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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

On this episode, we're lucky to be joined by award-winning photographer, visual storyteller, and artist Emma Brown.

Emma's work sits at this kind of intersection of art, humanity, and process.

Emma creates stunning images using a technique called wet plate photography. And since finding it, she has completely immersed herself in this historic process that was developed in the 1850s.

A raw, unforgiving, and beautifully imperfect form of photography that Emma describes as a 'Dark mistress. Full of magic and ritual, where you have to just surrender to the process.'

She's the recipient of the Juliet Margaret Cameron Award, among many others, and her work has been featured in recognised publications like Focus Quarterly, and she's been selected for multiple exhibitions, including The Royal Academy Summer Show.

But beyond the accolades, Emma's work spans portraiture and music, as well as long-term collaboration projects with NGOs and charities, including volunteering with the Sahrawi Refugee Community in both Algeria and here in the UK. It's her dedication to ethical storytelling that really defines Emma's legacy as a photographer.

In this episode, we discuss Emma's creative journey. We explore everything from her route into photography, the realities of working in the industry, and we go into detail about the work that she does for unrepresented communities. Where she uses her passion for photography to help others tell their stories through images.

We go into detail about Emma learning wet plate photography and falling in love with its magic, and why it is just so important to surrender. Slow down and be truly present with the process.

We talk about the vulnerability of being an artist, putting our heads above the parapet and saying, "This is what I do!"

And we also discuss why we should all consider taking the 'Un-Path', because the unconventional routes often lead to the most incredible journeys.

Check out the links to Emma's website and social media, where you can see more of her amazing work.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

EMMA BROWN WEBSITE: https://www.emmabrownphotography.com/

EMMA BROWN INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/emmabrownphotography

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

You've probably already worked out that I love using the podcast to shine a light on the people in my world who are doing interesting and inspiring things.

Well, this episode is no different, as we are joined by my wonderful friend Gary Bonnick.

Gary, along with his wife Shannon, runs a business called Wear Change, A Shop, an online platform that sells a wide range of vintage and pre-loved clothing and paraphernalia.

Wanting to do something a bit different in a world filled with fast fashion. Wear Change focuses on sustainability, building community, and giving back to the people around them.

They've recently signed a partnership with the Salvation Army, under which a percentage of all sales from Wear Change will go directly to them and to the amazing work they do in the community.

But not only that, Wear Change wants to help other artisan makers and creators. So if you are a fashion designer or perhaps an artist, then Wear Change wants to be a platform or a storefront for you to sell your work, too, because, as Gary tells us, it's bigger than just them and there's opportunity for everybody to win.

That's Gary through and through. And one of the reasons why I wanted to get him on the podcast, he's one of those people who genuinely cares about others and someone whose energy lifts the people around him, whether he knows it or not.

In this episode, we talk about Gary's journey, the early days where, as most of us did, He was searching for direction. We talk about his evolution and the passion and drive that he's now found, starting and running Wear Change alongside his fantastic wife, Shannon, supporting each other every step of the way.

We discuss why fashion is a language and why we need so much more colour in this somewhat beige world we all live in. We also talk about having strong work ethics, the lessons that we can all learn from failure, why rejection is simply a sign of redirection, and so much more.

Be sure to check out the links to the Wear Change social media and shop below:

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

WEAR CHANGE SHOP: https://www.vinted.co.uk/member/67944777-shannt

WEAR CHANGE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wear_changeuk/

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

There are always hurdles on any journey, especially on a creative one; some people may fall and simply give up, and then there are others who can face challenges, however tough, and they seem to elevate and rise to it! They may not know how, while they’re in it, maybe it’s forced upon them, but they just do it!

And our guest on this episode is a great example of that. We’re joined by ceramicist Ayesha Bibi from Sketch Avenue.

Looking at Ayesha’s work, it might be hard to believe that she only began working in ceramics a couple of years ago.

But she took on the challenge of learning a new skill head-on and now creates the most incredible pieces, which are often abstract yet ergonomically designed and inspired by everything from architecture, the Bauhaus movement, and even pop art.

