Part of the Wandsworth Arts Fringe 2021, The File Style is delivering a series of interviews on 3rd and 4rth July. “Creatives In Lockdown: In Conversation” brings a range of artists and creatives from around the world in an unique showcase of talent, resilience and creativity during the pandemic.
Read more about the project here and watch the interviews, below:
SATURDAY, 3rd JULY
10am – Friends with a mission: We will introduce the series of interviews and talk about our journey documenting creatives navigating lockdown, how it has influenced them, including new ways of building resilience.
12pm – Andria Antoniou – singer and voice coach: Andria Antoniou is a London-based vocalist of jazz, Latin and Greek Retro music who celebrates cultural diversity and the interconnectedness of people through music. She is also an educator and the founder of Voice Hub, a platform and community where one can find and develop his voice.
2pm – Ali Mulroy – artist: Based in London, Ali has been painting in oils since 12 years old and says he’d been “instantly fascinated by the medium from the first moment” she used it. Awarded young artist of the year by the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries in 2006, Ali has belonged to the SWA since 2007, exhibiting annually with them and the Mall Galleries ever since. She says: “I want people to feel hopeful as they wait for dawn to break over their current darkness. If my work can help in the waiting – then that’s all I’ll ever want.”
3pm – Janssem Cardoso – photographer: A Brazilian photographer and art director based in São Paulo, Janssem is a native of Benjamin Constant, a city located in the State of Amazonas. He also works with audiovisual production (capture, editing and art direction). Since 2016 he has been developing a work with artistic nude photography called ‘Other Colours’ and exploring matters of inclusion, diversity and identity.
5pm – Robbie Thielemans – LED lighting creative: Robbie Thielemans is a Belgian engineer and creative consultant working in the LED industry for almost three decades. Behind the scenes, he designs wonders through light revealing a bright spectacle.
SUNDAY 4 JULY
9am – Inken Sarah Mischke – camerawoman and founder of Perola Filmes: Berliner Inken Sarah is a passionate creative who has delved into filmmaking after concluding a Master’s Degree in Latin American and Gender Studies. She says: “Essentially, making films is nothing less than telling stories that open up a new perspective on things. I was delighted to discover that this approach could also be applied to the field of design, because here the scope for creativity, quite literally, knows no limits.”
12am – Ludwig Rondón – musician: Ludwig Rondón, born in Curaçao, based in the Netherlands, is a performing musician, classical guitarist and educator. He inspires and teaches the practicalities and tricks of the acoustic guitar.
2pm – Kelly Sue – fashion designer: Kelly Sue is a Dutch fashion designer who, in 2016, designed a clothing line for wheelchair users. Soon after, SUE’s Warriors foundation was created to embrace all people and convey diversity, unity and equality in society. Recently, she became an interior designer to bring empowerment and accessibility for all.
3pm – Frederico Sousa – mixed media: Born in Brighton, Frederico Sousa is a British designer currently a student at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. A great lover of unusual aesthetics and in the media arts: illustration, animation and photography. The need for life change is the inspiring source for this artist to begin his studies at 44 years of age.
Featuring a digital programme of interviews, The File Style (us!!! 😊) will take part in this year’s WAF with ‘Creatives in Lockdown: In Conversation’. This is an exciting project following a year of encouraging and heart-warming interviews with creatives from around the world who shared their stories during lockdown.
Since 2010, Wandsworth Arts Fringe has been a solid platform for artists and creatives to reach a diverse community in this vibrant corner of London and beyond. In last year’s edition, WAF introduced a robust digital programme to reach everyone in their living rooms, ensuring no one missed out on the annual festival: “In 2020, WAF was transformed into WAF In Your Living Room, a digital festival showcasing 250 artists across 130 digital events that reached over 30,000 homes, and delivered creative activity packs to 2,100 local families.”
The File Style’s project, ‘Creatives in Lockdown: In Conversation’, is a series of interviews delving into creatives’ work and their personal experiences during the pandemic. A serene exploration of resilience, new opportunities and evolving as a human being.
From 3 to 4 July, we will bring live and recorded exclusive interviews in a programme especially tailored for Wandsworth Arts Fringe with creatives representing the fine arts, music, stage lighting, photography, mixed media, filmmaking and fashion.
