The Bulletproof Marriages Of The Creative Economy  

At age 7, my last few pennies at the school summer fete managed to score me a CD pick at the media kiosk. I obviously had no idea what I was doing.

My choice – visceral sonic instinct, nothing else – was Sheryl Crow’s self-titled 1996 record. I transported it delicately as if it were some precious time capsule (I am now older and wiser – it was, in fact, something divinely sent to me). Home (my favourite track on the album), If It Makes You Happy, and Sweet Rosalyn altered things for me. It’s still one of my top 5 records to date – Duffy’s Rockferry taking first place. Even now, when I go to press play, I feel exactly the same as I did then – alone in my salad days, with a clunky Aiwa system, left satisfied every time. Semantics, the study of the entertainment business and self-improvement often place you in a room at the early stages of your career. That room is sometimes just adjacent to the hidden utopia of hitting play, and really, truly enjoying your music without any interference.

Gracie Quaccia’s wonderful article (which you can also find on the Stories From The Industry page) makes a fantastic point about how music fosters relative communities, something that looks different for each of us.

I grew up with two creative, intuitive and encouraging heads of the household (hi Mum and Dad), and my extended family included the likes of 50 colliding genres as a result. Music, movement, fashion and cinema – experiential, never demanding an answer from us, and bringing us together, are the first true loves of many, including myself. Natural creative fatigue, and as Ms. Lauryn Hill once put it, the constant chase for ‘substance’ as a creative has actually been tackled most effectively in my early-career development. I have spent some time curating practices and a cadence that feels just right for me.  

Some might perceive varied domains of entertainment experience as a lack of focus. I see it as an understanding of the alliances within mass media consumption, a likeness for the varied sensibility of those industries, and the challenges of aesthetic innovation (I think the fashion industry craves entertainment, so I’m speaking inclusively here of that too). My personal connection and practice in these industries are anchored by the  authenticity and individuality required within each of them. These are features I ground in myself, and ones I look for in the people and projects around me. 

As a teenager I was sure I wanted to write screenplays. Better yet, I took an amazing advanced screenwriting class during my time at university in the US, and still write scripts in my spare time even now (these will be staying in the time capsule for everybody else’s sake). At a much younger age, it was the joy of theatricality and a production, which are still so important to me. Ballet, tap, stage, screen. At the same time, there was the flow of fabrics, and the vogues of our time. Butterfly catcher, philomath, fangirl. I wanted to learn the entire palette. 

My formal notations started with the likes of the incredible archives of the British Film Institute, the support of BAFTA, the technical skills provided by The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, RADA, the creative ecosystem of The Bush – and so much more. I worked for Pakistan’s second and third largest entertainment and lifestyle magazines, and then for a zine run by Mahira Khan. This pushed me to gain my experience in luxury fashion. 

Now for the voluntary title inference – I’m happy to denote the words fangirl, fanwoman, fanlady, fandemoiselle (?), whatever works. There have been too many pivotal highlights, so there’s no way to condense this really. A truly life changing interaction for me was speaking to Dionne Warwick as a young girl. Being front row at Lana Del Rey (well before her prime), and also having her perform on stage with my very own flowers in 2017. I’ve done many-a-kiki about my parasocial relationship with Lana, which started when I was about 11 (evidence available upon request). I have seen her about 6 times – that number will only continue to grow.

At 19, I spoke as a fan with Little Simz, who I’ve followed since her performance at TGE in 2015. And of course, working closely and maintaining relations with some of my most admired artists during my incredible time at Sony, including legend, David Gilmour. I’m now part of an incredible team at LNE/TM, collaborating across markets, artists and projects I’m extremely passionate about. I can’t wait to continue my development under impactful leadership. 

I have learnt a great deal from the people I’ve met as part of my induction to entertainment. I’ve worked alongside dynamic industry leaders, and grown wonderful friendships.

The biggest thing I’ve learned so far that I think is worth sharing is rather simple – the consolidation of your focus and speciality. What are the technically strong requirements as well as the intangible individualities that you bring to your practice – how are you showing up as an artist, a marketer, a freelancer or even as a person?

I’m learning a lot about gut and growth. When you surround yourself with people who are intrinsically driven by the same things you are – for me it’s memorabilia, legacies, sustainable innovation and the foundations of artistry – you are forced to improve and inspired to create. Not within confines, but alongside industrial advancement. Entertainment has always been a reliable oasis for me, just as it is for the other incredibly talented women sharing their stories and experiences. 

Is this burning an eternal flame? I think so.

Thanks to That Fangirl Life – these communities are what truly count.