"I feel extremely motivated to get stuck into my endeavou and inspired to get stuff done"

What impact do you want to have by bringing your endeavour alive and into the world?

For up-and-coming music artists, having content to post online is extremely important at the moment. Video content helps boost their online presence as it gives the artist something to upload on their social platforms and get eyes on their stuff. It can attract new audiences to assist them in building a fanbase and get new listeners to their songs. Due to quality video content sometimes being too expensive for new artists or a lack of understanding in that particular area, it can be a challenge for them to get it produced and shared with others. Because of this, I want the company’s services to be affordable and the content to be made by people they can trust. For instance, people who understand hip-hop culture, know the current trends and are relatable as individuals also starting off in their particular creative journeys.

Which Make_Happen distinction do you use the most or has impacted you the most?

I would say I use the One Thing practice the most, a method that’s also had the biggest impact on my endeavour so far. Even though there are loads of things I can do each day to contribute to getting my company going, selecting a single action a day that needs to be done and actually getting it done has benefited me massively. When it comes to a necessary task that must be completed, I struggle with getting distracted by other jobs that are easier to carry out so I don’t prioritise the important one. Making my One Thing that important task and doing it, has made me get that task finished regardless of how tough it is and how appealing other, less urgent, jobs look. This has got me closer to reaching my goals quicker than ever before, plus the weekly huddles with the rest of the Make Happen group ensure you're held accountable for doing your One Things.

How has being a part of Make_Happen influenced your creative process?

Coming out of the week in Sweden, I was extremely motivated to get stuck into my endeavour. I feel like the motivation was brought on by being around other creatives and listening to their stories. This is also the case in the weekly sessions, where I feel inspired to get stuff done after hearing people talk about their plans for their endeavours. Make Happen has taught me that motivation is fleeting though, and that you can’t rely on it to be productive and disciplined is what you need to be instead. The course has also given me an opportunity to delve deeper into the process of making my endeavour a reality. That’s in relation to things like who I am as a person, and why I sometimes feel specific emotions. Not only that, but why certain jobs haven’t been done that concern my endeavour, what’s stopping me from completing them and how to tackle that in the future.

Where do you envision yourself in 5 years in relation to your endeavour?

I want to be creating films for artists in different genres, not just hip-hop and rap. Also to branch out to various parts of the country and eventually the world, hiring people to join the team to help do that. I want to have held multiple events which would revolve around live shows that highlight music artists from that particular place. Furthermore, I want the company’s own content to be well-established by that point, being in the form of shortform content and podcasts to expand the brand’s online presence even more. Additionally I would love to have merchandise being released, such as clothing and accessories that relate to the brand and identity of the company.

Are there specific artists or creators who inspire your work, and if so, how do they influence you?

One of my biggest inspirations is Cole Bennett, creator of Lyrical Lemonade. Lyrical Lemonade is a multi-media company that focuses on music videos, live events, merchandise and many other things. Cole Bennett started his company by writing articles on local Chicago rappers, encouraging people to go listen to their music. He then moved on to shooting music videos for them, establishing his fun style and low-budget approach which put his name on the hip-hop map. As he and his company gained more notoriety through his music videos, he started working with bigger artists and the production value of the videos was heightened. Despite the more famous artists and higher production value, the style that he created with a lower budget remained consistent throughout his films. Cole Bennett is now one of the most popular music directors working currently, with Lyrical Lemonade being the place an artist goes to for high-quality visuals that are certain to do numbers on the internet. I’m inspired by the path Cole Bennett has been on and also how he’s retained one of his core values throughout it, which is to help shine a light on artists and their music.