February 6, 2023 • 46 mins
Our season one finale is truly a magical experience! Sit back and enjoy the laughter, the squeals and the overall joy of listening to NASRA talk about process, sustainability and coloring!
In Process is available to listen on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Podcasts, Podbean and many other streaming platforms. Captioned Version of In Process available on the Azimuth Theatre YouTube channel!
Guest : NASRA
IG: @nuhssrah /
Website : nasra.ca
Hosted by Andrés Moreno
IG: @Andres._.FM
Theme by Just Moe
IG: @iamjustmoe
https://m.soundcloud.com/moewaves
Sound Technician : Selina Painchaud
IG: @fancifultechnician
Editing: Andrés Moreno
Cover by: Syr Morrison
IG: @syr.r.morrison
This podcast was created in and celebrates the artistic leadership present in amiskwacîwâskahikan. Azimuth Theatre acknowledges and honours that we are on Treaty 6 territory, the original home of the Indigenous nations of the Cree, Nakota-Sioux, Blackfoot, Dene-Tsuu T’ina, and Métis. We strive to incorporate the treaty values of kinship and peace into all aspects of our work. We are all treaty people.
Special thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, Fringe Theatre, ATB Arts Barns, Azimuth Theatre and our community.
Learn more about Azimuth Theatre
www.azimuththeatre.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
ANDRÉS: (00:00):
All right.
Ready?
NASRA: (00:02):
I'm born ready.
THEME: (00:06):
Oh Imma trust the whole damn process for the record, till
we breakin records!Reminiscing aboutthe past days now we rise and fly,
journeys to the sky, Azimuth insidemy grip, always know the way now!
Beauty fill my days now takeit day by day sound couldn't be
prouder cuz you know we alive.
(00:27):
Uhuh.
Hey.
ANDRÉS: (00:29):
Hi everyone welcome to "In Process" Azimuth Theater's
podcast, celebrating and highlightingthe community around us and
the voices in that community.
Today I would like to welcometo the room Nasra Adem.
NASRA: (00:43):
Trills
ANDRÉS: (00:43):
Hi.
Beautiful.
NASRA: (00:46):
had to bring in ancestors.
ANDRÉS: (00:48):
Of course!
You, you, you gotta . How are you today?
NASRA: (00:51):
I'm so good.
I'm so happy to be here.
ANDRÉS: (00:53):
Good.
It's so lovely to see you in person.
This is-
NASRA: (00:55):
I know
ANDRÉS: (00:55):
This is a treat!
. For those of you who don't know you athome, do you want to give us a little bit
about your story and just what led youto work in theater or just as a creator?
Cuz I know you do morethan just theater as well.
NASRA: (01:07):
Mm-hmm.
. Yes.
Hey, everybody who don't know me.
Now you are a part ofthe group that knows me.
Welcome . My name is Nasramy pronouns are They/Them.
And I am.
I'm a lot of things, aconstellation of many.
I love theater, I love dance.
I love music.
I love poetry so much.
(01:28):
I love the poetry of the world aroundme and naming magic everywhere I go.
I feel like that's definitely beenthe, the thing that has stayed
across the board since I was a kidwas that I was always like, ah, why?
What's happening over there?
Little dreamy.
And I'm really grateful that I hadum, I had a mom who was maybe not
(01:51):
necessarily like a a big champion of thearts but an African mom who understood
that little kids needed to stay outtatrouble and she honored where I was
kind of going naturally with that.
And that was to my coloring book, topainting, to telling stories, to you
know, learning all of the dance moves to"High School Musical" and" Missy Elliott"
(02:13):
music videos and "Destiny's Child."
She was one of the few aunties whowould sit and listen to the cousins
whenever we we're like, okay.
But we practiced like a week!
(Laughs) or sometimes when she was intoit, she'd be like, more attitude, more.
And so I feel like that's definitelythe spirit in me as an artist now
is, it's just something that helpsme move through my day to day.
(02:35):
But I definitely love making moreand more space for weirdos to tell
their story and be unapologetic inthose curiosities and leanings and,
and I think everybody could do witha little bit more play in their life.
And I'm really grateful that thatspirit has like, not died in me.
(02:59):
I mean, granted I'm only 27,so there's time, but- (Laughs)
ANDRÉS: (03:04):
the clock's
NASRA: (03:05):
ticking...,
The clock is ticking , honey.
Oh, . But also, like, I don't,I don't think that it ever can
be, it's art is everywhere.
So as, as a creator, it goesboth in the things that I love
making to move me through thislike wild world, but also I love.
(03:26):
, making sure other people are doing thataround me, it's just as important for
me, for my environment to be creative andjuicy and loud as much as it is for me.
So that's me, y'all.
ANDRÉS: (03:37):
For those of you who don't know Nasra and I have known each other now for-
NASRA: (03:40):
Oh God..
ANDRÉS: (03:40):
Eight years.
NASRA: (03:41):
Oh
ANDRÉS: (03:42):
We took MacEwan's Theatre Arts program together.
NASRA: (03:45):
Yes, we did.
ANDRÉS: (03:46):
And it's been a lovely friendship since then.
NASRA: (03:49):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (03:49):
Um, you've matured past, like what you kind of took in university.
NASRA: (03:53):
Yes.
(laughs)
ANDRÉS: (03:54):
And you've become an artist that's a lot of different things.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
NASRA: (03:59):
You know...
that's a great question.
It's like one of thosequestions, like inspiration.
I'm not, you know, it's a questionthat gets asked a lot, but it's also...
a question that you like theanswer could be literally anything.
ANDRÉS: (04:14):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (04:14):
Any day.
It could be super deep or super broad.
Like I I know that it can, itcan be inspiration from really
beautiful black girls on Instagram.
That inspire me to (Laughs) toplay with makeup and colors and my
self-expression, my gender expression.
(04:34):
I definitely pull a lot of inspirationfrom the, the people that are using like
indigenous healing methods across theglobe to make the kind of life they want.
And getting in touch with the earth.
The earth inspires me so much.
I'll be like, "gurl!"
. You are beautiful, honey.
, . I'll be like, you offer us so much.
(04:56):
I go to the river very much a lot.
And every time it's a great conversation.
Just feeling the vastness feelinglike I'm just like a little guy.
(Laughs) Is like, so important.
You know, the stars inspire me so much.
I used to staring out there, especiallygrowing up Mill Woods, there's like,
you just have mad space cuz you're justpushed out the city and it's gorgeous.
(05:18):
And so a lot of those thingskeep me asking questions and
wanting, like needing answers.
ANDRÉS: (05:26):
Speaking of art, are you working on anything right
now that's inspiring you?
NASRA: (05:28):
Hell to the Yes I am.
DNA play.
You know how I do everything isaligned and you know what's wildest?
I wasn't even aware of it.
I wasn't even thinking about it,but I knew my birthday was around
and then I was like, wait a minute.
Wow.
Timing is divine sometimes, you know,like when you just get out of time's away,
(05:52):
I don't like to mess with her too much.
But DNA plays really, really, reallycoming to be like something that I see
myself investing in for a good few years.
And like even coming back to,cuz it's, it's, it's really
it's a theater experience.
Where we get to veneratethe, the mundane as sacred.
(06:15):
It's gonna be me just like literallytaking stock of the day-to-day rituals
and baby ceremonies that have keptme together as much as one could
be together, during these times.
Yeah.
But it's taking a, inward like perspectiveon healing and showing up for yourself in
(06:39):
ways that are regular- degular, brushingyour teeth, twirling your hair you know,
taking deep breaths, washing your dishes,twerking in the mirror, choosing a outfit.
you know, brushing your cat, I don't know.
Do people do that?
(07:01):
, . I'm gonna, you brush the cat.
Regular things, the regular things,you know, putting a tuxedo on your dog,
like just the things that one does.
, I know y'all do that.
I know it's regular, so don't play me
-ANDRÉS:: cause if we've seen it on Instagram
we've seen it.
Okay.
We've seen them in their littlehoodies, . That was the ritual.
Okay.
That was, that was a moment ofsacredness because it was a moment
that offered you joy and it wasa moment that you, you intended.
(07:25):
And I think like through this, all ofthis drama um, that, that we're ab,
that we're moving through, looking atour patterns, just the literal moment
to moment decisions that make us up.
Um, Really giving them the spaceto breathe and because they are
the things that make up our DNA
ANDRÉS: (07:47):
mm-hmm.
NASRA: (07:47):
they are what make us who we are.
They're very, very mini skilleddecisions that end up creating
our entire personalities andour entire ways of living.
And the Instagram photo dump vibehas really given me the space to
like just pop little bits and bopsof the day seeing like, snapshots of
(08:12):
somebody's inner life without all thishoo-ha around, okay, I'm posting this
because it's an accomplishment TM,you know, because it's a milestone TM.
Like, because I'm perfect,because I look good.
Instagram photo dumps have become justlike whatever in the, the, the feed.
My dude, like, whatever's in my gallery,You are gonna get today some little memes.
(08:34):
You're gonna get a little selfie.
You're gonna get, you know,somebody I'm hanging out with.
You're, and I've really loved thephenomenon of it that has like, given
people permission to share on social mediain ways that are just like so low risk..
And I want more of that.
I want, especially as people are likeconfined in whatever the way they're
(08:58):
confined to that's your world now.
It's not this big grandiose like travelingall over the place for, you know, this
and that, you know, big accomplishment.
All these, you, that's notreally what's real anymore.
So show me what's real mm-hmm.
and let's make it play.
And so DNA play has a little bit ofvideo, audio recordings of me just
talking crap, me, me processingthings that I was going through.
(09:22):
You get some you'll also be getting,because it's a live experience.
It's gonna be intimate,it's gonna be small.
But you'll get a, you'll get a niceglimpse into what has made what I've made
ritual and what I've made ceremony outof me just surviving as a, a black queer,
you know, African indigenous person.
(09:43):
. And I don't think that a lot of blackartists, indigenous artists, like
racialized artists, disabled artistsget to be ordinary, get to be regular,
get to be just up in fragments.
You know, we've, I've,there's been so much pressure.
I know I've experienced needingto tell my whole story cuz you
(10:06):
got this one chance and it's a bigshot kid and make the most of it!
And I'm exhausted and I'm healingand my people are suffering.
And I need every moment that Ican get for recovery and for joy.
So on God, , when I'm talkingabout art, I'm going to make it.
(10:32):
and the process of it.
That's why I love that this iscalled 'In Process", cuz it's
really about that the process ofme creating is not for consumption.
My friend Kai said just a couple daysago on their Instagram, they said,
I do not make art for consumption.
I make, I sell my art to survive, right?
(10:54):
So that there's, there's a distinction.
And divesting from capitalismmeans divesting in my body.
