Choosing unconventional careers & more - MAD Monster Class with Triple Goddess

2019

Triple Goddess Sheniz Janmohamed, Reshmi Chetram and Ria Aikat share their views on fostering collaborative relationships with other artists, choosing unconventional careers and believing in your art in this engaging Monster Class episode. #MonsterArtist

Are you an artist wanting to take your career to the next level? Get involved in the MAD program today: http://www.monsterartistdevelopment.c…

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ABOUT TRIPLE GODDESS
#MonsterArtist Sheniz Janmohamed is an author, poet and spoken word artist whose work has been featured at venues around the world, including the Jaipur Literature Festival, Alliance Française de Nairobi and the Aga Khan Museum. #MonsterArtist Reshmi Chetram is an award-winning Indo-Canadian producer, performer and choreographer. Using Kathak and Bollywood dance as the basis of her work, she promotes health, Indian classical art and creative opportunities to people of all ages. #MonsterArtist Ria Aikat is a professional dancer and teacher with a Masters in Teaching degree from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) and has been teaching arts for over 10 years. Ria’s passion for urban dance (house, hip hop and waacking) and Indian dance has inspired her to choreograph and perform Bollywood fusion pieces across the province.
Sheniz, Reshmi and Ria have come together to form Triple Goddess which is sure to inspire audiences of all ages.

About Monster Creative Collective
Born in 2011, Monster Creative Collective is a not-for-profit organization, based in Mississauga and committed to providing entertainment for the young and old alike. Monster Creative Collective are the producers of #MonsterWorld Mashup, which is the only world music festival in Brampton and the #MonsterArtist Development program, which gives local artists the tools they need to succeed in a career in the music industry.

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EntertainmentTriple Goddess Sheniz Janmohamed, Reshmi Chetram and Ria Aikat share their views on fostering collaborative relationships with other artists, choosing unconventional careers and believing in your art in this engaging Monster Class episode. #MonsterArtist 

#BollywoodMonster Mashup

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Autogenerated Transcript from YouTube (if available)

Use CTRL+F to find key words if it is a longer transcript​.

