Are You Creative?

NSFW episode. NOT SAFE FOR WORK, KIDS, SHOPS. Warning! This podcast contains strong adult themes and very rude swearing from the outset. Kunt is a minor internet musical celebrity from Kunt & The Gang, The Kunts, The Krackpots, The Krown Jewelz and Kuntford & Sons, based in Basildon aka Bas Vegas. Kunt is not a rude name if it’s spelled with a K. He specialises in writing catchy rude songs. Starting off on b3ta.com and MySpace, which felt like our punk on the internet. Kunt grew up on Depeche Mode and started out making simple electronic music. Crocodiles covered in cocaine. Kunt had his song about D****** T**** taken down from Spotify and Facebook. Is T**** aware of Kunt? The Boris Johnson songs however are still on streaming platforms. 50p Lee has listened to F*** the Tories song. Kunt has had 4 top 10 UK singles, including a top 5 Xmas Single. People power with multiple versions - being Bob Geldof for a week hyping up sales. Going head to head with LadBaby and his Sausage Roll songs. ‘The certain sort of person’ that buys Kunt’s songs. Getting censored from the charts, even with clean songs like ‘Scrap the Monarchy’. Following the rules of The Manual by The KLF. Essex’s Jon Morter got Rage Against The Machine ‘Killing in the name of’ to number one, what advice did he have for Kunt? Kunt - ‘Culture now is warm diarrhea’ you need to do something a bit different. Kunt stopped gigging in 2016 and wrote his book ‘iKunt’ - available in the KuntShop. Kunt did a KickStarter for the book, and a stretch goal was to make a punk album of the greatest hits. Ginger WIldheart suggested that Boris Johnson is a F****** C*** should be Xmas Number One, and it snowballed, Charlie Brooker backed it and it flew. Getting stuck in the snow on the M1 after a gig. Kunt started Kunt & The Gang because he realised he wanted new adventures and new stories after a night at the pub. DIY music and having a laugh. Boring money off his Mum to buy a four track and learning chords. Writing songs in the major key with hooks like 80s advert jingles. Working for Essex Council youth services, and potential conflicts of interest. Comedy as protest. Punching up and getting meme nuggets into culture. Going to Edinburgh with a musical about Shannon Matthews. Putting together a musical with no experience and ending up with a sold out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Then making it into a crowd-funded feature film. Kunt’s plans for a true crime documentary series called Murder On Thames - watch this space. Being censored on YouTube and having channels removed. Getting cease and desists from Pudsey Bear and Simon Pegg. Making DIY music and having a top 10 hit that cost a tenner. Motivate yourself by booking a gig in, give yourself a deadline. It’s not embarrassing to try! You need to try to achieve stuff. Just go and fucking do it! ASMR on podcasts, cheesy fingers and scampi niknaks. Kunt and the GangKunt on InstagramKunt on SpotifyKunt on BandcampAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Jo is an improvising vocalist who grew up in Basildon.. What even is that? Musicians and non-musicians will get together and improvise with voice, sound, objects, instruments. Performing with no rehearsal or planned outcome. Performances can last around 20 minutes, or hours with groups. Catching vibes, catching sounds, and responding to the energy in the room. Setting up spaces with a freedom to fail, and making participants feel comfortable to express themselves naturally. Jo attended a sound art course, and was exposed to improvised vocalists. It is a very inclusive means of expression, the barrier to entry does not exist, no skills are required. Karaoke with the universe. Discovering new facets to your voice during improvisation. There are improvised vocal groups you can attend and join in with. Jo started learning at a short experimental sound art course. Art is making something with artistic intention. Jo learned to capture and make sound with that intention - the course gave Jo the permission they’d been waiting for to make art. Then the artistic journey led to TOMA (The Other MA) in Southend. TOMA is run by Emma Edmonson and provides an alternative to traditional art school with a more financially accessible format. Big up TOMA - they teach artistic practice, but also about applications for funding to build a career in art. Jo encourages people to respond how they want during performances - laughter can be a great sound. Dealing with mixed feedback, and keeping the artist intention pure. Jo occasionally performs in masks and made bee wings from CDs. Big ups to Faradina Afifi. Making up improvised languages. Improvising and doing someone that no person has ever done before. Big up Fraser Merrick (previous guest!) Nick really doesn’t like unexpected participatory vocal improvisation. Derek Bailey’s Channel 4 show about improvisation around the world is a good archive of worldwide sounds. Every voice is unique, and the sounds we can make are there to be played with. Skronk in Deptford is a fun place to go and improvise. Chelmsford chronicle has declared that ‘Sangita Mittra is a creative expert’ - official. Jo Morrison on InstagramJo at TOMANoisy Women PresentAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Pre-loved modern classics seller. Matt runs The Good Love in Brightlingsea with his wife Laura. He might look like a sexy train driver, but he is a retailer. Previously above Roots And Grooves in Colchester. A shop with ‘everything in it’. Finding things for customers, like a record by a Blackpool Tower Organist. Finding vintage is like being a detective. Records are big sellers currently, people are loving retro vinyl. Collecting records since he was 12, and then buying and selling on discogs has given Matt an encyclopedic knowledge of what’s popular and what’s valuable - he’s in his element with a random box of music. People are loving wax jackets, the country gent meets Farrage look. Picking out vintage streetwear at car boot sales. How boot sales have changed, everyone’s a reseller! How to price up vintage clothes. Sell at the price you’d want to buy at. Brightlingsea is getting cool and growing a creative vibe. The Good Love is growing into a creative hub with DJs and coffee and chances to hang out. Which records always go into the bin. Wolf fleeces. When Matt met his future wife Laura, they were both sellers on Vinted, and connected over selling vintage. Circular fashion is an environmentally conscious way to shop. Giving out dog biscuits. First profit is best profit, keep stock moving. Rotating stock in the window to keep it fresh. Making friends with Matt via Mark563 in Australia and his hip hop colouring book. Buying pre-loved clothes in France. Dungarees problems and Orangutan Sausage Dog. Making it up as you go along with creativity and business. The Good Love Presents InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Owner of Megaflatables, a manufacturer of giant inflatables. Megaflatables designed the giant monsters that were all over the city of Chelmsford. They’ve designed giant Squid Game characters for Netflix promotion, including a giant 15 metre inflatable red light green light doll Young-Hee. NIck has worn a real Squid Game tracksuit. John smells gorgeous FYI. What makes you a Mudite if you live in Maldon?John started his career at Canon reprographics for 20 years - but was tired of this work - so he started a new business with variable voice recognition. His business partner had an unrelated idea to start selling Air Dancers AKA Wacky Waving Arm Tube Guys! Air Dancers were designing in the USA in the 1970s to draw attention to car dealerships. Making a giant inflatable Rylan. John’s company made the huge Camilla Walala inflatable installation for London Design Festival. There are a lot of Health and Safety considerations in the inflatable industry to ensure public safety. Megaflatables design in two dimensions, and their manufacturer works out the three dimensional model. Inflatables don’t like straight edges, so you’ll end up with more curved shapes in designs. Why do new warehouses use 1:1 scale inflatable articulated lorries? To give an idea of scale. Making a 15 metre floating Loch Ness Monster to surprise a stag on a stag do. Finding inflatable manufacturers around the world. How a deal with Pizza Hut in Upminster really kickstarted the creativity at Megaflatables. How John ended up on Dragon’s Den, and did they invest? If you can think it, we can make it. Don’t chase quick money - Make good quality products that’ll keep people coming back. Making stage inflatables for bands on tour. The art of hand painting inflatables to look solid. Making giant boobs for the Scissor Sisters. Making inflatables for the Lord Mayor’s New Years Parade and Pride. Making art for David Shrigley, crazy swans and giant thumbs up. Working with Jason Wilshire-Mills to make giant art inflatables with disabled children. Inflatables are such a joyful medium.MegaflatablesMegaflatables on InstagramLinkedInFacebookAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Lora is an Egyptian–British interdisciplinary artist, writer, and researcher whose community-led work moves between environmental storytelling, walking-based arts, and cultural practice.We are channeling full moon energy in the studio. This was recorded before Nick’s Costa to Costa mission and he is buzzing to set off. Lora is the partner of our previous guest Marley, the Community Farmer and Film Maker, who we LOVE! We love Lora too! What’s up culturally between Essex and Suffolk? Lora moved to the S county, but still feels culturally rooted in Essex. What is ethnobotany? It’s all about how humans relate to plants and place. Anthropology of plants. Uses of plants and their names change with places, especially historically. Essex’s modern identity is part geezer, part Haywain. The National Gallery, so many great paintings in one place, and The Haywain is coming back to Essex this year! Changing the image of Essex. Lora is a wildcrafter, working with foraging, land access, dealing with pollution, and now a tenant farmer, which is very hard. Lora worked bringing people together and showing them what is around them, edible, medicinal, and the justice that exists around land use. A deeper understanding helps people want to protect their natural environment. Education about plant families and similarities to make global connections between people and place. Lathcoats Farm apple tasting station is amazing to try different varieties. Planting fruit trees and digging bore holes on the farm. Wondering at the layers of orange earth, blue London clay, sand and chalk that came from the bore hole, and processing them into art - all of these colours from beneath their feet on the farm. How did feudalism and capitalism change land rights. Hawthorn was planted to keep people off of land in these times, and it is very prolific across the county. All about the 70 mile North to South ‘Saffron Trail’ in Essex, running from Southend-on-Sea to Saffron Walden. Lora walked the Pilgrim’s Way and the Essex Way during lockdown. Saffron is a plant not from Essex, so it is an interesting subject for people and place. Growing saffron and grapes for wine in Essex, and climate change. The cultural stress of learning about new growing and production on land, such as Essex’s move to grape growing playing catch up with generations of tradition from other growing regions. What are ‘blue spaces’? Water spaces. Of which there are loads of varieties on the Saffron Trail.  And artists can respond to these sites in Lora’s project. About the Sudbury to the Sea kayak route. Slow travel and exploring the county. Making inks and paper from the land, and using them for calligraphy. The history of colours. Lora has been exhibiting at Wellcome Collection in London in the exhibition ‘Thirst In Search of Fresh Water’. Be curious - learn about plants, talk to people about them, observe them, and explore.Lora Aziz websiteLora Aziz on Instagram Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Children’s book illustrator from Mersea Island, Essex. He recently got a selfie stick and will throw it in a ditch if he sees anyone else on his walk. Mark Strong and his sexy microphone voice. Tom had just been doing an online schools event for the book he created with author Michelle Robinson ‘The Pumpkin that Stole Halloween’ - talking to 400 schools. Tom has drawn SO MANY pumpkins in his career. He’s illustrated over 50 books, and written some too. Good Knight, Bad Knight by Tom Knight illustrated by Tom Knight is a classic! It takes about three months to illustrate a book. He used to illustrate with ink, but now does a lot of work digitally on iPad. Crowd scenes take a long time to draw, and Tom likes to sneak friends into them. Tom started his career as a graphic designer in the marketing department for Essex Police. Poo Watch at Chelmsford Police Station. Sneaking small subversive illustrations into the police artwork. What is the difference between vector and raster artwork? The police allowed Tom to work part time, so he balanced earning money with starting out as an illustrator and establishing himself. Tom quit his full time job in 2016 and made the leap into full time illustration. Establishing your own unique style as an illustrator. He always drew from very young and felt like he was an illustrator, but needed to hone his illustration skills. His first commission came from sending a postcard to David Bennett from Boxer Books at the perfect time when he needed an illustrator. How do you get an agent? Bright were Tom’s dream agency, and they signed him up. Big up Vicky from Bright! The publisher Magic Cat has signed up Tom for three of his own books, written and illustrated by Tom, ‘The Hole Beneath the Hedgerow’. Everyone has an idea for a children’s book, is it the default side hustle? Nick’s Adrien Brody story. Drawing real humans like Greta Thunberg and Caleb the farmer. Pairing authors with illustrators. Going for inspiration walks around Mersea Island. We all love David Hockney! Is digital art real art? The importance of meeting your audience, understanding them and getting feedback. How to set your price for creative work. How to start out as an illustrator in such a competitive market? Find the thing that makes you happy, be yourself, and fly your own flag. Pirates in Pyjamas is an amazing book! Tom Knight InstagramBright AgencyAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

