FRESH MAGAZINE LITTLE DIPPER 2019 by Mr Dreamz Magazine

F G C S T U D I O S TA K E O V E R

LITTLE DIPPER L I K E FAT H E R , L I K E D A U G H T E R

2 - FRESH MAGAZINE

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR “THE NEW ERA FOR A NEW GENERATION OF DREAMERS” Mr.Dreamz Magazine has established its brand as “The New Era For A New Generation Of Dreamers” which is available online, on mobiles and in print. The publication aims at giving artists & creators a voice that can be heard across all over the globe. Working from Paris to Miami and Montreal, the magazine showcases tomorrow’s mainstream stars.

Chris De Neptvne OWNER| CEO OF MR DREAMZ MAGAZINE “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them”-Walt Disney

www.mrdreamzmag.com

Editor in chief Chris De Neptune Contributing writers Joha Brown Winnie MC French Vouvou Trevor Leduc Paul Pelarbin George khabaj Photographers Lydell Birch @Themanuc @bozhenahv @Chrisdeneptune Contributing illustrator Kloud9 Agency Solomon Reese Dreamkayris Blvck Digital PR/ Marketting Kloud9 Agency Blvck Digital

FRESH MAGAZINE - 3

STAY OU T OF THE BOX WWW.MRDREAMZMAG.COM

4 - FRESH MAGAZINE

DR MZ

THE NEW ERA FOR A NEW GENERATION OF DREAMERZ

FRESH MAGAZINE - 5

W3 VR3 R3VCHING 4 TH3 L

IGHT B3YOND TH3 HORIZON NEPTUNE1983.COM

Like Father

“I try to keep school in school and music at home. I don’t like working on music in public places because it throws off my train of thought.”

Like Daughter

INSPI

“

The Little Dipper on a star map is the main attraction as your eyes get drawn to it ﬁrst before anything else.”

FRESH

apper Sophie Birch, better known as Little Dipper, is an artist based in Texas. After her father, Moka Blast, opened FCG Studios in Las Vegas she realized she had been given an amazing opportunity to finally publish her music and get her message out to the world. Her first song “Contaminated” came out and caused a buzz among everyone she knew and gained her a huge fan base. Working now on her new album called “ShockWave”, she sat down with us to talk about her upcoming projects. Little Dipper, can you explain how did you choose your stage name and what does Little Dipper mean? This name came from my love of astronomy and studying the stars. It materialized when I was on the phone with my father, Moka Blast, and we were naming different constellations. The Little Dipper on a star map is the main attraction as your eyes get drawn to it first before anything else. So of course that had to be my name since it showed my love for the stars and was an uncommon name. Now I’ve truly embraced the name and practically everyone call me Dipper instead of my actual name.

Your father, Moka Blast, is a successful Hip Hop artist and a prosperous entrepreneur. What type of advice does he give you? The advice he’s given me is most-

ly on being confident in myself. He said there will be plenty of haters but not to allow it to affect me. He also says to always be ready to work, no matter how long it takes to record a song because he never wants me to put out a bad song. How deep is he involved in your career? He is pretty involved in my career. He’s gotten me on magazine covers, helped me produce my first songs and new album. Also bought me a lot of props for music videos and even recorded them when I come out to visit him. Since day one, he has always encouraged me. He believes I will become one of the biggest female rappers in the future. I am willing to put the work in for that to become a reality. Do you also write your own lyrics? Yes, I do write my own lyrics. A lot of people find the songs that I write to be mature and not something that would come from a 13 year old female emcee. I love writing my own lyrics because it has true emotion behind it and I would never want to be

LITTLE

someone that just got lyrics thrown at me and have to recite them. Reciting is not the same as feeling the true emotion, whatever it may be. As a teen artist, what were some of the hardest challenges you had to face so far? How do you find the right balance between school and music? Sometimes it is a struggle to balance both, I try to keep school in school and music at home. I don’t like working on music in public places because it throws off my train of thought. It also gets challenging because after doing homework and all of that, it can be hard to start working on music without any energy left. The way I fix that issue is by writing down any random ideas I get during the day and make a certain time for me to go over them. Then I have ideas ready and dont need to worry about a writer’s block.