Now she may be relatively new to ceramics, but Ayesha has repeatedly sold out her collections, and her work can now be found in locations all over the world, including LA and Dubai.

But not only that, in 2025, Ayesha featured on the UK TV show, ‘Be your own Boss’, where she was mentored by 'Not on the High Street' founder, Holly Tucker. Which helped give Ayesha more confidence to push forward and develop Sketch Avenue further as a business and a brand

She’s definitely been busy.

Now, you might be thinking ok, where are the challenges?

Well, the journey for Ayesha to get here is a long one, and I could tell you all of the hurdles that she's faced along the way, but surely it’s better to hear about them from the person who faced them, overcame them, and who elevated in the face of every challenge put in front of her.

So…

You can check out the links to Ayeshas social media and website to see the amazing work below:

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

SKETCH AVENUE WEBSITE: https://sketchavenue.com/

SKETCH AVENUE INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sketchavenue_/

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

The aim of the podcast is to bring you interesting and inspiring guests. And on this episode, we are joined by someone who inspires me regularly. Three times a week, in fact. My boxing coach, my friend, and armchair philosopher, James Collings.

You might be thinking, why has he got a boxing coach on the podcast?

Well, we discuss how boxing is an art. It could be considered as one of the ultimate forms of creativity, as it requires skill, imagination, and split-second problem-solving. It's like violent chess, but with consequences, and it can teach us more than we might imagine about not only ourselves, but about life.

We go into detail about the benefits of combat sports, like boxing, to take you out of your comfort zone, build resilience, humility, and the perseverance to keep going through adversity.

We talk about strength, vulnerability, and how to stop being held back by the fear of being judged because, realistically, no one will ever judge you harder than you judge yourself.

We also discuss James's creative journey, his talent for music, and boxing. His time spent studying at the Royal College of Music in London, and how the two skill sets overlap.

We talk about James starting his own gym, THE JAB LAB and his YouTube channel that provides workouts and great insights into the world of boxing.

We also talk about philosophy and the importance of having strong values, smiling at strangers and enjoying your life. And we explain why it's better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.

You can check out the links to James' YouTube Channel and social media below:

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

THE JAB LAB INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thejab_lab/

THE JAB LAB YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@Thejab_lab

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

On this episode, we are joined by self-portrait artist and my mate Claire Riley.

As a teenager, Claire was diagnosed with M.E and later with bipolar disorder. Claire joins us to talk about her new body of work, 'Do I make you feel uncomfortable?' Where she's exploring her own mental illness through self-portraiture.

The project is, in her words, honest, brutal, surprising and maybe a little bit ugly, but it's also very real. And to me, it's incredibly brave. It's a project that Claire hopes can open up more conversations about mental health and hopefully help other people who may be going through something similar.

We discuss Claire's whole creative journey and all of the parts that have led her to now, within this new body of work, not only find what she's supposed to be doing with her creativity, but also find herself.

In addition to being a practicing artist, Claire is also a marketing manager for an art gallery. Claire gets to spend her days talking about and being surrounded by art and artists, but not only that, she gets to be behind the scenes of a gallery and understand how it all works, which gives her a very unique perspective. And as a result, Claire has learned some great lessons that she kindly shares with us.

Most important of which being, 'Don't let anyone tell you that your work isn't good enough if you believe in what you're doing, you've already won!'

The masks are off with this one, and there is definitely no sugarcoating it!

We discussed some topics that may be uncomfortable for some people, including mental illness, medication and suicide, but that's the whole point. We have to be able to have these open and honest conversations, and that's the reason why I've got Claire on the podcast.

You can check out the links to Claire's social media and see the project below:

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

CLAIRE RILEY INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/clairerileyfineart/

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose art!

Well, if you're of a certain age, then that might sound a little bit familiar, but on this episode, we're joined by an artist who has done just that... they've chosen art.

An artist who now uses their love of creativity, screen prints, fluorescent inks, and, in their words, potty mouth high jinks to shine a light on some of the inequalities and injustices in the world that make them angry.

On this episode, we are joined by Blam from Grow Up Art.

Blam grew up wanting to be an artist, but not knowing what that looked like, he found himself working as a designer within the film and music industry.