The free online event is an invitation to be touched, inspired and perhaps learn how to build resilience during challenging times. We hope you’ll join us from wherever you are in the world.
If you’re curious about what the project will bring, here is a preview of what to expect:
SATURDAY, 3rd JULY
10am – Friends with a mission: We will introduce the series of interviews and talk about our journey documenting creatives navigating lockdown, how it has influenced them, including new ways of building resilience.
12pm – Andria Antoniou – singer and voice coach: Andria Antoniou is a London-based vocalist of jazz, Latin and Greek Retro music who celebrates cultural diversity and the interconnectedness of people through music. She is also an educator and the founder of Voice Hub, a platform and community where one can find and develop his voice.
2pm – Ali Mulroy – artist: Based in London, Ali has been painting in oils since 12 years old and says he’d been “instantly fascinated by the medium from the first moment” she used it. Awarded young artist of the year by the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries in 2006, Ali has belonged to the SWA since 2007, exhibiting annually with them and the Mall Galleries ever since. She says: “I want people to feel hopeful as they wait for dawn to break over their current darkness. If my work can help in the waiting – then that’s all I’ll ever want.”
3pm – Janssem Cardoso – photographer: A Brazilian photographer and art director based in São Paulo, Janssem is a native of Benjamim Constante, a city located in the State of Amazonas. He also works with audiovisual production (capture, editing and art direction). Since 2016 he has been developing a work with artistic nude photography called ‘Other Colours’ and exploring matters of inclusion, diversity and identity.
5pm – Robbie Thielemans – LED lighting creative: Robbie Thielemans is a Belgian engineer and creative consultant working in the LED industry for almost three decades. Behind the scenes, he designs wonders through light revealing a bright spectacle.
SUNDAY 4 JULY
9am – Inken Sarah Mischke – camerawoman and founder of Perola Filmes: Berliner Inken Sarah is a passionate creative who has delved into filmmaking after concluding a Master’s Degree in Latin American and Gender Studies. She says: “Essentially, making films is nothing less than telling stories that open up a new perspective on things. I was delighted to discover that this approach could also be applied to the field of design, because here the scope for creativity, quite literally, knows no limits.”
12am – Ludwig Rondón – musician: Ludwig Rondón, born in Curaçao, based in the Netherlands, is a performing musician, classical guitarist and educator. He inspires and teaches the practicalities and tricks of the acoustic guitar.
2pm – Kelly Sue – fashion designer: Kelly Sue is a Dutch fashion designer who, in 2016, designed a clothing line for wheelchair users. Soon after, SUE’s Warriors foundation was created to embrace all people and convey diversity, unity and equality in society. Recently, she became an interior designer to bring empowerment and accessibility for all.
3pm – Frederico Sousa – mixed media: Born in Brighton, Frederico Sousa is a British designer currently a student at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto. A great lover of unusual aesthetics and in the media arts: illustration, animation and photography. The need for life change is the inspiring source for this artist to begin his studies at 44 years of age.
We don’t take it lightly at all. Lockdown has truly affected everyone, including ourselves who navigated last year overcoming unemployment, Furlough and Covid itself. So, we understand it’s been a remarkably difficult time for everyone.
We also know the past year has been an exceptionally unique time. It may sound like a cliché but, we felt it was a once in a generation opportunity to reset and reconnect. When the world stood still in the first lockdowns, we decided to do something about it and got together to take this opportunity.
Two friends, graduated in Journalism, we were aware of lots of good stories around us and felt compelled to tell those stories with an emotional commitment we hadn’t experienced in a very long time. We embraced it as a truly timely opportunity that wouldn’t have been possible in the 90s, for example: these conversations were possible thanks to the accessible tools available right now such as free social media, messaging, affordable WiFi and a public willing to listen.
It’s now been a year since we started The File Style project and looking back is incredible. Thanks to the generosity of talented creatives, we’ve been able to share their unique journeys; featuring individuals from diverse backgrounds talking from countries around the world. Creatives acting in music, mixed media, fashion, photography and even stage lighting discussed an array of topics ranging from sexuality, diversity & inclusion, beauty and arts via a common thread: their experiences during the pandemic.
