The Nonnative Creative Podcast

Nonnative Creative

Nonnative Creative is an interview project featuring individuals pursuing creative work in either a) a country that is not their home country, and/or b) a language different from their mother tongue. How did they get started? What’s difficult about what they do? What excites them about their work? What have they learned? And how can we follow what they’re doing next? The project as a whole is an effort to help better connect people with different backgrounds through sharing passions and creativity. Weekly episodes share fresh perspectives on what it means to have more than one cultural identity. Download as a podcast or watch the episodes on the project YouTube channel.

  1. 01/07/2023

    Creative Fire in Vietnam: Illustrator Ben Nguyen explains sharing your work to get the spotlight

    Ben Nguyen is a Saigon-based creative whose work focuses on illustration, interior design, and visual merchandising. In this talk, he shares about how while his road to his artistic career was certainly not a straightforward one, the experiences, connections, and opportunities he found along the way all contributed to him ultimately becoming the multi-talented individual he is today. You'll get some insights into the job-hunting process in Vietnam, the creative scene in Vietnam today, and the importance of using social media to share your work and make connections. Where to find Ben:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsbennguyenYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POy4aGmQv9w&feature=youtu.beHomepage: https://www.itsbennguyen.com/ Interview filmed at Nonnative Creative's partner location, The Hive Villa: https://thehivevilla.com/ Join Nonnative Creative on Patreon and get access to patron-only extras! Your support will help the project grow!https://www.patreon.com/nonnativecreative Follow Nonnative Creative on social media for regular updates to keep your creativity flowing!Twitter: https://twitter.com/nnativecreativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnativecreativeFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonnativecreativeWebsite: https://nonnativecreative.com/ Find Alisha on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArishaInTokyoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaintokyo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arishaintokyo/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    54 min
  2. 31/08/2020

    How do you Work in Asia? And Are Side Projects Good? with Canadian-Egyptian Creative Ibraheem Youssef

    In this episode of Nonnative Creative, Toronto-based Ibraheem Youssef shares about how his road to becoming a creative director (though now he calls himself simply a "creative"). Beginning with the story of his Egyptian-Canadian upbringing, we hear about how Ibraheem started drawing comics for friends and family in his childhood, how he designed a logo for a community member, and eventually attended design school before moving to Asia to work with clients from Hong Kong, Singapore, Jakarta, and more. He explains the challenges of finding a job in Asia (and how he overcame them), and also shares great advice for how to make your work stand out, how much energy you should put into pursuing awards/professional recognition, and why he feels someone with a variety of side projects is probably a person who knows how to think a little differently. Make sure to check out Ib's new YouTube channel and his other personal projects (in addition to his professional work) from the link below! Get a transcript of this talk (and other bonus materials) from the NNC Patreon (your support will help make sure the series can continue)! Find Ibraheem:YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/Goodmorningib/Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Goodmorningib/Professional site: http://www.ibyoussef.com Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/goodmorningib Join Nonnative Creative on Patreon and get access to bonus materials like interview transcripts, a patron-only Discord server, exclusive livestreams, and patron-only extras! Your support will help the project grow!https://www.patreon.com/nonnativecrea... Follow Nonnative Creative on social media for regular updates to keep your creativity flowing!Twitter: https://twitter.com/nnativecreativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnativecr...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonnativecre...Website: https://nonnativecreative.com/ Find Alisha on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArishaInTokyoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaintokyo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arishaintokyo/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1h 15m
  3. 18/08/2020

    What's it Like to Work in Travel Media? with Writer & Photographer Lance Henderstein

    In this episode of Nonnative Creative, writer and photographer Lance Henderstein talks about how he got interested in learning languages, the road that brought him from Detroit (USA) to various parts of Japan, and now to Italy. He talks about how he gradually built skills in writing and photography and used them together to create works like travel articles and travel guides. This talk covers some of the realities of working in travel media today. Make sure to check out Lance from the links below! Also, please visit the Nonnative Creative Patreon to become a project supporter and get access to bonus media, exclusive livestreams, member-only discussions, and more! Find Lance:Lance's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lancesteinLance's Homepage: https://www.lancehenderstein.com/Lance's Twitter: https://twitter.com/LanceStein Join Nonnative Creative on Patreon and get access to bonus materials like interview transcripts, a patron-only Discord server, exclusive livestreams, and patron-only extras! Your support will help the project grow!https://www.patreon.com/nonnativecrea... Follow Nonnative Creative on social media for regular updates to keep your creativity flowing!Twitter: https://twitter.com/nnativecreativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnativecr...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonnativecre...Website: https://nonnativecreative.com/ Find Alisha on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArishaInTokyoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaintokyo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arishaintokyo/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    1h 19m
  4. 07/07/2020

