State of the Creators

SEASON FINALE! Watch the video: https://youtu.be/JOGMObhQcvk @JonKabir   widely recognized for being a musician and a prominent vocalist hailing from the Bangladeshi rock scene. Jon started his career almost 20 years ago and burst into the scene with the popular band Black. After Jon left the band, he has been delivering the goods with popular rock band Indalo and as an established solo act. The thing that I find most interesting about Jon's journey is how he has always reinvented himself as a musician. Neither Indalo nor his solo act pull numbers like his early works - but that hasn't stopped him from staying true to his authentic creative pursuits - and that's what I absolutely love about Jon's career. Beyond all this Jon is also a fellow podcaster - because that's also a term these days. So this was also a very cool discussion to have with someone who has been doing this for a few years too. In this episode we talk about what it's been like to make music for the last two decades, Jon's creative process and how the digital world has completely shifted the landscape for musicians today. Special thanks to Akib Shahriar for the camera work and to  @SameerScane   for the studio space!This episode was recorded in early 2023, and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented  @ahmedfahim-exe  00:00 - Intro01:55 - Why Jon started a podcast04:09 - Effects of not reading books on writing08:52 - Writing songs in Bangla09:51 - Bangla language's limitations to craft songs13:04 - Who is 'Jon Kabir'?14:26 - Why music?17:30 - Staying authentic as an artist23:26 - Starting career anew25:33 - Confronting challenges 27:11 - Defining Success in Music30:54 - Teamwork as a 'loner'33:04 - Balance between Creativity and Execution36:35 - Identity struggles within bands37:08 - The Metallica Syndrome40:12 - Jon's thoughts to change the industry43:35 - Breaking the language barrier for global audience46:08 - Defining quality music49:41 - Tackling memes and criticism50:52 - The artistic challenge52:19 - Making money as a musician53:57 - Perspectives on new generations56:50 - The role of emotions in music57:33 - Creative ruts58:10 - Creative routine01:01:22 - The future of music in Bangladesh01:02:23 - Personal goals01:03:34 - Jon's favourite artists01:03:57 - Advice for aspiring artists01:04:51 - Outro

Nuhash Humayun is a writer and a director from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He made his local TV debut in 2017 - and has since written and directed a growing catalogue of short films, music videos, TV shows and advertisements.One of his latest horror shorts, Moshari, has won a number of accolades including the South by South West Jury Award and awards from Fantasia, HollyShorts and Melbourne festivals, and is the first Bangladeshi film ever to qualify for an Oscar. It has done so well that Hollywood juggernauts like Jordan Peele and Riz Ahmed are set to Executive Produce the live-action short. In fact his other recent works, like Pett Kata Shaw and Foreigners Only on Hulu has won multiple global awards. @nuhashhYT   is currently writing a script for a major Hollywood Studio and is working on his first feature length film. Nuhash is also the son of legendary Bangladeshi novelist, screenwriter and personality Humayun Ahmed. In this episode we talk about his creative process, how he navigates a complicated landscape and why he chooses horror of all things to make films about. This episode was recorded in early 2023, and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented  @ahmedfahim-exe  00:00 - Intro01:45 - Why horror? 03:28 - The intersection of horror and Bangladeshi culture06:34 - Being true to oneself07:08 - Who is 'Nuhash Humayun'08:33 - Nuhash's illustrious family 11:09 - Other side of fame12:37 - Keeping up with family identity 15:57 - How family identity affects work 22:05 - Motivation behind filmmaking22:59 - Collaboration28:07 - Defining filmmaking30:51 - The role of social media34:37 - Leveraging social media36:33 - Balancing multiple responsibilities39:01 - Creative writing process43:33 - Incorporating audience feedback46:36 - Defining success47:26 - 'Moshari' and its appeal51:37 - Defining quality work55:09 - Biggest gap in the industry58:12 - Film production challenges58:55 - Impact of fame on artistic work01:02:15 - Overcoming unhappyness through art01:04:08 - Nuhash's creative routine01:05:04 - Nuhash's favourite artists01:06:45 - Nuhash's dream collab with his father01:09:29 - Envisioning filmmaking's future01:11:00 - Personal goals01:12:25 - Advice for aspiring filmmakers01:14:33 - Outro

