Midweek Motivator - 10th May 2023
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again, ft. N1NJA.
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This motivator is designed to pull you out of the midweek slump, and share inspiration and entertainment from women crafting away at their dreams. This week catching up with Farah Nanji AKA N1NJA - DJ, producer, podcaster & Ted-X Speaker (no less) Farah came on my podcast, Hot Girls, a while ago and we’ve stayed in touch since, crossing paths in various industry spaces. I also sharing the wisdom of Wangari Maathai who knows a thing or two about constantly chipping away…
Lex: If you could be an intern to anyone (dead or alive), who would it be, and why?
Farah: This one is easy, Carl Cox! I’m a huge fan of his work and his interests not only in music but in motorsports and gastronomy too. I had the pleasure to work with his team when he guested on my podcast, and you could just feel the infectious energy working for someone who has transcended his success through the changing dynamics of time.
Lex: What do you think has been the biggest unlock for you in your life so far?
Farah: Unlocking how to capture creativity on demand has had a profound impact on my life so far. When you create, you can never predict if the time you’ve booked in a music studio is going to be the same time that the medium and message of creativity is going to get transmitted through you. When I was a full-time artist, I never truly managed to get into a flow state day in and day out and I think part of this was having almost too much free time in my schedule. Once I started running businesses outside of the music industry, it gave me an incredible discipline and foundation to create atomic habits which have had a huge impact on my ability to capture creativity. For example, a non-negotiable atomic habit I have every morning is to start my day by creating music for a strictly timed period of 20 minutes. I have found that setting a time limit forces me to get ideas down fast instead of becoming overly perfectionist about a technique or a sound, and it leaves me super excited to come back. It also has an amazing impact on getting my creativity flowing for other aspects of my day where being an entrepreneur requires me to be creative in my approach to problem-solving, strategy, and branding.
Lex: What are some words, or a phrase which have helped you through a tricky time?
Farah: There are 2 phrases I always come back to through difficult (and good!) times; first from my mum who always told me “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. There are thousands of different methods to get to the result you want”. And secondly from Rumi:
“What you seek is seeking you”
Reflecting the law of attraction and the destiny of your intentions.
Lex: What would you say To 16-year-old you?
Farah: Understand deeply what you gravitate to, there’s a reason and if you can unlock codes of your purpose through it, you can create your professional life around it by following it with everything you have. Don’t get trapped in what society expects you to do. Also, take care of your health every day and know that failures will never define you if you always learn something from them.
Lex: Is there a piece of art (including design, music, film) which has had a significant impact on you?
Farah: The movie “Senna” is a powerful documentary about the life and career of the Brazilian Formula 1 Driver, Ayrton Senna, before his untimely death aged 34. For me, the film captures not only the exhilaration of racing but the ultimate sacrifices we put on the line for our purpose, with the testament of always staying true to our values while fighting for a better world. I feel the documentary has really captured the spiritual essence of Senna and the soundtrack is incredibly moving. His legacy has had a profound impact on my life.
Listen to the Music:
Hungry Woman: Wangari Maathai
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