Tamara Gibson is the founder and artisan perfumer behind Native Caribbean— an artisan fragrance house handcrafted entirely in the Caribbean by women of the region. Based in Barbados, Tamara blends storytelling, ancestral knowledge with the sense of smell to archive the textures of Caribbean life—bush medicine, folklore, rituals, language, and cuisine. Her fragrances are rooted in heritage, layered with meaning, and reshaping how we experience culture and define luxury through scent.I loved talking to Tamara about the power of scent, and we dove deep into:<ul><li>Her journey as an entrepreneur and why she doesn’t consider herself “creative”</li><li>Her rich background that led her to being in the creative and cultural space</li><li>How travel has inspired her to reflect on her identity</li><li>How she became inspired by a trip to visit her grandmother</li><li>How she developed the scents that evoke memories from her home and culture</li><li>How identity feeds creativity - and her journey of showing up as an entrepreneur</li><li>How we can tell our story in the Caribbean through our craftsmanship and culture</li><li>What it means to be a Caribbean native.</li><li>Some of the inspiration behind the scents in her Grandmother’s wisdom collection</li></ul>And so much more! I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.You can follow Tamara's fun and informative IG account below, and check out her website.<a href="https://www.instagram.com/nativecaribbeanscents/">https://www.instagram.com/nativecaribbeanscents/</a><a href="http://www.nativecaribbean.com">www.nativecaribbean.com</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Tamara Gibson is the founder and artisan perfumer behind Native Caribbean— an artisan fragrance house handcrafted entirely in the Caribbean by women of the region. Based in Barbados, Tamara blends storytelling, ancestral knowledge with the sense of smell to archive the textures of Caribbean life—bush medicine, folklore, rituals, language, and cuisine. Her fragrances are rooted in heritage, layered with meaning, and reshaping how we experience culture and define luxury through scent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I loved talking to Tamara about the power of scent, and we dove deep into:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her journey as an entrepreneur and why she doesn’t consider herself “creative”&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her rich background that led her to being in the creative and cultural space&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How travel has inspired her to reflect on her identity&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she became inspired by a trip to visit her grandmother&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she developed the scents that evoke memories from her home and culture&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How identity feeds creativity - and her journey of showing up as an entrepreneur&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How we can tell our story in the Caribbean through our craftsmanship and culture&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What it means to be a Caribbean native.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Some of the inspiration behind the scents in her Grandmother’s wisdom collection&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;And so much more! I hope that you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can follow Tamara's fun and informative IG account below, and check out her website.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/nativecaribbeanscents/"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/nativecaribbeanscents/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.nativecaribbean.com"&gt;www.nativecaribbean.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Tamara Gibson — artisan perfumer and founder of Native Caribbean — joins us to talk about scent as storytelling. Based in Barbados, Tamara blends heritage, memory, and craftsmanship to capture the textures of Caribbean life. We explore her entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind her Grandmother’s Wisdom collection, and what it means to tell our stories through culture, creativity, and scent. A beautifully sensory conversation about identity, roots, and the art of remembrance.

Tamara Gibson: Scent, Heritage and Caribbean life

Today in a recording of a blog post I wrote recently, I discuss whether my podcast can be considered art.You can read the post, and posts around other questions I have been asking myself - as well as reflections from 8 years of blogging over on my website!Link to the post is <a href="https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art" target="_blank">https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art</a>Take a read and enjoy! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Today in a recording of a blog post I wrote recently, I discuss whether my podcast can be considered art.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;You can read the post, and posts around other questions I have been asking myself - as well as reflections from 8 years of blogging over on my website!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Link to the post is &lt;a href="https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Take a read and enjoy!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Today in a recording of a blog post I wrote recently, I discuss whether my podcast can be considered art.