Dameer Khan is an indie-pop singer-songwriter and a producer. At just 22, he has released quite a few singles and an EP, all of which has gained millions of views and streams and has gotten him a niche following. I stumbled upon Dameer's work first in 2017, and almost instantly became a fan of his work. Beyond his nostalgic tunes,  @Dameer 's music videos are cinematic and a joy to watch personally. In this episode we talked about his journey, his identity as a musician and how he utilises his community to become a better creator. Dameer is big on the use of social media to promote your art - which is always an interesting take these days and we dive deep into that side of things as well. Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2023, and the artwork in the animation was done by none other than the guest of this episode  @ahmedfahim.archives  AUDIO: https://stateofthecreators.buzzsprout.com/00:00 Intro02:05 A colour for each song04:27 Who is Dameer? 05:08 Canada06:44 Dameer's early days08:38 Dameer's creative family and band "Renaissance" 10:36 Why study Poli-Science?14:14 Leveraging a uni degree16:22 Music in 'Bangla Language'21:13 Malaysia23:00 The Harmony of Two Languages in Music.26:04 Was moving out a good decision?28:30 Writing music in simple lyrics33:46 Fandom38:54 Dameer's dream43:26 Bangladesh through an artist's lens45:19 Beginning of a music career47:30 "Amar Jaan"48:26 Navigating negativity50:22 Using autotune52:54 Defining quality music55:39: Making money as a musician01:01:09 Tackling memes and criticisms01:02:22 The Artistic Challenge01:04:32 Creative routine01:05:24 Creative ruts01:05:55 Exploring other music projects01:06:32 Discovering new music01:07:49 Dameer's favourite acts 01:12:10 Dameer's ambitions01:15:03 Advice for aspiring artists01:18:00 Outro

Ahmed Fahim is an illustrator, a designer, and an artist based in Bangladesh. Over the years he's worked on some of the finest projects in regards to digital illustrations and designs. However recently Fahim was diagnosed with a terminal illness, it has changed his entire outlook on his creative work and his life as a whole.So this one gets a little heavy at one point. Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2022, more than a year ago now, and the artwork in the animation was done by none other than the guest of this episode  @ahmedfahim.archives  WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/wRreUGapNig00:00 Intro05:12 The identity of 'Ahmed Fahim'07:33 Origin story09:16 Why illustrations? 09:49 Supportive parents 12:47 Why choose architecture? 14:09 Art as a business16:46 Seeking inspiration20:41 Could AI replace artists? 26:54 Fahim's favourite artists31:16 Confronting creative ruts34:51 Personal habits36:40 Defining quality content37:21 Living with life-threatening disease42:33 Driving change through art45:55 Leaving a legacy48:18 Words of advice for aspiring artists49:15 Outro

Rakin Absar is a comedian, an online creator and a social media juggernaut from Bangladesh with hundreds of thousands of followers online. He started his career in Vine, a short form social media platform almost a decade ago, became a significant name with his work on YouTube but then he took a break for a couple of years. In this episode we explore  @MrAbsar 's journey, how social media has evolved for creators over the decade and how he's built a career in this. Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2022, more than a year ago now, and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented Ahmed Fahim.Hope you enjoy the show. 00:00 Intro01:23 Rakin's "real" personality03:55 Why "Mr. Absar" as a stage name? 05:56 Start of the career08:08 Reason behind Rakin's break10:57 Coming back into the scene13:57 Professionalism in the industry18:40 Lack of variety in content21:41 Dealing with brands29:05 Financial aspects of brand collaborations32:16 Career without brands35:47 Supportive parents?36:42 Dealing with negativity 38:38 Out of content?40:28 Prioritizing mental health as a creator48:05 Confronting creative ruts50:42 Biggest rewards as a creator52:32 Defining quality content53:37 Creators Rakin looks up to55:39 Future of creaotrs57:04 Advice for aspiring creators58:30 OutroFind out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