    How do You Build a Community in Another Country? with Black Creatives Japan founder Ayana Wyse

    Osaka-based New Yorker Ayana Wyse shares about her creative and community-building work in Japan. Ayana founded Black Creatives Japan in 2015 to create a community for Black creatives, and she now organizes events and manages online spaces to help people connect and collaborate. She co-hosts Kurly in Kansai, a series focused on the experiences of Black women in Japan (and which provides tons of great resources for anyone interested in visiting or living in the country). Ayana was one of the organizers of the Black Lives Matter peaceful march in Osaka in June of 2020, and in this discussion she shares her thoughts about issues relating to race and discrimination within Japan (as well as suggestions for how best to move forward--through providing better education and better access to information). Make sure to find Ayana on social media (and check out her range of projects) via the links below! Enjoy! Find all links to Ayana and her work here: https://linktr.ee/yana_yzFind links for Black Lives Matter Kansai here: https://linktr.ee/BLMKansai Join Nonnative Creative on Patreon and get access to bonus materials like interview transcripts, a patron-only Discord server, exclusive livestreams, and patron-only extras! Your support will help the project grow!https://www.patreon.com/nonnativecrea... Follow Nonnative Creative on social media for regular updates to keep your creativity flowing!Twitter: https://twitter.com/nnativecreativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnativecr...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonnativecre...Website: https://nonnativecreative.com/ Find Alisha on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArishaInTokyoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaintokyo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arishaintokyo/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    48 min
  5. 16/06/2020

    How did You Start Photographing World-famous People and Artisans? with Photographer Irwin Wong

    In this episode of Nonnative Creative, Tokyo-based photographer Irwin Wong shares about how he got his start behind the camera, the interests that brought him to Japan, and his upcoming photobook Handmade in Japan. Irwin was born in Hong Kong and raised in Australia. He came to Japan on the JET program (Japan Exchange and Teaching program) and built his photography skills in his free time. This has led to a portfolio that includes world-famous faces like Yusaku Maezawa, Marie Kondo, Hikakin, Kengo Kuma, and Carlos Ghosn (to name just a few). His photobook Handmade in Japan features beautiful photographs and interviews with artisans from all across Japan that are engaged in traditional craft work. In this talk, Irwin gave straightforward advice about professionalism and consistency in your work, as well as how to make sure your projects are visible. Check him out from the links below (and preorder his book)! Visit the project Patreon for bonus media and access to the NNC community! Irwin's Homepage: https://www.irwinwong.com/Handmade in Japan Gestalten Page (sign up to be notified when it's available): https://gestalten.com/products/handmade-in-japanPreorder Handmade in Japan on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Handmade-Japan-Pursuit-Perfection-Traditional/dp/3899559924Irwin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irwinwongphoto/Irwin's Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrwinWongIrwin's Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user23777482Irwin's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/irwinwongphotographer/ Join Nonnative Creative on Patreon and get access to bonus materials like interview transcripts, a patron-only Discord server, exclusive livestreams, and patron-only extras! Your support will help the project grow!https://www.patreon.com/nonnativecrea... Follow Nonnative Creative on social media for regular updates to keep your creativity flowing!Twitter: https://twitter.com/nnativecreativeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonnativecr...Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nonnativecre...Website: https://nonnativecreative.com/ Find Alisha on social media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArishaInTokyoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/arishaintokyo/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arishaintokyo/ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

    43 min

About

Nonnative Creative is an interview project featuring individuals pursuing creative work in either a) a country that is not their home country, and/or b) a language different from their mother tongue. How did they get started? What’s difficult about what they do? What excites them about their work? What have they learned? And how can we follow what they’re doing next? The project as a whole is an effort to help better connect people with different backgrounds through sharing passions and creativity. Weekly episodes share fresh perspectives on what it means to have more than one cultural identity. Download as a podcast or watch the episodes on the project YouTube channel.