“(...) I will become one of the biggest female rappers in the future. I am willing to put the work in for that to become a reality.” Last summer, you released your first music video called “Contaminated”. The music video was shot in Las Vegas with FGC studios. How was this experience? Did you feel anxious to face the cameras for the first time? I wasn’t very nervous, I was very excited to get a music video out and showing people that I was serious about my craft. It was fun recording the song in the studio for the first time. At that time I was still very new to the studio lingo that was utilized but I have definitely picked up the pace when it comes to recording and understanding. Let’s talk about your upcoming projects! What are you cooking with FGC studios? I have started a new album called “ShockWave” and will most likely have more songs than my last album “Unstable.” I will also be recording the rest of the music videos for the “Unstable” album. These two albums will be correlated to each other but I won’t say how because that’s for the fans to figure out. Instagram @littledipperofficial Website: fgcstudios.com

FRESH MAGAZINE - 11

INNOVATION

FRESH

CECILIA TSAI & ALESSANDRO CEREDA Could you please tell us a bit about both of you and how you started “MiaMily”? Cecilia: Thank you for having us! We are really excited to be part of your magazine. We met in Lugano, Switzerland 7 years ago when I was working in private banking and Alessandro was a hedge fund manager. When we had our first baby in 2013, I wasn’t paying attention to how I was holding Mia and after months of carrying her with bad posture I pinched a nerve, which made it impossible for me to carry her baby without excruciating pain. Being a new stay at home mom, I was desperate for a solution and tried all the baby carriers in the market but never found a carrier that provided the proper back support I needed. With my family business in manufacturing, I set out to create a baby carrier that not only is ergonomic for baby, but also ergonomic for the parent too.

60 flights. When traveling, we often used our baby carrier prototype and often times strangers would stop curious to learn more about this hip seat baby carrier. That’s when we knew we had created something special and decided to launch our idea on Kickstarter.

back. The innovative hip seat also ensures that no matter which position you carry your baby, whether it’s facing in, forward facing, side carry or back carry, your baby’s hips are always in the correct M position, knees supported at hip level, legs open and not dangling. Cecilia: Now that we are parents of 3 young kids under 6 years old, I don’t have the luxury of bringing a diaper bag, as I need my hands free for the kids. So this inspired me to turn our latest carrier, HIPSTER Smart, into a wearable diaper bag. I wanted to offer a baby carrier that not only can carry your baby but can also make your life easier by helping you you stay organized. So I added a storage space under the hip seat for diapers, wipes, change of clothes and snacks. On the waist belt, there’s an external milk bottle holder as well as a pocket to fit a disposable changing pad so you can change your baby anywhere. I added an extendable key chain so you never have to fumble through your purse to find your keys and also a secret credit card slot for quick store runs that don’t require all the cards in your wallet.

“We wanted to offer a baby carrier that not only can carry your baby but can also make your life easier by helping you you stay organized.”

Alessandro: Before we were parents, we travelled a lot and we were determined to continue traveling even with a baby so we started flying with Mia when she was two months old. When she turned 2 year old, she had been on over 12 - FRESH MAGAZINE

In what way does your baby carrier revolutionize the industry? What are the main innovations? Alessandro: The baby-wearing industry consist of 4 major categories; wraps, slings, mei tais and soft structured carriers. Our HIPSTER baby carrier is unlike any of them, it belongs in its own category, 3D hip seat baby carrier. We call it a 3D hip seat baby carrier because it has a built in 3D hip seat incorporated inside. The 3D hip seat makes all the difference because it absorbs the weight of the baby so parents feel less stress and pressure on their shoulders and

FRESH

FRESH MAGAZINE - 13

INNOVATION

FRESH

What were the main challenges you faced early on in your venture? Back in 2014, we were introducing a new concept to a very traditional industry. For years, moms have been using a piece of soft fabric to carry their babies so our main challenge when we first launched our 3D hip seat baby carrier was educating and reassuring parents that the structured 3D hip seat is safe and ergonomic for their baby. Being approved by the International Hip Dysplasia Institute as a hip healthy baby carrier really helped with this challenge. Your product has received so many awards! Congratulations! How does it feel to be recognized? Thank you, we are very proud to have received 6 awards (Cribsie Award, Mom’s Choice Award, Best Baby and Toddler Gear Award, Bizzie Baby Award, Kids Design Award, Good Design Award) for our first generation baby carrier HIPSTER Plus and just last month, we won the prestigious JPMA’s Innovation Award and Mom’s Choice Award for our latest baby carrier HIPSTER Smart.

