.240 with the RNC fan today. Before we get into the 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:14.240 good cues, something I ask all my guests is what 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:17.880 season are you currently in? So this just means what 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:19.640 are you prioritizing at the moment. 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:26.680 Oh, I actually feel really motivated at the moment, So 0:03:27.160 --> 0:03:31.639 I guess I'm prioritizing creating new work and being really 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:35.760 proactive with what I'm putting out into the world and 0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:38.640 what I'm pursuing. I think for a while I was 0:03:38.720 --> 0:03:42.360 kind of okay during COVID, but I don't know, it 0:03:42.400 --> 0:03:44.840 was kind of like there was kind of this blanket 0:03:45.000 --> 0:03:49.440 of mundanity on me. So I was just really kind 0:03:49.480 --> 0:03:51.600 of not bored. I was still doing things. But I 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:53.560 feel like now that things are lifting, I've got so 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:56.760 much more impetus to kind of get out into the 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:58.600 world and create things again. 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:03.040 I love that, and I definitely do not think you're 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:08.600 the only one. I definitely felt almost like, I think 0:04:08.640 --> 0:04:11.160 because of not knowing when it was going to lift, 0:04:11.200 --> 0:04:14.200 and I guess the uncertainty, I felt like a bit 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:18.280 of para are like I'm trying to think of the 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:22.960 word proalysis. Yes, yeah, wait, I kind of like, yeah, 0:04:22.960 --> 0:04:24.880 I didn't want to start things. I didn't know what 0:04:24.960 --> 0:04:27.480 to do. And then now I can kind of see, 0:04:27.520 --> 0:04:29.120 you know, the light at the end of the tunnel. 0:04:29.600 --> 0:04:32.760 I feel almost a bit more motivated to you know, 0:04:32.960 --> 0:04:35.640 do the next things and start the next projects. 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:39.240 So definitely, yeah. And it's a really nice feeling too, 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:39.680 isn't it. 0:04:40.440 --> 0:04:42.599 Yes, it's like it's kind of like a nice like 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:43.520 light feeling. 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:45.240 Yeah, it is. It is. 0:04:47.080 --> 0:04:50.920 Well, thank you so much. The next question, I've already 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:53.280 done a bit of an intro for you at the start, 0:04:53.360 --> 0:04:55.359 but could you give the listeners a bit of a 0:04:55.440 --> 0:04:59.719 snapshot of who you are and also what a day 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:01.920 looks like in your life? 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:07.280 Okay? Cool. So I trained first as an actor. So 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:10.839 I went to acting school in Perth at a place 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:13.479 called Whopper, and I did an acting course there. It 0:05:13.520 --> 0:05:15.640 was like a three year full time thing, and so 0:05:15.839 --> 0:05:18.200 I've been working professionally as an actor, I guess for 0:05:18.240 --> 0:05:21.479 about seven years now. Before that, I also went to 0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:25.000 I guess a kind of creative arts school in Brisbane 0:05:25.040 --> 0:05:28.320 called Queensland Academy for Creative Industries. So I've been doing 0:05:28.320 --> 0:05:31.159 creative stuff for a while. And then I guess after 0:05:31.360 --> 0:05:33.680 acting school as well, I started to branch out into 0:05:33.720 --> 0:05:39.039 doing more things like writing, directing, producing, throwing events, and 0:05:39.279 --> 0:05:41.839 I freelance a lot. I also have an agent, so 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:43.800 I get gigs through my agent, who were great, But 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.279 I also freelance a lot and find and make a 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.440 lot of my own work. And I also run Blackbirds, 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:51.280 which I think we'll talk about later, but I run 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:55.400 a company creative arts code called Blackbirds, which focuses on 0:05:55.480 --> 0:05:58.960 making work fall buy and about women of color in 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:01.200 Australia amazing. 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:04.720 And just quickly, what is a date and the life 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:05.360 look like for you? 0:06:05.560 --> 0:06:08.040 Oh? Yes, a day in the life. Well, I'm very 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:10.279 much an early riser. I like to get up early 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.680 and kind of do all my big tasks first thing 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:17.320 in the morning and exercise and everything, because by eight 0:06:17.400 --> 0:06:22.080 pm I am really tired and we need to go 0:06:22.120 --> 0:06:26.719 to bed. So that's pretty like I have to be 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.520 very self directed in terms of the work that I've 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:32.919 been doing, especially during this whole COVID season, because a 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:35.840 lot of the work that was planned was postponed or canceled, 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:39.960 and so therefore there was no rehearsal period or anything. 