LIVE from Patch Place, Chelmsford for Essex Podcast Festival. Disappointingly Steve isn’t wearing his MBE medal. Talking The Meffs and MeffFest at Charter Hall. Steve grew up in a small village near Halstead, Essex. He discovered music at Xmas 1973 when his Dad was listening to the top 20 on the radio. Tom Robinson, The Stranglers and Eddie & The Hot Rods got him excited about punk and music, and then The Lurkers came along and he fell in love with the sound and went to see them in Chelmsford when he was 13. After that Steve was addicted to gigs. Started a fanzine, and took a course in journalism in Harlow. Learning the pyramid of how to write a news story, which is still a useful skill now. The power of camaraderie and teamwork in a newspaper office, and learning from mentors. He was sports editor at the age of 21. His journo skills and fanzine landed him a role as sub editor at NME. Advice to people starting out: Write every day to become a better writer - Set yourself writing challenges, or subjects, and build up a body of work. Know your subject better than anybody else. Steve is fascinated by the musicians that just have to perform, there’s something they need to get out and express, pure drive - like Idles! Looking after Kingmaker on tour in Colchester and watching Blind Date in a hotel room. Discovering Coldplay at a gig he almost didn’t go to at Camden Falcon - they were ready for the big time. The more gigs you’ve seen, the more well versed you are to have an opinion. Backing The Streets on the Evening Session, and the audience didn’t agree, very vocally on email. Steve started a record label, Deceptive Records. After years of being a music critic at the NME he wanted to prove that he could run a label - and to create a hit band from Harlow. A chance encounter at The Square led to him signing Collapsed Lung. Eat My Goal was a top 40 hit and featured on a CocaCola advert. Deceptive also signed Elastica - they went on to do well! All about Colchester legends Bum Gravy. Other amazing named bands from Essex - Pregnant Neck, Horrible Dolphins. Steve is Chair of LIVE Trust, and trying to get underserved towns and cities back on the gig map. People need places to play to form bands, and find inspiration. How does Steve find new bands to check out? Steve prefers being an observer of music, rather than a creator of music, he never felt like starting his own band. Balancing the music and connection to your audience when you put together a radio show - play one that the audience will like, play one they’ll probably like, play one for me - and round again! Steve likes to give as many different people and bands the chance to play on the BBC, like Slay Duggee! Interviewing Nirvana in a bed and breakfast in Shepherd’s Bush - the best story ever. Thanks to Essex Podcast Festival and Chelmsford For YouAre You Creative? recorded by Lawker Media at Patch Place Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

AKA Man About Country! Our first walking podcast along the banks of the River Chelmer through Chelmsford City Centre to Essex Records Office. James aka Man About Country. Born in Chelmsford, raised in Kelvedon. He loves telling stories about Britain, the land, the people, the folklore - pushing it beyond a grey boring concrete place you wouldn’t want to explore. Getting out is great for physical and mental health. Growing up in Essex gave James an appreciation of the countryside. During COVID he was living in Cornwall, and he started to venture out and feel the benefits of outdoor space. It gave James space for self-discovery. Exploring your local area can unlock discoveries and wonder. We find a new bit of street art by Candy Joyce and Scott Brave on a pumping station wall - Knobby the troll. Street art trails like Chelmsford’s Concrete Canvas are so good for exploring within cities. He started making walks with points of interest for his friends, his friends were encouraging and it expanded organically. Finding a job you are passionate about makes you excited to get going on a Monday morning. 2025 was all about focusing on exploring Essex. James will now expand to the whole country. James trained on Dartmoor about outdoor education and nature connection so he could communicate better and with more knowledge. Energy and enthusiasm for a subject is infectious. Discovering Mesopotamia Island in Chelmsford and hearing about the 19th century mock elections and river dunkings. Culture Essex sponsored James to create the Essex Ways project as part of a round of arts funding. Gathering stories from all over Essex travelling 400km by foot. Reclaiming the image of Essex women from the reductive portrayal in TOWIE. His history degree helps with research, his acting experience helps with storytelling. Stories are alive, they adapt and grow with every telling, and over thousands of years parts of these tales can become more important for relevant thought and times. Learning from old stories can serve as cautionary tales today - look at the spreading of disinformation about witches in the Essex witch trials. Essex arguably has the longest coastline of any county in England. Clacton has the best banter and stories in Essex. James has worn his stick down from shoulder height to a short cane. James has recorded a special mini podcast story trail for Chelmsford as part of Essex Podcast Festival. People can explore the town and activate his stories in the place that they were recorded. Like the story of Caesaromagus - which was in Chelmsford in Roman times - basically a market stop off on the way between London and Chelmsford - like a Roman Greggs! Man About Country websiteMan About Country InstagramMan About Country TikTokEssex Podcast FestivalAre You Creative? video recorded by Adam from Lawker Media, out and about in Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Sound artist from Colchester. Studied Music Tech in Huddersfield, and could straddle music and engineering departments and experiment for four years. Learning the recording process as well as making music - a great place for a curious mind. Frazer’s first professional music work was performing cover versions for streaming platforms. It was a great learning experience creating different genres and recording them from home. He had an original band called Feeds when he lived in Leeds… sounds like the start of a limerick. He moved to Colchester in 2015 when his parents moved there. He joined Young Art Collective at FirstSite - they had a programme called Circuit funded by The Tate, so young people could put on events in the gallery. And University of Essex had a Games Hub programme, and Frazer started making music for computer games in a company called Teaboy Games. His first sound art used a Makey Makey circuit board, which is a physical interface for a computer - you might have seen banana pianos on YouTube. He started building ‘room scale’ instruments, rigging up whole rooms to play as an instrument. People emotionally love music, but fear getting it wrong, so making new instruments helps them feel the magic. CLIP was a jam night group for non-musicians to play together with gadgets at FirstSite Gallery - Nintendo DS and Hexabugs played alongside traditional instruments. They devise improvisation games and challenges to encourage empathic listening and lead into improvised music. Work with people better than you and use it is as learning experience - If I’m the stupidest person in the room then I’m probably in the right room. Frazer and a group pf musicians played a performance in C in the sea at Great Yarmouth - watched by a real seal! Big up Sue Hogan and Beth Hull at First Site for giving young artists opportunities to experiment and develop. What is foley? Making sound effects for films. You can levitate items between sound waves using acoustic levitation - it is sound science magic. Frazer’s experiment went viral on TikTok. Creating cymatic patterns on Chaladni plates. Frazer invented a device called Photon Smasher which lets you listen to light! Born out of solar panels being used as microphones. Frazer took it to Japan and scanned all of the neon lights, vending machines, and Pachinko machines. The light sounds of Southend’s sea front lights are melodic and beautiful. Why do fairgrounds have pumping music? The answer will surprise you! What is Electronic Music Open Mic (EMOM)? Try your electronic music in front of other creators. Frazer collected plastics from the River Colne and turned them into filament for his 3D printer, and used them to 3D print bird whistles. Circuit bending is taking apart a toy (SAFELY! Don’t do it with anything mains powered!) and poking the electronics to see what happens. Frazer Merrick websiteFrazer on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Ben and his friends run the Secret Island festival on Mersea Island in Essex. An independent music festival - previous headliners have been Mike Skinner from The Streets, Orbital, and Faithless. Ben’s Dad was an oysterman, his brother is an oysterman, he’s about as Mersea Island as you can get! Seagull chat. Ben looks about 95% the same as Nick, it’s like looking in a mirror - WEIRD! Big up Ray Keith and all the drum and bass legends. Ben grew up listening to tapes of raves, jungle and then drum and bass, before putting on his own raves. Breaking news: turns out Nick was at Ben’s very first rave in a barn near Tiptree. Then Ben’s crew moved their all-nighter parties to the Youth Camp in East Mersea - all thanks to supportive adult youth club leaders - big up the Powells! Ultrafunkula (their promotions) spread out to Colchester and London. Teaching the next generation how to run events and specific roles - from lighting, infrastructure, management, set-up, sound, logistics, planning. Secret Island started when Ben and his partners started putting on events again after a long break of nothing, and they started selling out and getting bigger from 250 to over 2000 people now. A local farmer had financial ambitions to run an event on their land, so they took on the location. The site is beautiful, overlooking The Strood and the water, the rolling fields, and amazing sunsets. The first event happened 2 weeks after COVID lockdown and the crowd were up for music and partying - the bar was drunk dry by 4pm! Big up Honkus Rompus - best name ever. AJ from Three Wise Monkeys is helping the festival expand and program their live music stage. Big up Frank Turner, big up The Meffs, big up Bridget., big up Monster Florence - so much amazing local talent. The importance of local promoters and their curational tastes. Would the bass from the Valve Soundsystem make oysters more muscular? Bass so big that you can’t roll a rolly. Cocaine shrimp! Running festivals is TOUGH, so many festivals drop off the radar. How do you manage it financially? Making it work on a budget and cutting elements you don’t need. DJ prices! Islands of Essex. How did it feel to warm up the crowd before Mike Skinner? How to get involved with the festival - give Ben a shout or send him a mixtape. Ben Wass DJSecret Island FestivalAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Algorithmic artist from Chelmsford, Essex. Specilaising in using technology to create art. Previously a radio technology news and features journalist, London news, and politics, Nik knows his way around a microphone. He’s also written a load of books. But he’s talking to us about his art he creates with spreadsheets. I know! Stick with us… All of his art begins with life modelling sessions and photography. Nik’s code script will break this down into squares, measure the brightness, and put the values into a spreadsheet. Nik draws spirals and shapes by hand, and inputs them into the spreadsheet. Stick with us… Then the spreadsheet controls a plotter which will draw the image with a biro as a single line. Trust us, it looks incredible. Biros are unpredictable, and can run out of ink 60 hours into the process … so Nik has to start again! Biros can last for different distances depending on the ball size and the viscosity of the ink. This project came out of lockdown when life drawing moved online, but it came with difficulty of lack of depth and connection with the model, and flat lighting. So Nik started to arrange private sessions to collect reference shots to make art with typewriters, using diffrent keys and different layers for differences in darkness. Each image took 3 months, gave Nik a frozen shoulder and led to 6 months of physio, so he developed a new technique. So he started a new artistic project, experimenting with cyanotype on maps, and eventually tea bags… which because ‘bum bags’ with pictures of bottoms. Nik had one of his artworks at the Voyager 2000 exhibition at FirstSite. He created a self-censoring image format where the image is sliced into squares with the same script he uses for the spreadsheet plotter images. He uses a reductive process of removing squares to reveal more detail. Should artists post-rationalise the meaning of their art? Nik has stopped using the more popular video conferencing softwares, and started using Shutter which gives him remote shutter-release control over the model’s phone, and delivers an uncompressed image straight from the sensor to the remote photographer. Nik likes to build a connection with his models, rather than use sent photos. And sessions can end up with hundreds of images captured. There is a lot of trust between models and artists when you are dealing with nude photography, usage and permissions. Nik uses a Rasberry Pi computer to control his plotter. What is anti-alias? What is a vector? What is a bezier curve? Nik runs his vector file through Inkscape which is graphics editing software. How unique is Nik’s art? Even though the plotter draws the spirals and shapes they are all originally hand drawn by him. Nik loves the subversion of using software intended for business and corporate work to create his NSFW (Not safe for work) imagery. Writing a location jitter into the code to create opportunities to change biros. His process is extremely technical, but it has been a five year iterative process to develop it step by step through different projects. “Art is anything that is done with an artistic intention” Nik Rawlinson, 2025. Learning to love imperfections in your art.Nik's websiteAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Wildlife photographer Meng was born in Macau, grew up in Hong Kong, now in Romford from 2006 working as a graphic designer. Hong Kong cinema, Jackie Chan, Drunken Master and dubbing voices in different countries. Jaiden is back in the house, bringing vibes and RAGGA JABA PUNCH to the studio. Meng’s incredible photo of green rose-ringed parakeets flying through a rainbow caught Nick’s eye at the Essex Photography Prize - taken in the tropical paradise of Romford. Meng ran to the park with three cameras, three tripods, and took over 200 photos to catch the exact magical moment. It was taken on a long lens which makes the image much closer to the birds in the distance, and makes the slice of the rainbow fill the image. Meng takes photos in the park while his kids play in the playground - and now he knows where the woodpeckers are, the rabbits, the parakeets - the whole ecosystem of Romford wildlife. Nick gets dreamy talking about baby bunnies. The best time for capturing wildlife is sunrise. Meng has run guided photography around his park to show other people how to appreciate and capture the wildlife. Macro lenses are used for super close up details, like Meng’s photo of a spider’s face. Parakeets are raver birds with their bright green feathers and loud calls! Shooting the super moon behind The Shard and St.Paul’s cathedral from Parliament Hill, London. You can use an app to find out the position of the moon, and then pick the perfect photo angle. How did Meng manage to capture the International Space Station crossing over the moon? You need a 600mm lens, a very sturdy tripod to stop movement from the wind, and find out the ISS locations from the internet. There is a lot of luck in taking a good photo. Meng started his photography journey in 2015 taking photos of his new baby son with a fix lens camera. After five years he upgraded to a DSLR camera. With a manual focus long lens, balancing composition and focus together is very hard. Learning all about cameras and photography from YouTube. Meng realised he had a talent for photography when National Geographic shortlisted one of his shots, and now he has won a lot of photography awards including Essex Wildlife Trust Photographer of the Year. Wildlife photography competitions often need to review raw photos now to check images aren’t AI. There was an exhibition in the park where Meng takes most of his photos and an accompanying book called ‘Out There’. The UK felt like slow motion after living in the hectic fast city of Hong Kong. If you want to start out in wildlife photography, experiment and try to copy good photos to learn technique, and then develop your own style. Meng on InstagramHUK Shooter websiteHUK Shooter on InstragramHUK Shooter on FacebookAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