I just gotta take a second and not turnmyself into a commodity and into product.
And I'm the one that can set thoseboundaries and create that environment
and that integrity for myself.
And so with DNA play I reallywant that to be the vibes.
(11:17):
Like we going me, we gonna havea nice little guided meditation.
Okay.
You gonna hear me sing a little song.
You going see me do a little dance?
And you, and we're gonna have a convo.
We're gonna talk , we're gonna talk, because that's what we need to do.
And y'all gonna see some beautifulvideos that have been edited cuz film
has also been more and more importantas we go into these digital times.
(11:39):
So that's gonna be a component we'regonna really create some space to talk
about some things and also offeringin on what's been going on with me.
Wow.
TOGETHER: (11:48):
(They both breathe)
ANDRÉS: (11:49):
Thank you for sharing that with us.
NASRA: (11:51):
Thank you.
ANDRÉS: (11:51):
I'm excited to see where this goes.
And I really love that, likein all of your art that I've
seen including "Three Ladies"
NASRA: (11:57):
mm-hmm.
, ANDRÉS:: you've always really pushed process.
Mm-hmm.
. ANDRÉS: (12:00):
And it's something that's that it's took, it's taken some relearning,
but it's such a freeing thing when yourealize that's art about the process.
Yeah.
And whatever is at the end of the day,like it's about how you got there.
NASRA: (12:12):
Yeah!
ANDRÉS: (12:13):
Whatever it is at the end.
It's just-
NASRA: (12:14):
that was the medicine the whole time.
Was like literally you just making
ANDRÉS: (12:17):
mm-hmm.
. . Yeah.
NASRA: (12:21):
It's like, it's like what?
You know, the soothing I knowyou know this of coloring books.
Andres is a beast with the coloring books.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
And I love that practice and it waslike, I would never look at us just
hanging out, having a great time, and youcoloring and like me looking at you and
(12:42):
being like, Ugh, what's the use of that!?
Like, just let the person color like,you know, you wouldn't, you wouldn't.
And that's the voice in our heads.
ANDRÉS: (12:51):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (12:51):
because capitalism is down our throats devaluing
us in ways that are so deep.
And then also so relianton artists and creativity.
Just because it's nature.
ANDRÉS: (13:03):
Yeah.
NASRA: (13:03):
And it's what we need to survive.
Like, I'm wearing clothes, like, youknow, like art, like we're in a building.
Like somebody drew this and I thinkwe've really seen in the pandemic, so
many of my artist friends, obviouslyour whole industry got shut down
and, and I be touring like , that'show I make this make sense for me.
(13:24):
And there was no more of that.
ANDRÉS: (13:27):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (13:28):
and no foreseeable answer to what that's gonna look like.
And I know so many people, youknow, patrons of the arts as well
as like people involved on the side.
Like it is huge shock.
Because you have to reevaluate likewhat your value is all over again.
What skills you have,how marketable they are.
Do I wanna make mad Tik Toks?
(13:50):
Like what?
Like what?
Yeah.
What lane are you gonna take?
. Mm-hmm.
. And.
, I was already kind of scaling back.
I kind of intuitively was likein 2019 was like, okay, you're
not gonna be doing as much.
Figure it out, figure outhow that's gonna happen.
I was kind of worried going into hermitmode, but it still like shook me.
(14:12):
And so many of my people arealready on like thin, thin, thin,
thin, thin ice all the time.
We're already passing aroundthe same $20 every month.
Okay, you got me this month, Igot you this month, you got me
this month, I got you this month.
And it's like, we needsome sustainable systems.
And so all this conversationaround mutual aid is really great.
(14:34):
And I think a lot of us arestarting to see the art in it.
The way that if we can just humanize theseprocesses, this industry, da, da, da, da.
We could be doing more than justmaking stuff and making it pretty.
We have a lot of power and a lotof knowledge and genius that is,
is just comes from creating artthat we could be using again to
(14:57):
create the world that we need.
And I think that's happening more andmore organizations starting to see
their power, whether they're abuse ofpower or where their like strengths are.
And hopefully like.
Taking on the roles of utilizing thatresponsibly, like with good intent.
(15:17):
And not just cuz it's the, it'sthe thing that we have to do Yeah.
To keep getting our funding, you know?
ANDRÉS: (15:23):
Totally.
Well and there's also something in whatyou said a little while ago about like,
you know, the sustainability of it all
NASRA: (15:29):
Right
ANDRÉS: (15:30):
and how like you mentioned that's how you get to know a
space is through the artists.
NASRA: (15:33):
Yep.
ANDRÉS: (15:33):
And I find that like, that's something that I kind of am
always in shock that isn't happening.
Like even just like if we talkin Alberta, like there's art
that's happening all over Alberta.
NASRA: (15:44):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (15:44):
What happens if we create a network so that we're
all creating it together?
Yes.
You know, I got this setpiece, I don't want it anymore.
Does anyone want it?
We'll paint it, we'll use it.
NASRA: (15:53):
Yep.
ANDRÉS: (15:53):
You know, all of these things were finally the conversation
around sustainability is startingto come into our industry.
NASRA: (15:59):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (15:59):
And how does that also affect like, keeping
the industry alive, you know?
Mm-hmm.
, if it's the same five people keepingthe industry alive the whole time.
NASRA: (16:07):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (16:07):
How are we actually going to have it sustain past
those five people's capacity?
NASRA: (16:11):
Mm-hmm!
And that's why I think like the morethat we draw the line between art and
wellbeing, art and health, art andlike, like the sustainability of like
your spirit, like, I feel like the morewe're talking about how this, industry
(16:32):
exists, like within capitalism, butlike the, the practice of creating
is as old as time in memorial andlike that's why we're doing it.
Then we start to see people, we start tolike see the people that are involved.
Like there is art in everysingle corner of this place and.
(16:55):
is there an environment of, like wewere talking about before, of like
value that is like communicated so thatpeople understand like where they fit.
Right?
Because it is a cultural shift that'shappening and that reaches, because
we're culture holders, it reaches andextends far, far, far, far beyond the
(17:23):
amount of stuff that you, we alreadyknow, the media, the, this and that.
Like we are activeparticipants in all of it.
Yeah.
And even more than I thinkwe give ourselves credit for.
I know people are like, nobodywatches theater . Like it's not
making, you know, but it's like it.
to the point where it's like, enoughof the world is invested in this
(17:44):
way of storytelling that that'senough, you know, and like, and
that it, it does transcend things.
We see what happened withHamilton, you know what I'm saying?
We know Wick, what Wickedis done in the world.
We like, we can, we havethose representations of when
it's touched everyone mm-hmm.
. And I feel like that's enough , likethat's, that's enough intel
like that it can go that far,that there's a power there.
(18:05):
So like, let's, let's use thatand recognize like, yeah, I have
this and you have that and Ihave this, and you have that.
And we're people like, I candrive to your crib, drop the
thing off, come over this way.
Like, but I have to be, I haveto know that you have needs.
The transparency that comes withthis is , is where the growth, you
(18:26):
know, the opportunities for growthcan happen because you have to be
transparent about what you have.
in order to really be offering it.
ANDRÉS: (18:33):
Totally.
And like you have to make the offeringnot because like you said, not because
it's the cool thing to do right now.
NASRA: (18:40):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (18:41):
But because you genuinely are like, I have more than I need.
Right.
And that could go to somebodywho needs more than they have.
NASRA: (18:47):
Right.
And there's a lot thatI don't have mm-hmm.
that I could probably swap this withbecause there's a lot of knowledge.
And like seeing that also this inequityhas robbed you of a place of creativity
that accurately reflects the world.
Like, like you might have morestuff, but it seems like you
(19:10):
have less context for the world.
And so there's gonna be some peoplecoming in here that have more context
for the world and how it couldpossibly change and, and offer more.
But they don't got stuffbecause stuff's been stolen.
over and over and over again.
And this is actually very serious and thisis not because we just wanna make art.
(19:33):
Art is an indigenous technology.
It is something that has existedand will exist till, the end.
. because it's about creating, it'sabout imagining using your physical,
beautiful hands and magic and whatbody to move a message through.
That's sacred work.
And it's also mundane work.
(19:54):
It's every day.
so I think the more we understand thatthese conversations around responsibility
and power and good art are only gonna comeif they're are only gonna be sustainable
if they're in an ongoing relationshipwith the communities around them.
You know what I'm saying?
(20:14):
Mm-hmm.
with our houseless kin, with the babies,with disabled folk, with like, if it's
not always really about all of us, it's,it's gonna be, it's gonna fall short.
And, and your, your company'sgonna just not be relevant
and that's not what you want.
But also like, don't you wannabelong in the making of the world
(20:36):
instead of yelling at it to stopchanging because you're scared.
ANDRÉS: (20:40):
and you know, I think, we have to like prove that we're ready for it.
Do you know what I mean?
NASRA: (20:45):
Mm-hmm.
. Mm-hmm!
You gotta show up!
ANDRÉS: (20:46):
The change isnt going to just be coming , because
time keeps going, oh yeah, no.
You know, you actually haveto change those systems.
NASRA: (20:51):
Right?
And that is like, it, it,that's an internal gig.
Like that's a, that's a you and you babey!
Like that's, that's a youand your nervous system.
A you and your, andyour, and your breathing.
A you and your, you know, sleep.
Tricia Hersey from the NAP ministry.
ANDRÉS: (21:09):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (21:09):
Is spitin the black woman gospel of rest, and that it can,
it's the only, it's the only answer.
You take a moment to check in withthe bod and breathe, and this is
something, you know, artists we do forthe art, but it's like, do it, it's for
you, , cuz the art is for you as well.
But it's, it's me checking in and all ofus checking in about like, what motivates
(21:35):
you to do things, if we're all able toin some way, shape or form, say, okay.
Like, I think I'm worth listening to me.
We can, we could do it all.
And that's an ongoing choice that you'remaking, ongoing commitment that you're
making Why, why did I react that way?
Why didn't not react this way?
Why am I feeling this in mystomach when this is around?
(21:59):
What, why am I scared I'm safe?
What is all of these questions?
Just sitting and asking yourselfa lot of the questions that you
would be really overjoyed ifsomebody sat down and asked you.
ANDRÉS: (22:10):
Well,
And it's hard, right?
It's hard because it's so ingrainedin everything that we're quote
unquote taught that you haveto be working towards a goal.
Right.
You have to be go workingtowards something.
Yes.
And that if you take time for yourself, orif you take time to color for four hours
NASRA: (22:25):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (22:26):
that's four hours where you didn't make money.
Right.
You didn't create anything and now you're
NASRA: (22:31):
woo!
ANDRÉS: (22:31):
walking away with nothing.