0:06:39.960 --> 0:06:42.360 We were supposed to have weeks and weeks of rehearsals 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:45.200 for shows, but that was all postponed. So I've had 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:48.120 to kind of pivot and think about the work that 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:51.520 I'm creating and how I can use my day still 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:54.159 to the full without pushing myself too much and without 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.600 expecting too much of myself, which I'm sure you can 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:58.640 agree is kind of hard, Like you feel like you 0:06:58.680 --> 0:07:00.960 should be doing stuff, doing stuffing stuff all the time, 0:07:01.440 --> 0:07:03.960 but it is really important to kind of give yourself 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.839 a break. And I think that's what I've been trying 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.119 to do with COVID, you know, trying to do less 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:10.120 but do it better. 0:07:11.720 --> 0:07:15.160 Yes, one hundred percent, I love that, And yeah, that's 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:18.680 so interesting. I didn't kind of that didn't even register 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:23.000 to me about you know, performances and not having rehearsals 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:26.760 and whatnot, So your life would look very different during 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:27.600 COVID nineteen. 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:30.560 Yeah, there was a lot of stuff planned for interstate 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:32.200 and like we were doing a whole season of a 0:07:32.240 --> 0:07:35.760 show in Melbourne, but that was all canned. But I 0:07:35.800 --> 0:07:37.680 think the arts industry is you know, it's been really 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:42.239 hit hard by COVID and it's really difficult because artists 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.840 are some of the first people to always step up 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.640 and put on benefits for other things for free, you know, 0:07:47.720 --> 0:07:50.120 give their time for free, which I think is such 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.680 a great quality. But now we're kind of being left 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:56.480 in the dark by the government in terms of stimulus 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:58.920 packages and stuff. So hopefully within the next few weeks 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:00.600 we see a bit of change there. 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:06.480 Yes, one hundred percent. And also so important to make sure, 0:08:06.880 --> 0:08:11.080 you know, we as listeners and as people who enjoy 0:08:11.200 --> 0:08:14.040 the creative industry to then go and you know, support 0:08:14.080 --> 0:08:16.440 you guys when you do have performances and that sort 0:08:16.440 --> 0:08:21.880 of stuff on. Yes, absolutely, Okay, So you chatted out 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:25.160 briefly about Blackbirds, and I want to get into that 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:30.200 because I really want to chat the importance of representation 0:08:30.480 --> 0:08:35.960 in the film, TV media industry. So you're the artistic 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:40.559 director of your own create arts company called Blackbirds, and 0:08:40.760 --> 0:08:46.400 you've also worked professionally as an actor. As you said, firstly, 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:50.080 before we get into what Blackbirds is and how it 0:08:50.120 --> 0:08:53.800 came about, can you let us know. I guess how 0:08:53.880 --> 0:08:57.240 you came to have an interest in the creative industry. 0:08:59.080 --> 0:09:01.840 I think as if kid because I'm an only child 0:09:02.000 --> 0:09:05.000 of a single parent, So as a kid, I was 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:08.480 bored a lot. I would have to kind of make 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:10.640 my own fun and my mum was always super busy 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:13.240 working and studying, and I would kind of have to 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.480 find ways to entertain myself. And then when it came 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:20.440 to after school activities like sport, I was enrolled in 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:23.720 so many different ones, and I just didn't like any 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:27.440 of the sports. I just was not into sporty, Like 0:09:27.520 --> 0:09:30.199 I'm just not a sporty person. Unfortunately, I can watch 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:32.640 your game, but when it comes to playing it, I'm 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:35.240 just I'm good on the sidelines, like encouraging people, but 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:40.520 on the field shocking. So I found I found my love. 