Tell Me About API Organizing, Self Discovery, & Discovering Gaysians

Tell Me About Self Trust & Intuitive Art

In this episode X interviews Bonnie Zhou. Bonnie Zhou (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist who examines the intersection of womanhood and diasporic Asian culture through calligraphy, dance, painting, glass, neon, and text. Originally from Toronto, Canada, she is now based in Brooklyn, New York. A dancer as well as a painter, her figure paintings explore the relationship between body and emotion, inspired by her own experiences grappling with body image, sensuality, femininity and fetishization as an Asian woman. More recently, her calligraphic and textual work looks at the significance of ancestry, tradition, language, and the meaning of home in an immigrant family.  Connect with Bonnie * IG: @thebonniezhou [https://www.instagram.com/thebonniezhou/]

Tell Me About Finding Ways To Access What Feels True

In this episode X speaks with Jenny Qian (she/her). Jenny is the founder of astrobabe, a ready-to-wear makeup brand for music festivals and raves. She thinks that life should be lived balls to the wall, and doesn’t like wasting time on long makeup routines. Everything that astrobabe makes takes 5 seconds or less to apply, and doesn’t require you to be a makeup artist. So you can spend more time doing the things you love, with the people you love - whether it’s twerking on walls, eating cake, or catching your favorite dj live. Jenny is a huge electronic music girlie, and basically lives at her local warehouse. astrobabe is a love letter to your inner child - a reminder to play, experiment, and make a mess. With that in mind, Jenny is focused on co-creating with the astrobabe community, and the emotional connection that people have with the brand. In her free time, you can find Jenny writing at a cafe; at home on her meditation rug; dancing with her friends; and out in nature touching grass or hugging a tree Connect with astrobabe and Jenny:  * IG: @hey_astrobabe [https://www.instagram.com/hey_astrobabe/] * Website: https://heyastrobabe.com/ [https://heyastrobabe.com/]

Tell Me About The New Era of Being

In this episode X speaks with Marilyn Sanchez (she/her). Marilyn Sanchez is a Paraguayan-American artist, natural dyer, and bookbinder residing in New Jersey. Oîma, her brainchild, embodies a fusion of cultural inspiration and creative exploration. Rooted in her heritage, Oîma celebrates the Guaraní indigenous language, prevalent among Paraguayans, while showcasing Sanchez's passion for handcrafted artistry. Driven by a growth mindset mantra, Oîma serves as a testament to Sanchez's commitment to personal and artistic development. Through her creations, she not only shares her craft, but also encourages others to embark on their own creative journeys and pursue their passions with curiosity and dedication.  Connect with Marilyn & Oîma:  * IG: @oima.studio [https://www.instagram.com/oima.studio/] Here's some of the recommendations Marilyn shared:  * https://www.fragmentario.co/ [https://www.fragmentario.co/]  * https://emikostudios.com/ [https://emikostudios.com/]  * https://tangerine-nyc.com/ [https://tangerine-nyc.com/]  * https://www.instagram.com/heidilynnheidilynn/ [https://www.instagram.com/heidilynnheidilynn/] * https://olderbrother.us/ [https://olderbrother.us/] * https://ronnybass.com/ [https://ronnybass.com/ ] * https://klay.co.nz/  [https://klay.co.nz/]

Tell Me About Nose Best & Changing the Candle Industry

In this episode X speaks with Brittany Furnari-Kesoglide and Cristian Abbrancati.  Brittany Furnari-Kesoglides, 28 (she/her) & Cristian Abbrancati (he/him), 29 have been best friends since the 6th grade. They grew up together in Long Island and spent much of middle school and high school getting separated in class for chatting way too much and causing disruption. Truth be told, it is not much different nowadays. While school and proximity helped to develop their tight knit friendship that has lasted for over a decade- they both shared similar aspirations to conquer NYC and move away from their small town.  Brittany grew up in an Italian household but is also proudly a Guatemalan adoptee. As the first of her biological family to come to the United States and successfully complete high school and college, being a Latina business owner in NYC is extremely important and humbling to her. She aims to support and highlight other minorities through carrying local women/POC/trans owned products in the Nose Best storefront. Her goal is to serve as a conduit for creating long term and supportive communities around minorities and women in business.  Cristian was also raised in an Italian household. He was inspired by his family's entrepreneurial spirit since his parents and aunts/uncles all made a living by working for themselves. He has honed his creative skills of graphic design, photography, and content creation to pioneer Nose Best. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a Women and Gender's Study undergraduate, he has worked diligently on creating a non-toxic work culture that is safe, respectful, and celebrates diversity.  The notion to become business partners came to them when they both were neighbors in Harlem and meeting up for drinks on Halloween. They made a single handshake to start a candle company together in 2019 not realizing that in 2020 when the global pandemic shut down their respective industries that they would have no other choice but to quarantine and work on their business plan. Thanks to Cristian's social media prowess, the duo has garnered over 112k followers on Tik Tok. Brittany and Cristian have grown the company from a side hustle that was home based and solely E-commerce to a brick and mortar storefront in Bushwick Brooklyn that has noteworthy collaborations with the Museum of Sex and Chicago The Musical. Their candles are also now featured on Urban Outfitters and 1800 Flowers as well as on the shelves of numerous boutiques and retail shops throughout the nation. In 2024, the co-owners of Nose Best look forward to launching a candle making workshop experience in a studio space right behind their storefront.  Connect with Nose Best:  * IG: @nosebestcandles_ [https://www.instagram.com/nosebestcandles_] * TikTok: @nosebestcandles [https://www.tiktok.com/@nosebestcandles?lang=en]

Tell Me About API Organizing, Self Discovery, & Discovering Gaysians

In this episode X speaks with Gabby Abrazaldo. Gabby (they/them) is a Filipino American, Queer Trans Nonbinary creative, community worker, and academic. Gabby was raised by their parents and grandparents, who immigrated to Chicago from Quezon City and taught Gabby all that they know. Gabby's work is built on solidarity work and coalition building within the Queer and Trans BIPOC community and is centered around challenging colonial mentality and combating colorism in Filipino and API communities. They graduated with a B.A. in Psychology and International Studies at Fordham University. They currently work at Apicha Community Health Center as the Coordinator for the Youth LGBT API Program, Project Connect. Connect with Gabby & Project Connect:  * IG: @projectconnectnyc [https://www.instagram.com/projectconnectnyc/], @kundiman99 [https://www.instagram.com/kundiman99/] * Project Connect Email: lgbt@apicha.org * Event: 4/27: Self Defense Workshop [https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=rGH9hPHDgUqtIxRJjvB3vOYFHtJ_tCRPqCxArUP30T9UMDlOTUNMQk5DNUIwTzdHQ1VNVzFUQjJJMy4u]