A special episode about Nick’s epic Costa To Costa walk to raise £5000 for Chelmsford Foodbank. Disclaimer: Nick doesn’t know about coffee or bleaching beans or anything - Costa Coffee DO NOT bleach their beans, but it sounds funny. Nick visited 33 Costa Coffees in Chelmsford on foot! Nick walked 27.01 miles, which took 12 hours. Now some Costa To Costa artefacts are in The Museum of Chelmsford. Stuff from now is the old shit of the future. The beautiful handmade posters that supporters (Candy Joyce, Elaine Tribley, Jen Flint) made are in the museum. Community support, and people involved in it are legends. Should The Museum of Chelmsford have a mannequin of Costa Man? YES! Suzi Quattro’s bass in the museum. Peak Costafication. Chelmsford is the Costa Capital of the WORLD! Chelmsford now has 37 Costa Coffee outlets, 2 new ones since Nick visited 33 on 10/12/2025. Nick has a 2:2 Geography degree which helped with map planning. The dangers of drinking too much coffee early in the morning in a ski suit onesie. Costa Man was entirely powered by Costa drinks and food - bacon rolls, millionaire shortbread and choc chip cookies. Nick does not like coffee at all. What would an athlete do? Probably drink one water at least. How do Costa heat water up hotter than boiling to lava temperatures? Scolding hands with hot liquid. More blister than foot. Getting a square blister. Why donating money to foodbanks is very useful for them. Costa Coffee’s donation of 10 x £5 vouchers. Costa To Costa was the greatest adventure to ever happen in Chelmsford! But also it was a performance art critique on capitalism and the homogenisation of the high street. Nick doesn’t know coffee names or coffee culture. Costa should serve the finest Civet Cat coffee from civet cat poo. Costa staff were awesome all day! Sledging through the Costa drive thru on Eagle Way. How do you have these crazy ideas? NICK? The helpers’ high, and how doing good makes you feel good. How to donate to Foodbanks. Random encounters on the street. The Costa to Costa legacy: 1, make people think about the foodbank and why people use it. What do foodbanks need. Food poverty awareness. 2, make people think about consumerism and capitalism, and support independent shops.Donate to Costa To CostaAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Podcasts, audio drama, recording, editing, mixing, Helen does it all! And is in the studio judging us! Helen’s voice is YouTube famous because she narrates a school sex education film - in the style Julie Andrews reads 50 Shades of Grey! Helen does amazing on-hold message voices and you have probably been told by her that your call is important to the company. Also the English voice of petrol pumps in Spain. Having a signature voice. What are VO (Voice Over) Sessions like? Is Artificial Intelligence for voice overs affecting the industry? Stock phrases and concatenation. Tom Baker, Toast of London and Irish sat nav voices. Helen’s professional voice journey started with Hospital Radio, Restricted License Radio Stations and then on local radio with live traffic reports (A LOSE MONKEY ON THE M4! SWANS ON THE M25!) - then onto continuity at Paramount Comedy Channel. Continuity is a live person to tell you what is happening, what’s next, and to be on standby if anything goes wrong. Helen got into production, setting up mics, writing scripts and recording audio. Helen started podcasting with Robin Ince in 2006 (OG!) establishing the ‘...Shambles’ brand. Setting up a home studio - starting with the downstairs toilet! Sound effects on The Archers - and complaints about cold water pouring for tea. Home recording with celebs during COVID. The origins of the aubergine emoji. AI can’t replicate niche Northern voices yet! The art of directing voice talent in a studio without bruising egos. The voice work market is currently very saturated with a lot of people going for the same work, and some of the work going to AI. But you can still get started by recording a demo reel at home. Voice acting for computer games. Working (and laughing) with Greg Davies on continuity for Paramount. Helen finds out she is a Webby Nominee. Mixing and editing dialogue. Monkey hangers! Making Rylan Clark cats-eyes for Chelmsford. Producing ‘The Menopause Monologues’ podcast. When is the best time of day to record a VO? 11am. Dolphin noises!HQ Voice WebsiteHQ Voice on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Colombian visual artist and illustrator living in Essex, via Mexico and Suffolk, it’s a complicated story! She paints murals, creates digital illustrations, picture books and everything in between. Fine art and snobbery in art. Catalina blames her ADHD for ending up in Essex, she met an English man in Mexico who shared the same music taste (Josef K), and she decided to go on an adventure to Ipswich. Her experience in Ipswich ended up inspiring her artwork. It is hard to make a living from art in Colombia. In Mexico, Catalina funded her art and illustration studies by working in an advertising agency and also reviewing gigs. Catalina started getting freelance illustration commissions. And then onto bigger picture book commissions where she could be more experimental with styles. The difference between commercial and community mural projects. Window art - Big up Juliet Townsend and her amazing work! Catalina has two super powers - 1, being able to mix colours precisely. 2, being able to estimate measurements precisely like a Human Ruler. Is she a robot? Moving location, county, country means you have to start building a new network, and it can be tough. Finding your tribe. Looking for creative spaces locally. How is AI going to impact mural makers? Winter is brilliant for creative hibernation and getting loads of stuff done. Public art like murals and window art gives a sense of place against the commercial homogenisation of the high street. Catalina does some visual work for the fun Essex band Dingus Khan. She’s also been getting crowds going wild on the dancefloor by DJing Colombian music in Colchester. ADHD, hyperfocus and being prolific as an artist. Pro tip: Don’t wear dungarees on a tour with a band, the dive bar toilets are not suitable! Being inspired by emotions and nature. Mind blowing - Essex wildlife is very exotic to a Colombian - big up the foxes! Catalina's websiteCatalina on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Radio presenter for BBC Essex, event host and all round comedy man. A Romford boy gone Chelmsford. How do you say ‘Up and not crying’ in Icelandic? Sangita ACED her guess of what Rob does. Rob Jelly was born as Rob Jelly, it’s not a stage name! Rob hosts Nuclear Races in Kelvedon Hatch and gets the crowd pumped up for the event. He studied music tech at university and accidentally got into student radio. Student radio and hospital radio are great ways into the profession - put in the hours, practice and learn the craft. Talking about Sealand - the offshore platform on the coast of Essex. One of his first interviews was Essex rap, poetry, podcast legend Scroobius Pip. Don’t wait for permission to try something new, just go for it! Rob’s BBC show Upload tries to inspire people to be more creative in Essex. He gives a platform to creative people. Meeting other creatives is the best way to get creatively inspired. Unlocking creativity in people is massively rewarding. Talking about how the poet Ethan from Waxes Lyrical has thrived since joining a creative community. How to get people’s attention with a great email title - Shetland Pony Stuntman Backflip World Record. Faking creativity until you make it, in 4 days Rob went from zero to live video editing for the big screens at the o2 for Jingle Bell Ball. Writing wedding speeches in Japanese - Nick’s story - Japanese Borat. Rob tried to speak Danish once in an interview, which didn’t go well. ‘Slapped by Sandi Tokswig’ - this didn’t happen btw. The importance of finishing projects. Big up Will Ospreay! Rob is like the Essex Mr.Motivator getting the crowd hyped at Nuclear Races - in lycra at the top of a shipping container. He also writes comedy, poetry, stories - you can’t stop The Jelly. Reminiscing about former BBC Essex presenter Timbo who wore a foam elephant hat - Nick’s early comedy hero. Getting stuff stuck in bridges - the Chelmsford tradition. Swearing on the radio, not on Rob’s watch! Don’t worry about making mistakes or fluffing up lines, it’s going to happen, go with it. Tips for a great interview? In the history of bread, has more bread been fed to birds than has been turned to toast? Rob on BBC EssexUpload with Rob JellyRob on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

A man of many talents from ‘near Colchester’. Kip creates content around theme parks and technology, not both at the same time. Kip is proud of his honest reviews, he’s not ashamed to call out things that aren’t working. Creators have a responsibility where people will make decisions based on your content, so honesty is very important for respecting your audience. When Kip started there weren’t many theme park content creators, but now there are LOADS! Kip will go in as a normal punter and have an unbiased experience. Kip’s been blogging since 2008, which makes him an OG blogger. He was a ‘Daddy’ blogger, but has moved away from it now his children are older so they can have their own voice. Random fact - His number one blog ever was a review of Just For Men Control GX Shampoo. Can you trust influencers? Being offered nipple cream and incontinence pads as a parent blogger. Kip was on Gadget Man with Richard Ayoade reviewing self-folding buggies in Clissold Park, London. To create content you need to learn to write scripts, present, edit, camera man, social media coordination, PR, advertising - it’s constant and it’s hard work. Where can you learn all of these skills? Kip learned as he went. Kip never scripts his content, but has a good feel for what he wants to talk about, and then can always fix it with some edit magic. Committing and developing as you go along will see your skills grow. Making content that pleases the secret algorithms on social media platforms. Testing and optimising social media content. Turning your content side hustle into your main job. We love Meta Glasses! Making money from affiliate sales. Nick talks about going underwater at Loch Ness in a robot dolphin (true story). Big up Adventure Island in Southend. Nick declares Axis to be the greatest ride in Essex. Big up Pleasurewood Hills. Kip LOVES 13 at Alton Towers - the theming and experience is great and especially because it has an element of surprise - and that’s what makes a top tier ride. Talking about the very relaxing for autistic people Planet Coaster 2 computer game. Excitement about Universal Studios UK (near Essex). Is Woody Bear doing a Michael Jackson? Nick talks about hitting his head on the Zip World Mittal Orbit slide in Stratford. The podcast goes a bit crazy with Sangita’s new ride suggestion Euthanasia.Kip on InstaKip on YouTubeKip on TikTokKip's websiteAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Lord Shiva is in the building! Paul from the band Pieces has amazing arm tattoos for all of his passions. Born and raised in Chelmsford. Now he writes and sings for his British Indian punk band Pieces. They write songs about politics, race, the state of the nation. Paul decided to become more active and pokey with his lyrics - to not ignore what’s going on. 2025 has been a vintage year for political music with Kneecap, Bob Vylan, The Mary Wallopers, Mudrat, and Hyphen. Paul’s grandparents are from Guyana, they came to Essex in the Windrush generation, his Mum was born here, met a Welshman, and had a baby (Paul!). A lesson on indentured labour on sugar plantations. Talking about British Indian punk and rebellious music, Fun-Da-Mental, Asian Dub Foundation, Voodoo Queens. Dealing with racism and wanting to fit in by hiding your roots. Sangita reveals her secret identity. Dealing with the ‘Where are you really from?’ question. The recent rise of overt racism in the UK. Music and the music scene has given Paul the courage to be himself. Getting booked for Meff Fest. The trials of being in a band when you have adult responsibilities. Performing music as therapy, blocking out all your worries. Finding time and places to rehearse. Supporting Native James and Professor Green and getting a mosh pit going - someone lost their wedding ring. The importance of playing local grass roots venues when you are big. Big up Professor Green for coming through to play Hot Box! Ticking off your musical dreams. Taking kids to live music. Paul is manifesting playing at 2000 Trees festival. Paul talks about his sobriety journey - and has been in recovery for over 9 years - big up yaself mate! It’s a cheat code for life. The links between drugs and creative productivity and inspiration, is it a myth (Nick thinks so)? How drunk is too drunk to do a gig? Playing edgy music as an older person, and putting yourself out there. Helping others to recover.Pieces on InstaPieces on YouTubeAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