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:44.520 I guess when I was probably about ten or nine, 0:09:44.600 --> 0:09:47.440 I started doing dancing and I loved that and became 0:09:47.480 --> 0:09:49.920 such a huge part of my life. I think by 0:09:49.960 --> 0:09:52.440 the time I finished, I was doing about thirty to 0:09:52.440 --> 0:09:55.320 forty hours of class a week, so it was a 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:57.560 big part of my life. And I'm so grateful for 0:09:57.640 --> 0:10:00.160 it because I think, just the same as any of 0:10:00.200 --> 0:10:02.920 team sport does, you know, dancing offers such a great 0:10:04.400 --> 0:10:07.120 learning facility in the terms of discipline and working as 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:11.640 a team and getting to know your body and getting 0:10:11.640 --> 0:10:13.640 to know music and all that kind of thing. So 0:10:13.720 --> 0:10:17.520 I started through dancing and then I went to a 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:21.080 creative arts high school in Brisbane and I did theater 0:10:21.160 --> 0:10:24.400 and music there as my two major creative subjects. And 0:10:24.679 --> 0:10:27.640 after that I decided, you know, I really loved acting. 0:10:27.679 --> 0:10:30.360 I think I was so shy as a kid that 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:34.559 acting was something that I felt I could be someone else. 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:36.240 So it was really nice for me to kind of 0:10:36.280 --> 0:10:39.760 get rid of that fear. And so when I went 0:10:39.800 --> 0:10:42.120 to acting school, it was a really big kind of 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:44.640 It was a big change because I moved over to Perth. 0:10:44.679 --> 0:10:46.320 It was the first time that I lived out of home, 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:48.840 but it was such a supportive community, and I think 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:54.240 acting has so many other benefits in terms of building 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:58.040 confidence and getting to know yourself and also providing you 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.240 with a lot of opportunities to kind of think about 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:02.600 how other people work, you know, when you're doing character 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:05.680 work and things like that. So yeah, I guess It's 0:11:05.720 --> 0:11:08.080 kind of just been like a flow on effect for me. 0:11:08.360 --> 0:11:11.440 And I could have gone to union, and I was 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:16.000 really considering doing law. I deferred it, but I just 0:11:16.080 --> 0:11:18.800 knew that it wouldn't make me happy, and it might 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:20.960 have been an easier path, you know, and I've heard 0:11:20.960 --> 0:11:22.880 you talk about this before. It would have been an 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:26.760 easier path to go down in terms of stability, but 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:29.640 it just wouldn't have fulfilled me. And at the end 0:11:29.679 --> 0:11:31.319 of the day, you know, I know, I'm very lucky 0:11:31.360 --> 0:11:33.480 to have that option to do something that I can 0:11:34.600 --> 0:11:38.080 feel fulfilled from. Not everyone has that option, and yeah, 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:39.880 I feel really lucky to be able to pursue it. 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:43.520 It is tough, as any creative industry is, but it's 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:44.839 definitely worth it. 0:11:46.120 --> 0:11:51.360 I love what you said about, you know, it being 0:11:51.480 --> 0:11:55.080 a form of learning discipline and learning to talk with 0:11:55.520 --> 0:11:57.640 a team and that sort of thing, which is kind 0:11:57.679 --> 0:12:00.840 of what people think, you know, you do with sport 0:12:00.960 --> 0:12:04.280 during school. And I actually, I don't think my listeners 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:07.360 know this, but I actually did acting from a young 0:12:07.440 --> 0:12:12.200 age to up I think maybe like fourteen. It was 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:15.360 like nothing nothing you street, was like more of enough 0:12:15.559 --> 0:12:18.800 school thing. But I felt like that because I'm so 0:12:19.160 --> 0:12:23.480 uncoordinated with sports. For me, it's just like, yeah, it 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:26.160 was really good to have this sort of outing where 0:12:26.200 --> 0:12:29.200 you did learn those skills, but in a different creative way. 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:34.280 And that's so interesting what you said about law and yeah, 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:37.559 much the same. I went through the exact same sort 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:40.760 of transition when I was like, Yeah, what am I doing? 