Can my podcast be art? Solo Episode

Today's guest is Kelly Morgan.Kelly Morgan is an author, publisher, and the founder of Bright Headed Publishing — a platform dedicated to bold storytelling and underrepresented voices, especially from BIPOC communities. She’s the author of Weight For It and You Sound White, and the host of The Author’s Mic, a podcast that supports indie authors with real talk and practical tools. Kelly also created BTA Fridays™ (Breaking the Algorithm), a series that helps writers market their books without chasing trends or gimmicks. Her work centers truth, emotional depth, and building something powerful from the ground up — especially for storytellers who’ve been overlooked or underestimated.Kelly and I discussed:<ul><li>Her journey from writing to publishing - and even diving into audiobooks and podcasting - after she got scammed</li><li>Her desire to empower writers with information around publishing</li><li>How she wrote her first book, and translated the “movie in her head” onto the page.</li><li>How she chose to write her fiction from her own experiences - and how this helped her to heal</li><li>The process of writing, publishing and marketing and some of the skills involved in these phases</li><li>Her book club and the Author’s mic podcast</li><li>How she used her experience of being scammed as fuel to create her current business</li><li>Her journey of writing a children’s book, and translating the movie in her head over to an illustrator</li><li>Her plans for the future of her publishing company</li></ul>And so much more. You can find Kelly's links below, including her linktree. Take a listen to her show, and check our her book club if you love reading and discovering new authors!Website - <a href="http://brighheadedpublishing.com/" target="_blank">brighheadedpublishing.com </a>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrightHeadedPublishing" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/BrightHeadedPublishing</a> Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/bhplcc" target="_blank"> https://www.instagram.com/bhplcc</a> TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brightheadpublishing" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@brightheadpublishing</a> Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2mJ9IIuhz4bjnKKtNf1oO0" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/2mJ9IIuhz4bjnKKtNf1oO0</a> YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@brightheadedpublishingllc7004" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@brightheadedpublishingllc7004</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bright-headed-publishing" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/bright-headed-publishing</a> Linktree: <a href="https://linktr.ee/BrightHeadedPublishing" target="_blank">https://linktr.ee/BrightHeadedPublishing</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Today's guest is Kelly Morgan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kelly Morgan is an author, publisher, and the founder of Bright Headed Publishing — a platform dedicated to bold storytelling and underrepresented voices, especially from BIPOC communities. She’s the author of &lt;i&gt;Weight For It&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;You Sound White&lt;/i&gt;, and the host of &lt;i&gt;The Author’s Mic&lt;/i&gt;, a podcast that supports indie authors with real talk and practical tools. Kelly also created &lt;i&gt;BTA Fridays™ (Breaking the Algorithm)&lt;/i&gt;, a series that helps writers market their books without chasing trends or gimmicks. Her work centers truth, emotional depth, and building something powerful from the ground up — especially for storytellers who’ve been overlooked or underestimated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kelly and I discussed:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her journey from writing to publishing - and even diving into audiobooks and podcasting - after she got scammed&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her desire to empower writers with information around publishing&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she wrote her first book, and translated the “movie in her head” onto the page.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she chose to write her fiction from her own experiences - and how this helped her to heal&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The process of writing, publishing and marketing and some of the skills involved in these phases&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her book club and the Author’s mic podcast&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she used her experience of being scammed as fuel to create her current business&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her journey of writing a children’s book, and translating the movie in her head over to an illustrator&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Her plans for the future of her publishing company&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;And so much more. You can find Kelly's links below, including her linktree. Take a listen to her show, and check our her book club if you love reading and discovering new authors!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Website - &lt;a href="http://brighheadedpublishing.com/" target="_blank"&gt;brighheadedpublishing.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Facebook: &lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/BrightHeadedPublishing" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.facebook.com/BrightHeadedPublishing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Instagram:&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/bhplcc" target="_blank"&gt; https://www.instagram.com/bhplcc&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;TikTok: &lt;a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@brightheadpublishing" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@brightheadpublishing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Spotify: &lt;a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2mJ9IIuhz4bjnKKtNf1oO0" target="_blank"&gt;https://open.spotify.com/show/2mJ9IIuhz4bjnKKtNf1oO0&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;YouTube: &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/@brightheadedpublishingllc7004" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/@brightheadedpublishingllc7004&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;LinkedIn: &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bright-headed-publishing" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/company/bright-headed-publishing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Linktree: &lt;a href="https://linktr.ee/BrightHeadedPublishing" target="_blank"&gt;https://linktr.ee/BrightHeadedPublishing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Author, publisher, and podcast host Kelly Morgan joins us to talk about turning setbacks into powerful platforms for storytelling. From writing her first book to building Bright Headed Publishing, Kelly shares how she empowers indie authors with knowledge, truth, and tools to thrive. We dive into writing from lived experience, recording her own audiobooks, breaking the algorithm in book marketing, and the joy of building a community of bold storytellers.