NASRA: (22:32):
except a glorious, beautiful picture of a peacock in multiple colors,
immaculately colored in title lines.
Y'all really need to see Andrés' colors.
like, and Andrés is, whoa.
You give me worlds.
You give entire color palates brolike I've seen it ombres, and I
don't know if y'all actually ombre.
Do you hombre?
ANDRÉS: (22:51):
I do.
NASRA: (22:52):
You do.
There it's, I remember like, and I'm like,if that's not art, if that's not worth
a million dollars, if my friend's joy.
Is not worth that.
Because why the heck isthe pressure on our neck?
Oh, because I need money to survive.
ANDRÉS: (23:10):
Mm-hmm
NASRA: (23:11):
so what if that was not ? Why you worked?
What if?
Right?
And everybody's like, oh, I wish I could.
Oh, I wish.
But it's not about I wish, or I wishI had the luxury, or I wish I, you are
the driver of the life that you want.
And if your body is telling you that youare stressed, which it is, all of us.
(23:37):
what would you give this littlekid that is freaking out?
This little kid just freaking, just bitingtheir nails, walking around, pacing.
Just like, what would you tell that kid?
, would you dare tell thatkid to go do their homework?
this kid's already stressed.
You don't know what thiskid went through at school.
Being a kid.
Yeah.
Being disrespected, . Nobody's,nobody's seeing you.
(23:58):
You don't have no autonomy.
Rough life, man.
and a lot of different people'sexperiences who don't have a
lot of autonomy over their life.
Right?
Talking about marginalized peopleacross the board, especially disabled
folks, elders, like somebody'smaking the decisions for you.
Mm-hmm.
all the time.
You know what I'm saying?
As a black person, like it's adisplaced African indigenous person.
(24:21):
Like, I'm always engaging withsomebody else's idea about
what I ought to be up to.
Alright?
Because my body is quiteliterally, quite literally capital.
They need my body, especially as a blackfemme and a black trans person, like they
need my body to disintegrate in order forthis whole structure to keep on moving.
(24:47):
As it's moving.
They need to make sure that Nasra isworking for everybody else except Nasra.
And so it, it got to that point,like where, this is about my life.
I can't, I actually dropped out of grade12 because my mental health was so messed
(25:10):
up because I was at this point where Iwas all of a sudden needing to be an adult
all of a sudden needing to divorce myself.
Of all the things that made me happygrowing up Muslim as well, choosing art.
There's a huge, huge, huge, mountainthat I had to over climb that I'm still
climbing in different ways every day.
(25:30):
, but it was affecting my body.
I couldn't live in my body if Icouldn't say what I needed to say.
And that's what theater was for me,was a place where you could just, what?
You could just , holdon, tell me that baby.
Yay, , don't give me the mic.
Don't do it, . Because all of a suddenall these things that I'm seeing that
(25:51):
I'm angry about, that I was a kid, Iwas angry about, I was freaking out
about all these, all my environmentbeing so observant, so sensitive.
Where do I put that energy?
Where do we put it?
I'm so grateful.
My mom just wanted to shut me upand told me, go write it down.
. And so journaling was always athing, but for so many of us, like,
(26:13):
because this is a way of life.
When you make it a commodity, it kills us.
And with a history, Of whathappens to indigenous people.
they get the body and theyget the ceremony right?
They take away the music, they takeaway the drum, they take away the things
(26:33):
that connect you to your heartbeat,to your chi, to your, your life force.
Colonialism has snatched it away andtried to replace it with industry.
Industry's gonna come and go if you arenot creating, because it is who we are.
Your career's gonna come and go if youare doing it because it is the truth.
(26:56):
because it is the way, because itis medicine, because you understand
that we're doing more thanmaking a beautiful thing.
You'll be sustainable.
But now we're starting to move away fromwhat that industry image is of what we're
doing and back to the medicine of it.
And that means that people are gonnahave to start listening to black people.
(27:18):
People are gonna have to startlistening to indigenous people.
People are gonna have to start listeningto, to queer people, to disabled folk
to houseless folk like to people.
Push, push, push torefugees to push, push.
Pushed.
Pushed out, pushed out, pushed out.
The walls are coming back in , andit looks like a revolution.
. and that's what it's gonna be because
ANDRÉS: (27:38):
Hmm.
NASRA: (27:39):
we're gonna change.
Nature does its thing andwe're just a part of it.
Yeah.
And art really smoothens out the ride ifyou're able to just support the art and
support the people that are doing theincredible alchemizing work of getting it
out of their bodies and into the world.
You know?
ANDRÉS: (27:55):
Well, and I think something that's just happened is like for the
first time everybody in the world feltwhat it was like to lose something.
NASRA: (28:03):
Hmm
ANDRÉS: (28:04):
And not to
their power.
You know, like I think one of thebiggest things that is striking me
right now is, you know, like as somebodywho is a queer person, like this is 20
years ongoing with the HIV epidemic.
NASRA: (28:17):
Mm-hmm.
. ANDRÉS: (28:17):
And we're finally getting vaccines because people are
starting to look at vaccines asan option to fix things like this.
, and it wasn't until Covid hit everybodythat they were like, "oh, okay.
I guess we could tackleall these other things."
NASRA: (28:30):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (28:31):
Like, I think back to, to what it must have been like as a queer person
in the nineties, like trying to tella story and being like, no one cares.
NASRA: (28:39):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (28:40):
Your friends are dying.
You have no agency to saygoodbye to them when they die.
NASRA: (28:44):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (28:44):
But no one cares.
Boom.
NASRA: (28:45):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (28:45):
Yeah.
You know, and so, yeah, it's, it's niceto think that like there is a lot of shift
NASRA: (28:51):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (28:51):
that's happening and that the people who have been after this shift
are taking advantage of it and likereally making it their own, you know?
NASRA: (28:59):
Mm-hmm.
. Yeah.
It is, it is truly an opportunity,if anything, for commonality.
And then within that commonality it's justlike, okay, nuance, let's play, let's see.
All the ways that this is showingup for all of the different
kinds of circumstances that existand groups of people that are
(29:22):
vulnerable and been vulnerable.
Mm-hmm.
It definitely like, waslike a flare, you know?
ANDRÉS: (29:27):
Yeah.
AD: (29:36):
The "In Process" Podcast is brought to you by the Canada Council
for the Arts and Azimuth Theater'sTraversing the Azimuth multimedia branch.
It is our aim to continue to introduceand deepen the relationships between
our community and the artists within it.
To keep this podcast going, go toazimuththeater.com/donate to help
with the continuation of this podcast.
ANDRÉS: (30:11):
You know speaking of DNA play very, very hard hitting question.
NASRA: (30:15):
Hard
.ANDRÉS:: Here you go.
If you've had a stress day, what'slike your favorite go-to thing to
bring balance back into your life?
, NASRA:: Shaking my booty cheeks for sure.
blasting some music and going off,shaking up that root chakra, you know?
ANDRÉS: (30:31):
Yeah.
NASRA: (30:32):
Just getting , getting it nice and loose.
And yeah.
Dancing always.
ANDRÉS: (30:37):
and that's been something that you've done always.
Like I remember, especiallylike when we were in school.
Yes.
Any moment we could getinto like a, a studio.
NASRA: (30:44):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (30:45):
Put some music on.
NASRA: (30:46):
That's it.
Yeah.
"Nasra's taking advantage of that."
TOGETHER: (30:48):
Yeah.
. NASRA:: Ooh.
I can't wait to have a studio in my crib.
I'm literally just ordering somelittle mirrors, some makeshift
mirrors for the new spot and I'mreally excited to have that be real.
Cause the floors are good.
Yeah, it's my saving grace.
I don't know what I would be doing.
And that is the thing, when I started tothink that I wasn't a dancer, because.
(31:12):
I wasn't one when I stopped competingbecause we were going to school, and
especially I stopped doing street styles.
I was like, oh my God, canI even throw down anymore?
I don't know, , . But then reallyloving and needing to branch out,
and I just want to try all thedance, every dance ever forever.
And realizing that, like when I started tosee where my mental health was really at,
(31:36):
especially like before, just before thepandemic I was like, oh, I'm not dancing.
Like mm-hmm.
, I'm like dancing, but I'm not, Ilike, don't wanna look at myself.
Like I don't, I'm comparingmyself, I would say.
And I had to really check that.
And my photo booth has like videos ofme all the way back, back, back, back,
like probably like 2016 or something.
(31:57):
And I remember there was a certain.
Day where I actually went andI like watched like old and
I was like, what the heck?
You've been doing this forever?
I was like, ok, soyou're never gonna stop.
Like, you know, like I'm like, oh, thishas been a consistent thing and even you
just bring me back to that movement room.
Absolutely.
Before class, afterclass, middle of class.
(32:19):
Even when we would go out, I'd belike, I just wanna dance by myself.
. Literally, we have like a time whereI'd be like, okay, Nasra get out your
solo dance and then go hang out withyour friends and dance with everybody.
, and I'm still that way,
because I just want my own little party.
ANDRÉS: (32:35):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:35):
like that's like also being raised for most of my life as an only child.
Like just like I'm set the mood.
(Laughs) So, yeah.
Music, dance.
ANDRÉS: (32:44):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:45):
and good lighting.
ANDRÉS: (32:46):
Now do you have a, a treat that brings you joy in your
life whenever you're stressed?
NASRA: (32:52):
Yeah, like honestly I eat a lot of fruit.
ANDRÉS: (32:55):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:56):
and I feel really excited when I have like, a new fruit to try.
Or I just like went grocery shoppingand I have like more than four options.
Like, I'm like, oh my God, whoa,I'm rich, I'm wealthy and also
yeah, I love chocolate things.
ANDRÉS: (33:11):
To me all, all I'm hearing is that you would die
for some chocolate covered fruit.
NASRA: (33:15):
Oh!
Pshh...
Woo!
It's a love language.
Is that one of them?
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (33:22):
Yeah,
NASRA: (33:22):
yeah.
ANDRÉS: (33:23):
Yeah.
Love language.
It can be fruit, it can be anything.
NASRA: (33:25):
I saw a tweet that was like fruits.
Fruits really be hella messy..
I was like, oh, what?!
. Why is eating fruit so messy?
Like
? ANDRÉS:: everything delicious is messy.
Its messy.
ANDRÉS: (33:38):
Sorry, I'm just gonna say it
. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now, Speaking of your process andworking on DNA play, like working
on something that you've worked on.
NASRA: (33:46):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (33:46):
And I'm assuming, like you, you always had an idea to keep
going, but you let it go for a while.
Yeah.
How do you go back into a processand honor what's been done before,
but obviously bring new stories andbreath and all of that into a project?
