I'm An Adult, Now What?

In this episode I am joined by multidisciplinary artist Marv (he/him). Marv is a Black photographer, painter, music producer, writer and fashion stylist who does portraiture/self portraiture and photojournalism. A lot of his work is about community, mental health and exploring self identity. Marv grew up in Surrey and Vancouver, BC and is currently based in Montreal, QC⁠.⁠ Marv is also the founder of Unity Art Collective and the clothing brand Dope class. Unity art collective is a space and platform made by and for BIPOC people/BIPOC queer and trans people within “canada”.

I met Marv in the film industry in 2015 and it was so lovely to chat with him and see how he's grown into such a wise, beautiful human. We discussed many things including:

- His artwork and where it stems from

- Black identity and what it's like to not fit into the brand of what society expects of you

- the BLM movement and how to actually make changes in your life

- How being black is not a "trend" in the fashion industry

- How being alone in Europe helped Marv grow as a person

- Why "making it to the top" doesn't mean you won't feel sad

- What does it mean to be "grown"?

- Taking accountability, cancel culture and "why do we wait for people's downfall?"

... and more!

Marv's Instagram Pages:

In this episode I am joined by Sneha, my childhood friend. In this episode we chatted about growing up in different places, the benefits of having another ethnic friend and learning to embrace your culture. The main topic of discussion is being a person of colour in the workplace. Sneha shares some experiences so far about what it feels like to "have a seat at the table but not given a microphone" and how she makes her voice heard anyway. She also discusses how important it is to be on committees, having great mentors and the ladder approach. We also touch on colourism and stereotypes. 

Thanks for listening!

In this episode I chatted with actor Nic Walter, who I met through my good friend Robyn Ross (from episode 26). We talked about Madonna, Beyoncé, movies (Moonlight, Call Me By Your Name) and the impact they have. Nicolas also shares his experience of coming out and how Call Me By Your Name helped him. 

Nic's Instagram: @nicolasedwardwalter 

Thanks for listening! 

In this episode I am joined by my good friend Robyn Ross. I've known her for a few years but it feels like a lifetime (in the best way). She's like a second mother with endless wisdom, humour and stories. Naturally when we get together we talk...a LOT. Always about meaningful topics, I promise... basically this episode is a result of that!

We discuss a variety of topics:

- The best concerts she's ever been to and who she'd like to see now

- Her biggest accomplishment in life

- Motherhood and breaking the cycle of toxic parenting

- NYC vs LA vs Vancouver

- Her confidence in her 20s vs now 

- Being a go-getter in Vancouver / how to stay motivated

- Robyn's acting and makeup artistry careers

- The love of her life and love letters

- Rebellious streaks and 'disappointing' your parents

- Me being late to the dating game and Robyn's view on why that isn't necessarily a bad thing

- The benefits of having friends of different generations

- Learning lessons from shitty situations

- How Robyn defines success

- Instagram "Narcissist" culture and the Khardasians

The IG accounts Robyn recommended (that she mentioned in the episode) were:

In this episode I am joined by Kyle Cornell, an aspiring actor, writer and motorcycle enthusiast. We start off the episode with two warm up questions: What would you do if you were invisible for the day? Do you think parenting classes should be mandatory?

We then move on to the main topic of this episode: toxic masculinity. Throughout the episode we discuss what toxic masculinity is and how it has effected Kyle growing up and now. We talk about the media and the effect it has on society. Kyle explains how acting helped him become more in tune with his emotions. We also share our thoughts on how we can help to eliminate toxic masculinity. Other things we discuss sporadically throughout the episode include: the movie “It 2”, “The End of the Fucking World”, Robin Williams, journaling techniques, breathing techniques, the importance of internal work…. we cover a lot of subtopics, ok??

If you’d like to check out the toxic masculinity related books/videos Kyle mentioned:

In this episode I am joined by my friend/ co-worker Felicia. We sat down to talk a variety of topics. Felicia talks about the random jobs she’s had and working/living in Australia, and why she prioritizes travel. We discuss if we’d ever have a sugar daddy and Seeking Arrangements. We also talk a little bit about working in film, my college pro experience and if Jim Carey has gone mad or if he actually is quite the opposite. And of course we dive into dating! What it’s like in Vancouver, “the chase”, the confusing world of casual sex and the importance of being clear. To end the episode we both share a worst date story.

In this solo episode I discuss what it's been like working as a background performer in Vancouver, Canada a.k.a. "Hollywood North". At first I explain how I got into the industry (which wasn't intentionally) and what the job itself is. Then I talk about the random unexpected lessons I've learned from being in the industry, the good and the bad, and how it's helped me grow as a person. If you have any questions, feel free to send an email.