The Face of Chelmsford. The future mayor of the City. The future of creativity (FULL STOP). Rebecca described herself as multi-passionate when it comes to creativity. She hosts women’s circles - a safe space for people to turn up authentically and connect. She is part of Make Space for Girls - a project for creating specific spaces for girls to feel safe and belong - architecture for girls and women. Rebecca is a self taught creative. She wasn’t encouraged creatively at school, and left to get on with things herself, so had to discover her own outlets for her ideas. What was it like being the first generation growing up with phones in school. The ultimate distraction, changing how you communicate, and disconnect. Creativity can come from boredom, but with so much content and information to consume now, it’s hard to see any time as downtime. Removing outside influences to focus on purity of creative output. Rebecca’s theory about writing by hand leading to more creative satisfaction - it’s human nature. Nick does a bad Peppa Pig Oasis joke. Musical notation for non-musicians - vibe notation (with Matt Ashdown). Big up the teachers that spot creativity and encourage it. Rebecca has been commissioned by Chelmsford City Council to write a poem for a video piece about the city of Chelmsford. How to balance paid commissions with artistic freedom. Revisiting your work after some reflection time - when your ego can detach from the work. The selection process for the poetry commission, and first live performance as a poet. Rebecca learned to perform at a poetry rap workshop with some mentors and performed 6-months pregnant. Chelmsford fuchsia will be the colour of the year. Fun times making a video around the city for the poem. What rhymes with Chelmsford? Marconi’s equinox eclipse portal - is it in the Museum? Bringing together all the creative disciplines of a city to work together. What is a multipassionate multipotentialite - someone that doesn’t need to commit to just one thing creatively. Having different disciplines and projects keeps your creative mind sharp. Trying to remember poems to perform without a book or phone. Getting into freestyle rap. REBECCA IS THE CREATIVE FUTURE! In Tune With Rebecca - IGIn Tune With Rebecca - WebAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Owen aka Project Lando aka Art of the Roadz. He’s got ADHD and the smoothest voice we’ve ever had on the podcast. He’s a music producer, radio host and he runs events. He runs workshops in Colchester for kids to learn about DJing and MCing with AC MC at The Minories, which isn’t a place you’d expect urban art. But the director of the gallery Emma Howe saw the potential to widen the gallery’s culture and bring in new visitors to the gallery. They ran Free Fest in the garden of the Minories on a beautiful outdoor stage that looked like it was built for a Shakespeare play - they had breakdancing (with Breakin’ Isaac), graffiti, MCing, DJing. Local 18-year old MC, Felc, played and helped curate the line-up. The importance of open minded venues to help young people put on shows. Sangita loved hearing bashment playing in Colchester! How it is important for groups to pave the way for future culture, and build on their successes. Out of struggle comes art. Hip hop is poetry, and there are loads of talented young rappers and beat makers from ‘the roads’. What’s the difference between hip hop and grime production? Making beats for free - using software like Fruityloops. Owen benefited from studying at a school in London with a recording studio - a rarity at the time - now anyone can record at home. Democratisation of music production through technology accessibility. Big up Jiim the rapper from Clacton who smashed it at Roadz. Owen started music at school playing cello, then drums, then discovered the early days of hip hop and DJing when his youth centre bought a pair of Technics decks. Then rave, hardcore and jungle took over his attention as DJ Rekle$$, through the clubs to pirate radio stations. The passion for DJing turned into a passion for production. After hundreds of hours on Atari STs, and a production course in Wandsworth - Project Lando was born! BBC Essex Introducing started playing his tunes. Is Owen hip hop Simon Cowell? Bypassing the gatekeepers in music. Finding your unique stories for lyrics. Keeping lyrics clean for the radio and public performances. If you want to get into music, practice, experiment, work hard, hone your craft, keep going - get a cheap laptop, software. Rappers can practice to royalty free beats on YouTube. Look for feedback! Big up the Essex rave scene. Big Narstie came to the Art of the Roadz show at Minories and invited all the MCs for a cypher. Owen is writing a jungle track posse cut to bring together MCs from different backgrounds to talk about unity.Art of the Roadz IGArt of the Roadz FBProject LandoAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Live from Firstsite Colchester (the Golden Banana). Exhibition programme manager George is born and bred Bas Vegas (aka Basildon) from Laindon Hills. His family grew up in a self-built wooden shack in the Plotlands - which fitted closely into the themes of Michael Landy’s ‘Welcome to Essex’ exhibition, George’s first project at Firstsite. Firstsite has seen artists like Ai Weiwei, Anthony Gormley, Grayson Perry - and now George himself! It began with a bursary in 2020 talking to autistic people about what art meant to them. Which led to an open call for artworks about technology, which lead to this autobiographical exhibition ‘Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?’ where George tells his life story through other people’s artwork. George was trapped in an uninspiring retail job, and managed to hustle his way into doing what he wanted - by pursuing art journalism to talk about ableism in queer spaces in Gay Times and then using social media to find art mentors. As a child George visited the National Gallery in between hospital appointments, and he studied painting for human emotion which helped him mask. Art is very relationship based, artists being recommended by other people. George would use dating sites to meet men that would teach him about art history. He is interested in changing the power dynamics in the artworld. Hanging exhibitions at different heights for accessibility. Balancing accessibility needs. He advocates engagement over preservation, and wants people to touch some artworks. Making smellable artworks. George came into art through the art therapy programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital when he was a child. He had his artwork shown at Turner Contemporary at Margate, and acquired by Southend Museum. How did George include the Grindr app colours into his exhibition. Why you should make friends with caretakers! Getting diagnosed as autistic. Talking about the Disability Pride flag. Fetishisation of the disabled body. How technology in Essex has gone from the invention of radio all the way to location services in Grindr? How did a Nintendo Wii-U make George burst out crying? Mixing established artists with emerging artists within an exhibition. George Morl websiteGeorge on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Lawker Media, at Firstsite Colchester, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