NASRA: (34:01):
That's a great question.
When I have the answer,I'll let you know (Laughs)
No, that's
ANDRÉS: (34:06):
totally fair.
Right.
NASRA: (34:07):
I feel like that's definitely it.
Like I'm just like, this is one ofmy, this is my first outside of my
EP which everybody should check out.
It's called SALVE it's on Bandcamp.
just search up Nasra.
S A L V E -SALVE.
this is my first multidisciplinarypiece of this, of this kind of
(34:28):
scale that is like, just about me.
And that feels really new.
So it is asking me, what I havefound is that it is asking me to
really position myself at the center.
And I be doing all this tying about,you need to center me, center me.
Y'all gonna center me, da, da, da.
And now God's like, okay, butare you, Maybe you should try it.
(34:51):
. And I'm like,
ANDRÉS: (34:52):
the university is always listening.
And when they, whenthey hear something, oh,
NASRA: (34:57):
I thought y'all was listening up.
Y'all was, I thought I whispered it.
Oh, . And they're like, youliterally had a megaphone.
But it's fine.
And.
. It's those moments where the dreamagrees with you and then you have
to step into your big boy shoes.
Mm-hmm.
. Even especially with collaborating,like I had a moment where I was
(35:17):
trying to collaborate early on withthe Expanse situation and I realized
I really didn't know enough aboutwhat the hell I was talking about.
to be collaborating with nobody , butI was really grateful for that, that.
the artist who like tried it out.
And so this time me bringing inthe collaborators, like I'm really
(35:40):
like, okay, naar, that means likenobody's gonna set your rehearsals
with you for you, like you have yourafternoon free, it's DNA play time.
Yeah.
Like you have your da daand you have to make choices
Nasra like you have to decide.
and you're not revertingto any other artist.
You're not presenting an artist right now.
(36:01):
This is not black arts matter.
Like you are not, you know,trying to whatever, whatever.
You're not directingsomebody else's vision.
You have the first and last word.
How serious are you taking that?
Because as the, oh my god.
Rest in power.
Rest in peace.
The late Chadwick Bozeman saysoften, he says, I take my time,
(36:27):
but I do not waste my time.
. And so I'm really, because, andespecially because of his genius, you
can tell what that translates into.
When someone is like, I will take mytime, I will choose my roles, I will
choose the art that, you know, withthat intention, but I'm not gonna waste
(36:51):
the time that is allotted for that.
Because as life goes, the,the wheel keeps on turning.
And you wanna be flexible andadaptable for the opportunities.
And for the, the, the change that comes.
Cuz you're not only preparingfor the show, you're preparing
for what happens after as well.
Like, and that's why I'm, I'm tryingto stress so much I am stressing or
(37:15):
affirming in my body no stress that I am.
here for the process, because then thereisn't that like big well I stopped at
Chinook, now I gotta restart it again.
And, and like, and like thatsometimes comes and then it's just
like, oh, I was living my life.
ANDRÉS: (37:33):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (37:33):
and art is the life.
It's how I do my Mondays and myTuesdays and Wednesdays, my, you know.
And so then when it just goes throughthe embodiments that it goes through
rehearsing, writing, exploring, sharing,presenting, gathering processing
you know, like releasing da da.
(37:54):
It's just like, oh, it's justgoing through its different
stages as anything does.
And I can stop being soprecious with my, my art.
I know Badu says, you know,I'm an artist and I'm sensitive
about my Shh** , . And it's true.
We get to be sensitive becauseit's, it requires sensitivity.
(38:16):
And that vulnerability is reallybrave, which I'm trying to remind.
I am reminding myself, but also it's likeI don't want there to be this harsh stop
and start in my body when I'm creatingsomething and that, and, and I want it
to be able to live in all of its stagesand all of those stages be fulfilling.
Mm-hmm.
(38:36):
. Because it is hard, like I amfinding it difficult to take it
into this next, you know, even mejust looking at the video and being
like, am I gonna use any of this?
Like, , but knowing thatthat's an option too, you know?
And I can still take the things Ilearned to whatever this is gonna be.
that was a great question.
ANDRÉS: (38:55):
and that's why like I'm so happy that I, I get to be working in a
company that really pushes for process.
NASRA: (39:02):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (39:02):
You know, because I'm somebody who can get caught up in,
I need a product to be perfect.
You know me.
NASRA: (39:09):
Yes I do.
ANDRÉS: (39:09):
That good old Virgo placement to my, my
- NASRA:: is it your moon or is your rising?
It's rising.
NASRA: (39:13):
Oh,
ANDRÉS: (39:14):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
NASRA: (39:15):
What's your moon in?
ANDRÉS: (39:16):
My moon is a Leo.
So,
NASRA: (39:17):
or your truest
self-
ANDRÉS: (39:18):
It saves me from everything.
NASRA: (39:19):
Wow.
ANDRÉS: (39:20):
Because it smooths me out from my two very extremes.
TOGETHER: (39:25):
(Laughs)
.ANDRÉS:: But but yeah, I just finished the process that was completely led by myself.
NASRA: (39:30):
Mm.
ANDRÉS: (39:31):
And that was a whole thing within itself.
A journey of being like,okay, you know what?
It's okay if tonight you can't rehearse.
Come on.
And, you know, giving myself that freedom
NASRA: (39:41):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (39:41):
but also know, like knowing in the back of my mind, no matter
what, at the end of the day, you willbe doing this for people on this date.
NASRA: (39:49):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (39:49):
And and being able to get to a point where I was like, it's
gonna be what it'll be that day.
NASRA: (39:55):
Yeah.
And you know, just like you're gonnabe what you're gonna be that day.
ANDRÉS: (40:01):
Exactly.
Oh my God.
Because at the end of the day, likeit's, you're here for a short time, you
might as well enjoy every second you can
truly!
And if you're not doing what youenjoy, then what is the purpose?
Yeah.
You know?
NASRA: (40:12):
Yeah.
It ends up doing the opposite.
Like it ends up justtaking years off your life.
Exactly.
Then like, all the risks that folksthink it is to pursue what they,
what is, comes naturally to them.
ANDRÉS: (40:24):
Mm-hmm.
. NASRA: (40:24):
I really hope that everybody listening gets I'm sure there's been
so many juicy conversations already.
But just that, that truth that there iscreative spirit in every single human
person and living thing that is thisthing is creating something mm-hmm.
. So it's just like, what's that thingyou do without really thinking about it?
(40:45):
And for me it's talking
TOGETHER: (40:48):
(Laughs)
NASRA: (40:49):
And having a lot of facial expressions and like for others it's not
those things, but it is something else.
And having those conversations withthe younger versions of yourself
really helps because you'reprobably still doing some of those
things in some way, shape or form.
ANDRÉS: (41:05):
Yeah.
NASRA: (41:05):
They just need a little juice.
ANDRÉS: (41:08):
Well, and what I've, what I've been really enjoying so far
is that like, , a lot of the peoplewho are coming in, I've known
to some degree obviously, right?
NASRA: (41:17):
Mm-hmm.
. Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:17):
But the way we all look at self-expression, which
is what I consider art to be
NASRA: (41:23):
Absolutely
. ANDRÉS: (41:24):
Is so different and, and well, one person might consider
how they self-express might notnecessarily resonate with me.
NASRA: (41:34):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:35):
But somebody out there might be listening to the
way that you express yourself
NASRA: (41:39):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (41:39):
and that you talk about creation and go like, Hey, that's how I do it.
But I was told that that's wrong.
NASRA: (41:43):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:44):
And it's the reminder that like, no, nothing's wrong if you're
doing it out of joy and out of reality.
NASRA: (41:50):
Yeah.
And it's not hurting nobody.
Absolutely.
ANDRÉS: (41:52):
Exactly.
NASRA: (41:53):
Yeah.
I think that's so, it, that's,you're absolutely right.
It's super freeing.
You never know what peoplecan be resonating with.
Even if you just look at like,the ideas of memes, like what?
, that's literally completely basedon people being like, "whaaat?!"
(42:15):
"Same!"
Like just big exclamations of "Same.
That's me!"
It me like just like seeing yourself.
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors,mirrors, mirrors, mirrors.
That's all it is.
Yeah.
And like certain people's, likeupbringing, vocabulary, socialization,
like means that you, I you identify withsome style of humor than others, whatever
(42:40):
it is, but it's like collectively.
ANDRÉS: (42:43):
And
you slowly start finding your peoplehere are like, oh, this is who I can
send this type of meme to you that
NASRA: (42:48):
Exactly.
ANDRÉS: (42:48):
This is the dog meme person I'm sending, you know?
(Squeals) I love it!
, NASRA:: you're just like curating your love.
Like you're just like,you'll laugh at this.
You laugh.
That's so beautiful.
Like it really issomething to be celebrated.
And as a child of the internet,like a Tumblr kid, like, I'm
like, I know that so much.
Com 1001%.
(43:10):
The, the thing that got me up on astage in real life in the city I exist
in that I was hating so much because Icome from Toronto, come from Ontario,
come from Ottawa, and I was like, "AAh!!
No black people there!"
Like, I was like, there'snobody who is like me here.
And feeling like.
(43:34):
. Okay, so I'm gonna beon the internet then.
And then I was on the internet andI was like, oh my God, my people.
Mm-hmm.
and different, like angsty, , sad,beautiful young people expressing
themselves, no holds bars.
It's a diary on wheels.
Like just put what you're feelingsomewhere and other people's
(43:59):
feelings and the sharing ofthem help me do that for myself.
Help me create a, a dialogue with myself.
Ground that, that practice byblogging and then also like, create
community and see like-minded people.
And also then when I started sharing mypoetry, getting people like re-blogging
(44:21):
my poems and like really getting someenergy that way, affirmation that way,
me connecting with artists and, andweirdo black kids in New York, me being
able to then stay with them when Iwanted to go out and explore the world.
Like those are all , that was justwifi, like . And, and, and that yearning
(44:42):
inside for me to be like, where can Iget something out, express, get it out.
And now it's just like floweredinto like this, this whole world
where all the world is my Tumblrpage and , I can do what I want.
And on that note I just wanna say thank you so much, Nasra
yes.
This has been such a pleasure.
(45:02):
It's been such a lovely time.
to just hear you talk and to get to hearyour voice and your, and your thoughts.
You know, it's, it's been a minute.
NASRA: (45:11):
It has been a minute
ANDRÉS: (45:12):
so this is lovely.
NASRA: (45:13):
Thank you for letting me talk
ANDRÉS: (45:14):
Thank you all so much for joining us and we'll see you next time.
NASRA: (45:18):
Trills
AD: (45:21):
Hey, pal, enjoying the conversation.