Taha Ismail is a Bangladeshi filmmaker based in London. He is also the co-founder of Collective Unconscious - a creative production studio & collective working across film, music, fashion & more. Recently, Taha even won gold at the prestigious London Award Show for his work.I came across Taha's work through an incredible viral video of his back when viral videos weren't even a thing. He had recreated in real life - an entire cutscene in the style of popular video game called GTA San Andreas. Today it might not seem a lot, but it was quite a big deal then. Today Taha's work spans across incredible short films to music videos, and his work has been featured on US television, BBC, film festivals, and many other places.In this episode,  @tahaismailtvbd   and I discuss his journey and what it takes to be a filmmaker in the modern world. Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2022 and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented Ahmed Fahim.00:00 - Intro01:34 - Why the "Unconscious"?03:03 - Who is Taha Ismail?04:30 - Is Film School worth it? 08:34 - Taha's early days12:24 - Why Taha stopped uploading to YouTube15:21- State of YouTube today16:31- Why create something new?20:35 - Dealing with identity21:59 - Catering for different audiences24:07 - Music Videos vs. Short Films 29:23 - The lack of appreciation for work33:16 - What is quality?34:32 - Supportive parents35:53 - Creative ruts 38:45 - Daily rituals39:38 - Consuming a variety of work42:37 - Dream collaboration 43:38 - Taha's goal in 5 years45:47 - Advice for aspiring filmmakers Find out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lNkJOsSQNFkNaina Husain is an artist and an illustrator and she is the founder of byNainah. Her art is inspired by South Asia's people, its culture, and its colors. She started drawing purely through creative expression, but now she has turned it into somewhat of a creator business - so much so that she's been featured on outlets like Insider and Mashable. In this episode we talk about her creative journey, how she utilises social media for her art, and how to sustain a career as an illustrator. This podcast was recorded in early 2022 and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented  @ahmedfahimfilms .00:00 Intro01:28 Who is Naina Hussain?06:53 Tackling identity 09:49 Early life16:19 Stepping into fashion designing21:08 Starting from scratch25:24 Building an audience28:50 Dealing with hate 30:35 Imposter syndrome32:48 Creative ruts33:55 What is quality?34:16 The biggest reward35:32 Favourite creators38:25 Advice for aspiring creators Find out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

WATCH THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/F6rWR-xp8tI @ArmeenMusa is a singer-songwriter, poet, music director, performer and so much more. She studied at the world famous Berklee College of music and has had a great impact in the Bangladeshi and South Asian music scene. She has her own solo set called the Ghaashphoring Choir, and has also been a significant name in the  @CokeStudioBangla   project. I have been a fan of Armeen's work from her early days so it was a great privilege for me to have this conversation with her. We talk about her journey, we discuss what it takes to be a musician in this modern era, and we dive deep into her philosophies about art. Just a note that this podcast was recorded in early 2022 and the artwork in the animation was done by the talented  @ahmedfahimfilms .00:00 Intro01:20 Who is Armeen Musa?02:50 Armeen's Illustrious Family 06:45 Early life 08:38 Balancing Music and Studies13:07 "Bhromor Koio" 18:34 Why Berklee College of Music?23:28 Studying Music vs. Practical Application28:25 Leadership as a Creator33:00 Are creative degrees needed? 38:00 Satisfying the creating itch44:37 Pressure of achieving success 47:49 Using social media for music55:38 Why continue as a musician despite the challenges? 01:02:23 What is quality?01:07:16 Upcoming projects 01:08:15 Advice for aspiring creators 01:11:07 OutroFind out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

Abir Ahmed Chowdhury is an independent consultant in the international development sector - with a background in economics and development. He is also my co-founder in  @plaantik . For those who don't know Plaantik is a football media company that we have been running for over a decade now, and over the years we've done some pretty cool things in the world of football. For instance, we just launched a book a month ago, and regularly cater to millions of football fans online daily. In this episode, we go through what it takes to run a social media first content entity, that too remotely, we discuss the evolution of media and content that we have seen over the last ten years and how we have been doing this for so long. Animation and illustration: Ahmed Fahim00:00 Intro01:51 Who is Abir Ahmed Chowdhury?03:26 Life before Plaantik05:58 What prompted you to create Plaantik?10:50 Figuring it out 15:25 How Plaantik shaped our careers18:10 Challenges with co-founding25:50 Importance of community28:25 Why stick with Plaantik?33:00 The dilemma of pursuing full time34:30 Is the audience smarter than the creators?35:25 Taking criticism37:25 Is Plaantik biased? 43:11 The monetary side of Plaantik50:24 Being adaptable53:00 Future of football content 57:25 Abir's advice for aspiring creatorsFind out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

