Episode 043 - Harlem Lennox (Part 1)

In today's episode, I welcome Harlem Lennox! Harlem is a podcaster, actor, writer, and overall creative. This episode is part one of a two-part series because Harlem has so much insight to share! She shares how her upbringing allowed her to experience art at an early age, and how a teacher encouraged her to try for bigger and bolder things in the arts. (Fun fact: the cover image for this episode is of Harlem's podcast cover image!) 

Get in touch with Harlem Lennox: www.harlemlennox.com 

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Episode 43 - Harlem Lennox (Part 1)

Lindsey Dinneen: Hello, and welcome to Artfully Told, where we share true stories about meaningful encounters with art.

[00:00:06] Krista: I think artists help people have different perspectives on every aspect of life.

[00:00:12] Roman: All I can do is put my part out into the world.

[00:00:15] Elizabeth: It doesn't have to be perfect the first time. It doesn't have to be perfect ever really. I mean, as long as you, you're enjoying doing it and you're trying your best, that can be good enough.

[00:00:23] Elna: Art is something that you can experience with your senses and that you just experience as so beautiful.

[00:00:31]Lindsey Dinneen: Hey there, Artfully Told listeners, it's Lindsey here. I just want to let you know that this episode is going to be a one of two. Harlem Lennox is absolutely amazing, and I am so excited that we were able to talk for an extended length of time, which means that I have the privilege of breaking this episode into two. So here's part one today. And part two will be available next week.

[00:00:59]Hello, and welcome back to Artfully Told. My name is Lindsey and I am so excited to have as my guest today the brilliant Harlem Lennox. She is a podcaster, actor, writer, and overall creative, and she is just magnificent. I've had an opportunity to get to know her a little bit and she's-- I'm just so excited that she's here. So thank you so much for joining us, Harlem.

[00:01:28] Harlem Lennox: Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited to be able to talk to you. Of course. And so I'm curious, do you mind sharing just a little bit about your background and you know, how you got interested in art and then.

[00:01:42] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. I mean, you, like you said, overall creative, so I'd just love to learn more about you.

[00:01:48]Harlem Lennox: Okay. So I actually come from a very creative family. I have musicians in my family. I have other actors in my family, writers, things like that. So it's kind of been just a part of my life. And then when I was younger, I was born in California, but I moved to San Francisco with my dad and I also lived in LA. So, we were always around some kind of art. My dad was very into art. He was the stereotypical San Franciscan who is vegetarian and totally into, you know, art and new age things and stuff like that. And so we definitely spent a lot of time at museums and cultural centers and stuff like that. And so, I just, I kind of grew up with art. I definitely always kind of dabbled, as I like to say, in different aspects of art, like throughout school and stuff like that.

[00:02:53] But I remember in particular, when I was in eighth grade, I was brand new to this school. It was my first year at this school and we had a play. And one of the teachers like just kind of looked at me because I volunteered to work the curtains. And she was like, "You know, you really should be up there. Like, you should be one of the characters. You should be on stage, like acting and doing stuff or whatever. You're such an animated person." And so when I left that school to go to high school, I was in drama and in theater classes and stuff like that, took them all four years.

[00:03:31] And it just snowballed from there. I couldn't stop doing it. I fell in love with it. It was a huge outlet for me, especially because when me and my father moved to Cincinnati, he became heavily into religion. And so we went from being these artistic Franciscans and, you know, involved in film and stuff-- like my dad was a DJ and, you know, in music-- and all of a sudden , we went from that to very, very strict and very demure and all that kind of stuff like that. And so being a part of theater and acting and writing and writing poetry and writing plays and stuff like that was my way of still having that connection. And still, also having that connection with my family out in California, because of course living in Cincinnati, I didn't get a chance to see them all the time. And so it was a way of me feeling connected to them as well. So yeah, it's just been a part of my life and a part of me growing up and all of that good stuff.

[00:04:34] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah. Well, thank you for sharing that. That's so cool. Your, you know, your background of getting to grow up just among art or a mid start. I don't know, but anyway, that's really cool. And I just think what a, what a heritage, you know, to be able to have come from a family that does appreciate art and, and it was just a part of your life. That's really neat. And I, I love somebody recognized that your passion and your expression was underutilized, you know, and said, "Hey, you should really be up there. How cool."

[00:05:12]Harlem Lennox:  I love teachers who are able to see things, no matter what it is, whether it's art, science, whatever, and be able to see something in somebody and be able to say like, "Hey, get up there, like, don't be scared. Get up there." And I've noticed a lot of people have those stories where teachers really encourage people to get out there and do what they're naturally supposed to be doing.