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:43.040 I don't actually enjoy this and I can kind of, 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:44.880 you know, try this other thing that I enjoy. So 0:12:45.320 --> 0:12:48.160 I love that you're following your passions. And I love 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:52.640 so much that you started this creative company called Blackbirds. 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:56.160 So I know you said this came as a response 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:59.640 to the lack of representation of women of color in 0:13:00.040 --> 0:13:03.720 earlier in the arts industry. Can you expand more on 0:13:03.800 --> 0:13:07.640 this and explain what Blackbirds is about. 0:13:08.160 --> 0:13:13.800 Yeah, so Blackbirds was co founded between myself and Tokala 0:13:13.880 --> 0:13:18.280 and Fijian woman called Emilie Unavoul who's also an actor, writer, producer, 0:13:18.400 --> 0:13:23.600 director wears many hats, and we kind of started talking 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:27.880 to each other. I gets in twenty fifteen because we 0:13:28.040 --> 0:13:30.520 both finished drama school. I went to Whopper, she went 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:34.880 to Nider and we were graduating into the industry and 0:13:35.120 --> 0:13:40.360 we were both really disappointed and not excited at all 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.120 about the kind of opportunities that would be out there 0:13:43.160 --> 0:13:46.560 for us once we graduated, or you know, more more 0:13:46.600 --> 0:13:49.040 about I guess the lack of opportunities that would be 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:51.960 out there. So from the get go, we just thought, well, 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:56.040 why don't we just create our own opportunities. And another 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:58.320 thing I guess in terms of being at an acting 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:01.760 school and meeting all these people, is that you see 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:05.320 so many other women of color who have also trained 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:09.120 professionally and who are amazing, but don't get any opportunity 0:14:09.160 --> 0:14:13.480 to share that because the commercial film and TV theater 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:17.719 industries are very small and can be quite limited in 0:14:18.080 --> 0:14:22.320 how they choose to represent people. And also I think 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:27.520 sometimes they don't give the audience enough credit and they 0:14:27.560 --> 0:14:30.440 don't trust the audience in terms of what the audience 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:32.960 wants to see and how much the audience wants diversity 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:36.000 as well. So we just went, yeah, we're going to 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:39.320 create our own company, and actually we wanted to start 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:41.720 it as a podcast, and the podcast has only come 0:14:41.760 --> 0:14:44.640 about this year, so very slow on the podcast uptake. 0:14:44.680 --> 0:14:47.440 We've kind of got sidetracked with a lot of different practices. 0:14:47.600 --> 0:14:54.400 But we do theater film, short film we've done visual artworks. 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:58.680 We've also done live I guess more live art performances, 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:00.920 and we've been able to to take our work to 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:06.239 al Toyoto and New Zealand and Melbourne and Sydney, Brisbane 0:15:06.520 --> 0:15:09.120 and one of our films was even shown in by Batos, 0:15:09.120 --> 0:15:12.080 which was really cool. So yeah, we really wanted to 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:15.520 make sure that we created something that women of color 0:15:15.640 --> 0:15:18.320 from the diaspora from all over the world who called 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:23.000 Australia home could share their stories and their experiences and 0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.080 feel seen as well as have an opportunity to share 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:28.840 the talents and the skills that they've been working so 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:32.520 hard on for so long, and often because there is 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.000 a lack of opportunity, some of these women just decide 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:38.280 to step back from the industry altogether, which I can understand, 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:42.720 but is also really it's just sad, I guess, because 0:15:42.720 --> 0:15:45.000 they've invested so much of their time in their life 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:47.120 and to see something that was a passion for so 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.800 many people just die because there's no opportunity and that 0:15:50.840 --> 0:15:53.480 they can't feel seen is pretty heartbreaking. 