@SeeamShahidNoor is a Product Manager & Sr. Strategy Consultant at IBM - but he is primarily known as a creator in the education space, where he helps aspiring students with tips and tricks to be better at what they do. With hundreds of thousands of followers online, Seeam uses his expertise from his current role and draws from his degree at the prestigious Harvard University. In this episode Seeam and I sit down from two different ends of the world and discuss his journey, the creator industry and what it takes to be successful as a creator in the education niche. Intro animation: Ahmed Fahim00:00 Intro01:15 Seeam's Harvard University story 04:25 Who is Seeam Shahid Noor?08:13 Why create content?13:03 IBM vs. Content creation15:07 Satisfying the creating itch16:57 Issue with being a fulltime creator18:10 Seeam's growth story25:04 What's hard about building an audience  30:21 Dealing with negativity 31:49 Is the audience smarter than creators? 33:27 How the audience influences creators 35:04 How audience behavior shapes content 37:38 Lack of a diverse audience     38:58 Creative rut41:22 What is quality content?42:07 Biggest reward as a creator 43:15 Personal goal in 5 years 44:12 Seeam's advice for aspiring creators 45:43 OutroFind out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

Amin Hannan Chowdhury is a comedian and a creator based in Dhaka. He started working alongside Ashik, another rising comedian in the scene, through their self titled stage names Amin and AshikI have always taken a keen interest in the world of comedy, but with the rise of social media, it requires a different approach as a creative and as a creator to be a comedian. In this episode Amin and I go in depth about the creative process of writing a joke, what it's like to do stand up comedy in a rising scene and how to deal with people who don't find you funny. 00:00 Intro 02:30 Who is Amin Hannan Chowdhury? 06:30 Social media's impact on stand-up comedy 09:54 Building authenticity 15:00 Educating others on stand-up comedy 17:00 Catering to a mass vs. niche18:20 Joking about controversial topics 20:14 Being safe with jokes 21:53 Criticisms 27:36 Defining your audience28:55 Low-effort jokes 35:00 Custom jokes 37:40 Evolution of audience 41:31 Public speaking practice for jokes42:30 Jokes on difficult days 45:50 Seeking validation 49:55 Authentic community 50:17 Turning trauma into jokes 53:48 The monetary side of comedy58:19 Touring outside Dhaka59:10 Repeating jokes1:00:00 Consumption behaviour of content 1:02:40 Amin's dream gig1:04:08 Cultural references for jokes1:07:00 Future of comedy 1:08:45 Amin's goal in 5 years 1:10:00 Advise from Amin for new comedians 1:11:35 Outro Find out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkas

Aydha Mehnaz has years of experience in the world of luxury and fashion, particularly through her role at one of the world's biggest luxury brands Mugler. She has worked with some of the biggest celebrities in the world like Beyonce and Dua Lipa, and she also works as a creative consultant based between Dhaka and Paris. On top, she has been featured on Vogue, Daily Mail and plenty of other outlets too. I have been following Aydha for a while and her work always seemed very interesting to me.  She started her career simply through blogging and now is creating in the luxury fashion industry. In this episode we go in depth about what it takes to be a creative in the world of fashion, what's life like in one of the fashion capitals of the world, and how she upholds her identity despite moving to a different country whilst working in such an alien environment.Find out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

Mostly Borrowed Ideas is the brainchild of Abdullah Al-Rezwan - it's a newsletter that does a monthly deep dive and detailed analysis backed with high quality research on one specific company. MBI started off as a Twitter account (it has closed to a 100, 000 followers) but it slowly turned into a paid newsletter with thousands of subscribers. This one is a little bit different to my other episodes because on this one I explore what it takes to be a creator through writing only - a skill that is often overlooked. We go in depth about MBI's journey and why he decided to write about finance, and choose Twitter as the main platform. We also talk about how to grow in the platform and other techniques that will allow a creator to build a following with words. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro01:53 - Why it's called Mostly Borrowed Ideas03:15 - A rant on "Originality" 07:17 - The story of Abdullah and MBI 12:13 - Do you need external push on social media to succeed? 14:42 - Writing as a skill set17:54 - Generalist vs. Specialist22:15 - Why Abdullah hates to talk about his Ivy League achievements 27:08 - Why Abdullah chooses a pseudonym for Twitter30:02 - Expanding beyond a one-man creator show37:25 - Monetization as a creator41:08 - MBI's deep dive process 46:00 - Creative blocks as a creator49:19 - Planning for content50:36 - Facing the toxic side of Twitter52:30 - MBI's future plans54:47 - 3 pieces of advice from MBIFind out more about Tawsif: www.tawsifakkas.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkasTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/tawsifakkas

