Zoe Mix
Tell us about yourself:
I am a Metis interdisciplinary artist from Tacoma, Washington! I am currently completing a Master of Publishing at Simon Fraser University. My main project right now is a SSHRC funded podcast called “Metis Publishing Practices: Developing protocols for editors, writers, and publishers.” I am also a classically trained vocalist and I make comics too. I am extremely passionate about my two dogs: a French Bulldog named Sumo and a Bugg named Simon. And above all, I am extremely excited to be in this inclusive and encouraging audio storytelling space! Thank you for having me.
A piece of yours or project (in any medium) that you'd like to share.
I am still working on my current project, and hope to be able to share it with the public in springtime!
What draws you to storytelling?
I have always been drawn to storytelling in many different mediums throughout my life. I started taking classical voice lessons when I was ten, mostly because I wanted to tell great stories through song. I was really drawn to the dramatic tales told in operas and musicals. In university I began exploring creative writing and illustration and found that the possibilities were so much wider for storytelling than I ever thought possible. Now, in my masters degree I am exploring the world of audio storytelling.
What draws me to storytelling? Well, when you get down to the meat of the thing, storytelling changes lives. It makes history and it determines the future. The stories we tell ourselves shape our lives. The stories others tell about us shape our lives, too. This is why it is crucial for people to be able to tell their own stories and see/ hear themselves represented in storytelling. Without this, people are forgotten or they begin to believe what other people fabricate about them. I want to help people get their stories told. I want to tell my family’s stories. This is why I want to be a part of the audio storytelling medium. I love that audio storytelling is so intimate and human. It's a form of visiting, which is something that people have been doing since the beginning of time, so I think the possibilities are endless for what it can do in terms of aiding people in telling their stories.
What excites you the most about being a New Voices Scholar?
I am so excited to be connected to this larger network of New Voices Scholars! The connections I am making now will be so helpful in the future. I am learning so much from everyone involved, especially from my cohort.
What’s playing on your radio/audio streaming service right now?
My Year in MENSA! I love Jamie Loftus!
What’s the most underrated tool (technical or not) that you use in your creative process?
A notebook with good paper! I’m a stickler for a nice notebook.
What is something you want to see more of in the industry?
More diverse voices! Less cis white men!
Who/What are your radio/audio inspirations and why?
Metis In Space co-hosts Chelsea Vowel and Molly Swain and Jamie Loftus (creator of the Lolita Podcast) are my current inspirations! All three are doing really great work. On the “making material change” front, Metis In Space has taken their work beyond podcasting and have collaborated with listeners and community to create a Metis Land Trust in Lac Ste. Anne, which is traditional Metis land! This is super important because this is one step towards Metis people having our own land that we can call ours.
I am in awe of Jamie Loftus for her amazing work compiling so many series that are so engaging and also educational. Her commitment to truth and also allowing for nuance, is exactly how I want to be as a storyteller.