0:15:55.680 --> 0:16:01.920 Yes, and that's just amazing that you guys would see 0:16:01.960 --> 0:16:06.440 that see you know, the lack of representation and create 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.640 your own space like it's it's actually amazing. And I 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:14.000 guess like I wanted to ask, because, like you said, 0:16:14.040 --> 0:16:18.480 like things are progressing, things are getting better. Do you 0:16:18.560 --> 0:16:21.600 feel like they have progressed quite a lot or do 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:23.640 you feel like there's still a long way to go. 0:16:24.680 --> 0:16:27.520 I think there's definitely still a long way to go. 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.520 I mean, there's no doubt that things have progressed. But 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:34.120 we're talking about you know, film and TV industries, in 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:36.600 the theater industries have been around for so long and 0:16:36.640 --> 0:16:39.600 we're only just getting to this point now. I think 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:43.680 we really can pick up the pace, and I think, 0:16:43.760 --> 0:16:48.040 you know, theater companies and production companies and casting agents 0:16:48.760 --> 0:16:52.160 need to, you know, really set some goals and markets 0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:56.040 for themselves and hold themselves accountable because one of the 0:16:56.080 --> 0:17:00.720 best things about Australia is how diverse our population is. 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.119 People come from everywhere, and it's such a shame to 0:17:04.240 --> 0:17:09.040 kind of waste those stories and just kind of pigeonhole 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.239 what Australian culture is or what Australian culture could be 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:13.880 to one type of person. 0:17:16.040 --> 0:17:19.879 Yes, I love what you've said about their stories, and 0:17:20.000 --> 0:17:22.800 I know, like a part of the reason Blackbirds was 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:26.080 formed was that, so women of color could also become 0:17:26.240 --> 0:17:29.480 control of their own narratives and tell their own stories. 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.720 Can you explain a bit to the Rise and Conquer Audience, 0:17:32.880 --> 0:17:34.960 just why this is so important. 0:17:35.680 --> 0:17:40.679 Yeah, So, I think it's really really important for people 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:44.920 from marginalized groups, whether that be because your marginalized because 0:17:44.960 --> 0:17:50.160 of your race, your ethnicity, your gender, identity, your ability levels, 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:54.240 that you have control over your own story, because as 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:58.639 someone who is already oppressed by the majority of society, 0:17:58.840 --> 0:18:02.080 to have a story told and you have control of 0:18:02.080 --> 0:18:05.359 that gives you so much opportunity to speak a truth 0:18:05.400 --> 0:18:08.800 to people that they would not necessarily hear, and also 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:13.679 provides a real representation and not a stereotypical representation, because 0:18:13.680 --> 0:18:17.600 we know that stereotypes are so problematic, and you know, 0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:20.080 I can understand why they come in that they are 0:18:20.080 --> 0:18:22.560 a quick they're a quick fix, and it's kind of 0:18:22.640 --> 0:18:24.679 a bit of a lazy job to just put a 0:18:24.680 --> 0:18:28.560 stereotype in and not actually delve deep into the depth 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.959 of a person. But we've seen before. There's this study 0:18:31.960 --> 0:18:34.560 that was done and I really recommend everyone go on 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:36.399 YouTube and you can look at it. If you just 0:18:36.440 --> 0:18:38.840 type in dole test on YouTube. You can watch it. 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:42.160 But a study was done in America in the nineteen 0:18:42.359 --> 0:18:45.880 forties and they were trying to figure out the impacts 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:51.320 of segregation on black and white students. So if anyone 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:54.760 doesn't know, segregation was where they separated people of black 0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:56.440 and white races and they weren't allowed to go to 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:58.960 school together or drink from the same water fountains or anything. 