Covid made us all vulnerable, some more than others, we must acknowledge; but with vulnerability comes an openness that helps us to connect with our humanity a little bit more and, hopefully, have more compassion towards others. Have you heard of that expression “peeling the onion”? Well, we got the chance to peel deeper into our humanity during this pandemic.
By interviewing creatives and sharing their stories of love, resilience and positivity, we delved deeper into our own humanity. We want to thank each of our creatives who embraced the moment with us and generously showed up on our Zoom calls sharing their talents, insights, successes and also struggles.
As we start the second year of our project, we’re “expanding our tent” and embracing new opportunities, starting with a certain arts festival in London… Keep tuned for more news coming soon.
Think what we may about Nietzche but the man did say one of the most undeniable human truths: “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
This is the short story of someone who found their “why”. Juliana Oliveira, affectionately called ‘Julie’ by her friends, is a photographer with a heart for social justice, community and an acute eye for the complexity of life. She is also a well travelled Brazilian with an enhanced spiritual awareness and faith. Looking at Julie’s pictures you’d be forgiven for thinking she was born a free spirit with an innate audacity to capture any subject she desires.
This wasn’t always so. For good part of her life, Julie fought for what she believed was expected of her; often in the shape of a reliable and excellent professional, and the dutiful daughter and friend that everyone could count on. So far so good, right?
Except that this was not the full story: that was not all of Julie. Finding herself in London in summer 2010, she was searching for the ‘rest’ of her, in a deep quest for the answer to life’s question: what is your why?
It was in this transient state of thought that the answer presented itself, rudely, at London’s Southbank: “I was pushed over the precipice by a friend. (She laughs.) We were there attending a festival she was writing about. At the time, I had started, very shyly, to explore my passion for photography… I say shyly because I couldn’t accept that I was good enough to even speak publicly of my desire to take photographs as a career.”
Both friends were taking a break from the festival, enjoying an uncharacteristic London sunshine, when two guys approached Julie’s friend asking if she could take a photo of them.
”Without hesitation, my friend pointed at me and said ‘my friend here is a photographer. I’m sure she can take that for you’; and she returned to her activities, just like that, casually throwing me, in what felt at the time, the deep end for a very reserved person.”
That afternoon became a watershed moment in Julie’s life as, it turns out, instead of an abyss, she found a room for her talent. After the Southbank’s ‘precipice’ incident, Julie steadily embraced photography as her new life. She has since registered people’s profiles, fashion shows, breathtaking landscapes in Europe and her native Brazil. Building a name for herself, Julie has found not only a new career but her ‘why’: “I cannot forget that day. I’ll never forget that, never! When anyone asks me how I started my career, I say it was thanks to my friend, my ‘sister’ who saw my potential, believed in me and went on to push me.”
It was an impressive career change for the IT professional in her 30s who now gets to choose how she works and what she captures. Subjects are incredibly important to Julie and she is very particular about what her lens set to register as she believes the subject must be aligned with her beliefs as a professional and as a person.
When the pandemic hit, Julie found herself living in one of the most desirable places in Brazil, that is, by the beach with plenty of nature nearby. It was in this idyllic place that she came across her current subject – Fruto Das Mãos: a grassroots initiative driven by volunteers in her local church.
“I think I have the heart of a volunteer…. Wherever I go, I always want to get involved and help the community. When I got to my local church, on the very first day, they talked about this initiative and my heart simply burned and I wanted to get to know more and help.”
She visited the project and received such a warm welcome that she committed there and then. In her first day of volunteering, Julie experienced a moment of deep reflexion and insight into her own life: “They gave me and a group of volunteers the task to untangle elastic straps that had been formed into a ball. We were many together doing that task but, for some reason, I found myself alone doing that work and doing so with a lot of pleasure. In that moment I felt as if God was there showing me a metaphor; as if my life had been tangled like that ball of elastic straps but now it was time to untangle and unravel. I didn’t go home until I had finished that work.”
And she hasn’t stopped helping ever since, using her talent as a photographer and in any other capacity she can by documenting all the project’s development and the volunteers themselves.