[00:05:37] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. I had some teachers that said the right thing at the right time, when you were feeling down or discouraged about progress or whatever, and they just had the right thing to say. Teachers are the best. Now, are you currently still acting? I know you're podcasting and I'd love to hear more about that in a second, but are you still acting as well?

[00:05:58]Harlem Lennox: So I do a little bit of acting. It's mostly right now, me studying and trying to get better at it. I think because of COVID, it's been super slow as far as the acting. And so I'm trying to take this time to learn more. And even though that's really difficult, I was recently  on a Zoom acting thing. It was the one minute plays and it was being held over Zoom. And so it was so crazy. I'm so glad that they didn't tell us because it was actually viewed by people like in other countries and stuff like that. I was already very nervous because of course I'm not used to acting on Zoom. And so I was very happy that they didn't tell me that it was being viewed by so many different people, but that's pretty much the most I've been able to do since COVID started. So I'm just trying to utilize this time to learn more, read more, learn more about, you know, film and different things like the differences between the arts and stuff like that.

[00:07:05] Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. And it is a good time to kind of continue learning and growing on your own, and then hopefully things will start opening back up and we'll get back to our full artistic selves. But yeah, good for you for taking this time and still devoting yourself to, to continuing to learn and grow . Oh my goodness. Yeah. Kudos to you for that, that video opportunity. That does sound very intimidating. I'm so glad it went well, though.

[00:07:34]Harlem Lennox:  Yeah, the whole time I was so nervous. Oh, I was so nervous.  I'm used to being on stage. And you know, the great thing about being on stage is the lights are so bright that you barely see that. So it's kind of this nice little imaginary wall that you have to kind of keep you from being as nervous as you normally would be. But then if you're on screen, like you're looking at everybody, everybody's looking back at you. You're right there, front and center. It was scary, but it was awesome too.

[00:08:07] Lindsey Dinneen: Yes. Yeah. Seeing reactions up close and personal and oh. That is what I do really like about being on stages, not being able to see the audience, which sounds terrible, but it just makes me less nervous, you know? I feel like I can concentrate better. I'll just put it that way.  So then really recently, actually, you started a podcast and I would love if you'd share just more about that.

[00:08:31]Harlem Lennox: So the podcast is called Harlem with a View and basically it talks to different creatives about their creative journey, different topics within the creative community. And, and basically creating community. I definitely want to be able to not only promote people and their art, but also be able to have connections with people. And I'm hoping that later on down the line, I'll actually be able to do some educational work for different actors and just artists in general, just because I think that sometimes not all creatives, that some creatives kind of either don't know how to, or forget about like the business aspect of it. And you know, the accounting and the taxes and all the stuff that we probably could care less. And so I want to be able to have an educational aspect to it as well, to help either people who have been in it and are still struggling, or people who are going into it and have no clue what they need to do as far as that's concerned.

[00:09:39] But I like to talk to creatives about the different things that they do, creatives of all genres about the different things that they do. And I noticed there are other podcasts that are like mine, but they kind of steer away from some of the harder subjects, like when it comes to race, when it comes to just heritage and different things that are going on within that community. I've also noticed that a lot of people, whether it's intentional or unintentional, they tend to Interview people from a very, very small demographic. And so I'm trying to expand that and give everybody an opportunity to tell their stories. And it has been a learning process because I am a black woman, but at the same time, my story is not the same as everybody else's story. And so it's like, I'm hearing so many different stories and people getting an opportunity to really, really add something to the creative world. And it is so exciting to see what is going on.

[00:10:52] And another reason why I wanted to start it was to also help kind of open the doors of different small, you know, communities of creatives to be able to open those doors. Like, hey, you know, we're doing awesome stuff over here too. Look at what we're doing! And kind of give people an opportunity to, to look at like what's going on in Cincinnati and the small community, our community in Cincinnati, and what's going on in Tennessee, Texas, and all these different places and kind of bring these people together and just consume art.

[00:11:29] Lindsey Dinneen: I love it. Well, and you know, I love it because obviously I have not the same concept for a podcast, but obviously complementary, I'll put it that way. And so I just love what you're doing and commend you for that work. And I, I totally agree with you. And sometimes it's, it's difficult, especially maybe when you're starting out, because you kind of gravitate towards people that you already know. And, but I agree, it keeps the circle pretty small, so it's nice to be able to start  branching out and getting to hear very different perspectives than your own. And so yeah. Good for you. That's, that's fantastic. Well, I'll just go ahead and dive right into that. So where can we listen to your podcast?