It’s National Cheeseburger Day and Sangita isn’t here, it’s the legend Adam on the co-host - He’s been at Rom Skatepark chucking coloured powder all over the kids for the end of skatepark summer season. Over to our guest… Jake ‘The Burgerman’ Willis plays guitar in hardcore band Raiden, and being in a heavy metal band makes you have bad hearing. Prank chat. Hat chat. Wait for it… BURGER CHAT! Jake was named after Jake’s Hamburgers in Ilford, his Dad loves burgers too. Jake likes his burgers simple! Quality ingredients. No fancy extras. A beef patty between two slices of bread. He cooked A LOT of burgers to learn how to do it well. A flat griddle on his hob upped the game. Then during COVID lockdown, he made burgers EVERYDAY! And then made too many burgers for his family, so started delivering to mates. Food drops are exciting. Nick remembers the Meat Wagon in London. Jake doesn’t want to ruin his creative passion for burgers by doing it full time. He loves the exclusive drop format. Eating burgers with a knife and fork! What makes a good burger bun? Getting the perfect bun transformed the whole burger product - the secret was potato. Matt Binge from Food Review Club gave Jake’s burgers an incredible score when he tried it. A lot of love for Big Macs. What would be in the ultimate Essex burger? What are the secrets to seasoning. Has Jake eaten 10000 burgers? We hear about Hamburger by Hepburn in Shenfield - a restaurant with a butchers - sounds amazing. Nick rates Devine Burgers at The Vine in Great Bardfield. Adam likes to put a Birdseye Potato Waffle in with his burger. The Sistine Chapel of Big Mac made by the gods which Jake had at Hawksmoor (not Essex!). Nick gets dreamy talking about Burger Bear at Old Street. Has anyone made an amazing veggie burger? Halo Burger! Is perfecting burgers like learning the guitar? WillisyBurger InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Alternative wedding dress fashion designer. Born and bred on the wrong side of the tracks in Chelmsford, Essex. Not everyone likes to wear white at their wedding, so Lucy Can’t Dance make more individual items. Dip dye is a big thing for them, Dresses that look great and still allow y ou to eat, drink, dance and not have ten people have to help you to the toilet. Ease of going to the toilet in a wedding dress is something not enough people think about! Lucy started out learning performing arts, singing and acting, not wardrobe. She’d customise her own charity shop clothes, then interned at a dressmaker. Learning pattern cutting, and getting to make gypsy bridal wear with crystals and other amazing additions. Nick invents the Colin The Caterpillar wedding dress. People want custom weddings now. Crazy wedding cakes! All about Nick’s medieval wedding and hiring suits of armour. Don’ mention the W word! Lucy Can’t Dance think it’s important to have transparent pricing. Lucy Can’t Dance has no size limits, total body positivity. Fittings and alterations, especially if people are pregnant for their wedding. Organising fake weddings for photos shoots is fun! Designing to scale up designs for sizes from 8 to 30 and ensuring it looks great on everyone. Summer is a busy time, so straight after the weddings Lucy starts designing the new collection. Lucy started designing on paper, but now uses iPad, but she can’t draw hands. Nick wants to change his surname to McAwesome. Lucy is aiming to develop a rainbow dip-dye. Tequila Sunrise is a very popular colour. The Prince’s Trust backed Lucy Can’t Dance early on with business development. Lucy has employed her interns in the past and find talent that studied fashion and textiles at Colchester Institute. How to get into fashion. Why don’t people have more lemurs at weddings? Choosing colours that will dye together. The brand has customers from as far away as Australia. Are wedding dresses just lace mullets?Lucy Can't Dance Lucy Can't Dance InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Artist, educator, curator, and rebel. A portfolio worker - someone that has lots of different artistic things going on. Creative variety keeps life interesting. Elaine created Birdland on a roundabout in Chelmsford, it is a birdhouse city - commissioned by a housing developer - and created in collaboration with local kids. More on the housing crisis and the return of peregrines to Chelmsford. Bronze plaques with collective nouns for birds. Training robins to land on your hand. Elaine’s creative career started at BBC Essex, as a receptionist, then a news Radio Production Assistant. Blue Peter’s Katy Hill worked there too! Elaine also got to run the first BBC Essex website. She tried three times to become an artist in her life. Finally someone at BBC Essex suggested she should try to become an artist. It started at Chelmsford College with a foundation degree, part time, which she completed in one year (instead of two). And then a five year art degree at Central St.Martins. While looking after two young children at the same time. Legendary commitment to art! BBC Essex kindly allowed her to work the degree around her job. Then she did a Masters degree. What is the difference between Art and Fine Art? Creating the alter ego Aileen Liberty and becoming a professional artist. Making fake For Sale boards for a non-existent real estate agent. Funding art - paint and canvas is expensive. How to get into art when you aren’t rich. Painting sales science - dark green and gold paintings are big sellers. Why did blue and purple blow people’s minds back in the day (back back back in the day). Creating a new evaluation system for Chelmsford Museum exhibitions. Sand timers for appreciating art. Can digital art be counted as ‘art’? Yes. Using art as a catalyst for discussion about the environment. Painting road art for Tour De France in Essex. Reclaim the Seax! Elaine got EXPELLED from school at 15 - but made up for it with adult education. Artists should never work for free - but value exchange in volunteering is ok. Elaine is a fine art gangsta. Elaine Tribley on InstagramElaine's websiteAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Grub is a young graffiti artist from Southend. At just 11 years old he’s taken part in Southend City Jam and painted around the country. He is mostly interested in classic graffiti styles, rather than street art. Sangita looks through Grub’s black book (graf sketch book) and can’t believe he can draw so well. Grub is from a creative family, and his Dad is an excellent artist who has taught him to draw. One of Grub’s teachers, Miss James, spotted his artistic talent when he was 8 and motivated him. Grub now has mentors for painting - Ekto, Ster, and Rask. He met them at Southend City Jam 2023 and showed them his sketchbook, Rask grabbed the organisers to show them the work, and he was invited to paint there in 2024. City Jam has massively brightened up Southend with the colourful murals and pieces throughout the city. Big up Scotty Brave for making Essex more colourful with his murals. Grub has painted Leake Street in London, which is an iconic location - he even got recognised from his documentary on YouTube. Ben Mills from Hellfire Film made the mini documentary, and it has made Grub a little bit famous. Essex has a rich history of graffiti - the 2-mile long Lakeside Seawall and Rochford Mill are classic spots. Grub loves the illegal side of graffiti and seeing where people manage to get art up, enjoying the placement and cheekiness. He loves placements that are like a crime that doesn’t really affect anyone - like The Lurkers in caves, and tunnels under London. Talking about King Robbo vs Banksy. If you’re painting a legal wall like Warrior Square in Southend, you’ll need to go over the top of someone else’s work. Painting is expensive, so it would be great for Grub to get sponsored - come on Montana! Choosing a name to tag. When you start out you are ‘toy’. Grub’s previous name was ‘Cob123’, but one day he painted Grub and loved the flow of the letters. Doodle-grid is the way that artists map out their works on big walls to get the proportions and layout correct. Grub has been painting over tube maps and selling them on Instagram. Painting on Rod Stewart’s trainset. If you want to start graffiti - just go for it, don’t be afraid of drawing letters. Grub practiced can control in his garden on some old plywood. Limiting screen time and the ensuing boredom can stoke creativity. Hard work, repetition and practice lead to improvement. Grub is unique at graffiti jam events for being so young. Grub is in a few crews - UPC and CBM. Grub on InstagramGrub documentaryAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Radio presenter and audio documentary maker. Kaelyn created a documentary about the Chelmsford skateboarding scene, around Central Park between 2020 and 2023. Kaelyn is a skateboarder, so the subject was personal for her. Skate scenes are always in flux, and this was a busy time for the scene in Essex. Why do creative people gravitate to skateboarding? Or does skateboarding make people creative? Being a female skater is hard because you don’t feel fully included. Especially when a WhatsApp group was created just for the male skaters at the skatepark. Kaelyn tackles this in her audio documentary. Is it fun to be mean as a 15 year old? Kaelyn is studying radio and podcasting at Point Blank Music School in Hoxton, London. She captured the atmosphere and sounds of the skatepark with field recordings to bring the documentary to life. The field recordings bring the time and place to life, let you imagine you are there. Learning skating language and the terms - it’s an international language! How the audio documentary let Kaelyn go deep into her thoughts and feelings from the time at the skatepark, allowed her to address issues, and get closure on them. Documentaries about the human microcosms of society, like the skatepark, can be fascinating for outsiders - all of this microdrama and dynamics are happening everywhere in all groups of people. Sangita is intimidated by skaters. Kaelyn has an eclectic music radio show on CCR Radio (Chelmsford Community Radio). Why is 90s music so hot right now? Essex music is amazing. Doing work experience at a radio station, and leading to a future career. Big up Paul Dupree. The power of a great audio book or documentary, like watching a film in your mind. Tips for interviewing people. The creative podarpillar. Cheese dreams. Are radios more important than toasters? Edging with the toaster. Kaelyn's Evening InterludeAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Chaz is from art duo The London Police - originally from Chelmsford. His partner Bob got attacked by a seagull on Chelmsford Tindal Street while they were painting at Concrete Canvas. The danger of painting very high murals - territorial gulls. At school he was into drawing, and then moved into photography, especially for bands. Chaz ended up on the music scene and sold t-shirts for 90s indie superstars Echobelly, as well as touring with Oasis, PWEI and Boyzone. Becoming famous street artists meant that The London Police could live the rock and roll tour life around the world as artists. Chaz started drawing little characters while he was running merch stands for bands - which was an early version of the classic The London Police ‘lad’ character. He always loved graffiti and followed the crew ERZ (Essex Rockerz) at Chelmsford gasworks. After moving to Amsterdam in the late-90s, Chaz’s little characters started appearing on the streets as Chaz jogged around the streets with a pen. TLP got famous pretty quickly in Amsterdam at the same time as street art got popular globally with Shepherd Fairey (Obey), Banksy and Space Invader. Chaz found his own style because he could do traditional graffiti, and it helped him develop a unique style. TLP pride themselves in craft and cleanliness of their lines and marks. Concrete Canvas and street art have transformed Chelmsford into a more visually creative and inspiring City. The multiple heads on TLP characters represent structures of control and influence. Chaz draws the characters, and Bob builds the world around them with precise architectural lines and the smaller minion characters. How to manage a creative partnership? Making each other improve and step up your artistic game. How do you repair a piece of street art after a tropical storm in Miami? How do you start making money as a street artist? Brands and shops would pay money for live painting shows and murals. Pasting posters with Shepherd Fairey in Tokyo. Featuring in street art books (big up Tristan Manco). TLP painted their first big murals in Hengelo and Enschede in the Netherlands. How did The London Police mural on Prinsengracht become a piece of UNESCO Heritage protected art? Creating art that will still be around when you are not. How to spot a good spot to tag? The glory days of Shoreditch street art. How do you learn the rules of street art and where to paint? How do you find your style? Enthusiasm and mean it! Painting Dua Lipa in Kosovo. Painting a 45 metre high 14-storey building in Berlin that you can see from a plane! Meat raffle.The London PoliceTLP on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Jeordie is the Programmes Lead at the charity Tonic Music providing mental health support to the music industry and music fans. School and Jeordie didn’t get on - except for Mr.Harris the sociology teacher who encouraged his path into sociology. His psychology and sociology dissertation at uni was inspired by the death of Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots - why do these entertainers that give us so much enjoyment struggle with mental health? He’s since published a book chapter on mental health in the music business, and gone on to a pHD. And this led him to a job at Tonic Music. They started with music workshops for the local community in Portsmouth in 2012, and gig buddy programmes. Now it's a national charity. Tonic Rider now provides support to musicians via an online support service. They are supported by artists like Libertines, Amy Beesting (OMG It’s The Church), Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols), and Terry Hall from The Specials. The charity is for anyone from buskers to bands playing stadiums. Musicians need support because they have to create and perform their art which brings unique stresses - regular negative feedback, performance anxiety, hyper-competition among other things. Even Sir Paul McCartney still gets performance anxiety! What is it that makes musician’s susceptible to substance use? Tonic have been providing support to venues around the country, backstage, for staff, and the audience, with posters with links for support. Cradle of Filth and Ed Sheeran - will it happen? Big up the new Essex bands - Monumental, Myopia, Pet Needs, Meffs, Gasoline Green, Bridget, She’s In Parties, Fraser Morgan, Monster Florence, Rad Pitt, Slay Duggee. Musical history suffers from rockism, where other genres like bhangra and drill are overlooked in their cultural importance. Pick up some Tonic Music merch at a gig and help to fund them, and also meet them and get talking about mental health. Tonic MusicTonic Music on InstaAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Neil is in a band with his 77 year old grandad Ken - Ken and Neil McDonnell. Playing 50s and 60s rock and roll. They’ve already made three albums in their first two years. Ken is a tough creative lead and has a clear vision of how he wants audio, image etc. for the band. He is motivated to be productive while he ‘still has his faculties’. Ken gave Neil his first guitar when he was 10, and ever since they’ve been jamming at family gatherings. There is a band with a parrot singer called Hatebeak. Chat about ALL the Black Sabbath covers bands - Mac Sabbath, Bat Sabbath, Zakk Sabbath. The joy of playing music together and bonding with your family. Big up Card Trick Music. Ken loves sending ideas for songs over WhatsApp, he doesn’t stop thinking about music and lyrics. Ken does not eat Werther’s Original, he still has too much to do in his life. Neil also plays ice hockey, for Chelmsford Reapers, but is a very gentle soul. Ken is also a very chilled guy. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles chat. Batman chat. Will Ken and Neil ever play a gig? Probably not. Ken has mostly been playing music for himself his whole life, apart from one song at Butlins. Nick has a good story about Stephen Mulhern. We talk about Take That, Clacton Butlins, Chelmsford Spectacular, Eurovision, Pitbull. Creating a digital record of older generations, recording songs and stories to listen to in the future. Neil’s Mum is deaf, and he loves that she can feel the vibrations of bass when he plays. Adelle’s picture has been on Lorraine for the Trans Is Human campaign - we're not worthy!Ken and Neil on InstagramKen and Neil on SpotifyAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

What does an art director do? They make things look nice! Having visual ideas, organising photoshoots, video, social media, layouts, typography, Ben even designed the HEAT Magazine logo…. Ooooo! Telling the story visually is essential. The features editor will assign a celebrity and a small time frame to shoot images for the magazine. The art director has to have ideas, and arrange the photography shoot. A creative director will lead people on their team to come up with great ideas. How do you ask celebrities to do crazy things for photos on set? Working with Alan Carr and making silly photos. Finding a way to visually achieve things on a small budget - the DIY attitude - learned from skateboarding. Constraints make the best work. What do you do when a celebrity turns up and says NO to the ideas? How do you get 30 celebrities in the same picture at the National Television Awards? Ben thrives from pressure and short deadlines. Fixing photoshoots that didn’t go so well. Ben loves AI, any tool that allows him to create and experiment. Working with Katie Price is always fun. Navigating selects and approvals for photos on set. Ben wanted to be a musician and his band Elemental Child supported Oasis at Chelmsford Army & Navy! WOW! His school didn’t really encourage art, but he heard about Art College and did a Foundation Course. A great creative time in his life - the art foundation opens up opportunities to learn about all creative and arts disciplines - its a sandbox. A great place to meet other artists and creatives. Putting a giant Monster Munch in formaldehyde for art. Dealing with impostor syndrome as you progress in your career. Back-filling your artistic reasons for making something that looks good. Creatively hacking a final dissertation to do less work. Stick a horse on it! Being told ‘go create’ is the most amazing thing. Having self-belief but staying humble. Challenging yourself and thinking your best work is still ahead of you. Embracing AI in creativity. Nick and Ben LOVE AI! Using AI to make pottery. Being lied to by AI.Ben on Instagram Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Furniture maker. Cabinet maker. Just don’t call him a carpenter! What does it all mean? Jim started out making cabinets next to Liam Howlett from The Prodigy’s house… that’s like Essex’s answer to Buckingham Palace surely! Jim started his creative journey polishing furniture, and then learned more about how to make it. When do you know you are ready to set up on your own and become self-employed? Applying craft, skills and unique materials to create bespoke cabinets on massive budgets for wealthy people. Jim also makes art from wood. Usually by identifying potential in knotted wood offcuts. He makes skulls from black walnut. Finding faces in ‘hairy’ wood. Jim built the bars at Hot Box and Radio City Social in Chelmsford, and even made beer pump handles from old skateboards. Jim made some hardwood skateboards at school. He went to art college for a bit, but it wasn’t for him. He made skateboard ramps and half pipes growing up. Jim’s favourite wood is Black Walnut. He loves the smell of Cedar - proving that he is not a moth. Celebrity trees from classic paintings. Growing interesting patterns in wood grain with mycelium. AND Sangita won a Panic Award for community spirit! Big up Queen Sangita!Jim Rands on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