The day to day seems simple: volunteers collect and prepare donations which are restored if necessary and sold at minimum prices that everyone can afford; with the money reverted to help others who have no means at all. Clothing, toys, furniture, stationery, everything you can possibly imagine is put up on sale. The initiative also facilitates courses to the community such as crochet and sewing. During the pandemic, volunteers turned its efforts into making face masks for key workers and expanded its operations to supply food to those who needed it the most. Founder volunteers Elisangela and Leila said: “Our community seeks to help others and to give people the skills to help them make a living. Today, we have expanded from a small charity shop into a full on social action.”
However, it is also a community that unites volunteers and give them purpose. For many volunteers, this is their ‘why’. It is the case of Angelita: “I think volunteering is to love your neighbour. For me, this is a blessing, because I can help more families and more people than I would ever be able to by myself. We want to help those who can’t afford to clothe themselves. You have to love what you do and help others.”
For another volunteer, Ana Lu, it was the beginning of a new life: “I was going through one of the most painful moments of my life when I had lost my will to live. When I came across this group I found so much love; they dedicated this love to me and turned me whole again. I then started volunteering and found reasons to stay alive and, more than anything, I was reconciled with my faith again.”
Registering the daily activities inside Fruto das Mãos and its volunteers, Julie is actively using her talent to contribute to others finding their own why. She spends days and nights in long, pleasurable (and often tiring) hours helping, filming, photographing and spreading the good news to others. Her talent is now in demand by other charities in the area, eager to have her expert talent but Julie sees more than activities:
“I see many volunteers arrive and the difference it makes in their lives, it’s noticeable in their faces. The effect is transformative, I see the smiles that weren’t there before…”
“During the pandemic, there was a lot of fear and many procedures to comply with such as social distancing. But, it was during the pandemic that we expanded even more and when I dedicated to my maximum. It was and it is my refuge. We help each other and help others and, in turn, it helps us. It’s a refuge.”
As the pandemic lingers, I ask Julie about her plans for the future: “I would like to be more available and help others more. I want to take good photography to those who cannot afford it. I want to make it accessible to those who wouldn’t have access to it otherwise. I treat all clients the same, the wealthy and the poor, and I want to continue to bless more people with the gift of photography.”
It sounds like the precipice had the answer, after all…
To learn more about Fruto Das Mãos, visit their profile on Instagram: @frutodasmaosstore
Self-confidence and awareness patterned Kelly Sue Lampers’ story. With high expectations when addressing her goals as a creative professional, the Dutch designer envisions diversity and inclusivity – access for all! Lockdown provided time to rethink her perspectives on creativity; identifying her creative values.
“Love yourself, unconditionally. Realize it: nobody can tell you what is beautiful…beauty is in all colours and shapes. It is the art of nature. Celebrate your beauty. Loving yourself, it is the greatest gift to yourself.”
Kelly sue lampers
In her mood board, she pins up her vision of a society fulfilled of diversity and equality. She designed a unique clothing line for fashionable women bonded to a wheelchair which granted her winning the “Fashion on Wheels” competition in 2014.
Upon graduating, Kelly Sue launched her brand in 2016, intending to provide a stylish, yet classic clothing line for the women with disabilities. With attention to the individual and identities. Soon she acknowledged the big issue, the lack of equality, diversity and unity in the fashion and beauty industries, not to mention in our society.
She brought diversity and unity to the catwalk when she presented her collection with the slogan “Broken crayons, still, colours” in 2017 at Amsterdam fashion week, featuring all body types and beauties. They are SUE’s Warriors, the foundation Kelly Sue created to embrace these amazing women and draw the fashion industry’s attention for inclusivity. “With this foundation, I want to get awareness in the fashion industry for this particular audience. Represent them equally. Also, educate our society to be thinking out of the box; we are all equal in our differences.”
(Visuals provided by Kelly Sue Lampers – Instagram @_.kellysue._ @sues_warriors)
Her mission has forever been to raise awareness, she develops educational projects and collaborates with other foundations focused on diversity like the DMA model agency and the Diversity fashion week.
Creativity is part of her DNA.
Lockdown got the Dutch designer Kelly Sue Lampers into rethinking her creative fulfilment. “…because of the lockdown, when all the scheduled projects with SUE’s Warriors were cancelled, I got time to think clearly about my goals. I questioned myself if I was creative enough or challenged. I am a creative person, so I miss being creative with my hands, creating designs and working with colours. With that thought, I decided the SUE’s Warriors foundation needs a manager who will share its mission and get awareness. Meanwhile, I can develop my new feature, interior styling; work together with architects into creating accessible buildings to all.”