[00:12:14]Harlem Lennox: So I published my podcast through a site called Anchor. So it basically puts your podcast on many different platforms. So I'm on Spotify. I'm on Apple Podcast. I'm on Stitcher. I'm on a lot of different things, but then you can find more information about my podcast and actually listen to my podcast on my website, HarlemLennox.com and be able to find all the different things. So if you go to Anchor, you'll be able to also find all the different places or other places that it's posted.

[00:12:52] Lindsey Dinneen: Perfect. Thank you. Yeah. So now I'm curious, as you've been listening to people share their journeys and stories, has there been anything that really stood out to you that was surprising?.

[00:13:05] Harlem Lennox: One thing that I think was surprising is the fact that, so it's one of those things where it's like, you know  something to be true, but until you actually experience it, it's still a theory in a way. And so when you go on Facebook or Instagram or whatever, people tend to be pretty angry about certain things. And it's like, you're getting a snapshot of, of how they feel, and they're commenting on something very specific, but then when you hear their stories and you hear just what they've been through and stuff like that, there is the sense of not being angry necessarily. It's more so like, "I'm not trying to take your stuff. I just want to be included. I'm not trying to take over. I just want to be included." And this feeling of, "my voice is important too. Like I'm not trying to shut off your voice and my voice is important too."

[00:14:11] And I've always been the type of person that wanted to be more, like, open the door for everybody rather than have that sense of like, okay, well there's not room for everybody. So if you know, we're going to have this group of people come up, then obviously it means that we're shutting these people down. I've never been that person. And so being able to hear these stories and hear these people say like the, the thing that you thought, the theory that you had, was correct. We're not coming in and we're not trying to take over. We just want to tell our stories and be able to share our experience and let people see the real me. And even though it's one of those things where I already knew that within myself. And I already felt that within myself, being able to hear people actually come out and say like, we really do want to be a community.

[00:15:14]It was, was very eye-opening because of course, when you're on social media, most of the times you just get the anger and that's the sense that you get from reading some of the comments and, and stuff like that. Like, people are just tired and fed up of not being heard. And so being able to hear people say, like, "I just want you to see who I am, and I just want you to be able to like really experience me. And this is not, you know, what you see on TV, what you see in theater and, and different things like that, that doesn't tell the whole story." And it's been very humbling, you know, and it's like, I'm a part of these different marginalized communities and different things like that. But again, we're not all the same person. We don't all have the same feelings and thoughts. And so being able to experience that has been absolutely amazing.

[00:16:13] And then the other thing that has been absolutely amazing is to be able to connect with people who actually do have these extremely interesting stories. I'm somebody who not only is a creative, but I have an obsession with history and there are so many things that I just like-- of course I'm not supposed to know everything-- but there's so many things that I didn't know and understand. And I'm learning something every time I talk to all of these different people. And so hearing all of these different experiences and like, "Well, this is what actually happened." Or, you know, this is what I have been told, like some insight from within this community, like being able to get the 411 from the people who actually experienced it, like I've learned so much stuff, it's insane. And it's actually fueled my history buff self, because I've been now researching all these different things, like, hold on a second. I thought this, this is the way it went, but it actuality it might've gone this way. So it, it has been a huge learning experience, just all around. And I think it's also going to make me a better actor and a better writer because it helps me understand more about the world. And you definitely need that as an actor and as a writer.

[00:17:39]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely. Wow. That is so powerful. I'm just sitting here listening and that is so cool. And I, and I agree with you. I think stories matter so much. I mean, having the context matters and like you said, sometimes it's easy to-- or I'm extrapolating from what you said, actually-- but sometimes, you know, you read something on social media and like you said, it just comes across as very fed up or done or whatever and frustrated. And that makes sense when you have the context of, like you said, "I just want to be included. I just want a seat at the table." And providing space for that, for somebody to share their stories and to tell their truth and to invite you into, because sometimes it's, it's just a matter of not knowing until you have that context. That's such a cool thing that you do and that you get to share with the world , and I think that's just incredibly, incredibly important. So thank you for doing that work, so to speak, but I know, I know for you, it's been great too, but, but thank you for that. That's fantastic what you're doing.

[00:18:49] Harlem Lennox: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for saying so. I'm hoping that it has the same impact that it is. It has been, I'm hoping that it's as enriching for other people as it has been for me, 'cause it's just, it's so valuable and I'm hoping that other people are feeling that as well.

