Finding The Balance Between Dedication and Needing Rest with Artist & LGBTQ+ Community Leader Kia Sisowath (he/him)

Ep 31 Finding The Balance Between Dedication and Needing Rest with Artist & LGBTQ+ Community Leader Kia Sisowath (he/him)

 

This week host Renae Johnson (they/them) and Artist & LGBTQ+ Community Leader Kia Sisowath (he/him) unpack the complex process of being a dedicated artist and when you’ve sacrificed too much.

 

In this episode we unpack:

• Breaking gender stereotypes in performance art 
• How to step up when your artistic vision and collaborators need you
• The signs of burnout and sacrificing yourself for your art
• The role rest plays in creativity
• How collaboration and passing on the torch is key to growing your artistic self

 

Join us as we dive into the details of being an LGBTQ+ artist and leader as Kia shares his personal excitements and struggles over the past few years.

 

Guest Bio: 

Kia Sisowath (he/him) is a dance teacher & choreographer for Avanti Dance Company in Costa Mesa, CA. He is a co-founder of the The Vixen Show est. 2007 - a female cabaret burlesque troupe that currently has a west coast group here in Southern California and an east coast group in North Carolina, and The Foxes Show est. 2015 - an all-gay male cabaret troupe. Kia is a: 

• Performer for BEARLESQUE - a body-positive burlesque group. 
• Choreographer for today's innovative Drag Artists 
• Producer of many LGBTQ-focused cabaret shows here in So Cal

 

Kia is the Director of Parades for Orange County Pride - a 501(c)(3) non-profit LGBTQ+ Organization Committed to funding community projects, hosting events, raising awareness, and understanding in our incredible LGBTQ+ family.

 

To find more from Kia visit Instagram: @foxydaddykia @thevixenshow @thefoxesshow

 

Host Bio: 

Renae Johnson (they/them) founded Open Space Therapy Collective (OSTC), a group practice and community hub that focuses on mental health for and by the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and their allies.  

 

Renae is a licensed therapist and art therapist who specializes in working with queer artists who are exploring their gender identity and recovering from complex trauma. Previous to founding OSTC, Renae spent a decade in community mental health services, providing therapy and as an Operations Director in organizations serving people experiencing complex co-occurring diagnoses. 

 

To find more from us visit:

https://www.openspacetherapycollective.com/meet-debbie

https://www.instagram.com/openspacetherapycollective/

https://www.tiktok.com/@openspacetherapy

https://www.tiktok.com/@mytherapistisout

https://www.instagram.com/mytherapistisout

 

Content warning: drug use, SI

Discussed in this episode:  Taylor Tomlinson 2022 comedy special