Positivity and inspiration highlighted the unique conversation with Kelly Sue. She celebrates diversity continuously.
Her latest project, joining the Miss Benelux Pin-Up contest matches perfectly with SUE’s Warriors and herself: “I entered the Miss Benelux Pin-Up contest because the modern pin-up beauty is the celebration of all body types. This is a perfect match with SUE’s Warriors and with myself. I am a vintage-style lover.”
Unconditionally, Kelly Sue empowers access for all.
A not one composition might be fairly complex in its structure. Several arrangements and notes play an essential role in each performance. The tune identified can be as mellow and as crispy depending on the strings attached. When appetitively learning by ear, all chords and pitches fit creatively, but it is a learning process. That is the ethos of Ludwig Rondon in his path to becoming a reputable classical guitarist and educator.
The teenage Ludwig Rondón, born in Curaçao, moved to the Netherlands in 1986 to study architecture, but little did he know he had that musician sparkle hidden that later turned into a passion.
As an introduction about himself, Ludwig Rondón starts the conversation with his untypical story as he says: “My story is not typical…I got my first guitar when I was fifteen years old. I just played as a hobby!”
How did you get into music?
In 1986 I came to Holland for better opportunities. It wasn’t music studies yet. I was planning to be an architect because I had a technical background. After six months, I bought a guitar. I just played as a hobby. Playing music by ear and making some arrangements together with other people. Not until I was twenty-six-year-old that I took it more seriously, giving it a professional direction. So I started studying music, taking harmony lessons to understand music. After that, I did an audition, and I started practising. So that’s how my story is, a bit complicated. I didn’t start very early playing the guitar. I was fifteen when I got my first guitar from my father. He played a little bit. I just played as a hobby.
Then you made the step into your creative career?
Later on, I took it more seriously, so if there was a spark that became a passion, I made this my profession.
In one of your guitar’s performances at the “Gluren Bij De Buren” festival in Houten, you said to be inspired by Brazilian music when you played a chorus. Tell us more about that?
Oh, I get a lot of inspiration from Brazilian music. I listen to different performances, composers and styles. Brazil is diverse in music styles, but mostly I dedicate myself to the chorus. Besides what I do with music education. I dedicate my time to teaching children and adults, music students preparing for the music academy. Yes, I remember that day at “Gluren Bij De Buren” in Houten. I played Marco Pereira’s.
From such an inspiring memory to your experience during the lockdown. Did you stay motivated? What are your conclusions or findings regarding the lockdown?
Well, I wasn’t very motivated. I need to say that I felt like more than twenty years of work has been taken from me. I lost clients. I had no income until the first of July. Before that, I gave some online lessons, but it wasn’t fun at all. It was no physical interaction which is of great importance for teaching music.
So, no, I wasn’t motivated at all! It killed my creativity.
But, you are still busy composing, so do you have a recent project?
During these months, I just told myself I could do two things: find any jobs for little income, being frustrated; or I can try to think outside of my comfort zone by finding new ideas and ways, still being in touch with my creativity. So I picked up playing more and making some new arrangements. Like the next project is a piece of Tom Jobim called “How intensive”.
Even though Covid-19 made it uneasy for Ludwig to keep inspired, giving up was not the way. He awakened his inner power to find the way forward. Thinking outside the box, not letting frustration lead. The only way was restoring the laces of his creativity.
” I think we as musicians, artmakers, painters, designers, the art industry. We need to call out society. Without these people, creativity, creative brains, it would be an empty and grey society. So, I hope for better times, especially in this creative industry.”
Unmasked humanity creates unique tapestry in Janssem Cardoso’s photography.
Love, compassion and tolerance are often quoted as good qualities to possess and to live a good life; but the Brazilian photographer and videographer has gone beyond personal traits to incorporate them into the very fabric of his work.
Among his short movies and exquisite photography, a common thread of humanity, vulnerability and warmth links his subjects with incredible results, which are always touching and simultaneously provoking.
