Midweek Motivator - 12th April 2023
The unpredictability of life, with Leena Punks, and the story of Ciara's move to independence
Hello and welcome to this space which includes my weekly creative recommendations via ‘Five Good Things’, as well as business smarts, timeless philosophy, and insights from being a woman in music. I also share regular interviews with female musicians. This is made possible by paid subscribers. Consider upgrading your subscription xoxo
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 Leena Punks - my label mate at Material Music, and a brilliant new production talent, bubbling right now. Leena shares her inspirations and creative philosophies.
Lex: What do you think has been the biggest unlock for you in your life so far?
Leena: The biggest unlock in my life is really understanding how fleeting and unpredictable everything is - I'm going to pull a very famous ancient Greek quote now by Heraclitus 'Everything Flows' which takes away from the severity and paralysis of making the right decision. The only right decision for me is the one that best serves me in the moment because that's all there is.
The only right decision for me is the one that best serves me in the moment because that's all there is.
Lex: If you could be an intern to anyone (dead or alive), who would it be and why?
Leena: I would intern with Bjork. I'm not going to list her many achievements and why she's brilliant but what I find most fascinating about her and the way she makes music is her ability to blend extreme human emotion and organic atmospheres with blunt, rough electronic music. Also I watched a documentary when I was very young of her walking along a beach in Reykjavik and recording the sound of waves to add to her productions. I fell in love with the process of field recording then and there.
Lex: What is your thought process when making decisions about what to dedicate your time to?
Leena: I try to prioritize my tasks by doing the ones that will have the most impact first. It’s so easy to get sidetracked by admin stuff and social media. So I try to finish those difficult tasks first and then move on to the less important things.
Lex: Is there a piece of art (including design, music, film) which has had a significant impact on you?
Leena: Martha Graham's Cave of the Heart. She took the mythology of Medea and didn’t just recreate another ballet but gave her own interpretation of the character. Apart from taking inspiration from Greek mythology she was a trailblazer and created her own alternative to the rigid ballet syllabus. I took dance classes growing up including ballet and contemporary and I always found her fascinating. It’s also a great reminder that in any piece of art can be destroyed and recreated, there are no rules.
Lex: What would you like to say to 16year old you?
Leena: Like most teenagers I really wanted to fit in so I’d try less to fit in and more to find ways to make space for myself.
Listen to the Music:
Leena’s track ‘OOO’ gets a fresh spin, via a remix by Arielle Free dropping on Friday!
Hungry Woman: Ciara
This week’s hungry woman is RnB superstar, Ciara. Ciara’s career had a flying start and rapid ascension but after her third album and working under the same record label for about 8years, she was moving into her late 20s *crikey, send her out to pasture* - and many who’d initially championed her were looking elsewhere. It seemed her career was nearly over…
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