Ep.09: Living the Questions + Answering the Call w/ Nneka Julia

Filmmaker and writer Nneka Julia makes work that asks just as many questions as it answers, and that’s the hope. Nneka’s multidisciplinary work circles questions of identity and belonging, how to care for one’s inner child, and the emotional gauntlet that can be the creative process itself. In this conversational interview, Nneka tells the story of how she moved past the expectations she felt as the eldest daughter of immigrant parents, and what finally sent her out of her comfort zone and toward the calling to be the artist she’d always sensed she was. We get into the origin stories of her podcast, Passing Through, as well as the stunning short-form film project that is her Letters From A Stranger series..We also talk about…- the trials of both being middle children!- the Rainer Maria Rilke quote that Carter couldn’t stop thinking about in relation to Nneka’s work- how directing her first short film helped Nneka unlearn people-pleasing tendencies- why making art is a gift—not a selfish act- what Sade and Frank Ocean have to teach us about patience- a proposed antidote to the soul-draining dissociation of social media...Stay in touch with Nneka Julia:On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@nnekaj/On Intagram: @nnekaj or https://www.instagram.com/nnekaj/On Substack: https://www.lettersfromastranger.com/Craft & Release: https://www.craftandrelease.com/...This podcast is hosted by Carter Umhau--a therapist, artist, and writer.If you’re interested in receiving support from Carter in a therapeutic, coaching, or consulting capacity—or you just want to say hi!—please reach out at [email protected]. I can’t wait to hear from you!Keep in touch with Carter and get a deeper look at the podcast via my newsletter...in your inbox, weekly-ish:Subscribe to the How To Be Alive newsletter: https://carterumhau.substack.com/Carter’s website: https://www.carterumhau.com/Get on the list to hear about Carter’s next classes and events: https://carterumhau.myflodesk.com/kwt3u8rfle...Mentioned in this episode:- Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (which is where the phrase “living the questions” comes from)- morning pages, a tool from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron- the music of both Sade and Frank Ocean- The Writing Life by Annie Dillard- Knights of the Seven Kingdoms and Game of Thrones- Dense Discovery, a favorite newsletter of Nneka’s: https://www.densediscovery.com/- BRICK, the device Nneka and Carter both use to manage screen time: https://getbrick.com/...Original music by Aaron DavidsonEditing by Hans Anderson..DISCLAIMER: The opinions and views expressed in this episode and are not intended as mental health advice, nor as a replacement for therapy. Please seek mental health support if needed! Get full access to How to Be Alive at carterumhau.substack.com/subscribe