[00:19:07]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, absolutely.  As soon as I heard her say this, I have thought about this so much-- Michelle Obama talked about, she was talking about-- well, actually, I'm sorry, I don't remember the context-- but what she said was that "It's hard to hate up close." And I think that's such a profound thing that she said, because you're right. You, you won't, you shouldn't anyway, but you know what I mean? But, the closer you get to somebody and their story and their experience hopefully the human reaction is empathy, and, "Oh my goodness. I, I didn't realize that." So yeah, kudos to you.

[00:19:45] Harlem Lennox: Theater has-- just acting in general, I think even though other people do it and not everybody comes to the same conclusion-- I think that's one of the great things about theater, because like I said, when we moved to Cincinnati, my father became very conservative. He became very like-- 'cause I'm not really sure, 'cause there are people who are religious, who are not, you know what I'm saying-- like small minded. So I don't want to say super religious. It just became extremely, extremely, extremely conservative. And so I guess, for example, when it came to homosexuality, I was taught certain things. And from within the church, and it was crazy because I, I knew something wasn't right about it, especially growing up in California where you meet all kinds of different people and you're around all kinds of different people.

[00:20:39]And so it never really made sense to me, but when I was a part of theater and there are a lot of different people, you know. In theater that's where all the the weirdos go, where the rejects go. Like we all go to the theater and that's where we find our home and our common ground. And so me as a black woman going there and being feeling like I, I was seen and understood, and then being able to meet people from that community and being able to say like, "Oh my gosh, they're not anything like what I was told." Like, they're just, they're just normal people. And this is me being a kid having this experience. And so theater taught me to think outside the box and to see people as just like me, they're human beings with these beautiful stories that are just like everybody else. And so that was something I don't even know where I would be today. I guess in my thinking, if I didn't have that, if, if somebody else would've came into my life and been able to share that with me.

[00:21:54] And it also helped me, 'cause I'm glad I got that experience because my mom had come out to me. And so having that experience in theater and being able to be around those people-- like when my mom told me, she came out as bisexual. And so when, when my mom told me that, that that was something that she was going to, you know, she was going to live her best life. It was easy for me. And it was just like, okay. And she automatically thought because of the way I was being raised by my father, that I was going to, you know, feel a certain type of way about her. And I was like, "No, that's great. Like now I can actually talk to you about these things that I've been learning about in theater." I'm just like, "Oh my gosh. Thank you. Thank you." Like another adult to be like, I actually have a parent that I can have honest conversation about. And none of that I don't think would have ever happened if I didn't have the experience that I had with acting and with theater. So yeah, I'm hoping that other people also are able to learn to meet people where they are and see them up close in a way through my podcast and podcasts like yours as well.

[00:23:06]Lindsey Dinneen: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.  Theater is such a great place-- dance is similar too as well-- is it's just a great place to meet people from all different kinds of backgrounds and experiences and stories and to move in and to share life and to learn and grow and do better. Yeah. So that's really great that you had that experience.

[00:23:33]Quick reminder, Artfully Told listeners. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. I'm so grateful for that. And quick reminder that we are going to do part two next week. So stay tuned and enjoy another wonderful session of inspiration from the amazing Harlem Lennox. And until then, we will catch you next time.

[00:24:01]If you have a story to share with us, we would love that so much. And I hope your day has been Artfully Told.

[00:24:12]Hey, Artfully Told listeners, Lindsey here. And I just want to share with you a little bit more about the SpeakEasy Method. Now, if you've had a chance to listen to Gregg Gonzales's interview on Artfully Told, you're already a little familiar with the process that is so unique.  The SpeakEasy Method is for people who are ready to write their books, but maybe aren't super confident about their own writing ability, or just want a more streamlined way of doing it. Gregg and his team at SpeakEasy are experts at these amazing questions that help your authentic voice to shine through. So what they do is they go through recorded audio interviews with you and these recordings are then transcribed and put into manuscript format ready to go. So what's cool about that is instead of months and months, or years and years, of you writing a book, they will actually take you from concept to published and it can be as little as nine months. That is one of the most recent success stories that they have accomplished. And it is just a really innovative method that I am personally so excited to help represent and help share the word about because what Gregg and his team are doing is absolutely life-changing for prospective authors. And I highly encourage you to book a discovery call with Gregg or another member of his team to learn more and see if this could be the perfect fit for you. It's a hundred percent complimentary and you can do so easily by going to his website and that's www.joy-ful-living.com/speakeasy. And again, that spelled out is J O Y dash F U L dash living.com/speakeasy.