AD 236 | Zola Jesus
“Arkhon”
“Arkhon”


- Nika’s newest album “Arkhon”
- Accepting the past and exploring the unknown
- How her life drastically changed after the release of her album “Okovi” in 2017
- Her journey creating her albums: Taiga, Okovi, and Arkhon
- “When you’re trying to make music to fit into a world that already exists. It’s much less interesting.” - Nika
- Problems with viewing one’s art within the lens of commerce and commercial viability
- Having confidence in one’s own unique process
- The healing powers of meditation
- Having full faith and trust in the muse
- Transcendental Meditation
- Creating music in isolation
- The Definite Chief Aim
- Losing touch with one’s internal dialogue
- Cultivating purpose
- Returning to nature to understand that we are part of a greater ecosystem
- Human hubris
- Being mindful of how one expends their energy
- Changing the world through our artistic contributions
- Being completely honest with oneself
- Subverting the algorithm
- Defining success and value for ourselves
- Exploring ideas surrounding monetary success and prosperity
- “If you could only have a couple of things in your life, what would they be?” - Nika
- Existentialism
- “I want to focus on my experience. Not on how other people are experiencing me.” - Nika
People / Artists Mentioned:
- Alex DeGroot (Producer & Musician)
- David Lynch (Filmmaker)
- Andrei Tarkovsky (Director)
- Mitch Horowitz (Writer)
- Jesse Draxler (Artist)
- Napolean Hill (Writer)
- Margaret Atwood (Writer)
- Joan Didion (Writer)
Books Mentioned:
- “Catching The Big Fish” by David Lynch
- “The Body Keeps The Score” by Bessel van der Kolk
- “Daydream Believer” by Mitch Horowitz
- “The White Album” by Joan Didion
- “The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion
Films Mentioned:
- Arrival (2016)
- Don’t Look Up (2021)
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Posted 6.6.2022