“Our main challenge when we first launched our 3D hip seat baby carrier was educating and reassuring parents that the structured 3D hip seat is safe and ergonomic for their baby.” As a husband and wife working together, how do you find the right balance between business and your private relationship? Cecilia: I love answering this question because the real honest truth is, it was sooo sooo hard to work together!!! We really struggled the first two years, there were a lot of tears and arguing because we made the mistake of doing everything together. It wasn’t until we separated our responsibilities so there is absolutely no overlap, did we start to find the right balance. I am competitive and want to always be right but I’ve learned that with business it’s not about “me vs him” and that even when I am wrong (which is very rare), it’s still okay because we share the same goals for MiaMily. Alessandro: We’ve achieved the right balance because I’ve learned to say “yes darling, you are right” even when she isn’t right. Happy wife, happy life, right?

What’s the secret to being an innovative company? Alessandro: We have launched 3 successful Kickstarter campaigns in the past 4 years, raising over $300,000. Our campaigns have been backed by almost 3000 backers from over 30 countries. We take our backer feedbacks seriously and we believe in the importance of being flexible and implementing product design changes quickly to stay innovative. Cecilia: I run an ambassador program which allows our super fans to help us share MiaMily via their social networks in exchange for products. This group is such a great resource because I get to bounce ideas with my ideal clientele. For example, we were designing an all season accessory that was a winter cover and rain cover, but I just wasn’t really sure about the practicality of a rain cover, so I asked the group for their feedback and 80% said they would use a rain cover and they gave me the idea to sell the two covers separately as people

who live in hot climates, will use the rain cover but not the winter cover. Where can parents and our readers go buy your product? You can buy from our website ( www.miamily.com ) or from BuyBuyBaby, Target, Macy’s, Saks 5 th avenue and Walmart. What is your ultimate goal for the future of MiaMily? We are really inspired by businesses like Toms shoes and Honest Company where a big part of their business model is giving back to the community. We would love to grow the business big enough where we can afford to incorporate a charitable aspect and pay it forward to help less fortunate families. Website → www.miamily.com Instagram → @MiaMilyBabyCarriers FRESH MAGAZINE - 15

INNOVATION

FRESH

“Today, we are extremely proud to say we are available in a number of channels. You can order on our own website www.mifold.com or on amazon.com. As well as that, we are proud to say we have many retail stores that now stock mifold around the US including Target, Walmart, BuybuyBaby and Nordstrom.”

18 - FRESH MAGAZINE

INNOVATION

FRESH

SUMROY

“We have won 13 International Awards and I feel truly honored and delighted to have received each of them. I think the one that stands out the most would be the NASA Tech Briefs award.” Jon, what brought you to entrepreneurship? I came to be an entrepreneur quite late in life, compared to the typical twenty-something start-up founder. I spent most of my career in the safety of large corporations with a regular salary and all the other perks. mifold started as a hobby and I never saw myself as an inventor and entrepreneur: leading my own company was not part of my plan. I came to be an entrepreneur when I realized that I had an idea that needed to be produced as it would eventually help protect children. Many people have ideas, and it is the entrepreneurs who take those ideas and work on them. If you are not “born” with the natural entrepreneurial confidence, like myself, then I believe I have shown that you can be “re-born” to give it a go. Why did you decide to create mifold specifically? When my four children were small we lived in America and they were often driven around by other people as well as ourselves. Car safety is important to us and we wanted to make sure that the kids always had the correct car seat, but we often found that booster seats were not available; especially when we were carpooling with other families. So, I thought, if I could make a booster that was really small and really tough, that could easily be taken everywhere, then our children could always be safe, no matter whose car they were in. Tell us more about your portable grab-andgo booster seats! mifold is a safe and comfortable alternative to a traditional booster. It is so small that is always available to carry from car to car. Some people use mifold all the time,

and it is primarily used on the 25% of child car journeys that a child takes unprotected as their regular, bulky booster seat is not available. In this way, by being the most advanced, compact and portable booster seat ever invented, mifold has disrupted the world of traditional car booster seats that are designed to stay in the car. mifold is more than 10x smaller than a regular booster without compromising on safety. My vision was to have a car seat that was great for carpooling, grandparents, taxis, ride hailing, car sharing, rental, vacations and other times when a regular booster was not available and this is its biggest advantage.