MEFF ARMY! Singer and guitarist in the punk rock band The Meffs. Born and raised in Colchester. Going from playing Hot Box to 100 people to Alexandra Palace to 10000 people in just a few years - WHAT A LIFE! What is the optimal strategy for a pre-stage wee? Recording at Frank Turner’s studio on Mersea Island. How not to do gang vocals! WHAT!? What’s it like supporting Alice Cooper? And Primal Scream? When does a duo become a band, even if it’s two people? How does Lily get a huge guitar tone and make enough noise to not need a bassist - three amps! Is being the drummer the worst job in a band? No! Do bands need bassists? Lily plays a custom Gordon Smith guitar, how do you choose components? What does a luthier do? How does Lily still play guitar during crowd surfing? What is MEFF ARMY and how did the band get such a fanatical following? Why do The Meffs use a normal sized skateboard as their backdrop for small venues. The Meffs started in 2019 - then COVID slowed it down - things really kicked off in 2022. How weird were gigs at the end of COVID?! Talking about legendary Colchester venue The Twist. Gigs is exciting! Summer festivals. Confusing BabyMetal backstage. The Lily origin story - Horrible Dolphins and playing small venues in Essex. The Meffs first gig was at Chelmsford Bassment. What makes Essex bands so interesting, original and alternative? Farage Against the Machine! Finding inspiration from what’s happening around us. Punk is inclusivity. Representation at gigs. ‘Female fronted’ and tokenism in music. Big up Colchester Arts Centre and Anthony! Big up Unit 1 and Wayne! Big up Maniac Squat! Starting out DIY. Advice for young bands starting out and finding first gigs. Becoming a role model through music to make people feel comfortable expressing themselves and being themselves.The Meffs on InstaThe Meffs websiteThe Meffs BandcampAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Co-founder of Essex Witch Museum. Researcher, historian, marketing genius, and part of the creative force behind the project to bring Essex’s witch history to life. Everything Emma has ever done in her career is coming in useful on the journey to create a new museum. Adelle invents Witchipedia - let this be a permanent record. What is a ‘familiar’? It’s a demon in the form of an animal which will do their evil bidding. Like Satan the Cat/Toad/Dog. Who belonged to Agnes Waterhouse. Sent after a neighbour for not giving them any cheese. Witch trials happened on Tindal Square in Chelmsford. Essex was once known as Witch County because of the number of trials that took place - take that Salem! What is the difference between ‘the cunning folk’ and witches? How a German book ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ by Heinrich Kramer and the invention of the printing press spread witch spotting fever - reaching Essex. Hopefully the museum will help educate people so we don’t make the misogynistic mistakes of the past - museums are important for reflection. Persecutory words like ‘witch’ can be so loaded and powerful due to history. Some people accused of witchcraft were imprisoned in Colchester Castle awaiting trial. A lot of people living today could have been accused of witchcraft back in the day. Researching original documents is difficult, many are written in Latin with cursive script, but because the Essex Records Office holds so many detailed documents, it provides invaluable insights and records of the time. To date the Essex Witch Museum have researched and recorded 909 indictments in Essex. They need more volunteers to help look through the records. Nick also talks about smelling Brad Pitt. Adelle has been the face of Westfield for Trans Day of Visibility.Essex Witch MuseumEssex Witch Museum on IGAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Writer, spoken word artist, journalist, DJ, historian, researcher, poet, slam poet, life-long student. Peter deGraft-Johnson is The Repeat Beat Poet, aka PJ, and Mr. Loose Egusi (his afrobeat DJ name). Talking about flâneurs, Argentinian funk, plumbing, and other random things. Slam poetry is a fake-competitive parlour game of poetry, where two poets go head to head in front of a very vocal and involved audience. The line between poets and rappers has gotten thin. Poetic writing can elevate theatre, drama, film, music - The right words, in the right order, being delivered in the right way. We feel faster than we can think. Poetic constructs can deliver emotions and meaning. How the church and spirituality forged PJ’s creativity. Music in the church was formative, recorder, clarinet, piano, jazz piano, drums, percussion, guitar, singing, saxophone. Bill Legend from the famous rock band T-Rex taught PJ drums. Essex legend Scroobius Pip was a big inspiration for PJ’s writing, also Kae Tempest, Saul Williams and East-coast 90s hip hop. How George Bush’s foreign policy inspired the ten year old PJ’s first poetry. A poem isn’t finished until it’s read aloud and responded to. The struggle to make poetry a full time job and income. Why did he have to go to London to find the poetry scene he wanted? Re-discovering your birthplace, and the city you grew up in. Big up Chelmsford Forgotten facebook group. A yacht getting stuck in Chelmsford viaduct united the city in comedy. Big up Thirst Drinks Syndicate, Matt Chinnery and Danny Bounce playing African music on vinyl with PJ at Loose Egusi - the name itself is a triple pun, too much for our humble brains! If you’re interested in poetry, speak to teachers at school (if you’re young), find a local poetry night, or look online to watch videos. Sangita is going to write some poetry and perform at Waxes Lyrical - Ethan she has committed! PJ reads his poem about Chelmsford ‘Questions for my City’ which is on display at The Meadows shopping centre Chelmsford.Repeat Beat PoetLoose Egusi Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

This is the way! Cosplay is when you dress as a popular character from film, TV, games. Cosplayers usually start by buying costumes, and then realise it’s cheaper and more fun to make your own and customise it. Emily is involved with Chelmsford Takeover with Essex Cosplayers and Chelmsford For You. The whole town centre gets taken over by characters and vehicles, with chances to learn about craft and meet creators, and get selfies with RoboCop (next event Saturday 12th April 2025). Featuring the famous cosplay conga, where you can see George Lucas (not the real one), Transformers, Star Wars characters and White Walkers all partying down Chelmsford High Street. Emily’s most famous character is Bo-Katan from The Mandalorian, badass strong female role model character played by Katie Sackhoff. Emily’s helmet is 3D printed and then hand painted and finished, with added interior foam padding (a washing up sponge). For Star Wars there are a lot of 3D models available to buy and print yourself, and Etsy has a lot of cosplay cutting guides. Emily’s latest creation is Dame Aylin from Baldur’s Gate 3, which has massive angel wings and armour - made from polythene underlay for flooring and EVA foam. YouTube is your friend for research for materials, templates and builds. Polyprops is a great website for EVA foam - cut it, heat gun it into shapes, stick it. Costumes take a lot of work, Emily’s latest was 3 months working all day every day. Emily updated Bo-Katan with furry ears to join a furry meetup - cosplay fun is encouraged! Cosplayers can occasionally get called in to work on the movie and TV franchises they love - as creators and as background actors (like the 501st for Star Wars). Nick goes on a long monologue about RoboCop - sorry. Emily only started cosplay in lockdown, she started face painting, then dressing up on Twitch streams (Ciri from Witcher III: The Wild Hunt), doing TikTok dances, and following motivation from positive feedback the cosplay escalated. Cosplay is very hard to make a career from - for most it’s a hobby or a side-hustle. Doing cosplay you stealth learn so many varied creative skills. Cosplay is a supportive community, reach out to people to ask them questions about their craft. Nerdiness is becoming much for accepted and trendy in society. How to compete at cosplay competitions. Cosplay secrets: They get dressed in the Comic Con carpark! How gory can you go in cosplay before it’s unacceptable?Emily on InstagramEmily on TikTokAll Emily's linksEssex CosplayersChelmsford TakeoverAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Competitive story writer, namer, brander, and editor/designer of Menticulture magazine. Overall creative legend, and nicest bloke in Essex. Originally from the glorious hill of Danbury. Ben trained as a graphic designer as a mature student. Now he runs his own naming and brand agency The Identity Bureau. Naming is finding what a company is going to call themselves. A name that’s memorable and describes the company. A good name should be easy to say, easy to spell, easy to remember. Company names have the most brand longevity, outlasting multiple logo refreshes etc, so it’s super important to get right. Namers work through about sixteen points to make sure they get to a good name that scores ticks on the list. Why changing the name Twitter to X was a bad move because they lost brand equity. Having a rigorous process, but also when to trust your gut instinct to judge creativity. Ben has created Menticulture magazine, which is a bit like a printed version of this podcast, all about creativity in Essex! Oi oi! It is printed on a risograph in bright pink and black on cartridge paper at Colchester Maker Space. The importance of proofreaders. What is an interrobang‽ Nick has a story about how his logo design ended up in a shocking discovery online. Ben partakes in short story writing challenges for microfiction, writing under time constraints with a genre, a word to use, and an action that needs to be included. What the competitors write in 24 hours is fascinating. Ben reads his 100-word (a drabble), 24 hour short story ‘Remember Bees Dad?’. Check out the NYC Midnight website for details of the next challenge.Identity BureauId Bureau on InstaMenticulture MagazineNYC MidnightAre You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEXEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

One of the hosts of the Eerie Essex podcast (with Ailsa Clarke), all about paranormal happenings and traditional stories of mysteries and the unexplained in Essex. Is the Loch Ness Monster a ghost dinosaur? Old Roughy the poltergeist in Great Waltham. Ghost cats in pubs. How do Bethan and Ailsa research their podcast? Start with the paranormal database, books, British newspaper archive. Weird Norfolk podcast from the Norfolk Folklore Society inspired them to start their Essex podcast. Black Shuck the East Anglian dog is a brilliant regional myth. Part cryptid, part entity, a black dog with blazing red eyes that arrives in storm and lightning, can be bad or good. Shuck was a protector for travellers, like a scary Lassie. Adelle tells a creepy story about a hotel, is she imagining things? What can Bethan tell us about it? 3am is a common time for ghosts and weird things happening! Stories bring us together, so does it matter if they are true or not? Explanations for sleep paralysis. Your brain puts your body into neutral mode and turns off motor functions at night. Nightmares are named after mythical horses with glowing eyes in your room at night. Plague pits, burials and plague doctor ghosts in Colchester. Never move a witch’s stone! Matthew Hopkins is a nob. Bethan tells us loads of old rude names for roads she found in her research. How to start a podcast and find out what kit you need? Ask other podcasters! Write bullet points, not a script. Waiting for things to be released into public records - exorcism! Bethan also has a podcast called The Spectre of the Sea, which is more storytelling. Doing a live podcast for the first time. Bethan also runs the East Anglian Folklore Centre at The Minories in Colchester - there is a reference library, things from an apothecary, lectures, a museum. There will be a folk goblin rave in Colchester Castle to raise funds for the centre. Has Bethan seen a ghost? OF COURSE! And a demonic presence. The Smiler!Eerie Essex on InstaEast Anglian Folklore CentreBethan on InstaAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at Lawker Media StudioEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Observational poet with luxuriant hair from Witham. Leon started poetry in 2016, and became Leon The Poet in 2022. He was a songwriter first, and got inspired by spoken word like Kae Tempest. His first book was published in 2024 - ‘Sometimes I’m The Bull, Sometimes I’m The China Shop’ - with a brilliant cover by Essex artist Jackson Bollocks. The book looks more like a music album than a poetry book. Leon finds that poetry has a more focused audience than when he used to perform music. He wants to make poetry more accessible for a wider audience - not just for super smart and serious people. Leon spend time on the titles for his poems to give them a good hook. He reads a poem about how his dog wanted to be a poet until a parcel fell on his head. Leon was raised in a controlling religious background, and he struggled to find independence and artistic outlets for most of his life. During COVID when the group couldn’t get together, Leon started to question the lifestyle and teachings and researched cults. Individualism and creativity are actively discouraged in a cult, it is all about the group. Art is therapy for Leon, he confides in his art and writes about subjects he is figuring out. Humans need to express themselves and create, it is play for adults! Creating something that didn’t exist before is joy. You have to be honest with what you write, it is your opinion and how you feel. Leon has a beef with Russell Brand and him finding Christ - he has an expert level of understanding of the bible and can easily spot his hypocrisy. Leon bigs up the poetry scene in Colchester at Patch and The Commons. How do you get poetry gigs? Poems have to connect with people, so make them easy to understand. Leon reads the best poem Nick and Sangita have ever heard - it’s called #Trainwanker and worth listening to the whole episode just for this! We talk Tim Key and his show Late Night Poetry. Big up to other Essex poets Martin Newell and Beans On Toast. Poems can be about anything, and it’s creatively liberating. Essex Tourism Board - ‘Witham - It’s just a place mate!’ Looking for James Buckley in Chelmsford. Tips for starting at poetry - just start! You’ve got to be your own curator, and trust your instincts. Commit to the idea. Leon The Poet InstagramBuy Leon The Poet's bookAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at Lawker Media StudioEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