Kelly Morgan: Writing, Publishing and Inspiring Joy

Today's guest is Aisha Shillingford. Aisha Shillingford is an anti-disciplinary artist, experiential futurist, and world builder originally from Trinidad & Tobago. She is an archivist of Black futures. She is the Artistic Director of Intelligent Mischief, a creative studio unleashing the power of Black radical imagination to shape the future. She is a former Fellow and Artist In Residence (Create Change Fellow ‘20 and AiR ‘23)  at the Laundromat Project, former mentor at the New Museum Incubator (New Inc.), and a former Project Fellow at NYU ITP. Her work has been commissioned by the Anchorage Museum, Earthseed, and Good Mirrors to name a few.. She has co-created experiential futurist installations at Carnegie Hall (Afrocosmicmelatopia, 2022), Tone Gallery in Memphis, TN ((Archipelago,2022) and a virtual 24 hour rave all based on collectively imagined future worlds in which Black people are thriving, sovereign, and free (Nation X). She has crafted several immersive sonic experiences to guide individuals and groups in creating palpable, irresistible visions of beautiful futures.Aisha and I discussed:<ul><li>How her creative journey was impacted by growing up in Trinidad, by carnival, by her father who was an academic and by living with art students as a community organiser</li><li>How making art led her to the intersection of art and social change</li><li>Intelligent mischief - a cultural futures lab whose purpose is to unleash Black imagination to shape the future</li><li>How she defines art and sees its potential for impact</li><li>How art can be a space for communicating social issues</li><li>How she became involved with organisations crafting narratives around reparations</li><li>Connecting the imagining of new worlds to ideas around repair</li><li>Bringing a big vision to life and creating team around it</li></ul>And so much more! You can find links below to her work and to Intelligent Mischief, and go along and visit Futures of Repair! Links are below.Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/10104573448120110" target="_blank">http://www.facebook.com/10104573448120110</a>Youtube: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/@IntelligentMischiefStudios" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/@IntelligentMischiefStudios</a>Instagram: <a href="http://instagram.com/intelligentmischief" target="_blank">http://instagram.com/intelligentmischief</a>Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0DBoxD59oqVQ0gNIpjBxL1?si=36550e274d8b43b1" target="_blank">https://open.spotify.com/show/0DBoxD59oqVQ0gNIpjBxL1?si=36550e274d8b43b1</a>Visit Futures of Repair: <a href="https://www.intelligentmischief.com/visit" target="_blank">https://www.intelligentmischief.com/visit</a>Shop; <a href="https://www.intelligentmischief.com/buyart" target="_blank">https://www.intelligentmischief.com/buyart</a> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Today's guest is Aisha Shillingford. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aisha Shillingford is an anti-disciplinary artist, experiential futurist, and world builder originally from Trinidad &amp; Tobago. She is an archivist of Black futures. She is the Artistic Director of Intelligent Mischief, a creative studio unleashing the power of Black radical imagination to shape the future. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She is a former Fellow and Artist In Residence (Create Change Fellow ‘20 and AiR ‘23)  at the Laundromat Project, former mentor at the New Museum Incubator (New Inc.), and a former Project Fellow at NYU ITP. Her work has been commissioned by the Anchorage Museum, Earthseed, and Good Mirrors to name a few.. She has co-created experiential futurist installations at Carnegie Hall (&lt;i&gt;Afrocosmicmelatopia, 2022)&lt;/i&gt;, Tone Gallery in Memphis, TN ((&lt;i&gt;Archipelago&lt;/i&gt;,2022) and a virtual 24 hour rave all based on collectively imagined future worlds in which Black people are thriving, sovereign, and free (&lt;i&gt;Nation X)&lt;/i&gt;. She has crafted several immersive sonic experiences to guide individuals and groups in creating palpable, irresistible visions of beautiful futures.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Aisha and I discussed:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;How her creative journey was impacted by growing up in Trinidad, by carnival, by her father who was an academic and by living with art students as a community organiser&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How making art led her to the intersection of art and social change&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Intelligent mischief - a cultural futures lab whose purpose is to unleash Black imagination to shape the future&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she defines art and sees its potential for impact&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How art can be a space for communicating social issues&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How she became involved with organisations crafting narratives around reparations&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Connecting the imagining of new worlds to ideas around repair&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Bringing a big vision to life and creating team around it&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;And so much more! You can find links below to her work and to Intelligent Mischief, and go along and visit Futures of Repair! Links are below.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Facebook: &lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/10104573448120110" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.facebook.com/10104573448120110&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Youtube: &lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/@IntelligentMischiefStudios" target="_blank"&gt;http://www.youtube.com/@IntelligentMischiefStudios&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instagram: &lt;a href="http://instagram.com/intelligentmischief" target="_blank"&gt;http://instagram.com/intelligentmischief&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Spotify: &lt;a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0DBoxD59oqVQ0gNIpjBxL1?si=36550e274d8b43b1" target="_blank"&gt;https://open.spotify.com/show/0DBoxD59oqVQ0gNIpjBxL1?si=36550e274d8b43b1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Visit Futures of Repair: &lt;a href="https://www.intelligentmischief.com/visit" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.intelligentmischief.com/visit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Shop; &lt;a href="https://www.intelligentmischief.com/buyart" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.intelligentmischief.com/buyart&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Artist, futurist, and world-builder Aisha Shillingford joins us to talk about unleashing Black imagination through her work with Intelligent Mischief. We explore her journey from Trinidad to creating immersive art at the intersection of culture and social change, the role of storytelling in repair and reparations, and how collective visioning can shape beautiful Black futures. A powerful, imaginative conversation about art, activism, and possibility.