“We will invent more ultra-compact, portable car seats that are safe, comfortable, quick and easy to use. You should expect to see more new and innovative products from us in the years to come.” Your product keeps winning awards. Is there one specifically that stands out above all the others? I can proudly say that currently we have won 13 International Awards and I feel truly honored and delighted to have received each of them. I think the one that stands out the most would be the NASA Tech Briefs Award. You must be extremely busy! How do you stay active within the childcare community that you serve? We attend a large number of conferences, CPST events, and road safety awareness conventions etc. I spend a lot of

time traveling to make sure I can be present at as many places as possible together with my dedicated team. How do you envision the future of mifold? Already 2019 promises to be a very exciting year for the company. The original range of mifold grab-and-go booster seats continues to grow. And in addition to Amazon, Target, BuybuyBaby and Nordstrom, and earlier this year mifold entered nearly 1,000 Walmart stores in the USA, and into many new countries around the world. We will also be launching a brandnew product in the summer, hifold by mifold, the highback fit-and-go booster. hifold is the world’s most adjustable highback booster. It has over 200 different size configurations meaning that as your child grows he or she will always be safe and comfortable. hifold is also lightweight and folds down to fit in a convenient carry bag, making it ideal for moving from car to car, storage and taking on vacation. Finally, we spend a lot of time planning how children will travel safely in the future. We are living through a transportation revolution with a move from car ownership to car usage with the likes of Uber, Lyft and Grab becoming the main transportation choice for many families. In this new mobile, urban, asset-lite world, we need child restraints that stay with the child, not in the car.

Website → mifold.com Instagram → @mifold FRESH MAGAZINE - 19

MIKAELA HOOVER

“I would loooove to receive a call that someone wants me for a really good psychological horror film because I myself can’t get enough of them.”

SILENCE ON TOURNE!

FRESH

s s e n d n i K x y t li i Hum Hi Mikaela, it’s a pleasure to have you as our guest. Let’s quickly jump into the past. What was your dream when you were a kid? Are you now living this dream? My dream since I was a little girl was always to be acting. Around age 4 I started begging my dad to video tape me doing my own skits. So yes I would say I am living my dream.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Beyond your celebrity status, who is the real Mikaela Hoover? The real Mikaela is extremely down to earth and most comfortable and confident in sweats and a tank and zero makeup. I prefer burger joints and dive bars to fancy meals and clubs & love spending my time giving back to those less fortunate. My perfect night includes watching a scary movie (that I have already probably seen a million times) and ordering in food. I am the most happy in nature and also enjoy yoga & am a huge fan of Reiki to de-stress.

Is there anything that you wish you had known about the entertainment and media industries before stepping into them? I wish I had known it wasn’t so glamorous. No one tells you the constant rejection on a daily basis. You really have to know who you are and be comfortable and willing to let others not like you and be okay with that. I hear soooo many more no’s that I do yes’s and really have had to learn to love myself and try to not let others define who I am and what my capabilities as an actress are.

“Always be kind, you never know what someone else is going through!”

How did you start and how was your first experience in the entertainment industry? I left my hometown of Spokane, Washington, to pursue my dreams of acting after High School. I enrolled at Loyola Marymount University and studied Theatre. After I graduated, i found an agent and auditioned for a film that shot in my hometown of Spokane, Washington, and then continued auditioning. Since 2006, you have played roles on numerous successful TV series and movies like ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. How did you get this role in particular? Tell us about the character you played and what excited you about being in this big film? I had auditioned for director James Gunn a few years before for a short called ‘Humanzee’. I didn’t get the role but Gunn and producer Peter Safran called me a few months later and told me they had written a show about me called Sparky and Mikaela. It was a short about me and a raccoon. After that, Gunn and I started working on multiple projects together. When he got Guardians, he asked if I wanted to do a cameo next to Glenn Close and I screamed through the phone. It was such an honor and a dream.