And it was here that Blam helped create some of the most iconic imagery of the nineties. When a brief for the Danny Boyle film Trainspotting landed on his desk, he was asked to design the poster.

Yeah, that's right! Blam designed the original Trainspotting poster, and that alone would be a great reason to have him on the podcast. But the creative journey didn't stop there.

Leaving the limitations and deadlines of the design world behind him when his children were born. Blam began to pursue different avenues of creativity and, for the next 10 years, worked on his own ventures and, more importantly, on being a dad to his children.

The transition from designer to artist came much later, when Blam and his eldest son, Jack, began working and creating together as Grow Up Art, producing a wide spectrum of work, all with that comedic potty-mouth edge.

But now, having grown apart, Blam is riding solo, and with his influences in punk, his work has taken a slightly more political edge, using art and creativity in his words to 'Call out Cunts!'

The most famous of which being the 'Turd Reich'. A piece of work that went viral in 2025, being picked up by The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Guardian. And a piece that was released for free and has been downloaded over a hundred thousand times worldwide.

We discuss the whole journey and so much more. We talk about everything from making work that makes people spit their drinks out. The Broken Filters, Democratic Art and Blam's latest project with Atom Gallery, TrainSpotters, the exhibition.

An exhibition that takes us full circle, and which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Trainspotting. Revisited and reimagined by 30 other artists, and where some of the profits will go to The Big Issue.

You can check out the links to Blam's work while you're listening to the podcast, of course.

But we go into so much in this one that it's probably best to leave it up to the Blam to tell the story.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

GROW UP ART INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/grow_up_art_/

GROW UP ART WEBSITE: https://www.growupart.com/

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

Art is shit! Or is it?

On this episode, we are joined by Artist, Mr Edwards, who describes his work as a Pop Dada Party filled with a cast of characters, all of his own making. As long as it makes him laugh, anything is fair game when it comes to him creating.

Mr Edwards has had an interesting creative journey. From studying at St. Martin's and the Royal College of Art to a career spent as a designer working for ID magazine. Then running his own agency, Nice. Where he was working with high-profile clients like Converse and Levi's.

A collector of all things visual. We discuss all of that and more, like the big decision to immigrate to Australia and the shift that pushed Mr Edwards towards art and creating without worrying if people get offended or not. Because, well, sometimes they do get offended.

You can check out the links to Mr Edwards' work while you're listening to the podcast, of course.

But we go into so much in this one that it's probably best to leave it up to the self-confessed troublemaker and Justin Bieber lookalike, Mr Edwards, to tell the story.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

MR EDWARDS INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/misteredwards/

MR EDWARDS SHOP: https://www.etsy.com/shop/misteredwards

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Welcome to the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

Casual and meaningless are everywhere right now, but real connections are rare, and finding those connections in a world that seems increasingly disconnected is what the podcast is all about. It's what I'm all about!

It's a little unusual, but when you feel that connection, sometimes you just have to act, and this episode is the epitome of that idea.

Completely unplanned. Just two humans who the universe aligned in a city of over 2 million people and who found a connection through honesty, vulnerability, art, darkness, and the beauty that can be found in some of that darkness.

I believe that everything is connected and that I was always supposed to meet the guest who's on this episode. He's a creator, a graphic designer, he draws, he's a DJ, a music producer, and he has his own record label, and he uses all of these ways to express himself creatively.

But this episode isn't about the work as such. It's more about two people connecting through vulnerability, honesty, and openness.

We get deep on this one. We talk about the journey, and we discuss difficult topics like grief and loss and how leaning into some of those harder emotions and connecting to the deeper side of ourselves is often where you'll find the most beautiful stuff.

We discuss living in the moment, resilience and how we have to keep going no matter what happens in life because we are the art!

There's no such thing as a coincidence, and the universe put us together when we needed to meet. Two like-minded souls, finding connection through art and experiences. And that's what the podcast is all about.

He doesn't call himself an artist. He's an expressor, and his name is Lolo.

Hope you enjoy this episode of The Creative Nowhere Land Podcast.

LOLO INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/l0_l0s/

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