Aisha Shillingford: Black Imagination and Intelligent Mischief

Host Safiya Robinson celebrates 4 years of Writing Black Joy with the lessons she has learned along the way.Learn about what lessons she has leared about creativity - and about herself - and hear from a listener!!Check out the blog post mentioned - <a href="https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art" target="_blank">https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art</a>and leave us a voicenote over on <a href="https://www.writingblackjoy.com/" target="_blank">https://www.writingblackjoy.com/</a> letting us know - what is bringing you joy right now!And come over to Instagram to follow us!! @writingblackjoy.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Host Safiya Robinson celebrates 4 years of Writing Black Joy with the lessons she has learned along the way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn about what lessons she has leared about creativity - and about herself - and hear from a listener!!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Check out the blog post mentioned - &lt;a href="https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.safiyarobinson.com/recent/can-my-podcast-be-art&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;and leave us a voicenote over on &lt;a href="https://www.writingblackjoy.com/" target="_blank"&gt;https://www.writingblackjoy.com/&lt;/a&gt; letting us know - what is bringing you joy right now!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And come over to Instagram to follow us!! @writingblackjoy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;br/&gt; &lt;p&gt;Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See &lt;a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com"&gt;pcm.adswizz.com&lt;/a&gt; for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Host Safiya Robinson celebrates 4 years of Writing Black Joy with the lessons she has learned along the way.

Safiya Robinson celebrates 4 years of Writing Black Joy

Writing Black Joy is a celebration of Black creatives whose joyful narratives are changing the world - one story at a time.
The seasonal podcast showcases conversations between host Safiya Robinson and a myriad of Black creatives crafting joyful narratives - including writers of fiction and non-fiction, poetry and music, as well as other creatives. Be prepared to hear conversations that question current narratives, celebrate Black joy and discuss creativity in it's many forms. 

If you are a creative who is ready to be inspired, or lover of the arts - then you are going to love Writing Black Joy.

Writing Black Joy

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