About job proposals, what’s the one you’d absolutely refuse, and the one you’d like to receive but you still haven’t? I have always and will always turn down gratuitous nudity. Some say it has hurt me because I have gotten leads in films and not been comfortable and declined but at the end of the day I am the one who has to answer to myself. I would loooove to receive a call that someone wants me for a really good psychological horror film because I myself can’t get enough of them. Can you tell us more about your role in the upcoming movie ‘Guest House’? I play Taylor the best friend and maid of honor to the lead character Sarah (played by Aimee Teegarden). She is very protective of her best friend and doesn’t believe her Fiancé Blake is good enough for her. Can we take the time to talk about the Global Down Syndrome Foundation? As an ambassador, what is your mission and how can people help? I would like to help spread the word that just because you have Down Syndrome does not mean you can’t accomplish incredible things. Instagram → @mikaela Photo by @themanuc Interview by Trevor Leduc

@shannonksinger @shannonksinger ShannonKVEVO

“Sometimes you have to play the game and capitalize on what makes you unique. I didn’t ask to be a Lesbian or Cuban...”

22 - FRESH MAGAZINE

STAND-UP

FRESH

Renée Santos

“Lesbian comics are considered funny, but their physicality must not be intimidating. In my experience society will listen to the voice of a woman but we can’t be beautiful too.” Hi Renée and welcome! How did you begin your career as a stand up comedian? Hi! Thank you for having me. I believe Comedy chose me, I just surrendered to the calling. I would of done anything else!!! I double majored in college receiving 2 BFA’s one in Acting and one in Writing. I was auditioning for tiny bit parts where I got to say one line and I never truly got to “act”. I felt like a musician who was only allowed to pluck one guitar string every 6 months. I wanted to play a full song. Stand-Up Comedy gave me the opportunity to create my own platform and voice. I was no longer waiting for someone else to allow me to perform. It was the perfect combination of my 2 degrees and I was off!

vez said, “Laughter is what prevents our pain from scaring.” When we show other people through laughter how we stumble and rise, we inadvertently give them permission to embrace their own messy journey. How does it make you feel to be a woman in stand up? And as you are very involved in the LGBT rights movement, how does it make you feel to be a lesbian woman in this industry? It’s odd sometimes. I often feel I have more to prove. I don’t want to sound pompous by saying this, but sometimes when I walk into a room, I get a look and random asides assuming I am not funny. Women who are funny are often expected to be chunky and

but if it allows me to share my art and it helps another Queer person find their voice, then it’s worth it. I also have found on occasion that people make the assumption I don’t like men and that insults me. There is a reason feminine and masculine energy are in the world. I need the balance of male energy. Some of my best friends are men. What should an audience expect when they see you perform? What’s your act like? I do not just stand in front of a mic. I am a very physical comic. I dance and perform physical impressions. I sometimes lunge or do a jumping jack if the joke calls for it. I also play guitar and sometimes in longer sets I have an accom-

““Stand-Up Comedy (...) I was no longer waiting for someone else to allow me to perform.” Who and what inspires your comedy? My favorite Comedian will always be Joan Rivers. She was a trailblazer and inspired me to embrace the crass and sometimes raunchy perspective of a woman. Years before it was acceptable, she showed the world that the female voice was resonating and powerful. Joan Rivers also hit the nail on the head when she said, “Stand-Up Comedy is the only art form where you get an immediate response. That is why it truly is the most courageous of all art.” I have that quote above my desk and it reminds me of how brave this profession is. What inspires my comedy is the fallibility of the human experience. I have often heard people say to me that “I’m not saving lives.” But when I was coming out and overcoming a drug addiction, comedy was my reprieve. It did save my life. Another one of my favorite Comedians Monique Mar-

goofy looking. And if they look like me they surely cannot be gay. Lesbian comics are considered funny, but their physicality must not be intimidating. In my experience society will listen to the voice of a woman but we can’t be beautiful too. There is something so sorted about the fact that women have struggled being powerful and beautiful simultaneously. In regards to the Lesbian thing, it has many times been a blessing but also a curse. I do find it to be an interesting experience in the entertainment industry for sure. Many times I have been booked because I am a “Latina Lesbian” Comic. I’m not sure if the alliteration inspires people to book me or they just have a diversity quotient to fill. Either way, I’m not going to lie, I’ll take it! Sometimes you have to play the game and capitalize on what makes you unique. I didn’t ask to be a Lesbian or Cuban

panist on piano for my musical parodies. I just recently began adding media elements in the form of a slide show and I use a large foam middle finger to point to the slides while providing commentary. What is your ultimate goal? My ultimate goal truly is to be a Comedic Actress. I would love to have a career that paralleled Amy Schumer’s or Tiffany Haddish or Kate Makinnon. I believe that Stand-Up Comedy is the conduit to me working as a Professional Comedic Actress. My secret fantasy...I would love my own TV show..there I said it!! Website → reneesantos.com Instagram @reneesantoslanyc Interview by Paul Pelarbin