Issa Nibras Farooque is a software engineer. But he leads a Clark Kent / Superman life because he is also a prolific musician and he goes by the name of Farooque Bhai. Farooque Bhai hails from a family of musicians and change-makers - so he has always had a fair bit of music in him growing up. It was no different throughout his teens and uni days either when he started jamming and playing with various bands and sounds. But it wasn't until exploring Soundcloud and releasing his first EP, that he started finding his niche community. In this episode we talk about his journey, his foray into different music genres, how he brings professionalism to his creative craft, and his new EP which drops this week. This is the first episode of Season 3 of the show. You can watch the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/c/TawsifAkkas

Shil is a public speaker, a public speaking expert and has coached hundreds of people throughout his career including TEDx speakers, entrepreneurs and creators. One of the most fascinating thing about Shil is that he has a significant case of stutter - and despite that he has built a career in speaking publicly. In this episode, Shil and I talk about the fear of creating publicly, about the internal challenges creators face, and how to cope with them when appearing on a public sphere. This is also the final episode of season 2! Thanks for tuning in all these months. State of the Creators will return for Season 3.

Scott Mellor aka Loston is a graphic artist, a musician, and runs his own design studio called the Studio Thinktank where he has worked with some of the biggest names in the world including Labrinth, Cardi B and Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave. Scott's based in Perth Australia and I first stumbled upon his work as a musician - only to later find out that he had more than creative facades. So having a chat with him for an episode was only the natural way to feed my curiosity to understand how he works as a multi disciplinary creative - as well as building his own business around his interests. We dug deep on his creative process, how he tackles multiple creative acts at the same time, and his personal journey. 

Hey creators, a few quick updates about the podcast as we wrap the year up. Thank you for sticking with me.  See you soon.Sign up to my newsletter: www.tawsifakkas.com Follow me on Instagram: @tawsifakkas Subscribe on YouTube: Tawsif Akkas

Eric Choh aka ericship111 is a full time YouTuber with over 300, 000 subscribers on his channel. Eric was naturally into video games growing up - and today his channel is built around the niche of gaming - specifically the popular racing video game Forza Horizon. The thing here though is that I have known Eric personally for over 10 years now. We used to go to the same university for our Bachelors of Architecture and in some ways we were both...let's say slightly disinterested... on the degree which in a way I guess formed our bond. Even back then, I remember Eric used to just love creating videos and put them up on YouTube. We've kept in touch every now and then but a decade later, Eric has turned his passion for gaming into his full time job and that's pretty awesome. In this video, we talk about Eric's journey into the world of YouTube and gaming, the doors it has opened for him, the struggles of a content creator and how he continues to serve an audience for over a decade. If you are looking to start a YouTube channel, changing careers, or just curious about the world of digital content - this is the episode for you. Visit www.tawsifakkas.com for more information. 

Kerrie Allen is best known for helping creators connect to the industry. She also works as a consultant for small to medium businesses, and also has a product line under the label of ‘hey control freak' which sells products aimed to help business owners to control their chaotic life. So we talk a little about running a business too. This episode is going to be slightly different because Kerrie is not a creator in the traditional sense the likes of whom I usually have on this show. We speak a bit about Kerrie's journey, what it means to be creative in a business landscape, and what you need to do to prepare for the creative  industry. 

Sameer is an 18 year old content creator who aspires to be the voice for those who don't have one. His content is about social issues and hardships in Bangladesh and he highlights how we can help or at least try to help solve these problems on an individual level. I first found out about Sameer through one of his videos on Instagram where he was passionately talking about the culture of after school tuition in Bangladesh - I remember about this insane culture and how it impacted me negatively as a student so it goes to show his choices of topics are quite interesting. While Sameer is not a seasoned creator, he amassed a sizeable audience in less than a year of starting out and that impressed me enough to bring him on the show even though he is still learning the ropes. In this episode we talk about what it's like to be a young creator tackling different topics on the internet, how Sameer tackles a growing toxic audience and a fair bit about the world of creating content for social media. 