Traversing the Azimuth is a brandnew branch of Azimuth Theater
aimed at connecting artists with awider community, deepening mutual
understanding, and getting to shareeach artist's process and journey.
If you would like to continue hearingthese amazing stories, you can help out
by going to azimuththeater.com/sponsorshipand sponsor traversing the Azimuth.
(45:44):
Your sponsorship will go straightinto paying more artists to
come and share what it means forthem to be "proudly in process".
We would also like to take thismoment to thank Canada Council
for the Arts for their supportin the pilot of this project.
For more information ontraversing the azimuth, go to
azimuth theater.com/traversing.
Woohoo.
All right.
Ready?
NASRA: (00:02):
I'm born ready.
THEME: (00:06):
Oh Imma trust the whole damn process for the record, till
we breakin records!Reminiscing aboutthe past days now we rise and fly,
journeys to the sky, Azimuth insidemy grip, always know the way now!
Beauty fill my days now takeit day by day sound couldn't be
prouder cuz you know we alive.
(00:27):
Uhuh.
Hey.
ANDRÉS: (00:29):
Hi everyone welcome to "In Process" Azimuth Theater's
podcast, celebrating and highlightingthe community around us and
the voices in that community.
Today I would like to welcometo the room Nasra Adem.
NASRA: (00:43):
Trills
ANDRÉS: (00:43):
Hi.
Beautiful.
NASRA: (00:46):
had to bring in ancestors.
ANDRÉS: (00:48):
Of course!
You, you, you gotta . How are you today?
NASRA: (00:51):
I'm so good.
I'm so happy to be here.
ANDRÉS: (00:53):
Good.
It's so lovely to see you in person.
This is-
NASRA: (00:55):
I know
ANDRÉS: (00:55):
This is a treat!
. For those of you who don't know you athome, do you want to give us a little bit
about your story and just what led youto work in theater or just as a creator?
Cuz I know you do morethan just theater as well.
NASRA: (01:07):
Mm-hmm.
. Yes.
Hey, everybody who don't know me.
Now you are a part ofthe group that knows me.
Welcome . My name is Nasramy pronouns are They/Them.
And I am.
I'm a lot of things, aconstellation of many.
I love theater, I love dance.
I love music.
I love poetry so much.
(01:28):
I love the poetry of the world aroundme and naming magic everywhere I go.
I feel like that's definitely beenthe, the thing that has stayed
across the board since I was a kidwas that I was always like, ah, why?
What's happening over there?
Little dreamy.
And I'm really grateful that I hadum, I had a mom who was maybe not
(01:51):
necessarily like a a big champion of thearts but an African mom who understood
that little kids needed to stay outtatrouble and she honored where I was
kind of going naturally with that.
And that was to my coloring book, topainting, to telling stories, to you
know, learning all of the dance moves to"High School Musical" and" Missy Elliott"
(02:13):
music videos and "Destiny's Child."
She was one of the few aunties whowould sit and listen to the cousins
whenever we we're like, okay.
But we practiced like a week!
(Laughs) or sometimes when she was intoit, she'd be like, more attitude, more.
And so I feel like that's definitelythe spirit in me as an artist now
is, it's just something that helpsme move through my day to day.
(02:35):
But I definitely love making moreand more space for weirdos to tell
their story and be unapologetic inthose curiosities and leanings and,
and I think everybody could do witha little bit more play in their life.
And I'm really grateful that thatspirit has like, not died in me.
(02:59):
I mean, granted I'm only 27,so there's time, but- (Laughs)
ANDRÉS: (03:04):
the clock's
NASRA: (03:05):
ticking...,
The clock is ticking , honey.
Oh, . But also, like, I don't,I don't think that it ever can
be, it's art is everywhere.
So as, as a creator, it goesboth in the things that I love
making to move me through thislike wild world, but also I love.
(03:26):
, making sure other people are doing thataround me, it's just as important for
me, for my environment to be creative andjuicy and loud as much as it is for me.
So that's me, y'all.
ANDRÉS: (03:37):
For those of you who don't know Nasra and I have known each other now for-
NASRA: (03:40):
Oh God..
ANDRÉS: (03:40):
Eight years.
NASRA: (03:41):
Oh
ANDRÉS: (03:42):
We took MacEwan's Theatre Arts program together.
NASRA: (03:45):
Yes, we did.
ANDRÉS: (03:46):
And it's been a lovely friendship since then.
NASRA: (03:49):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (03:49):
Um, you've matured past, like what you kind of took in university.
NASRA: (03:53):
Yes.
(laughs)
ANDRÉS: (03:54):
And you've become an artist that's a lot of different things.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
NASRA: (03:59):
You know...
that's a great question.
It's like one of thosequestions, like inspiration.
I'm not, you know, it's a questionthat gets asked a lot, but it's also...
a question that you like theanswer could be literally anything.
ANDRÉS: (04:14):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (04:14):
Any day.
It could be super deep or super broad.
Like I I know that it can, itcan be inspiration from really
beautiful black girls on Instagram.
That inspire me to (Laughs) toplay with makeup and colors and my
self-expression, my gender expression.
(04:34):
I definitely pull a lot of inspirationfrom the, the people that are using like
indigenous healing methods across theglobe to make the kind of life they want.
And getting in touch with the earth.
The earth inspires me so much.
I'll be like, "gurl!"
. You are beautiful, honey.
, . I'll be like, you offer us so much.
(04:56):
I go to the river very much a lot.
And every time it's a great conversation.
Just feeling the vastness feelinglike I'm just like a little guy.
(Laughs) Is like, so important.
You know, the stars inspire me so much.
I used to staring out there, especiallygrowing up Mill Woods, there's like,
you just have mad space cuz you're justpushed out the city and it's gorgeous.
(05:18):
And so a lot of those thingskeep me asking questions and
wanting, like needing answers.
ANDRÉS: (05:26):
Speaking of art, are you working on anything right
now that's inspiring you?
NASRA: (05:28):
Hell to the Yes I am.
DNA play.
You know how I do everything isaligned and you know what's wildest?
I wasn't even aware of it.
I wasn't even thinking about it,but I knew my birthday was around
and then I was like, wait a minute.
Wow.
Timing is divine sometimes, you know,like when you just get out of time's away,
(05:52):
I don't like to mess with her too much.
But DNA plays really, really, reallycoming to be like something that I see
myself investing in for a good few years.
And like even coming back to,cuz it's, it's, it's really
it's a theater experience.
Where we get to veneratethe, the mundane as sacred.
(06:15):
It's gonna be me just like literallytaking stock of the day-to-day rituals
and baby ceremonies that have keptme together as much as one could
be together, during these times.
Yeah.
But it's taking a, inward like perspectiveon healing and showing up for yourself in
(06:39):
ways that are regular- degular, brushingyour teeth, twirling your hair you know,
taking deep breaths, washing your dishes,twerking in the mirror, choosing a outfit.
you know, brushing your cat, I don't know.
Do people do that?
(07:01):
, . I'm gonna, you brush the cat.
Regular things, the regular things,you know, putting a tuxedo on your dog,
like just the things that one does.
, I know y'all do that.
I know it's regular, so don't play me
-ANDRÉS:: cause if we've seen it on Instagram
we've seen it.
Okay.
We've seen them in their littlehoodies, . That was the ritual.
Okay.
That was, that was a moment ofsacredness because it was a moment
that offered you joy and it wasa moment that you, you intended.
(07:25):
And I think like through this, all ofthis drama um, that, that we're ab,
that we're moving through, looking atour patterns, just the literal moment
to moment decisions that make us up.
Um, Really giving them the spaceto breathe and because they are
the things that make up our DNA
ANDRÉS: (07:47):
mm-hmm.
NASRA: (07:47):
they are what make us who we are.
They're very, very mini skilleddecisions that end up creating
our entire personalities andour entire ways of living.
And the Instagram photo dump vibehas really given me the space to
like just pop little bits and bopsof the day seeing like, snapshots of
(08:12):
somebody's inner life without all thishoo-ha around, okay, I'm posting this
because it's an accomplishment TM,you know, because it's a milestone TM.
Like, because I'm perfect,because I look good.
Instagram photo dumps have become justlike whatever in the, the, the feed.
My dude, like, whatever's in my gallery,You are gonna get today some little memes.
(08:34):
You're gonna get a little selfie.
You're gonna get, you know,somebody I'm hanging out with.
You're, and I've really loved thephenomenon of it that has like, given
people permission to share on social mediain ways that are just like so low risk..
And I want more of that.
I want, especially as people are likeconfined in whatever the way they're
(08:58):
confined to that's your world now.
It's not this big grandiose like travelingall over the place for, you know, this
and that, you know, big accomplishment.
All these, you, that's notreally what's real anymore.
So show me what's real mm-hmm.
and let's make it play.
And so DNA play has a little bit ofvideo, audio recordings of me just
talking crap, me, me processingthings that I was going through.
(09:22):
You get some you'll also be getting,because it's a live experience.
It's gonna be intimate,it's gonna be small.
But you'll get a, you'll get a niceglimpse into what has made what I've made
ritual and what I've made ceremony outof me just surviving as a, a black queer,
you know, African indigenous person.
(09:43):
. And I don't think that a lot of blackartists, indigenous artists, like
racialized artists, disabled artistsget to be ordinary, get to be regular,
get to be just up in fragments.
You know, we've, I've,there's been so much pressure.
I know I've experienced needingto tell my whole story cuz you
(10:06):
got this one chance and it's a bigshot kid and make the most of it!
And I'm exhausted and I'm healingand my people are suffering.
And I need every moment that Ican get for recovery and for joy.
So on God, , when I'm talkingabout art, I'm going to make it.
(10:32):
and the process of it.
That's why I love that this iscalled 'In Process", cuz it's
really about that the process ofme creating is not for consumption.
My friend Kai said just a couple daysago on their Instagram, they said,
I do not make art for consumption.
I make, I sell my art to survive, right?
(10:54):
So that there's, there's a distinction.
And divesting from capitalismmeans divesting in my body.
I just gotta take a second and not turnmyself into a commodity and into product.
And I'm the one that can set thoseboundaries and create that environment
and that integrity for myself.
And so with DNA play I reallywant that to be the vibes.
(11:17):
Like we going me, we gonna havea nice little guided meditation.
Okay.
You gonna hear me sing a little song.
You going see me do a little dance?
And you, and we're gonna have a convo.
We're gonna talk , we're gonna talk, because that's what we need to do.
And y'all gonna see some beautifulvideos that have been edited cuz film
has also been more and more importantas we go into these digital times.
(11:39):
So that's gonna be a component we'regonna really create some space to talk
about some things and also offeringin on what's been going on with me.
Wow.
TOGETHER: (11:48):
(They both breathe)
ANDRÉS: (11:49):
Thank you for sharing that with us.