FRESH MAGAZINE - 23

THE NEW ERA

FRESH

MICHAEL GALARZA

“I decided to create a quality dependable Tourbillon timepiece that would be attainable to all that would still have all the hallmarks found in higher end watches.” Michael, could you tell us a little about your background and how you got into watch design? I’ve been obsessed with timepieces since before I could read and write. One of my earliest memories is sitting in the corner of the room, with my ear to a pocketwatch that my father owned, listening to its rhythmic beating. As an adult, I created a boutique luxury goods sourcing and distribution business that specialized in helping companies find the highest quality suppliers worldwide. From the farms that provide the wool that eventually go into a famous British brand’s hallmark checkered cashmere scarves to the leatherworkers who produce leather bags for famous French and Italian brands, I think I have a knack for identifying the world’s absolute best quality producers in emerging economies. As I got to know the producers better, I came to a realization that the actual price I could get these same products made for was many times 10% or 5% of what the eventual retail markup was. Far below what the famous luxury brands charged for them and much higher than the usual markups in standard wholesaling. I realized that the crazy markup was required for these brands to keep paying for celebrity endorse24 - FRESH MAGAZINE

ments and sponsoring global sporting events to try to increase brand strength. And so I decided to see if there was a market for people who cared about receiving a quality timepiece without an overly inflated budget for marketing dollars, who wanted a true timepiece that was worth its value. And so I decided to create a quality dependable Tourbillon timepiece that would be attainable to all that would still have all the hallmarks found in higher end watches. That was how the ERA prometheus was born. What kind of challenges did you go through while coming up with ERA Timepieces? There are too many to count - I set an insanely crazy delivery schedule for our first batch to deliver a mere 2 weeks after our campaign ended and before we even got paid for the entire campaign! I had to jump through crazy hoops to get the financing required in order to deliver on time. But that’s what being an entrepreneur means, you deal with what life throws at you without complaining and just get it done. How did you pick the name? We went back and forth between names for awhile, I really liked ERA because it has multiple connotations both as a unit of time and also

to denote a period of time where drastic shifts happen in the landscape. Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it as a gift to mankind, and endured the Gods’ wrath in order to pursue the greater good for humanity and I thought that was a perfect analogy for what we’re doing here. Recently, you had a very successful crowdfunding campaign... What key points went into that being the success it was? I think everything starts from your value proposition. We are offering the chance to own a complication that was previously only available to the most successful people in the world, for basically the price of a new iPhone. We had an amazing marketing campaign but nothing works without selling something that people truly desire and want first and foremost. What is your ultimate goal for your timepieces? My personal goal is to create an entire line of once-rare complications that people love and to eventually make them all attainable for regular people, and to be known as the go-to company that can bring any complication to market for significantly less than companies that love to price gouge their aﬄuent customers.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are offering the chance to own a complication that was previously only available to the most successful people in the world...â&#x20AC;? Visit Eratimepieces.com 25

ART LOVE

FRESH

ART MIREILLE SALTI For people who are not very familiar with art and its lexicon, what does “Abstract expressionist” mean? An abstract expressionist artist is someone who works their piece intuitively. It could be described as a seemingly spontaneous approach to creating an artwork with influence from the subconscious mind. One of the biggest names in Abstract Expressionism is Jackson Pollock best known for his dripping splattering paintings. His art is described as “action paintings’, achieved by allowing the body’s natural movements drip the paint.

We truly fell in love with your recent masterpiece called “Papillion”. Such an inspiring piece of Art. Please share your thoughts about your color choices for this body of work. I am so glad you fell in love with it! “Papillion” was actually a piece that was commissioned by a collector to bring together all the colours of his house into the main entrance. He had a prized furniture piece which reminded me of a stylized butterfly and would sit under the ‘Papillion’. I created a mood in the piece that reminiscent of botanical gardens with butterflies in bloom.

How did you first begin to develop your unique style? Looking back at my earlier work and experiments, I can see that I had always been trying to achieve this type of art. I had used the techniques that I knew, like dripping and brushwork, to create a piece that screamed movement and force. After discovering and learning the pouring technique, experimenting until I found my perfect recipes, and ruining many canvases, I started adding on to the pouring technique with results of other experiments I had done. All trying to mirror the visions that I so desperately wanted to express onto my canvas.