In this episode, I am joined by my friend Tinthi. She is one of the founders of Origin Papers; a platform for creative collaborators to share art and stories and to become immersed in different cultures. As an immigrant from Zimbabwe, she has gone on to live in multiple places.  In this episode we answer two questions: what characteristics of friends do you value the most? What personality trait would you change about yourself?  Tinti then discusses what it was like being the daughter of diplomats, the birth of Origin Papers, what it means to be a "Third Culture Kid" and the sacrifices she has to make in order to make her dreams come true. She is a beautiful human and her work ethic is  very admirable. Follow Origin Papers on Instagram here. Follow Tinthi’s personal Instagram here. https://www.originpapers.com/about 

I'm back from travelling and while I was gone I had been thinking a lot about self-confidence. I decided to talk about my personal experience with self-confidence in this episode and how I gradually become more comfortable with myself. I hope that if you're struggling with your self-confidence right now, you'll take something from this episode. I can't lie... the methods will probably suck but the outcome will be so rewarding. Please take it easy on yourself, you're doing great. 

Thanks for listening!

PART II of episode 15.  In this episode I am joined by my two friends Ralitsa (who was a guest on episode 7)and Fiston to discuss relationships. We dove into so many areas of relationships: why not dating until adulthood can be a great thing for your self-confidence and identity. Dating as a black woman. Questions to ask yourself about what you bring to a relationship. What to consider when choosing a partner. And of course, I ask Ralitsa and Fiston what a relationship means to them. 

In this episode I am joined by my two friends Ralitsa (who was a guest on episode 7)and Fiston to discuss relationships. We dove into so many areas of relationships: why not dating until adulthood can be a great thing for your self-confidence and identity. Dating using apps. Dating in Vancouver. Dating as a black woman. Questions to ask yourself about what you bring to a relationship. What to consider when choosing a partner. And of course, I ask Ralitsa and Fiston what a relationship means to them. Due to the length of this episode, it has been split into two parts. Stay tuned for part 2! 

In this episode I am joined by the 3 funny guys that make up OMWTV. They are based in Vancouver, BC. We talk about how they met eachother, how they got started doing Youtube videos and where they hope to go in the future. But first, we start the episode by answering random questions.

In this episode I sit down with Ana Loza to discuss racism, colourism, white privilege, white-washing in Hollywood... we briefly dip our toes into each of these topics. We talk about what it was like to grow up in different countries and how that experience was for us as black women. Ana Loza filmed this as a Youtube video, and I decided to record the audio so I could turn it into a podcast episode.  If you would prefer to watch the video, the links are below:

In this mini-episode, I discuss how feelings of jealousy and envy held me back in life, but also how I used it to figure out what I needed to do next. Feelings can show you a lot about yourself if you take the time to be aware and analyze your thoughts. I talk about how we need to nip jealous comments/behaviour/thoughts in the bud because (not to be cliché but) negative energy gets you nowhere!! :)

In this episode I sit down with my lovely friend Lauren, a South-African immigrant, to talk about one of her biggest challenges; anxiety. We discuss how we truly feel about the "Bell Let's Talk" day, our experiences with panic attacks, and why we hate float tanks. We also talk about our recent travels and how the experience made us feel like different people. I touch on a breathing problem I've had for years and a weird solution, and we end the episode with a bit of advice for listeners. We hope Lauren's honesty and her methods to help ease her anxiety help anyone out there who is battling with their anxiety feel less alone.

In this episode I am joined by Antonio Cordero. He is currently a writer, director and actor in-the-making. In this episode he discusses his life as a child actor, and his other passion in life; becoming a pilot. However the main focus of this episode is the event that put his pilot license on hold: a brief episode of psychosis caused by medication that sent him to the psychiatric ward. 

He talks about how he doesn’t view it as a setback, but as an event that shaped who he is today. Luckily he had his now fiancé Courtney by his side. 

We also discuss how removing yourself from toxic family situations is necessary, and relationship advice! I find this an admirable story and I’m honoured to have Antonio as a guest. 

In this episode I talk about an exercise from page 72 of the book "You Can Heal Your Life" by Louise Hay. This exercise is very emotional and I recommend you doing it when you have privacy, or with someone you can really trust to be vulnerable around. I believe that we can forget that our parents are really just grown-up children who have also been hurt and have also been 'figuring it out as we go along' as we all do. I really do think that this exercise helps to heal any wounds we have when it comes to ourselves and our parents, as it helps us to see them from a different perspective. 

In this mini-episode I discuss one of my secrets to a happier life (in my experience): to stop blaming others and take responsibility for your own actions. This is a hard habit to break and I still find myself doing it, but awareness of the habit is the first step my friends! I found this to be a monumental step away from self-pity and into a more peaceful internal voice. I hope this little tip helps you. 

In this episode I am joined by Daniela Arbaje, a talented photographer I've had the pleasure of shooting with. Daniela explains her job as a production assistant in the Vancouver film industry "Hollywood North", and how she got there. She also talks about her experience of moving to Vancouver, Canada at the age of 18. If you're interested in becoming apart of the crew side of the film industry, this podcast episode is for you. Enjoy!

Welcome to Episode 3 of "I'm an Adult, Now What?" hosted by Jade Pattenden. This episode I am joined by one of my sisters, Zoë (yes we sound almost the exact same) and our friend Faydra. This episode we discuss what it’s like to be mixed race and talk a little about how that effects dating. 

We answer some intro questions like: would you rather age forwards or backwards? Would you survive in the wilderness? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?