While social media constantly opts for quantity of content, ColdFusion aka Dagogo Altraide has built an audience of over 3 million subscribers by consistently providing comprehensive, quality work over the last decade. His pieces about tech and innovation are well researched and dives deeper than most things you will see around. Furthermore, he has been making some amazing original music over the years under the stage name Burn Water and continues to push his creative ceiling. In this episode, we talk about his career so far, building an audience on YouTube, social media and big tech and even tackling conspiracy theories. Visit www.tawsifakkas.com for more information. 

Paul Ramondo is a digital marketing expert, a business owner but also the lead vocalist of a pop punk rock band called One True North based in Perth Australia.  Honestly if I listen to their music it immediately takes me back to the early 2000s so pop punk rock is pretty accurate. The reason I mention these multiple facets of his identity is because first of all the show is called State of the Creators so we deal with creative elements in arts but also his background in digital marketing creates an interesting dynamic for his creative project. Because of Paul's background in digital marketing, he sees creativity and music in a very different light to someone who doesn't and that's what interested me about him. I wanted to know how he applied the analytical aspects of digital marketing to the creative side of things and if it has worked out for him. Creatives often struggle with the former so I felt this was the perfect topic and person to have this discussion with. In this episode we talk about building a presence online for musicians, his journey so far, the world of YouTube and a bit about his hair...Visit www.tawsifakkas.com for more information. 

Daniel Craig, aka, Matsu, is a photographer, a director, a DoP and an overall creative powerhouse. Daniel’s journey started as a live event photographer but today he directs music videos, TV spots, tours with artists and works with some of the biggest brands in the world like Toyota and Adidas. He regularly works with one of my favourite musicians of all time - Tame Impala and some of his photos have ended up in Times Square in New York and the Rolling Stones magazine. If that wasn’t enough, he has his own photobook called Dust - an intimate look into the life of station workers in the West Australian outback. In this episode, Daniel and I dive deep into some ideological views about creativity - we talk about what it's like working with global brands and artists, what it takes to succeed in a multi disciplinary creative path, and how his love for martial arts defined his creative journey. 

Brady Victor is a Perth based film photographer but like many of the people featured in this podcast, he also led a dual life. At the time of starting out to take amazing photos, and building his business, he was also working in the information technology services as a front end developer - but today he solely focuses on his photography business. More interestingly, him and his partner run Lekkerzine. - a popular photography platform that curates some of the best photos you will see around. On Instagram they have thousands of followers and the hashtag #lekkerzine alone has over a million posts. That goes to show their level of credibility within the digital creative circle. In this episode, I sit down with Brady and go in depth about his journey into becoming a film photographer, balancing his analytical side with his creative brain, and how to take the calculative leap into a creative business. Follow Brady at @bradyvict and Lekkerzine at @lekkerzine Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/014

Adnan Fakir is best known for creating the popular documentary series “Finding Bangladesh”. He is also known in the country’s academia circuits for his work in the field of economics and is currently pursuing a PHD on it in the University of Western Australia. This episode is not only the first of the brand new season of State of the Creators it’s also probably the longest. And that’s because Adnan and I have been friends for a while now and we share interests on a wide range of topics. It’s essentially a deep dive into the world of social media, the policies surrounding content regulation, funding a passion documentary, and what it means to juggle a PHD and producing creative work.Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/013

A quick update on where things stand - only for the OG listeners. Make sure you subscribe to me on YouTube as that's where all the videos will go!