NASRA: (11:51):
Thank you.
ANDRÉS: (11:51):
I'm excited to see where this goes.
And I really love that, likein all of your art that I've
seen including "Three Ladies"
NASRA: (11:57):
mm-hmm.
, ANDRÉS:: you've always really pushed process.
Mm-hmm.
. ANDRÉS: (12:00):
And it's something that's that it's took, it's taken some relearning,
but it's such a freeing thing when yourealize that's art about the process.
Yeah.
And whatever is at the end of the day,like it's about how you got there.
NASRA: (12:12):
Yeah!
ANDRÉS: (12:13):
Whatever it is at the end.
It's just-
NASRA: (12:14):
that was the medicine the whole time.
Was like literally you just making
ANDRÉS: (12:17):
mm-hmm.
. . Yeah.
NASRA: (12:21):
It's like, it's like what?
You know, the soothing I knowyou know this of coloring books.
Andres is a beast with the coloring books.
Yeah.
Oh my gosh.
And I love that practice and it waslike, I would never look at us just
hanging out, having a great time, and youcoloring and like me looking at you and
(12:42):
being like, Ugh, what's the use of that!?
Like, just let the person color like,you know, you wouldn't, you wouldn't.
And that's the voice in our heads.
ANDRÉS: (12:51):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (12:51):
because capitalism is down our throats devaluing
us in ways that are so deep.
And then also so relianton artists and creativity.
Just because it's nature.
ANDRÉS: (13:03):
Yeah.
NASRA: (13:03):
And it's what we need to survive.
Like, I'm wearing clothes, like, youknow, like art, like we're in a building.
Like somebody drew this and I thinkwe've really seen in the pandemic, so
many of my artist friends, obviouslyour whole industry got shut down
and, and I be touring like , that'show I make this make sense for me.
(13:24):
And there was no more of that.
ANDRÉS: (13:27):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (13:28):
and no foreseeable answer to what that's gonna look like.
And I know so many people, youknow, patrons of the arts as well
as like people involved on the side.
Like it is huge shock.
Because you have to reevaluate likewhat your value is all over again.
What skills you have,how marketable they are.
Do I wanna make mad Tik Toks?
(13:50):
Like what?
Like what?
Yeah.
What lane are you gonna take?
. Mm-hmm.
. And.
, I was already kind of scaling back.
I kind of intuitively was likein 2019 was like, okay, you're
not gonna be doing as much.
Figure it out, figure outhow that's gonna happen.
I was kind of worried going into hermitmode, but it still like shook me.
(14:12):
And so many of my people arealready on like thin, thin, thin,
thin, thin ice all the time.
We're already passing aroundthe same $20 every month.
Okay, you got me this month, Igot you this month, you got me
this month, I got you this month.
And it's like, we needsome sustainable systems.
And so all this conversationaround mutual aid is really great.
(14:34):
And I think a lot of us arestarting to see the art in it.
The way that if we can just humanize theseprocesses, this industry, da, da, da, da.
We could be doing more than justmaking stuff and making it pretty.
We have a lot of power and a lotof knowledge and genius that is,
is just comes from creating artthat we could be using again to
(14:57):
create the world that we need.
And I think that's happening more andmore organizations starting to see
their power, whether they're abuse ofpower or where their like strengths are.
And hopefully like.
Taking on the roles of utilizing thatresponsibly, like with good intent.
(15:17):
And not just cuz it's the, it'sthe thing that we have to do Yeah.
To keep getting our funding, you know?
ANDRÉS: (15:23):
Totally.
Well and there's also something in whatyou said a little while ago about like,
you know, the sustainability of it all
NASRA: (15:29):
Right
ANDRÉS: (15:30):
and how like you mentioned that's how you get to know a
space is through the artists.
NASRA: (15:33):
Yep.
ANDRÉS: (15:33):
And I find that like, that's something that I kind of am
always in shock that isn't happening.
Like even just like if we talkin Alberta, like there's art
that's happening all over Alberta.
NASRA: (15:44):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (15:44):
What happens if we create a network so that we're
all creating it together?
Yes.
You know, I got this setpiece, I don't want it anymore.
Does anyone want it?
We'll paint it, we'll use it.
NASRA: (15:53):
Yep.
ANDRÉS: (15:53):
You know, all of these things were finally the conversation
around sustainability is startingto come into our industry.
NASRA: (15:59):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (15:59):
And how does that also affect like, keeping
the industry alive, you know?
Mm-hmm.
, if it's the same five people keepingthe industry alive the whole time.
NASRA: (16:07):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (16:07):
How are we actually going to have it sustain past
those five people's capacity?
NASRA: (16:11):
Mm-hmm!
And that's why I think like the morethat we draw the line between art and
wellbeing, art and health, art andlike, like the sustainability of like
your spirit, like, I feel like the morewe're talking about how this, industry
(16:32):
exists, like within capitalism, butlike the, the practice of creating
is as old as time in memorial andlike that's why we're doing it.
Then we start to see people, we start tolike see the people that are involved.
Like there is art in everysingle corner of this place and.
(16:55):
is there an environment of, like wewere talking about before, of like
value that is like communicated so thatpeople understand like where they fit.
Right?
Because it is a cultural shift that'shappening and that reaches, because
we're culture holders, it reaches andextends far, far, far, far beyond the
(17:23):
amount of stuff that you, we alreadyknow, the media, the, this and that.
Like we are activeparticipants in all of it.
Yeah.
And even more than I thinkwe give ourselves credit for.
I know people are like, nobodywatches theater . Like it's not
making, you know, but it's like it.
to the point where it's like, enoughof the world is invested in this
(17:44):
way of storytelling that that'senough, you know, and like, and
that it, it does transcend things.
We see what happened withHamilton, you know what I'm saying?
We know Wick, what Wickedis done in the world.
We like, we can, we havethose representations of when
it's touched everyone mm-hmm.
. And I feel like that's enough , likethat's, that's enough intel
like that it can go that far,that there's a power there.
(18:05):
So like, let's, let's use thatand recognize like, yeah, I have
this and you have that and Ihave this, and you have that.
And we're people like, I candrive to your crib, drop the
thing off, come over this way.
Like, but I have to be, I haveto know that you have needs.
The transparency that comes withthis is , is where the growth, you
(18:26):
know, the opportunities for growthcan happen because you have to be
transparent about what you have.
in order to really be offering it.
ANDRÉS: (18:33):
Totally.
And like you have to make the offeringnot because like you said, not because
it's the cool thing to do right now.
NASRA: (18:40):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (18:41):
But because you genuinely are like, I have more than I need.
Right.
And that could go to somebodywho needs more than they have.
NASRA: (18:47):
Right.
And there's a lot thatI don't have mm-hmm.
that I could probably swap this withbecause there's a lot of knowledge.
And like seeing that also this inequityhas robbed you of a place of creativity
that accurately reflects the world.
Like, like you might have morestuff, but it seems like you
(19:10):
have less context for the world.
And so there's gonna be some peoplecoming in here that have more context
for the world and how it couldpossibly change and, and offer more.
But they don't got stuffbecause stuff's been stolen.
over and over and over again.
And this is actually very serious and thisis not because we just wanna make art.
(19:33):
Art is an indigenous technology.
It is something that has existedand will exist till, the end.
. because it's about creating, it'sabout imagining using your physical,
beautiful hands and magic and whatbody to move a message through.
That's sacred work.
And it's also mundane work.
(19:54):
It's every day.
so I think the more we understand thatthese conversations around responsibility
and power and good art are only gonna comeif they're are only gonna be sustainable
if they're in an ongoing relationshipwith the communities around them.
You know what I'm saying?
(20:14):
Mm-hmm.
with our houseless kin, with the babies,with disabled folk, with like, if it's
not always really about all of us, it's,it's gonna be, it's gonna fall short.
And, and your, your company'sgonna just not be relevant
and that's not what you want.
But also like, don't you wannabelong in the making of the world
(20:36):
instead of yelling at it to stopchanging because you're scared.
ANDRÉS: (20:40):
and you know, I think, we have to like prove that we're ready for it.
Do you know what I mean?
NASRA: (20:45):
Mm-hmm.
. Mm-hmm!
You gotta show up!
ANDRÉS: (20:46):
The change isnt going to just be coming , because
time keeps going, oh yeah, no.
You know, you actually haveto change those systems.
NASRA: (20:51):
Right?
And that is like, it, it,that's an internal gig.
Like that's a, that's a you and you babey!
Like that's, that's a youand your nervous system.
A you and your, andyour, and your breathing.
A you and your, you know, sleep.
Tricia Hersey from the NAP ministry.
ANDRÉS: (21:09):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (21:09):
Is spitin the black woman gospel of rest, and that it can,
it's the only, it's the only answer.
You take a moment to check in withthe bod and breathe, and this is
something, you know, artists we do forthe art, but it's like, do it, it's for
you, , cuz the art is for you as well.
But it's, it's me checking in and all ofus checking in about like, what motivates
(21:35):
you to do things, if we're all able toin some way, shape or form, say, okay.
Like, I think I'm worth listening to me.
We can, we could do it all.
And that's an ongoing choice that you'remaking, ongoing commitment that you're
making Why, why did I react that way?
Why didn't not react this way?
Why am I feeling this in mystomach when this is around?
(21:59):
What, why am I scared I'm safe?
What is all of these questions?
Just sitting and asking yourselfa lot of the questions that you
would be really overjoyed ifsomebody sat down and asked you.
ANDRÉS: (22:10):
Well,
And it's hard, right?
It's hard because it's so ingrainedin everything that we're quote
unquote taught that you haveto be working towards a goal.
Right.
You have to be go workingtowards something.
Yes.
And that if you take time for yourself, orif you take time to color for four hours
NASRA: (22:25):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (22:26):
that's four hours where you didn't make money.
Right.
You didn't create anything and now you're
NASRA: (22:31):
woo!
ANDRÉS: (22:31):
walking away with nothing.
NASRA: (22:32):
except a glorious, beautiful picture of a peacock in multiple colors,
immaculately colored in title lines.
Y'all really need to see Andrés' colors.
like, and Andrés is, whoa.
You give me worlds.
You give entire color palates brolike I've seen it ombres, and I
don't know if y'all actually ombre.
Do you hombre?
ANDRÉS: (22:51):
I do.
NASRA: (22:52):
You do.
There it's, I remember like, and I'm like,if that's not art, if that's not worth
a million dollars, if my friend's joy.
Is not worth that.
Because why the heck isthe pressure on our neck?
Oh, because I need money to survive.
ANDRÉS: (23:10):
Mm-hmm
NASRA: (23:11):
so what if that was not ? Why you worked?
