17. Andrew Riis - On Being Cancelled and Finding Peace within Impermanence

In this revealing conversation, we discuss Andrew's previous experiences, including getting "cancelled" during Covid by being unjustly misrepresented in the media and losing everything he'd worked up to, his growth, understanding of trust, and recovery from this low point.

Andrew also shares his subsequent journey connecting with indigenous First Nations cultures and learning from them, and how this experience influenced his current outlook and beliefs.

Andrew is Canadian-born artist currently residing in Sydney. With people and stories as his medium, his creations are about connecting with ourselves, others, and the world around us… and realising that these three things perhaps aren’t that separate at all.

Spending the decade experimenting with the magic and power of simple hellos, Andrew’s has done everything from comedy for a Noble Peace Prize winner to working with Yes Theory to hosting a variety of community events.

In 2020, Andrew’s pivotal work was the launch of Hello, Stranger, a long form podcast exploring the stories of random passers-by and the fluidity of being human. This birthed a variety of social experiments marrying depth with playfulness - from a chalkboard-painted van to bringing his Uber driver on a helicopter, and culminating in the production of a feature documentary called “The Drive.”

Lately, equipped with a satellite phone and GPS coordinates, Andrew has spent time listening to and learning from First Nations clans in remote Australia. Alongside his poem “A Walk Along the Ocean” detailing his growing relation with nature, he is preparing to publish long-form writing titled “On the Willingness to Listen.”

In addition to his personal creative work which has been featured by press across Australia, Andrew guides creators to have their art reflect their deepest calling, and has consulted with a variety of brands including Google and Adidas.

Find him on Instagram @andrew.riis and DM him to access his work.

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