SEASON FINALE! Final episode of the season is here where I have done a full on Q/A + a few of my thoughts about the guests of season one and plans for the future of the show. Thassss it. Oh and thank you. You've been an insane audience. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro 03:21 Do you have any funny incidents by working on so many different projects? (@rash_eeq)06:05 Best way to build an audience on social media and generate income? (@chowdhury19) 08:59 When you're creating content, how do you usually decide your next topic? (@nymislam) 09:55 Would you ever consider making content for TikTok? (@nahiyan.naser) 11:09 Details about TikTok. (@fzr_1.0)12:39 How does one market boring stuff - like software? (@peyajerrosh) 14:58 How do you choose the guests? (@masudul22) 16:11 What made you want to start podcasts? (@chubbmcgubb) and (@_adib41_) 17:31 What are some beginner video editing applications? (@chubbmcgubb) 18:30 Is Bangladesh going through a content revolution? (@_adib41_)19:20 Meeting Manchester United players (@sad_man07) 20:39 The future of podcasting in Bangladesh (@saadmanramikhan) 23:21 How do I research the guests prior to the podcasts? (@shahriar.rafid) 28:20 Is it possible to survive in the podcast industry if you aren’t well known from before? (@farazstein) 30:10 Tips and tricks for people getting into writing. (@iam.saquibraschid) 32:28 Advice for making the post of living abroad / away from home (@salehkaleh) 34:13 Is paid advertising the way to go for growing an audience? (@thebeardlesslad) 36:49 How does one come up with unique ideas for creative content? (@fardeen7) 39:40 In the digital age, how do you balance the time between building an audience vs. working on the content itself? (@lotusquest) 43:28 Why isn’t there a shoegaze/dreampop act in Bangladesh yet? (@derangedcontraptionist) 44:35 How is podcasting different from other creative mediums - like Instagram content or even YouTube vlogs? (@ehsanul) 48:11 Benchmarking yourself against successful creators around you and working against demotivation. (@fardeen7)Resources: 1. Kevin Kelly's 1000 True Fans: https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/2. Editing videos on your phone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_3JYYBSKUI3. Ragheeb F Moazzem's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi8IOLUEg5OrDmHJAcIYYFg

Tanzim Uddin is one of the co-founders of Togbog - a media company focused on broadcasting positive Bangladeshi stories to the world. What’s most impressive about Tanzim is that he’s made a few hundred videos - easily over the last year and has garnered millions of views for Togbog and has created a community out of it. Now just saying that by itself sells his skills short because he does a lot more in the background - like leading the team and planning sales strategies and so on. He is also a student in his final year of Computer Science and Engineering in North South University in Bangladesh.This episode of the podcast is a little bit different. This was less of an interview and more of an indepth discussion between the two of us about social media, video marketing, YouTube and career goals and a lot more. And to be honest this is how I had envisioned the podcast to be - less of the interview and more of the conversation. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/011

If you’ve been following the YouTube scene of Bangladesh from the earlier days, chances are you would have come across the name “Asif Bin Azad” from “Bhaibrothers LTD.” Asif has been one of the more popular creators from the early days of YouTube entertainment in Bangladesh, has since worked on various creative projects - from having his own interview show to directing short films to launching campaigns. His recent stint was being a Content Producer at Bongo - which is one of the most watched digital entertainment platforms in the country. He has since moved on to a few personal projects - one of which is also launching his own podcast - “The BhaiBrothers Podcast”! This also allows him to explore one of his key skills - which is being a host and a show runner.In this episode of the State of the Creators, we cover how to move into various creative verticals, how you can leverage your content to establish a career online and the general state of YouTube in Bangladesh. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/010

Fahad Reaz Khan is the creative director of vrbworks - a consultancy agency for fashion brands in Dhaka. He started his creative journey as a content creator where he made videos with his sister, Raba Khan, for The Jhakanaka Project. Other than his consultancy practises, Fahad has been involved in creating many indie music videos, used to be a prominent radio jockey and has worked with various brands in multiple campaigns. In this episode of the State of the Creators podcast, we cover what it’s like to be creative in a niche category and how to take your work to the next level when you have such a specific targeted audience. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/009

I am answering your questions about creativity, the journey, the podcast and...Manchester United apparently - I know I shouldn't have made this into an "Ask Me Anything"! After getting a few questions from some of you, I thought I would weigh in on the journey so far and my plans ahead into a Q/A episode. Enjoy! Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3eU3O0s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tawsifakkas/ Everything else: www.tawsifakkas.com

In a nutshell, Lamisa Kabir is a blogger and a content creator with a focus on fashion and lifestyle. Better known as @thedamselindispute in the world of Instagram, Lamisa started her journey as a writer for her college blog, and has now built a sizeable following for her fashion specific content on Instagram. Currently based in Toronto and New York, Lamisa is pursuing a career in social media and mobile marketing. This episode of the State of the Creators podcast is packed with value as Tawsif Akkas sits down with Lamisa to talk about growing an Instagram presence, digital marketing, sustainable fashion, dealing with identity crisis and the challenges of putting yourself out there on the internet. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/007