What if?
Right?
And everybody's like, oh, I wish I could.
Oh, I wish.
But it's not about I wish, or I wishI had the luxury, or I wish I, you are
the driver of the life that you want.
And if your body is telling you that youare stressed, which it is, all of us.
(23:37):
what would you give this littlekid that is freaking out?
This little kid just freaking, just bitingtheir nails, walking around, pacing.
Just like, what would you tell that kid?
, would you dare tell thatkid to go do their homework?
this kid's already stressed.
You don't know what thiskid went through at school.
Being a kid.
Yeah.
Being disrespected, . Nobody's,nobody's seeing you.
(23:58):
You don't have no autonomy.
Rough life, man.
and a lot of different people'sexperiences who don't have a
lot of autonomy over their life.
Right?
Talking about marginalized peopleacross the board, especially disabled
folks, elders, like somebody'smaking the decisions for you.
Mm-hmm.
all the time.
You know what I'm saying?
As a black person, like it's adisplaced African indigenous person.
(24:21):
Like, I'm always engaging withsomebody else's idea about
what I ought to be up to.
Alright?
Because my body is quiteliterally, quite literally capital.
They need my body, especially as a blackfemme and a black trans person, like they
need my body to disintegrate in order forthis whole structure to keep on moving.
(24:47):
As it's moving.
They need to make sure that Nasra isworking for everybody else except Nasra.
And so it, it got to that point,like where, this is about my life.
I can't, I actually dropped out of grade12 because my mental health was so messed
(25:10):
up because I was at this point where Iwas all of a sudden needing to be an adult
all of a sudden needing to divorce myself.
Of all the things that made me happygrowing up Muslim as well, choosing art.
There's a huge, huge, huge, mountainthat I had to over climb that I'm still
climbing in different ways every day.
(25:30):
, but it was affecting my body.
I couldn't live in my body if Icouldn't say what I needed to say.
And that's what theater was for me,was a place where you could just, what?
You could just , holdon, tell me that baby.
Yay, , don't give me the mic.
Don't do it, . Because all of a suddenall these things that I'm seeing that
(25:51):
I'm angry about, that I was a kid, Iwas angry about, I was freaking out
about all these, all my environmentbeing so observant, so sensitive.
Where do I put that energy?
Where do we put it?
I'm so grateful.
My mom just wanted to shut me upand told me, go write it down.
. And so journaling was always athing, but for so many of us, like,
(26:13):
because this is a way of life.
When you make it a commodity, it kills us.
And with a history, Of whathappens to indigenous people.
they get the body and theyget the ceremony right?
They take away the music, they takeaway the drum, they take away the things
(26:33):
that connect you to your heartbeat,to your chi, to your, your life force.
Colonialism has snatched it away andtried to replace it with industry.
Industry's gonna come and go if you arenot creating, because it is who we are.
Your career's gonna come and go if youare doing it because it is the truth.
(26:56):
because it is the way, because itis medicine, because you understand
that we're doing more thanmaking a beautiful thing.
You'll be sustainable.
But now we're starting to move away fromwhat that industry image is of what we're
doing and back to the medicine of it.
And that means that people are gonnahave to start listening to black people.
(27:18):
People are gonna have to startlistening to indigenous people.
People are gonna have to start listeningto, to queer people, to disabled folk
to houseless folk like to people.
Push, push, push torefugees to push, push.
Pushed.
Pushed out, pushed out, pushed out.
The walls are coming back in , andit looks like a revolution.
. and that's what it's gonna be because
ANDRÉS: (27:38):
Hmm.
NASRA: (27:39):
we're gonna change.
Nature does its thing andwe're just a part of it.
Yeah.
And art really smoothens out the ride ifyou're able to just support the art and
support the people that are doing theincredible alchemizing work of getting it
out of their bodies and into the world.
You know?
ANDRÉS: (27:55):
Well, and I think something that's just happened is like for the
first time everybody in the world feltwhat it was like to lose something.
NASRA: (28:03):
Hmm
ANDRÉS: (28:04):
And not to
their power.
You know, like I think one of thebiggest things that is striking me
right now is, you know, like as somebodywho is a queer person, like this is 20
years ongoing with the HIV epidemic.
NASRA: (28:17):
Mm-hmm.
. ANDRÉS: (28:17):
And we're finally getting vaccines because people are
starting to look at vaccines asan option to fix things like this.
, and it wasn't until Covid hit everybodythat they were like, "oh, okay.
I guess we could tackleall these other things."
NASRA: (28:30):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (28:31):
Like, I think back to, to what it must have been like as a queer person
in the nineties, like trying to tella story and being like, no one cares.
NASRA: (28:39):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (28:40):
Your friends are dying.
You have no agency to saygoodbye to them when they die.
NASRA: (28:44):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (28:44):
But no one cares.
Boom.
NASRA: (28:45):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (28:45):
Yeah.
You know, and so, yeah, it's, it's niceto think that like there is a lot of shift
NASRA: (28:51):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (28:51):
that's happening and that the people who have been after this shift
are taking advantage of it and likereally making it their own, you know?
NASRA: (28:59):
Mm-hmm.
. Yeah.
It is, it is truly an opportunity,if anything, for commonality.
And then within that commonality it's justlike, okay, nuance, let's play, let's see.
All the ways that this is showingup for all of the different
kinds of circumstances that existand groups of people that are
(29:22):
vulnerable and been vulnerable.
Mm-hmm.
It definitely like, waslike a flare, you know?
ANDRÉS: (29:27):
Yeah.
AD: (29:36):
The "In Process" Podcast is brought to you by the Canada Council
for the Arts and Azimuth Theater'sTraversing the Azimuth multimedia branch.
It is our aim to continue to introduceand deepen the relationships between
our community and the artists within it.
To keep this podcast going, go toazimuththeater.com/donate to help
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ANDRÉS: (30:11):
You know speaking of DNA play very, very hard hitting question.
NASRA: (30:15):
Hard
.ANDRÉS:: Here you go.
If you've had a stress day, what'slike your favorite go-to thing to
bring balance back into your life?
, NASRA:: Shaking my booty cheeks for sure.
blasting some music and going off,shaking up that root chakra, you know?
ANDRÉS: (30:31):
Yeah.
NASRA: (30:32):
Just getting , getting it nice and loose.
And yeah.
Dancing always.
ANDRÉS: (30:37):
and that's been something that you've done always.
Like I remember, especiallylike when we were in school.
Yes.
Any moment we could getinto like a, a studio.
NASRA: (30:44):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (30:45):
Put some music on.
NASRA: (30:46):
That's it.
Yeah.
"Nasra's taking advantage of that."
TOGETHER: (30:48):
Yeah.
. NASRA:: Ooh.
I can't wait to have a studio in my crib.
I'm literally just ordering somelittle mirrors, some makeshift
mirrors for the new spot and I'mreally excited to have that be real.
Cause the floors are good.
Yeah, it's my saving grace.
I don't know what I would be doing.
And that is the thing, when I started tothink that I wasn't a dancer, because.
(31:12):
I wasn't one when I stopped competingbecause we were going to school, and
especially I stopped doing street styles.
I was like, oh my God, canI even throw down anymore?
I don't know, , . But then reallyloving and needing to branch out,
and I just want to try all thedance, every dance ever forever.
And realizing that, like when I started tosee where my mental health was really at,
(31:36):
especially like before, just before thepandemic I was like, oh, I'm not dancing.
Like mm-hmm.
, I'm like dancing, but I'm not, Ilike, don't wanna look at myself.
Like I don't, I'm comparingmyself, I would say.
And I had to really check that.
And my photo booth has like videos ofme all the way back, back, back, back,
like probably like 2016 or something.
(31:57):
And I remember there was a certain.
Day where I actually went andI like watched like old and
I was like, what the heck?
You've been doing this forever?
I was like, ok, soyou're never gonna stop.
Like, you know, like I'm like, oh, thishas been a consistent thing and even you
just bring me back to that movement room.
Absolutely.
Before class, afterclass, middle of class.
(32:19):
Even when we would go out, I'd belike, I just wanna dance by myself.
. Literally, we have like a time whereI'd be like, okay, Nasra get out your
solo dance and then go hang out withyour friends and dance with everybody.
, and I'm still that way,
because I just want my own little party.
ANDRÉS: (32:35):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:35):
like that's like also being raised for most of my life as an only child.
Like just like I'm set the mood.
(Laughs) So, yeah.
Music, dance.
ANDRÉS: (32:44):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:45):
and good lighting.
ANDRÉS: (32:46):
Now do you have a, a treat that brings you joy in your
life whenever you're stressed?
NASRA: (32:52):
Yeah, like honestly I eat a lot of fruit.
ANDRÉS: (32:55):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (32:56):
and I feel really excited when I have like, a new fruit to try.
Or I just like went grocery shoppingand I have like more than four options.
Like, I'm like, oh my God, whoa,I'm rich, I'm wealthy and also
yeah, I love chocolate things.
ANDRÉS: (33:11):
To me all, all I'm hearing is that you would die
for some chocolate covered fruit.
NASRA: (33:15):
Oh!
Pshh...
Woo!
It's a love language.
Is that one of them?
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (33:22):
Yeah,
NASRA: (33:22):
yeah.
ANDRÉS: (33:23):
Yeah.
Love language.
It can be fruit, it can be anything.
NASRA: (33:25):
I saw a tweet that was like fruits.
Fruits really be hella messy..
I was like, oh, what?!
. Why is eating fruit so messy?
Like
? ANDRÉS:: everything delicious is messy.
Its messy.
ANDRÉS: (33:38):
Sorry, I'm just gonna say it
. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Now, Speaking of your process andworking on DNA play, like working
on something that you've worked on.
NASRA: (33:46):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (33:46):
And I'm assuming, like you, you always had an idea to keep
going, but you let it go for a while.
Yeah.
How do you go back into a processand honor what's been done before,
but obviously bring new stories andbreath and all of that into a project?
NASRA: (34:01):
That's a great question.
When I have the answer,I'll let you know (Laughs)
No, that's
ANDRÉS: (34:06):
totally fair.
Right.
NASRA: (34:07):
I feel like that's definitely it.
Like I'm just like, this is one ofmy, this is my first outside of my
EP which everybody should check out.
It's called SALVE it's on Bandcamp.
just search up Nasra.
S A L V E -SALVE.
this is my first multidisciplinarypiece of this, of this kind of
(34:28):
scale that is like, just about me.
And that feels really new.
So it is asking me, what I havefound is that it is asking me to
really position myself at the center.
And I be doing all this tying about,you need to center me, center me.
Y'all gonna center me, da, da, da.
And now God's like, okay, butare you, Maybe you should try it.