This one’s a bit sweary! Joe writes, directs and edits sketches and shorts that screen globally. He also has a background in commercials and branded content. He’s had viral successes with his films. How do big American productions end up being edited in Joe’s house in Romford? Because he’s awesome! Can you learn to be funny? Or are you born funny? Joe worked a lot of corporate video jobs before realising that he could specialise in comedy. Joe took a media course at Havering Sixth Form and learned film-making and editing and found his passion. Then worked at a production company called Confetti Studio during his time on a foundation degree. What is freelancing and why does it appeal to Joe? It’s hard, but lets Joe control the work he wants to do. Full-time work led to some drier work. How a bad experience on a film set spurred Joe into making exactly what he wanted to do, a comedy film for himself - Piss Up. He roped in a family friend actor, and found a zero-budget location. How do you work out budgets for short films and find people to make them? ShootingPeople.org is a good website to find people willing to help with shorts and sketches. How free work as volunteers and personal projects can lead to paid commercial work. Balancing creative satisfaction with making money. How to shoot comedy scenes. The best way to get into filmmaking is to just start and improve as you go. Essex has got loads of exciting film festivals happening for shorts and features and first time directors. Why are film festivals important? Filmmaking is heading East, and new studios are opening in Essex.Joe McGowan website and filmsJoe on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at Lawker Media StudioEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Nick Collier AKA Ella Vaday is The Drag Beast from Dagenham East. Is Dagenham Essex or London? It’s Essex innit! Ella appeared on Season 3 of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK in 2021, and has since shot to drag stardom. Nick trained in musical theatre and dance when he was 16. And after graduating performed in Wicked, Book of Mormon, Cats, Fame among other West End smashes. Ella has now been performing in Pantomime, so how does Nick act as Ella acting as an Ugly Sister - it’s drag inception! Being in drag gives you so much more permission to be cheeky with a crowd, and they love it. Anything you think in your head, you can say when you’re in drag, the more unfiltered the better. How did COVID and a job at Morrisons supermarket help turbocharge Ella’s online presence? How do you apply for Drag Race? The nervous days building up to the first show. How do you find your style and personality when you start out in drag? Ella became a yummy mummy type character. Big hair, big hips, big boobs - larger than life. Drag artists are very in control of how they look, what they say, what they sing. It is important to carve out a niche and be different from other characters. Nick started tap dancing at 5 years old. There is stigma around dancing for young boys. The importance of learning young and getting discipline to listen and practice. Learning from rejection. Learning from life experiences. Tips for a memorable casting. Dirty dirty dirty - Ella was Nigella Lawson on Drag Race Snatch Game and the internet LOVED it - and it was a last minute change from Mystic Meg - phew, lucky switch. Nick used to sell perfume in a department store, and it set him Ella for amazing drag chat and crowd work. Drag is becoming more mainstream with more nights popping up in towns and cities. The business of DragCon and meeting fans. Setting up a booth on a budget! Tips for Baby Queens just starting out on the drag scene. Practice at home. Take your time. Learn how to do things. And Halloween is a great time to go out for the first time because everyone is dressed up. Look out for open mic nights, or just go to a club and feel the fantasy. Ella acted in a movie, Sumoverhood, alongside Lethal Bizzle. Nick thrives on short deadlines and pressure to be creative. AND we discover that Ella’s first ever public outing was Southend Pride… a true ESSEX girl!Ella on InstaFacebookTikTokDragRace FanpageWikipediaNick on InstaAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at Lawker Media StudioEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Film-maker, Marley lives on a three acre farm, designs permaculture, and specialises in community supported agriculture (CSA). Marley also co-runs a community cooperative cafe in Colchester. He’s been commissioned by Culture Essex to make a film for Extraordinary Essex with the working title ‘Don’t Fight The Land That Feeds You’ about the people of Essex and the land that nourishes them. Marley is interviewing people ranging from farmers with hectares of land to small growers with allotments. In CSA people can pay a share towards harvest by subscribing to seasonal veg boxes, or volunteer on the farm in exchange for produce. Nick’s had enough of chervil and celeriac in his OddBox! Importance of diversity in crops and seasonality in food. Community Growing Spaces in Essex for people with mental health issues, feeling the therapeutic benefits of working outside and eating the food they produce. When Marley grew up he concentrated on sports and football, not creativity. Creative subjects at school didn’t interest him. But then he started using his friend Drew’s camera and making edits, and making beats with his brother, and fell in love with creativity. Turning making films as a hobby into paid commissions. Getting young people out of towns and cities to expose them to rural Essex and growing food. Creating a community buzz on the farm with volunteers and group events. Shout out to Essex Salad WhatsApp group! Applying for funding. Permaculture is designing agriculture for the future. Colchester creativity is bubbling up right now. Marley’s wife Laura run Wyrd Flora, organising wild craft and nature walks. How long would Sangita survive in a post-apocalyptic scenario? Tips for young people getting into film-making - start with what you’ve got, then level up. Marley’s film will premiere at The Commons Cafe in Colchester in March 2025. Nick reveals that Chelmsford Museum have a stuffed bear to warn real bears away from their honey. Culture Essex - Extraordinary EssexCuckoo Farm StudiosWyrd FloraAre You Creative? backup was recorded by Marley (thanks!) at City Sound ChelmsfordEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Jon manages Hot Box in Chelmsford. An independent community venue for music, poetry, chess, comedy, drag, retro gaming and other things. At a small venue everyone has to muck in and do all the jobs. Venue is 110 capacity, but has seen huge acts like Fat Boy Slim, Frank Turner, High Fade, The Meffs, Beans on Toast, Native James. Norman Cook has come back to DJ many times, and once to help raise funds to save the venue. Venues and events make memories for the staff and crowd. How starting a new venue fired up a creative community in the city. Hot Box started as a ‘head shop’ selling smoking paraphernalia, then diversified into being a skateboard shop, then evolving into a multi-use shop and venue, then into a pure venue. Hot Box became a Community Interest Company (CIC). Providing space for communities, helping communities build, supporting young people. Filling Hot Box with 100,000 balls for a charity gig for Angus. How important it is to have places to support creative projects and let people experiment. Electronic Music Open Mic (EMOM) nights where electronic music artists can play their music through the professional sound system at Hot Box. How dominos has caught on in the venue. How superstars Squarepusher and Adam Buxton collaborated on a fundraising single about Shorts to raise money for the venue after COVID. Creating a community space that is also a sustainable business. Training young people on how to promote a gig, mix sound, set up and control lighting. Being transparent with the costs and numbers for promoters and ensuring people get paid fairly. Being on a mission to make Chelmsford cooler! Petition to make a statue of Dave Hot Box with a cup of tea and shorts. Organising the multi-venue Sounds Good festival event and working with multiple partners and volunteers from different sectors. Filling in funding applications. Booking bands for events. All about High Fade Band and why they always kill it at Hot Box! Jon played bass in a band and played at Brixton Academy when he was 15 - supporting Chelmsford’s finest Rat Boy. Country music is popping off in Essex. Being the president of the Ignite Creative Partnership in Chelmsford - Jon is a BIG DEAL! Fair pay for creatives initiative. The economics of playing live music. Music Venue Trust and Kate Nash and their amazing work. Hot Box LiveSounds Good Festival Music Venue TrustAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at Lawker Media StudioEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Figurative drawing. With special guest co-host Adam Whitaker. Nat’s collection of art ‘An Untamed Line’ is currently exhibited on Chelmsford Museum’s Gallery Wall. She makes a rough shape on paper with water and then inks in the figure. How does life drawing online differ from drawing from a photo? And how short time limits lead to the best art? Sixty second drawings have a lot of energy. Ink never behaves the same way, so the art can be unpredictable. Imposter syndrome in art and judging your own output. Life drawing tips. Moving your eye as little as possible between the model and the paper. Learning anatomy at Oxford Ruskin. Drawing skeletons. Are plastic skeletons cheaper than real skeletons? Drawing dead human bodies in the medical school. GRUNDON BINS! You might hear more about these… Lucky dip in the Grundon looking for body parts. Exams wearing robes at Oxford drawing skeletons and muscle groups. Deciding to study art, and realising that it is what you want to do as a career. Constant development and improvement in style and ability. What do life models think about while they are posing? Talking about Body Worlds and donating your body to art or science. Can you create your own education and pick your own tutors? Natalie teaches figurative drawing and has a studio in Hyland’s House in Chelmsford. Tips for drawing faces. Winning a skeleton. We need a name for Nat’s skeleton! Making a living as an artist is tough, Natalie also has to do graphic design and illustration to earn money. Nat's websiteArtists at the MeadowsNat on InstagramAn Untamed Line at Chelmsford MuseumAre You Creative? recorded by Adam from Lawker Media at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Owner of Lionbeat, a company that advocates for bass culture and black music. Jean-Claude was born and raised in Brentwood. Bass culture happened when the sound systems from the Caribbean travelled to Europe and eventually African diasporic culture. Bringing people together with a uniform love for bass. People immigrated to Britain and brought over sound system culture - Bass and dance was a ritualistic behaviour for these people. Peace, love and unity in the dance. Lionbeat is the ‘barristers for bass’. Jean-Claude initially went to university to study law, and wanted to move as far as possible from the culture at home to grow and study. In Hull there was a black box nightclub called The Room, he got exposed drum and bass legends and met other DJs around the university. They started to put events on together. Learning law helped advocating for bass culture. Using his position to be able to build trust between the community and the establishment for creativity. The importance of seeing people like you in culture making culture. Knowledge is power, and knowing how the power system works. How it is hard to get into the mainstream power structure when you are different. How do you own yourself and present yourself in situations. Working in the city, spending earnings wisely - ‘Some people like to play golf, i like to put on parties!’ How to program a line up at a night to get people in, and to give up and coming artists a platform. Economic capital, social capital, cultural capital and symbolic capital. Being militant with your diligence. Be fully committed to anything you care about. How community music events teach young people how to be creative in events, music, production. Lionbeat sound system event at Somerset House in London featuring Lionpulse sound system, the most beautiful sound system in the world. Combined with the Black Unity Bike Ride, black community cycle event with 2000 cyclists, including Jean-Claude’s mobile soundsystem bike. Lionbeat’s bass culture production arm is called BASSIS (Bass And Sound System Institute Streaming). Aiming towards an institute grade building for bass culture in the UK. Jaiden tags in as guest co-host to ask some questions. We find out about the Unity Bike Ride - BCCS - Black Cyclists Changemaker Solidarity. A ride to take alms to the homeless, new sleeping mats, warm jackets, water etc. Jean-Claude created a mobile sound system on his cargo bike. Taking the music to the people. He even cycled the sound system to Haarlem in The Netherlands. Jean-Claude has been working with Hard Art - a study in community led activism and putting collaboration before competition. Producing a night for sound system culture in Manchester. https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/residents/lionbeathttps://www.instagram.com/lionbeat/Are You Creative? recorded by Nick at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Creative director for advertising and entertainment. Elliot is 1000% creative! Why do younger people not like advertising as a creative career? People are paying to avoid adverts, and using ad blockers. People are watching telly in a different way now - no longer are people sitting at the same time to watch the same scheduled show. Elliot loved the Benetton adverts when he was younger, and how it played with culture and broke the mould. Oliver Toscani was the creative director and photographer behind these adverts. Elliot was inspired by music and art, raving, parties, putting on events, making flyers, learning graphic design by mistake. Creativity in advertising is solving problems for brands. Experimenting with photocopiers. Elliot’s friend wanted to be a photographer and his focus on career inspired him - he tagged along. How rave taught Elliot sequencing, design, sampling, video etc. with a new wave of software and culture. Elliot is helping the next generation of creatives with the Platform program he established, and through the SCA Creative Mastery course he has co-authored. Making creative jobs available to more people than it traditionally had been. The importance of paid placements and reaching the right people for placements. The SCA Creative Mastery is a creative course run mostly on virtual reality headsets to make it available to all people, geography and travel are no longer a barrier to people to learn. Big up Marc Lewis from SCA who runs the course and Meta who provide the headsets. Using the Apprenticeship Levy to fund it. People learn in a different way in virtual environments than real life, it has been proven to be better for being locked in and not distracted. Do you have to move or work in a city to accelerate your creative career? Winning advertising awards. Cannes Lion chat. Ads that get made and get made well are like sperm fertilising an egg - they are the lucky ones out of thousands of ideas. Building a house is like building an idea. Making adverts is a lifetime of hope - always believing you’ll make something remarkable - and always putting the love into every project. Chatting about Jaguar’s new advert and the impact and reactions. Vying for people’s attention is harder than ever. Ads getting shouty! Brands need to have a sure sense of what their personality is - then execute against that - loads of small ideas with the same body language. In advertising you have to become an expert in random things to understand your clients’ products. Be around interesting people and interesting things will happen! Elliot’s first ad job was at D&Ad logging award entries, and by osmosis he saw the world’s best creative work. Being at D&Ad exposed Elliot to the award juries, and showed them his portfolio, which they gave brutal opinions about. The considerations in managing a creative department. Pull people up and bring people with you. Modern creatives need to be commercial savvy now. Obsess about your client’s problem as much as your solution. Also, Nick LOVES Liquid Death - send us water!SCA Creative Mastery Havas PlatformAre You Creative? recorded by Nick at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by AlpacDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Professional opera singer. Donna’s origins story, she was spotted as a talented singer by a teacher who took her to a French chateau to perform Mozart arias - this was of course acceptable in the late 1980s. Opera has music, drama, costume, and the power of an orchestra - opera is massive! In opera the singers also act, there’s a lot to be good at. Donna’s first professional opera gig was at the Royal Opera House. Donna has been performing modern opera works, like The Little Prince performing as a mad robot calculator character. Donna has performed opera in China in Chinese. Nick did a best man speech in Japan - find out how! Donna’s very fancy gig at Glyndebourne - she has to get a fancy dress. Playing another robot! Are there any youth operas? Can any music instrument match the range and texture of a human voice - of course not! Fach is a funny opera word to describe the type of voice you have. Where do opera singers rehearse? At home, not giving it the full beans. Donna has done a lot of crazy performances - as a catfish, robots, and bile. How do you become bile? Where do opera singers find their jobs? Is there a LinkedIn for opera? Most opera singers are soprano, bass and tenors are more rare. How do you look after your voice? No caffeine, shouting or screaming and plenty of steaming. Donna and her children communicate through the house in opera when they want to get each other’s attention. Do you need to go on vocal rest before a performance? Donna Lennard is the Beyonce of Chelmsford. Opera has a lot of stereotypes about being old fashioned and diva behaviour. Donna sung opera for Chelmsford Museum to celebrate the birth of radio. Protein’s Little Prince featuring Donna is running for the third year in London and Ipswich - Nick highly recommends. How would you start your opera journey? Get singer lessons. Explore your repertoire. Take it easy. Your voice will reach its peak at 30 years old. Talking about Pavarotti being a legend! Traditional opera is in Italian, German, Czech, French - so learning the words can be hard. Opera should be about telling stories. Is there an Essex opera? All about diphthongs and the Essex accent and glottal stops. We need more venues for opera in Essex. Donna sings us out - and it’s MEGA! ALSO Nick reveals that the toaster was invented in Toaster City - Chelmsford. Big up Colonel Crompton! Donna Lennard websiteThe Little Prince - Protein Dance CompanyAre You Creative? recorded by Nick at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Creator of the independent comic series System Error. How to start creating a comic. Why does the System Error robot have such a big head? Creating a recognisable silhouette is essential for character design. Phil started drawing with biro, then pen, dip brush pens, and then creating digitally. Note: Phil has very clean hands, no ink! Digital is faster, cleaner and easier to adjust. Phil uses Procreate for black line work and Photoshop for colour. Phil LOVES Procreate and recommends investing the £13 to get it. System Error is about a robot called ITTO and why things went wrong in the world. He is a tour guide robot. He has to find people in need to fulfil his primary function. Like showing them pizza restaurants. But where are the people? How do you know when your comic is good enough to publish? Being published is a validation of quality. Why did Phil have to colour in his first comic to get it published? Why do British audiences like black and white comics? Phil’s German teachers husband was Barry Kitson, legendary artists for Judge Dredd, DC Comics and more - then he met him 30 years later at Comic Con. The comic community is very supportive towards each other. Phil went from starting comics, to published, to Comic Con in six years! The need for constant professional development, and side hustles and exploration for growth. Phil is an art teacher and needs to know about digital art to teach them best. In 2024 Phil has been concentrating on techniques for working faster and meeting his standard. How do you know when something is ‘done’? Putting cultural references in comics, like Talking Heads lyrics and scenes from Chelmsford. How does Phil find his audience for indie comics? Via social media. Growing an audience through regular posting and mostly meeting real people in real life. Real world interactions are extremely valuable for audience growth. Keeping a secret identity when you’re a teacher. Cosplay at Comic Con and hunting Tofu from Resident Evil 2. Making ITTO action figures with a genius 3D printer guy. Phil’s ex-students have gone on to photography careers and had art shown in the National Gallery - he’s a good teacher! “The creative industries are the fabric of everything that is around you” - Phil Campbell, very good teacher! Putting the spark of creativity into students’ minds. Judge Dredd WAS partially created in Colchester by Pat Mills - big up Essex. And big up Dave Trenow who taught Nick art. Tips for starting comics. System Error ComicBlue Fox ComicsSystem Error on InstagramAre You Creative? recorded by Jaiden 'the ragga enforcer' at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