0:00

you know sometimes we focus so much on

0:01

the product does an artist that what I

0:03

think was really valuable at least for

0:05

me was the process of creating this

0:08

collaboration so the fact that you know

0:10

we were given the opportunity and the

0:13

funds to sit and collaborate and think

0:16

and create and dance and perform that

0:20

was really empowering especially you

0:22

know when we have established ourselves

0:24

in our fields to be able to kind of

0:26

shake that up and say okay how can we

0:28

actually do things that are a little bit

0:30

less comfortable and rise to the

0:33

occasion and I feel like that’s really

0:34

the value of Bollywood wants to mash up

0:38

and also you know the may program

0:40

because when we go into schools that’s

0:42

also something we want to express to

0:43

students that you know there’s so much

0:45

emphasis on product and what about the

0:49

process the process is also you know an

0:52

incredibly vital to an artist’s life so

0:56

how do we balance both of those aspects

0:58

I think the only thing that we found was

1:03

the process of creation so for example

1:06

me and Rhea we know how we can create on

1:08

a theme based off of dance and for

1:11

spoken word we weren’t sure if we should

1:13

start with giving her the piece first

1:15

like giving her the choreography first

1:17

or if she needed to build off of us or

1:19

if we needed to build off of her so that

1:21

was probably the only blank space where

1:22

we were kind of like we need to just

1:24

kind of jump in and start but other than

1:26

that it we kind of just fed off of each

1:28

other the piece itself is because it’s

1:30

spoken word and dance is very expressive

1:33

so like being a dancer in and when I was

1:36

hearing her spoken word for the first

1:37

time I was like whoa you know I was like

1:39

that’s amazing it’s powerful so that was

1:42

a really awesome experience to kind of

1:44

have this empty area that we had to just

1:46

kind of fill on our own and figure out

1:49

where to do but that would probably be

1:51

you know one of the no I wouldn’t say it

1:53

was a challenge it was definitely new

1:55

for us yeah what we did is I actually

1:57

wrote some pieces and sent some pieces

2:01

to my lovely Co collaborators here and

2:04

that really became the foundation of the

2:07

pieces we created so the music was built

2:09

in on the foundation of those pieces the

2:11

themes

2:12

then that’s how it kind of developed

2:14

into this organic piece where instead of

2:17

us again doing these separate pieces we

2:20

acknowledge that we have all those

2:21

aspects within us so that raffle

2:24

Nastasha n– that nurturing energy and

2:28

how do we bring that all together in our

2:30

performance the benefit I have as a

2:34

spoken word artist is I am also

2:35

performer so I understand cues

2:37

understand spaces between words I

2:40

understand the need to work with other

2:43

artists and collaborate and also what

2:46

the stage requires and so because of

2:48

that I’m I’m flexible and I was I was

2:52

just I just wanted to make sure the

2:53

dancers were comfortable so you know if

2:56

their process was to first have the

2:58

music that supported the theme and then

3:00

I would come in with the spoken word

3:01

that’s something I could do but what we

3:04

decided is that the spoken word actually

3:06

gave more meaning to the pieces so it

3:10

would be good to start with the pieces

3:12

first the spoken word first and then

3:13

build up the music and the the

3:16

repertoire of dance around that I think

3:19

it was just really cool and eye-opening

3:20

to see how different artists kind of

3:23

work backwards for their creation

3:25

process we really want to celebrate each

3:27

other and I think the pieces that she

3:29

created just did such a wonderful job of

3:32

showing these aspects are on all of us

3:35

and it just empowered us to embody all

3:38

of that in our dance and you know just

3:40

in house Shanice stands when she is

3:43

speaking

3:44

she’s so captivating and it was you know

3:46

you are you are and it was just

3:49

inspiring to take that and put that in

3:51

all of us when we’re dancing as well for

3:53

most dancers at least when you’re

3:54

choreographing you work with the music

3:56

first and the music kind of inspires you

3:58

so it was interesting kind of to see how

4:00

SHINee’s works for her pieces and how we

4:02

can kind of tie all of our processes

4:03

together and it somehow was really

4:06

seamless and worked really well I think

4:08

because we came with no one no

4:11

expectations and to no ego like it’s not

4:14

like we all had separate ideas and we

4:17

really wanted to interject those ideas

4:20

it was more like let’s see where this

4:22

goes organically and give each other

4:25

this

4:26

space and also the freedom to share what

4:29

we feel needs to be shared and as a

4:31

writer so much of the work is isolated

4:33

and you can feel isolated from community

4:36

and you can also have misconceptions

4:39

about other you know South Asian artists

4:43

and specifically women like there’s

4:44

always a sense of like oh you know

4:47

competition or maybe them not wanting to

4:50

work with you or all these ideas that

4:52

have just kind of been projected onto us

4:54

and so to be able to not only create and

4:58

collaborate but build a relationship I

5:02

find that that’s really empowering

5:04

because so much of collaboration to is

5:06

you know well we’re gonna do this

5:09

project and then after that like see you

5:12

bye you know like I don’t know when I’m

5:14

gonna see these people again and that’s

5:16

kind of it right and so it was fun while

5:18

it lasted but now it’s done and so the

5:21

challenge is really how do we you know

5:23

foster relationship creative

5:25

relationships and build community

5:28

through all these collaborations as

5:29

opposed to just doing kind of this

5:31

one-off thing and then that’s it so I

5:34

think like even just being able to film

5:37

this was again another way for us to

5:39

build that relationship to say oh we get

5:41

to see each other again this is great

5:43

because we miss each other right we’ve

5:44

had like this journey together and then

5:46

all of a sudden we’re not together so I

5:49

think that’s really valuable for me to

5:52

know that I have a relationship that’s

5:55

not purely creative with these lovely

5:59

women speaking more to the technical

6:02

aspect of it it’s really good that not

6:04

only did we get a chance to perform at

6:06

the festival but also film it because I

6:10

think the depth in which we went to we

6:12

went when we were creating it I think

6:15

having both of those platforms really

6:17

allowed us to express ourselves within

6:19

the piece and then being able to kind of

6:21

be an intimate setting where you can

6:22

kind of be within yourself and express

6:25

that piece is also wonderful so to have

6:28

those two experiences really kind of

6:30

allowed you to feel full about the work

6:31

that you made and that it goes to where

6:34

it’s supposed to go so that I think

6:35

that’s been really nice to have both of

6:37

those film is a little bit more scary to

6:40

like dancing in front of thousands of

6:41

people on a stage is way easier and I

6:45

don’t know if it’s just like because

6:47

there’s not that they’re not right in

6:48