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:03.960 It was mad And the black children they were given 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:06.679 a black doll and a white doll, and they always 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:08.879 had bias. They wanted to have the white doll, they 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:10.680 wanted to have the white skin because they were told 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:13.480 that black was bad. Black was bad. And then in 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:17.240 twenty ten they did a similar study kind of seeing 0:19:17.240 --> 0:19:21.119 if anything had changed, and unfortunately it hadn't. And it 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:25.439 was so heartbreaking to watch these kids pointing at the 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:28.240 black doll, Black kids pointing at the black doll and saying, 0:19:28.359 --> 0:19:31.240 this doll is bad, this dole is ugly, this doll 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:33.800 is dumb, this dole, this dole has nothing to offer 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:37.480 because of the stereotypes and the lack of representation of 0:19:37.760 --> 0:19:42.399 black people on TV and in film. So to see that, 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:44.720 you know, taken all the way from the forties to 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:47.560 twenty ten. This study was done in young children, I 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:50.359 think between the ages of five and ten, is like, 0:19:50.440 --> 0:19:53.879 it just really highlights the importance of having people in 0:19:53.920 --> 0:19:56.000 control of their own stories so that you can have 0:19:56.440 --> 0:20:02.080 diverse and strong and beautiful representations of black people and 0:20:02.400 --> 0:20:04.920 you know, people who are from other minorities as well. 0:20:04.960 --> 0:20:08.320 I think it's just so important and it benefits everyone. 0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:10.439 You know, no one wants to be going around with 0:20:10.480 --> 0:20:13.560 a very small minded view of the world, so it's 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:16.960 I think it's everyone's benefit to have more interesting stories 0:20:17.000 --> 0:20:17.520 on screen. 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:21.240 I could not agree more. And I love that you 0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:24.959 touched on that, and I love that you've followed your 0:20:25.040 --> 0:20:28.360 passion and you've built this amazing company where you're allowing 0:20:28.400 --> 0:20:31.200 women of color to take control of telling their stories. 0:20:31.480 --> 0:20:35.320 And I wanted to ask you if you have any 0:20:35.400 --> 0:20:39.800 empowering tips or words of advice for others who are 0:20:39.960 --> 0:20:44.600 feeling a lack of representation to step up and take lead, 0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:47.800 whether that's you know, starting their own company, business venture, 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:51.160 or like you said, following their passions. 0:20:52.040 --> 0:20:55.400 Yeah, I think you know it's hard, but I honestly 0:20:55.480 --> 0:20:58.760 think you've just got to listen to yourself, sit down 0:20:58.800 --> 0:21:01.960 with yourself, do whatever you have to do, maybe write 0:21:02.000 --> 0:21:04.960 a pros and com list or meditate or think about 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:07.640 you know, what gap are you trying to fill? How 0:21:07.680 --> 0:21:10.800 are you trying to help other people? And I think 0:21:10.800 --> 0:21:12.760 you've just got to go through it. And it's hard. 0:21:13.000 --> 0:21:16.040 I mean nothing I think in this world really is easy. 0:21:16.080 --> 0:21:18.840 But it's also an opportunity to learn and to challenge 0:21:18.840 --> 0:21:24.080 yourself and growth can often be uncomfortable, but you know 0:21:24.119 --> 0:21:27.119 you have to go through that to get to where 0:21:27.520 --> 0:21:29.240 you need to be or where you want to be. 0:21:29.440 --> 0:21:31.760 So I really think that you've just got to take 0:21:31.800 --> 0:21:34.520 the plunge. It's not always going to be easy, but 0:21:35.080 --> 0:21:38.760 just keep going, honestly, just don't give up. My mom 0:21:38.800 --> 0:21:40.520 has this magnet on the fridge. She's had it since 0:21:40.560 --> 0:21:42.400 I was a little kid, and it says, if you're 0:21:42.440 --> 0:21:44.639 going through hell, keep going. And I think about it 0:21:44.680 --> 0:21:47.560 all the times. It's like, sometimes you've just got to 0:21:47.640 --> 0:21:50.560 keep going because if you stop, like, what's all that 0:21:50.600 --> 0:21:53.680 hard work for? And know that there's something there at 0:21:53.720 --> 0:21:55.679 the end. You don't know what it is, maybe, but 0:21:56.440 --> 0:21:59.040 just keep going one foot in front of the other 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:03.320 day after today, and don't compare yourself to anyone else, 0:22:03.880 --> 0:22:06.119 because you know, I think This is saying, you know, 0:22:06.160 --> 0:22:09.400 comparison is the thief of joy, and everyone is really 0:22:09.440 --> 0:22:12.400 running their own race, and everyone has a different life story, 0:22:12.680 --> 0:22:15.440 and you just can't compare yourself to someone else, because 0:22:15.920 --> 0:22:19.040 then you're just wasting your time and energy in stet 0:22:19.200 --> 0:22:21.560 into you know, something that's not going to get you anywhere, 0:22:21.600 --> 0:22:25.520 instead of putting that into progressing your own goals or 0:22:25.560 --> 0:22:26.359 your own career. 0:22:27.840 --> 0:22:30.840 I love that one hundred percent. Stay in your own lane, 0:22:31.280 --> 0:22:37.359 keep going, don't quit all amazing stuff. This episode is 0:22:37.400 --> 0:22:40.480 brought to you by Naked Harvest Supplements, the natural supplement 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:43.399