(34:51):
. And I'm like,
ANDRÉS: (34:52):
the university is always listening.
And when they, whenthey hear something, oh,
NASRA: (34:57):
I thought y'all was listening up.
Y'all was, I thought I whispered it.
Oh, . And they're like, youliterally had a megaphone.
But it's fine.
And.
. It's those moments where the dreamagrees with you and then you have
to step into your big boy shoes.
Mm-hmm.
. Even especially with collaborating,like I had a moment where I was
(35:17):
trying to collaborate early on withthe Expanse situation and I realized
I really didn't know enough aboutwhat the hell I was talking about.
to be collaborating with nobody , butI was really grateful for that, that.
the artist who like tried it out.
And so this time me bringing inthe collaborators, like I'm really
(35:40):
like, okay, naar, that means likenobody's gonna set your rehearsals
with you for you, like you have yourafternoon free, it's DNA play time.
Yeah.
Like you have your da daand you have to make choices
Nasra like you have to decide.
and you're not revertingto any other artist.
You're not presenting an artist right now.
(36:01):
This is not black arts matter.
Like you are not, you know,trying to whatever, whatever.
You're not directingsomebody else's vision.
You have the first and last word.
How serious are you taking that?
Because as the, oh my god.
Rest in power.
Rest in peace.
The late Chadwick Bozeman saysoften, he says, I take my time,
(36:27):
but I do not waste my time.
. And so I'm really, because, andespecially because of his genius, you
can tell what that translates into.
When someone is like, I will take mytime, I will choose my roles, I will
choose the art that, you know, withthat intention, but I'm not gonna waste
(36:51):
the time that is allotted for that.
Because as life goes, the,the wheel keeps on turning.
And you wanna be flexible andadaptable for the opportunities.
And for the, the, the change that comes.
Cuz you're not only preparingfor the show, you're preparing
for what happens after as well.
Like, and that's why I'm, I'm tryingto stress so much I am stressing or
(37:15):
affirming in my body no stress that I am.
here for the process, because then thereisn't that like big well I stopped at
Chinook, now I gotta restart it again.
And, and like, and like thatsometimes comes and then it's just
like, oh, I was living my life.
ANDRÉS: (37:33):
Mm-hmm.
NASRA: (37:33):
and art is the life.
It's how I do my Mondays and myTuesdays and Wednesdays, my, you know.
And so then when it just goes throughthe embodiments that it goes through
rehearsing, writing, exploring, sharing,presenting, gathering processing
you know, like releasing da da.
(37:54):
It's just like, oh, it's justgoing through its different
stages as anything does.
And I can stop being soprecious with my, my art.
I know Badu says, you know,I'm an artist and I'm sensitive
about my Shh** , . And it's true.
We get to be sensitive becauseit's, it requires sensitivity.
(38:16):
And that vulnerability is reallybrave, which I'm trying to remind.
I am reminding myself, but also it's likeI don't want there to be this harsh stop
and start in my body when I'm creatingsomething and that, and, and I want it
to be able to live in all of its stagesand all of those stages be fulfilling.
Mm-hmm.
(38:36):
. Because it is hard, like I amfinding it difficult to take it
into this next, you know, even mejust looking at the video and being
like, am I gonna use any of this?
Like, , but knowing thatthat's an option too, you know?
And I can still take the things Ilearned to whatever this is gonna be.
that was a great question.
ANDRÉS: (38:55):
and that's why like I'm so happy that I, I get to be working in a
company that really pushes for process.
NASRA: (39:02):
Yes.
ANDRÉS: (39:02):
You know, because I'm somebody who can get caught up in,
I need a product to be perfect.
You know me.
NASRA: (39:09):
Yes I do.
ANDRÉS: (39:09):
That good old Virgo placement to my, my
- NASRA:: is it your moon or is your rising?
It's rising.
NASRA: (39:13):
Oh,
ANDRÉS: (39:14):
yeah, yeah, yeah.
NASRA: (39:15):
What's your moon in?
ANDRÉS: (39:16):
My moon is a Leo.
So,
NASRA: (39:17):
or your truest
self-
ANDRÉS: (39:18):
It saves me from everything.
NASRA: (39:19):
Wow.
ANDRÉS: (39:20):
Because it smooths me out from my two very extremes.
TOGETHER: (39:25):
(Laughs)
.ANDRÉS:: But but yeah, I just finished the process that was completely led by myself.
NASRA: (39:30):
Mm.
ANDRÉS: (39:31):
And that was a whole thing within itself.
A journey of being like,okay, you know what?
It's okay if tonight you can't rehearse.
Come on.
And, you know, giving myself that freedom
NASRA: (39:41):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (39:41):
but also know, like knowing in the back of my mind, no matter
what, at the end of the day, you willbe doing this for people on this date.
NASRA: (39:49):
Yeah.
ANDRÉS: (39:49):
And and being able to get to a point where I was like, it's
gonna be what it'll be that day.
NASRA: (39:55):
Yeah.
And you know, just like you're gonnabe what you're gonna be that day.
ANDRÉS: (40:01):
Exactly.
Oh my God.
Because at the end of the day, likeit's, you're here for a short time, you
might as well enjoy every second you can
truly!
And if you're not doing what youenjoy, then what is the purpose?
Yeah.
You know?
NASRA: (40:12):
Yeah.
It ends up doing the opposite.
Like it ends up justtaking years off your life.
Exactly.
Then like, all the risks that folksthink it is to pursue what they,
what is, comes naturally to them.
ANDRÉS: (40:24):
Mm-hmm.
. NASRA: (40:24):
I really hope that everybody listening gets I'm sure there's been
so many juicy conversations already.
But just that, that truth that there iscreative spirit in every single human
person and living thing that is thisthing is creating something mm-hmm.
. So it's just like, what's that thingyou do without really thinking about it?
(40:45):
And for me it's talking
TOGETHER: (40:48):
(Laughs)
NASRA: (40:49):
And having a lot of facial expressions and like for others it's not
those things, but it is something else.
And having those conversations withthe younger versions of yourself
really helps because you'reprobably still doing some of those
things in some way, shape or form.
ANDRÉS: (41:05):
Yeah.
NASRA: (41:05):
They just need a little juice.
ANDRÉS: (41:08):
Well, and what I've, what I've been really enjoying so far
is that like, , a lot of the peoplewho are coming in, I've known
to some degree obviously, right?
NASRA: (41:17):
Mm-hmm.
. Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:17):
But the way we all look at self-expression, which
is what I consider art to be
NASRA: (41:23):
Absolutely
. ANDRÉS: (41:24):
Is so different and, and well, one person might consider
how they self-express might notnecessarily resonate with me.
NASRA: (41:34):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:35):
But somebody out there might be listening to the
way that you express yourself
NASRA: (41:39):
mm-hmm.
ANDRÉS: (41:39):
and that you talk about creation and go like, Hey, that's how I do it.
But I was told that that's wrong.
NASRA: (41:43):
Right.
ANDRÉS: (41:44):
And it's the reminder that like, no, nothing's wrong if you're
doing it out of joy and out of reality.
NASRA: (41:50):
Yeah.
And it's not hurting nobody.
Absolutely.
ANDRÉS: (41:52):
Exactly.
NASRA: (41:53):
Yeah.
I think that's so, it, that's,you're absolutely right.
It's super freeing.
You never know what peoplecan be resonating with.
Even if you just look at like,the ideas of memes, like what?
, that's literally completely basedon people being like, "whaaat?!"
(42:15):
"Same!"
Like just big exclamations of "Same.
That's me!"
It me like just like seeing yourself.
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors,mirrors, mirrors, mirrors.
That's all it is.
Yeah.
And like certain people's, likeupbringing, vocabulary, socialization,
like means that you, I you identify withsome style of humor than others, whatever
(42:40):
it is, but it's like collectively.
ANDRÉS: (42:43):
And
you slowly start finding your peoplehere are like, oh, this is who I can
send this type of meme to you that
NASRA: (42:48):
Exactly.
ANDRÉS: (42:48):
This is the dog meme person I'm sending, you know?
(Squeals) I love it!
, NASRA:: you're just like curating your love.
Like you're just like,you'll laugh at this.
You laugh.
That's so beautiful.
Like it really issomething to be celebrated.
And as a child of the internet,like a Tumblr kid, like, I'm
like, I know that so much.
Com 1001%.
(43:10):
The, the thing that got me up on astage in real life in the city I exist
in that I was hating so much because Icome from Toronto, come from Ontario,
come from Ottawa, and I was like, "AAh!!
No black people there!"
Like, I was like, there'snobody who is like me here.
And feeling like.
(43:34):
. Okay, so I'm gonna beon the internet then.
And then I was on the internet andI was like, oh my God, my people.
Mm-hmm.
and different, like angsty, , sad,beautiful young people expressing
themselves, no holds bars.
It's a diary on wheels.
Like just put what you're feelingsomewhere and other people's
(43:59):
feelings and the sharing ofthem help me do that for myself.
Help me create a, a dialogue with myself.
Ground that, that practice byblogging and then also like, create
community and see like-minded people.
And also then when I started sharing mypoetry, getting people like re-blogging
(44:21):
my poems and like really getting someenergy that way, affirmation that way,
me connecting with artists and, andweirdo black kids in New York, me being
able to then stay with them when Iwanted to go out and explore the world.
Like those are all , that was justwifi, like . And, and, and that yearning
(44:42):
inside for me to be like, where can Iget something out, express, get it out.
And now it's just like floweredinto like this, this whole world
where all the world is my Tumblrpage and , I can do what I want.
And on that note I just wanna say thank you so much, Nasra
yes.
This has been such a pleasure.
(45:02):
It's been such a lovely time.
to just hear you talk and to get to hearyour voice and your, and your thoughts.
You know, it's, it's been a minute.
NASRA: (45:11):
It has been a minute
ANDRÉS: (45:12):
so this is lovely.
NASRA: (45:13):
Thank you for letting me talk
ANDRÉS: (45:14):
Thank you all so much for joining us and we'll see you next time.
NASRA: (45:18):
Trills
AD: (45:21):
Hey, pal, enjoying the conversation.
Traversing the Azimuth is a brandnew branch of Azimuth Theater
aimed at connecting artists with awider community, deepening mutual
understanding, and getting to shareeach artist's process and journey.
If you would like to continue hearingthese amazing stories, you can help out
by going to azimuththeater.com/sponsorshipand sponsor traversing the Azimuth.
(45:44):
Your sponsorship will go straightinto paying more artists to
come and share what it means forthem to be "proudly in process".
We would also like to take thismoment to thank Canada Council
for the Arts for their supportin the pilot of this project.
For more information ontraversing the azimuth, go to
azimuth theater.com/traversing.
Woohoo.
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