Do you feel that the color relationships you’ve expressed in this painting in particular are different than the color relationships you have expressed in previous bodies of work? Yes absolutely. I am usually drawn to blues and I tend to create most of my pieces with those hues. This commission forced me out of my comfort zone which always leads to my best work.

We read somewhere you also have a BA degree in Interior Architecture (Beirut University, Lebanon). Was it helpful to develop your painting skills? Alongside my BA in Interior Architecture from the Lebanese American University, I took countless courses in Fine Arts to refine my painting skills and enrich my knowledge. My experience in designing spaces is especially useful for my commission work; I create pieces with a clear idea of where I want the art to sit and how it brings its surrounding to life. This really helps collectors easily place my work in their homes/spaces. Do you plan out your work beforehand or is it a more random process? The color scheme is always planned. I can sit for days preparing with sketches and samples until I find the perfect combination. The movement of the art though is sometimes predetermined and other times not at all. If I am trying to achieve something specific, the work is a lot more delicate. Otherwise, it’s a process of give and take that starts randomly until I see something to appear. When I reach that point, I start pouring more intentionally to accentuate the natural movement of the liquid paint. 26 26 - FRESH MAGAZINE

Become conscious of the beauty around us. It is the main goal of your creations? Yes. My art is my interpretation of the mysteries of nature. Different collections were inspired by different aspects of nature; light and celestial bodies, undiscovered worlds in the depths of our oceans, or the slow and powerful formation of precious gems. I paint visions of the extraordinary and the beauty that exists in the background while we are so busy with our daily lives. Are you working on new exhibition for 2019? Can you get some dates? Recently, I finished a phenomenal exhibition: World Art Dubai 2019. After some well deserved rest I will start preparing for some interesting projects that should happen mid 2019. It is a collaboration that I am very excited about. I can share the details soon! What is your favorite quote? “One eye sees, the other feels.” ― Paul Klee Instagram @mireille.salti.art Interview by George Khabaj

“My art is my interpretation of the mysteries of nature. Different collections were inspired by different aspects of nature; light and celestial bodies, undiscovered worlds in the depths of our oceans, or the slow and powerful formation of precious gems.”

FRESH MAGAZINE 2017

FRESH MAGAZINE - 27

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Our O ur new film encourages children and teens to talk about sexual assault instead of keeping it a secret.â&#x20AC;?

VISUAL STORYTELLING

FRESH

KELLI GAUTREAU “Dancing 4 Change creates dance films to educate the public on topics pertaining to children.”

Hello Kelli. Thanks for taking the time to share your passion with our readers. As a professional dancer and teacher, what is your educational background? First let me say, I am so excited to be interviewed by Fresh Magazine! I grew up dancing and choreographing at The Broadway Dance Academy in Brockville, Ontario Canada. After high school, I attended Brigham Young University. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in the Music Dance Theater program. After graduating I moved to NYC to pursue a professional career as an artist. How did you fall in love with visual arts? The first real dance I choreographed was for a group of 10 year olds to the song “Hard Knock Life” from the musical Annie. I was 16 years old. The dance was being created for students at the Broadway Dance Academy for a dance competition. At the competition, the students end up winning top marks and I end up winning best choreographer. It was then that I realized how much I loved to create. Since then I have made a career out of dance and choreography. I have a passion for story-telling. What is the concept behind Dancing 4 Change? What is your mission? Dancing 4 Change creates dance films to educate the public on topics pertaining to children. We call our short films “Dancing Public Service Announcements”. None of the films have dialogue. The stories are told through the medium of acting and dance.