your face there’s I’m kind of like in my

6:50

own world and when I don’t know if you

6:53

guys feel like this too but whenever I’m

6:54

on stage adrenaline just kicks in and

6:57

you’re not even thinking about who’s out

6:59

there you’re thinking about yourself and

7:01

what you’ve done and your body just kind

7:03

of takes over and for me that feeling is

7:05

super amazing and powerful but yeah

7:08

the Bollywood Monster Mash is like an

7:11

interesting place right because it’s not

7:12

a theater where people have chosen your

7:15

show and are sitting down to watch you

7:17

and can’t get up and leave you know they

7:19

can kind of choose to watch it or not

7:21

watch it and I think as an artist that’s

7:23

great it’s such a great challenge to be

7:25

like alright I’m gonna reel you in with

7:27

this performance you are gonna sit there

7:29

and eat your popcorn while you watch it

7:30

you know so I think that that’s great

7:32

like I love what we’re saying the two

7:34

contrasts of both with the same piece

7:37

it’s such a different feeling for both I

7:38

don’t know if there’s ever a time where

7:42

artists feel 100% secure in their

7:45

expression it’s not necessarily a

7:47

decision but a requirement I feel like

7:50

it’s something that you don’t even think

7:52

about it’s just you have to do it and

7:54

when you commit to doing it that means

7:58

you’re being vulnerable and it doesn’t

7:59

necessarily mean you’re confident but

8:03

that vulnerability can give you

8:04

confidence and so really for me it was

8:07

just you know I think the only the only

8:10

thing with words is that I really do

8:12

believe that there are responsibilities

8:14

and so even in editing some of these

8:17

pieces for performance I’d written some

8:19

of them like a little while ago and I

8:21

wanted to make sure they were inclusive

8:25

and some of the language was a blissed

8:27

and so I removed some of that and I just

8:30

wanted to make sure that everyone could

8:32

experience this piece without kind of

8:35

feeling triggered so that’s a fine

8:38

balance too because how do you balance

8:39

expression and being you know genuine

8:43

and honest with your expression but at

8:45

the same time knowing that you’re

8:46

responsible for people’s triggers as

8:49

well especially with something like

8:50

words the best advice

8:53

so when it comes to the arts is just

8:55

kind of normalizing it don’t isolate the

8:58

arts as something that’s not achievable

9:00

any career you want to do any path you

9:03

want to take requires hard work so if

9:07

you normalize the arts is another path

9:09

that is achievable and you know that you

9:11

have to do consistent work you have to

9:14

continuously do continuing education and

9:17

seek out opportunities as you would in a

9:18

normal job it is absolutely achievable

9:22

and you are able to build a career out

9:24

of it so if I was to tell myself my

9:26

younger self something I’d say stop

9:28

worrying so much but put your head down

9:30

and keep working kind of similar to rush

9:32

me like I think if this is something

9:36

that you really want and you want to be

9:38

in the arts and it’s kind of pulling at

9:40

you like it was for me you have to make

9:43

that jump you have to just kind of

9:45

decide because if you’re doing a few

9:46

things or you’re doing a bunch of things

9:48

you can’t commit to each of those things

9:51

fully it’s just not humanly possible you

9:53

know so you kind of have to pick one

9:54

lane and then go at that a hundred

9:56

percent but it’s gonna take work you

9:59

know I feel like every time we meet up

10:00

the three of us still have like three or

10:04

four things that are gonna happen after

10:05

you know we’ll be like so how’s your day

10:07

I have this sliver of hour that I can

10:09

get lunch but then I have to be back in

10:11

Markham to teach this and I have to be

10:12

here and like we’re all doing a bunch of

10:14

things every day but that’s the life of

10:17

an artist you know you know you make it

10:18

work but you’re gonna have to work hard

10:21

at it just know that you have something

10:24

to offer and everybody has something

10:26

different to offer you know it’s easy I

10:27

think especially now in this world of

10:29

social media and Instagram to go

10:31

scrolling through people’s profiles I

10:33

mean like wow I suck at dancing you know

10:36

because you’re looking at what everyone

10:38

else has to offer but know that you have

10:39

something to contribute and it’s just

10:42

different it’s not better or worse it’s

10:43

just different now is the time to make

10:46

mistakes and experiment and I think

10:48

that’s something that you know

10:50

especially when there’s a lot of

10:51

pressure on us to be successful because

10:54

we have all these pressures of well

10:56

you’re choosing you know an

10:57

unconventional path so the pressure to

11:00

be successful in that unconventional

11:03

path is almost crushing so I think I

11:05

would tell my younger self or

11:07

younger writers just experiment you have

11:11

time you know sink into your process and

11:14

also seek out community you don’t have

11:17

to do it alone you don’t have to be

11:20

everything to yourself you can find

11:22

allies and you can find mentors that can

11:26

help you through this process know that

11:28

there’s so many lanes to choose within

11:30

each art for me when I was a kid people

11:33

would be like so are you gonna be a

11:34

dancer are you gonna open a studio and

11:35

you’re Aldrin I was like I can’t do that

11:37

I don’t have the skills to be in a music

11:39

video and be like with Janet Jackson

11:41

that and also that’s just not me I don’t

11:45

want to do that and that’s okay because

11:47

there’s so many other venues in dance

11:49

and you just have to find what yours is

11:52

and yeah I think that was the biggest

11:54

thing that I learned being in this

11:56

career now that you can kind of pick

11:58

what Lane you want in that and it

12:00

doesn’t just mean you’re just dancing

12:02

you could be choreographing you could be

12:03

teaching you could open a studio you

12:06

could do all that admin side of dance

12:07

you know there’s so many different

12:09

things that you can do and I think it’s

12:10

really important that people who are

12:13

established artists pass it forward so

12:17

you know I always come back to this

12:18

quote by Mark Gonzales which is we our

12:21

ancestors in training so what does it

12:23

actually mean what does it mean to be an

12:25

ancestor in training it means that you

12:27

are who you needed when you were younger

12:30

right so that’s another quote I just

12:32

like put them together but I feel like

12:34

those are two really important aspects

12:36

of artistic practice that are overlooked

12:40

it’s like I’m focused on myself I’m

12:42

focused on getting to a place where I

12:44

need to get to but who are you bringing

12:46

up who are you bringing up with you so I

12:48

really encouraged

12:49

established artists artists that have

12:51

been given you know opportunities and

12:53

who have privilege to think about who

12:55

they’re bringing up with them thanks for

12:58

watching triple goddess if you’re trying

13:01

to see more subscribe to the channel

13:02

down below thanks so much

13:08

[Music]

13:15

you

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