Welcome back to The Spark, IDEA GENERATION’s weekly newsletter and your source for all things creative entrepreneurship.
Spark Nation,
This week we wanted to remind you all that we’re always looking to highlight projects from our loyal Spark readers.
If you’re working on something creative, building a business, or just want to share something interesting that you’re cooking up, hit us up!
📬 Email: thespark@ideageneration.com
Our inbox is wide open, so shoot your shot and maybe you’ll see yourself in an upcoming issue.
This week The Spark goes global, as we’ve got stories from a Montreal based graphic designer turned concert photographer, a future-thinking podcast host in Amsterdam, and a revolutionary designer making an impact in Kenya.
All three of these creatives are from The Spark community and reached out to us directly. So don’t be shy. Next week it could be you.
Let’s get to it.
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Shooting The Stars
Nadim Zakkour is a freelance creative from Montreal, Canada.
A graphic designer for the past 9 years, Zakkour recently decided to switch gears and pursue his passion of concert photography.
What made you want to pursue a concert photography career?
When I started graphic design about nine years ago, I felt a bit of pressure to take on any kind of design work to earn a decent income. But with photography, the goal was to enjoy it to the fullest, without thinking of income.
I also wanted to put less time into the detailed, planned, research-driven design work with my graphic design job. Covering live performances is the complete opposite. You have to be present and react to the action and chaos as it’s happening. That created the perfect balance for me. You're in the photo pit, and the lights change, the artist steps on stage, and the crowd screams behind you, you just feel this incredible rush. That feeling is addictive.
How did you go about finding early work shooting concerts?
Since photography was always a hobby of mine, I already had a portfolio. I took portraits and did street photography while I was studying.
I sent cold emails and reached out to people in my network. In 2022, I reached out to an event promoter by email. I got lucky and received a photo pass for a Method Man & Redman concert. Then not even a month later, Montreality gave me an opportunity to shoot Jessie Reyez. There was no turning back after that. That was the one that really gave me the momentum and motivation to keep pushing.
If I had to give advice to someone starting out, step one should definitely be to build your portfolio and reach out to the local publications/media in your city.
Are there skills from your graphic design career that help with your photography pursuit?
Definitely. My background in graphic design has given me a unique shooting and retouching style. For every picture I snap, it’s almost like I'm creating an image for a poster or an album cover. This already puts me in a different head space and gives me a different perspective while shooting. When you look at some of my final images, you’ll notice more negative space than usual because I have this design perspective to let the subject breathe in case I need to add text or other elements.
“For every picture I snap, it’s almost like I'm creating an image for a poster or an album cover.”
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Designing a Revolution
Izzy is a digital artist from Kenya, who views himself as an “illusionist,” creating images that capture the imagination and inspire the audience.
Recently Izzy has been creating artworks related to the ongoing protests and social revolution happening in Kenya.
What's going on in Kenya that has led to you creating this art?
There has been a rage slowly boiling in Kenyans since last year, with the main issue being the government imposing huge, unconstitutional taxes on citizens.
This year the members of parliament tabled a bill called the Finance Bill which was going to be a very harsh bill towards Kenyans. The government wants to own all the land and have Kenyans pay annual leases, meaning if you are unable to pay, they take your land. They also want to increase fees for money transfer services from 15% to 20%, among many other impunitive issues.
What happened at the protests and to Rex Masai?
The plan was to create protests that would make noise about Kenyan's disappointment in how the current government was leading the country while asking the President to reject the Finance Bill.
The first protest dubbed Occupy Parliament happened on the 25th of June. That's where all hell broke lose. The government had set up snipers who started shooting he protesters. Rex Masai was the first casualty from the government butchering on that day. A number of people got shot. That changed the course of the protests from "Rejecting the Finance Bill" to "Ruto Must Go,” Ruto being our President.
The President has began succumbing to the pressure a little bit. First, he rejected to sign the bill into law and last week dissolved his entire cabinet. The current demands of the people now are that he must step down and parliament should be dissolved for fresh elections to take place because people have zero confidence in the current regime.
Here's a video also that will give you an accurate idea of what's been happening
What message do you want people to take away from your art?
I want people to get hope and discover the power within them. I believe as artists we have a huge responsibility to speak about what's happening in the world as we both preach hope and empower people through our art and shame injustice at the same time. It's my civic duty to use my art to make the world a better place. If the world functions with love then jobs will come and things will move and my people won't have to go through the same suffering our forefathers who fought for our independence went through.
“It's my civic duty to use my art to make the world a better place.”
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Building The Future
Maryama Marong hosts the Amsterdam-based podcast, OPENVISION.SPACE.
On the podcast, Marong sits down with the leaders of tomorrow to discuss impact, legacy, and pathways towards a better future.
What inspired you to start your podcast?
We’re living in turbulent times, and as a creator it’s so important to me to shine a light that is positive and inspiring. I felt very inspired by cathedrals (a beacon of hope in their own way). Especially the one that is still being build: the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.
In short, the cathedral for me is a metaphor: for over a 100 years people contribute in their own way to the built of this impressive building without witnessing nor experiencing the end result/product. It takes a certain kind of consciousness and craft to become such a contributor. I call this Cathedral Thinking: taking a long term vision and contributing to it, knowing that the end result is probably not for us to witness.
In our generation, we also have these contributors. This time they’re not building an actual cathedral, but through their craft and passion they contribute to our collective cathedral: the future. And I wanted to know their “why” and “how” in hopes it will inspire listeners to contribute in their own way.
What is the goal of your podcast?
I sit down with leaders of tomorrow to discuss impact, legacy, and pathways towards a better future. The aim of the podcast is to create a platform to highlight positive impact and change happening globally, even in turbulent times. Rather than focusing on setbacks, I choose to illuminate the achievements in sustainable and inclusive development, inspiring a global audience to become part of the movement, regardless of their field or industry.
Any advice for someone thinking about starting their own podcast?
If you think you’ve got something to share, then - by all means - share! Don’t let yourself be demotivated by thinking about the operations or statistics. You need a laptop, a mic and a solid wifi connection. Be assured your audience - who align with your core message - will find you!
Grateful to be part of this community 🌱✨🤸♀️