T H E R E

I S

When we begin an adventure, especially in charities, we all have to find our “WHY”. What was yours? I think the world can be a confusing place for children. In creating these films, I want to use my talents for something good. It is my hope that with each film we create, we are helping children live a better life. Three years ago, you released a viral film entitled “See Me, I’m in Here”. Very powerful and emotional. What was the feedback? The feedback we’ve gotten from this film is incredible. As soon as it was released I was getting phone calls from various Mental Health agencies around the country asking to use the film. (See Me) I’m in Here! was the start of our film making journey. Since then, our films have supported The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI), The Alicia Project, Arts with Impact and various Children’s Mental Health agencies, Anti-Bullying Campaigns, and Police Cyber Units throughout Canada and the USA. According to you, how can dance, and more globally “Art”, change the world? A famous choreographer by the name Martha Graham said, “Dance is the universal language of the soul”. I believe in the power that dance has to bring people together. Social networks, chats, violent images and videos... All this content can be very dangerous for kids. What worries you most about it? Last year we created a film about internet safety. It was created to raise

A L W A Y S

awareness for the dangers of internet predator related kidnappings. The title of the film is, (Our) Little Secret!. For this film, we worked closely with kidnapping survivor Alicia Kozakiewicz from the Alicia Project. The internet can be fun, it can be used for educational purposes. It also can be a very dangerous place for kids. Children should never talk to strangers online. This includes video games and social media apps. The thing that worries us the most about this topic is how easy it is for predators hiding behind computer screens can reach kids online. A good rule to live by is…If you don’t personally know someone in real life then it’s safe to say you shouldn’t be talking to them online. What are your upcoming projects for 2019? We are looking forward to our new film (Stronger) Together! to come out. This film was made to raise awareness for the #MeToo movement. The film encourages children and teens to talk about sexual assault instead of keeping it a secret. We are also starting to workshop ideas for a film about school safety. This film is being made in support of the desperate need to stop the School Shootings. While the adults in this country fight over gun laws, children are dying. We will be asking people from both sides to set their differences aside and start fighting together to fix this problem. Website → dancing4change.com Facebook → dancing4change

S O L U T I O N FRESH MAGAZINE - 29

faith. love. strong will. Сповна

This song was born 6 months ago, but I’ve presented it along with the video quite recently. Song in Ukrainian language, «Сповна» means “Completely”. The song is about love “I’m yours completely”.

DREAM

THE VIDEO

First and most important, this is a feeling of joy and love, inspiration and power for life. Now I preparing new songs, half album, this is something new in my creative work, all songs are in English and you can hear them very soon

Yes, we decided to do it in the desert. The concept was created by Amir Timur Production. The idea of flying girls in the video was also his idea. For me it is the representation of love and the idea that it gives us wings.

INSPIRATION

There is no special place to be inspired. I just need to wait for the right time, when my life experience will be ready to be put into paper. I didn’t make harmony and music arrangement.

DREAM DUO

Oh, this is a really very diﬃcult question)) but I think this will be Beyoncé, John Legend, Ariana Grande! 30 - FRESH MAGAZINE

Since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of being a singer. I started studying music when I was six.

YOUR MUSIC

QUOTE

“Faith, love and strong will are able to overcome any obstacles.” Instagram → @aleksandra_cherevko Photo by @bozhenahv

ALL EYES ON ME Interview by Gilles Namuro

a t s y r K oungs Y

“

My goal this year is to win a Grammy.”

Hello Krysta, we wanted to congratulate your for the release of your new single “Neighbors”! How has the feedback been? It’s been really great!!! Neighbors is one of my favorite songs and I’m so happy that I finally got to collaborate with Friendzone on it :) Personally, I discovered you a couple years ago with your music video “Xanax”. How would you say that you have grown as an artist since this release? I think that I’ve really honed my songwriting and vocal craft. I’ve also become more secure as a person, faced some fears (travel anxiety, co-dependency, depression). The hard times have shaped me as a person and taught me empathy.

“Bada$$ MuthF*cka”... What does it mean to you? It means I can be, do and have anything I want. All I have to do is believe. You just worked with singer/songwriter Julia Ross on the BTS track HOME... how amazing was this experience? Hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Julia is an incredibly talented songwriter and singer and working with her is effortless and fun. It just goes to show you that when you’re having fun great things come from it! What has been one goal that you have had this year and how close are you to reaching it? My goal this year is to win a Grammy. BTS’s album is off to an exceptional start so fingers crossed (and toes)!

Growing up, was music always a big part of your life? Can you remember your first ever musical experience? Absolutely! My grandmother played piano by ear so when I was a kid we used to sit at the piano together and make up songs. What inspires you? Human relationships. What one quote do you live by? “If you can hold it in your head you can hold it in your hands.” - Bob Proctor Website → krystayoungs.com Instagram → @krystayoungs

FRESH MAGAZINE - 31

C H R I S

32 - FRESH MAGAZINE

D E

N E P T U N E