Zubair Hasan is one of the more prominent artists in the Bangladesh music scene right now - he is primarily a guitarist and has been delivering the goods for popular rock band Indalo as well as Banglamotorr. Zubair started his journey into the world of music about a decade ago but his creative influence is beyond just making music. He is also a photographer, and has recently ventured into the world of music production. In this episode, Tawsif Akkas sits down with Zubair to talk about what it’s like to creative music in a digital world - for a digital world, the creative process of making music and the challenges of being a musician in the 21st century - specifically in the context of Bangladesh. Also, we ran into some technical difficulties so the audio has some background noise in certain parts! Hope it's not too much of a distraction. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/006

In a nutshell - Ahmed Fahad is a designer and a coder and VP of Product at Pathao – the leading ride-sharing, on-demand logistics, and food delivery platform in Bangladesh. At age 17, he was part of the founding team at Pathao and has since helped the company scale rapidly - so much so that the company is now valued at over $100m. Five years on, he is still going strong - for as example only last month he led the launch of Pathao Tong, a grocery delivery service, all over Bangladesh, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. If that wasn’t enough, he is currently finishing up his Finance degree at IBA - one of the most prestigious business schools in the country. Now this episode is a bit of a curveball from the last four - mainly because this one focuses on the concept of scaling an idea and the benefits of creative thinking - but not in a traditional arts or creative industry. So as a creator, if you’ve got an audience and you want to take your idea to the next level - a lot of the concepts in this episode could be potentially applicable for you. In this episode, we explored Fahad’s life at the intersection of business and technology, how he's using creative thinking to solve problems at Pathao and also how he balances studying and fast paced work life.Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/005

Maleena Gomez is a Designer & illustrator and goes under the alias of Mnxsterr (pronounced Monster!) She started her creative journey as a graduate from Charukola - one of Bangladesh’s most sought after fine arts institutions. And before becoming a full time freelancer, she was an art director and has worked with some of the biggest brand names in the world like Coca Cola, Viber, Yamaha and so on. She now works in her own design studio and has her own merch line called “Bad Girl Nation” - a brand about rebellion to increase awareness for female empowerment through art. In this episode, Tawsif Akkas sits down with Maleena to talk about the creative life in a traditional fine arts institution, dealing with burnouts and how to pursue a career as a freelancer. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/004

Rumman R Kalam is the founder of Rantages - Bangladesh's first crude humor website which has now built itself into a meme empire in the country. He is also the Acting In-charge of New Media at The Daily Star - the country's largest circulating English newspaper. While many don't consider memes to be anything serious, it is hard to deny the impact of this content form especially in the current digital content landscape. Big brands have adapted it and some businesses have an entire digital strategy built around creating memes. In this episode, Tawsif Akkas sits down with Rumman to talk about why memes shouldn't be overlooked, the ethical side of "stealing memes", and how you can start earning a buck or two by creating relatable online content. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/003

Iftekhar Rafsan - better known as Rafsan "the Chotobhai" - has built a massive online audience with hundreds of thousands of dedicated followers in just over a year. His exponential rise came in 2019 through creating videos reviewing food from various cafes and restaurants. Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Rafsan now primarily identifies as an entertainer and a video creator, but is also popular in the online gaming community. In this episode of the State of the Creators, Tawsif Akkas sits down with Rafsan to discuss his growth online, the challenges in keeping up with rising demands (both in his professional and personal life) and what it took for him - a quiet introverted boy - to overcome his fear of appearing in public to being awarded the much sought after silver play button on YouTube. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/002

Saria Saguaro is an artist, a pastry chef and a prominent animal activist based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She has built multiple businesses around her creative passions and have now been in the scene for almost a decade now. In this very first episode of the State of the Creators, Tawsif Akkas sits down with Saria to discuss about her creative journey, the challenges she faces as a creative (and how she overcomes them) and how she navigates her way through her multiple creative businesses. Find out more about the episode here: www.tawsifakkas.com/001

Hey - I am Tawsif Akkas and I love creating stuff for the internet. Short story long, I am a digital creative, a content consultant, and have built multiple media brands around the world. For as long as I can remember, I have been creative. And despite getting an education in a creative field, I realized that there was no blueprint to create - especially in this fast paced digital world. The only way to learn was either to teach yourself or to learn from others who are already doing what you want to do. And that's why I decided to start this podcast...a series of candid conversations with some of the most talented creators - from Bangladesh to Australia, and around the world - to help the next generation of creators flourish. This is a podcast for the creator in you - for those who are looking to take that leap and to build something from scratch. Here's a taste of what's to come. Thanks for tagging along. www.tawsifakkas.com/podcast