Mastering imagery in such a powerful way, you’d be forgiven to think he’d done nothing else apart from photography. But his journey didn’t necessarily start behind the lens: “I was studying Graphic Design at university and photography was one of the subjects – I just fell in love with it.” From there, he got a job at an animation studio where he was placed in a fast lane leading to the purpose he instinctively wanted since childhood.
Growing up in the Amazon State in Brazil, he was exposed to a rich universe of colours, cultures and the arts beyond the standard ludic space reserved from children. A close uncle, who was an artist, had a defining influence in Janssem as a child: “Thanks to him, I was allowed into this artistic universe… I loved drawing and anything artistic as a child… Later in life, after discovering Photoshop, I translated that instinct into a new purpose and just created and experimented with photography and filming. Everything was very intuitive.”
“When I started filming, digital was only in its infancy. I still had to use VHS and then digitalise the material. It was a complicated process but this walk influenced me and the experience in the animation studio gave me the confidence to take part in the Amazon Film Festival which, in turn, pulled me into cinema”, here, talking about the Amazon State in Brazil.
For around a decade, Janssem has been developing his talent and achieving a body of work that conveys emotion, humanity and compassion in projects that are beautiful, audacious, thought-provoking and incredibly attractive. Perhaps one of his most notable qualities is that he is remarkably devoid of artistic self-reference and genuinely interested in his subjects’ wellbeing, their needs, struggles and stories. This is evident in his work. But when we ask him about his inspiration, he says: “My photography and my work are a reflection of who I am, my life experiences… Everything I have ever lived and live right now influence my vision, how I see and perceive things.”
Taking life as it comes and keeping an open mind has led Janssem to live incredible moments: “Photography gave me many opportunities… For example, I went to Paris to photograph as friend’s wedding to whom, years earlier, I had promised to document when he got married. The day finally came; I travelled to Paris and fulfilled my promise.”
Coming from such a long way, he decided to take the opportunity and visit London for a couple of days… And then, something unexpected happened: “My flight back to Brazil was cancelled and I spent a further two days in London. During these two days I made a new friend through whom an opportunity came to work as a photographer for his charity in Camden, completely out of the blue! I went back to Brazil, organised the logistics and returned to London to take this unique opportunity and lived there for over 2 years… All because of a cancelled flight…”
Leaving the charity and London in search of new horizons to expand his work back in Brazil, Janssem started to explore and research a resurging movement of artistic nude photography. But, far from eroticised subjects, he was interested in documenting identity, the human vulnerability and self-esteem: “I then created the project ‘Other Colours’ to show nakedness as something natural. I wanted to disassociate naked from sexual.”
From ‘Other Colours’ project by Janssem Cardoso – humanity and identity.
As he started the project, fundamental questions emerged such as body types – he didn’t want to keep reproducing similar profiles of what an ideal body should be and, so, diversity entered heavily in his concept: “I felt the need to document a variety of subjects, being it physically and racially.”
From “Other Colours’ project by Janssem Cardso – humanity and identity.
Taking this direction was really important for Janssem on a personal level too: “I evolved with this project and it also helped me to accept who I am. Not only it touched the subjects and those viewing the results but it touched me deeply on a personal level, physically, sexually and since then, I started having more empathy and compassion for people and understand things I did not understand before.”
‘Other Colours’ is a beautiful manifestation of a human need and desire to spiritually ‘undress’ and be accepted by what we really are – acknowledging and accepting what we believe we are: “For some subjects, the photoshoot was even the first step to accept who they really are”, says Janssem.
For example, there is the story of an over 60 years old woman who noticed that, as soon as she stopped dyeing her hair, people on public transport started offering their seats and; in general, treating and seeing her differently as if she had no much more to offer and someone who was not desirable anymore. The reality, however, couldn’t be further from the truth – she has a healthy and active sexual life and wanted to see herself as a sensuous and desirable woman: “The project opened the doors for discussion on many other topics such as a disability and age. At the beginning I just wanted to register people in a non-sexual way, but it has now expanded to a wider discussion and matters of identity.”
From “Other Colours’ project by Janssem Cardoso – identity and humanity.
The photos are strong, delicate and truly individual. It’s difficult not to connect with their humanity and be involved in the emotions captured. Now running into its 4th year, Janssem planned to conclude with 100 subjects but the pandemic has delayed it: “I’m still digesting all this… Is there going to be a vaccine? When? Everything is hanging on standstill… this time was useful to think and have confidence in what I know – my work as a photographer and videographer; and get deeper in my search and share this search with other people.”