AJ is the Co-Founder and CEO of Dlala Studios making video games in Witham in Essex. Dlala Studios made the Battletoads sequel in 2020 and more recently Disney Illusion Island starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy. Illusion Island is available on the Nintendo Switch. How did AJ start a computer games studio from his Mum’s garage in 2012? Starting as a programmer as a Game Content Developer at Jagex, then at Bossa, then winning a BAFTA, then starting Dlala Studios with Craig. Dlala have now been nominated for two BAFTAs for Illusion Island - Best British Game and Best Family Game. What are the rules for working with Mickey Mouse? There is no Mickeypedia! The ears on Epic Mickey on 3D vs 2D Mickey now. (Nick was wrong about Megadrive, that was Mickey Mouse and Castle of Illusion). New Mickey games are hand drawn animation! 2012 and the Indie Game Boom where the small game studios could release their own games. Indie games were a bit like the punk music of video games when distribution and publishing models changed. How Valve changed the industry. It can take over 3 years to make a video game, even with a studio of 43 people like Dlala, and 5 to 10 years for bigger titles like Grand Theft Auto. Working with Microsoft in their incubator. A chance encounter at a developer conference lead to creating a Windows 8 launch title, which lead to a cover article in Develop Magazine, which landed on a desk at Microsoft incubator, which lead to a paying gig just as AJ and Craig were about to run out of money. Getting out there, making an impression on people, and making connections. Pulling the best talent from all over the world to work in Witham, Essex. What does someone from California think when they move to Essex? AJ works with local education as a stakeholder at Chelmsford College, Colchester Institute, and as Cultural Ambassador for Essex. AJ didn’t excel at school or uni, but still found creative success. Nick’s game he made with his kids on Scratch ‘Mega Bum Poo’. AJ taught himself visual basic from ‘for Dummies’ books that he got from the library - pre-internet - inspired by his uncle. He made a South Park wrestling game at home - oh my god they suplexed Kenny! Getting work out quickly and get fast feedback and experience. AJ’s wrestling manager game. Finding projects to do based on your passion points. If you’ve got enough time to play games, you’ve got enough time to make them! Play testing games with user testing. Using testing feedback to refine games. AJ’s job as director making the games perfect and improving the play experience. Making marginal gains and nudges to perfect something, and caring about getting the product perfect for players. Getting reviews in the media, and the impact they can have. AJ’s philosophy is ‘negatives i can action, positives don’t help me.’ Dlala Studios have received over 40 awards and nominations for Illusion Island, including BAFTAs, Game Awards, Dice, Webbys. All awards for Essex! Working with Emmy award winning writers from Rick & Morty and Clarence for dialogue. Getting to work with incredible Disney voice talent recording dialogue that AJ has co-written for games. The importance of finding varied opinions and life experiences in employees and keeping it fresh with new voices. What does AJ do as an Essex Cultural Ambassador? And does he get Ferrero Rocher? Dlala StudiosDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

Art as escape and a therapeutic outlet. Kat Toronto is Miss Meatface. Garry Vanderhorne the wrestling promoter told us about her in EP1 of Are You Creative? Miss Meatface is a photographic alter-ego for Kat. She was an escape for Kat to express how she was feeling at a dark time in her life in 2015 - like an art therapy. Kat uses latex masks to remove her identity and create the anonymous character. Kinky and kitchy. 1950s typical domestic scenes, made playful and surreal with latex. Miss Meatface was born in America. Kat studied photography at art school. And went on to become a librarian. The mild-mannered librarian that became a latex superstar. Miss Meatface has a wonderfully muscular Meat Maid who serves her and cleans her house in PVC. A strong part of the aesthetic is patterns and contrast. Shooting with vintage cameras and Polaroid and getting the aesthetic. Starting out art brut, a personal project with no aim for public consumption. Then moving to Instagram. Then building a global audience. Moving to the UK and discovering the differences between US and UK art appreciation. Kat’s artistic life, making hats, being in bands, creating art. Lady Viola was Kat’s ‘Ragwater Revue’ band alter-ego - she’d escaped from the circus and wore an eye-patch. Kat’s house is full of vintage clothing, props, and cameras. Kat buys props from Brentwood’s amazing charity shops. A weakness for vintage curtains, and using them as backdrops. Making mini meat-sets for photoshoots. The anti-Barbie! Miss Meatface ugly holiday sweater announcement. Styling a fondue shoot. Aspic chat! Microwave chat! Sangita has been buying lamb chops. The Miss Meatface origin story. Learning prosthetics. How a brush with mortality fired up Kat’s creative output. Talking about art brut - what even is art brut? A new obsession with vintage ventriloquist dolls. Going out in character - like Barkley Bandon in Dalston. Creating art for your own mindfulness. Nick has been enjoying Rivals and explains Bonkbusters. We love Essex’s number one actor Danny Dyer!And that's how you fold a napkin!  Miss MeatfaceMiss Meatface ShopMiss Meatface on Instagram Miss Meatface on TikTokAre You Creative? recorded by Jaiden 'the ragga enforcer' at City SoundEdited by Nick HearneArtwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support

PROFESSIONAL violinist! Making money doing the creative thing that you love. Life as a musician can be hard. It’s not a 9-5 job, and there is a lot of practicing! Streamlining practice, and finding the time to do it. Diminishing returns in practicing. Setting goals for quality practice. What is score reading? Being inspired by an older sibling learning music and attending her cello lessons. Big up Classic FM - no adverts though please! Being inspired by BBC Young Musician of the Year. Attending a Nicola Benedetti concert and getting creatively inspired as a six year old. And Jennifer Pike listening to little Elodie playing violin. Five degrees of Benedetti - a chance spotting on TV leads to getting the greatest violin mentor. Getting to play a Stradivarius. Finding the right violin for you. Rich benefactors loaning out amazing instruments - thanks for supporting the arts and recent graduates! Elodie blind tested instruments to not be influenced by age and provenance  and chose a modern violin. Performing a solo violin and choir piece with the BBC Singers. Difficult bits in gigs, and not being able to enjoy the performance until afterwards. Getting jobs as a freelance violinist. Word of mouth and recommendations are essential - especially with fixers. Fixers book musicians for sessions. Freelance vs salaried positions. Playing live with Ed Sheeran at Hammersmith Apollo and for Dave at Reading. Being on the Young Musician of the Year final 2018 - actually on Elodie’s 19th birthday! Exposing kids to high quality music early on in their lives. Nick goes on about Hackney Empire and watching My Neighbour Totoro live. Finding discounted tickets for classical music in London, especially for younger people. Elodie tells us about her upcoming show at Hot Box on Nov 15th 2024 with her amazing sister Miss Satin Beige. AND we’ve all had a creative week - Nick’s been canoeing over the world’s highest aqueduct with an ex-Blue Peter presenter, Sangita’s been hanging out with Big Narstie. Elodie's websiteElodie on InstagramGig details for 15th Nov 2024 at Hot Box, ChelmsfordRecorded at City Sound Chelmsford with Jaiden and PaulEdited by Nick.Artwork by Alpaca AntennaDon't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos  Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram Thanks to NGDA for their support