Sharing his search with others has led Janssem to work on a new podcast called “Ruminando” (ruminating), where he explores creative ideas with guests specialised on different areas and who have influenced him throughout his life. It includes an economist friend, a tutor from his university times in Manaus (capital of the Amazon State), a journalist friend and a teacher from his post-graduation: “I want to share my own journey and create something that will be useful not just for this moment that we’re living but for the future too, by taking the experience and advice from people I admire and respect.”
Certainly for Janssem, the pandemic is an invitation for reflection. He keeps inspired by feeding from the same sources that translates into his work: humanity.
To view ‘Other Colours’, visit on Instagram > othercolours_
Experience, to some, is a journey registered in particular ways, engraved on one’s heart. Passion guided discoveries, accumulating memories of unique moments. Lockdown was for Graziana Zanin this, an unforgettable experience.
Italian blood runs in her veins and also in the romantic way she describes her life experiences.
Lockdown is softening in the Netherlands. Less distant than the video-calls, Graziana and I met in Arnhem, Netherlands, in the assurance that we both were COVID-19-free.
With her background in fashion design, a bright world opens ahead because as she says “with everything that she does, she puts passion above all, regarding work and people”.
Openly, she speaks about her relationships and the passengers in her life-journey. With an open heart, she describes her likes and dislikes regarding her ideal holidays, luxury hotels in France or Italy. “Never going to the bushes”, her quote to a holiday to Africa. How on earth did she get into Kenya?
It started when she worked as a public relations and advertiser for a company that supported good initiatives. For instance, The Chicken Project, aimed to help women in Ghana, forced into marriage at a young age. Via this project, she adopted two boys, Brian and Chris, supporting them into a brighter future. Technology made overseas contact possible and regular, but the boys kept asking for a personal visit.
After seven years, she booked her trip to Kenya to meet Brian and Chris finally.
Optimistically she added “make yourself happy girl, live the moments. When you’re happy inside, you can make everyone happy!”
In February 2020, she arrived at the airport in Nairobi.
At first, Chirs and Brian were timid even though they knew her already. Soon enough they were comfortable with aunty Graziana. With joy, she describes the reaction of the two brothers with their premiere to the Giraffe centre and visiting the mall to play games.
“That’s my passion. I meant something to these African boys. I could cry, my heart jumped, and I was so happy seeing them smiling and forgetting their problems.”
Next in the programme was meeting the boys’ family in Kiango near Kisii (The Western Highlands), located five to six hours from Nairobi near the Masai Mara reserve.
“When we got there, all the family and neighbours were outside…I felt like Queen Beatrix.” So she talks about her first impression.
A “Mzungu” visiting the village is the news! In the African language, this is the term they use for Europeans (white people) that travels the world. “What I discovered over there, people are warm even though they have not much to share”. Graziana was living the moment of her life, and little did she know about COVID-19 pandemic.
Her family was worried, but Graziana was in a safe surrounding where fewer than six cases were registered. Sooner lockdown breaks.
Unfortunately, in this village were other issues such as children in hunger from single mothers that had to sometimes get into prostitution to feed them.
“At this moment, you learn the situation of others. For example, around me, children were begging for something to eat.”
Straightaway, thanks to her colleagues and friends, via Facebook, she raised money for basic food to that community. Maize flour, for instance, is the primary ingredient for their “Ugali” which is part of their every day’s meal.
“When I saw these people’s smiles like this woman from whom I took a picture. You could see that for one moment she forgot about everything but happiness and enjoyment at that moment.”
Her experience taught her to appreciate little things in life, from teaching to play Dutch cards-game to introducing spaghetti to foreign children and teenagers.
“This makes me a rich person. I already felt happy when I was there, but all this experience was a learning journey.”
Open-hearted Graziana was meaningful, helpful, but mostly the voice for these people living in an under-developed environment.
How motivating her tiny goodwill gestures represents to the path she decides to follow, whether in her home country, the Netherlands or on a faraway land such as Kenya.
Graziana is rather content with her life accomplishments. From her failures, a learning moment, from her success optimistic conclusions that passion rules her reason for living.
The File Style 