FL: Welcome to season two of Carnival Influence. Tell Us how MAS.IV got started, and the mission of the brand.
M: Thank you for the opportunity to be part of this great initiative @feterlifestyle!
MAS.IV is an initiative that I started in 2019. As a long-time masquerader and experience traveling to carnivals around the world, I deeply admired and was curious about the creatives who were bringing mas to life and catalyzing the movement of carnival to scale. The idea for the name of MAS.IV (which is pronounced massive), arose from me thinking about the four core areas I would initially focus on, which included MAS (designers), MUSE (models and beauty professionals), MOVEMENT (influencers and brands) and MUSIC (artists).
MAS.IV stemmed from the idea of wanting to create a platform that not only spotlighted creatives within the carnival community, but also highlighted their thought leadership. Often we ‘see’ the work of many creatives, but we may not have the opportunity to hear the story of their journey, learnings and insights on their craft and industry. My aspiration is for MAS.IV to be a space that promotes edutainment and thought leadership within carnival. The mission of MAS.IV is to build capacity within the creative community, while also being a positive contributor to thinking, discussion and execution within carnival.
FL: Mas.IV Meetups, love the concept! I know our industry definitely needs more panel discussion like this, tell us about the meet up and the reason why it’s so important to have a meeting of the minds?
M: Thanks for the positive feedback!
Yes, the Meetup was the inaugural event and launch of MAS.IV itself. The meetup for me represented a few things, including creating a space that brings creatives together, while also providing the opportunity for diverse voices to be heard. I think often people are doing such amazing and progressive things within their respective areas, and that it is sometimes difficult due to competing priorities to come together in one space. The Meetup and panel discussions reflected having a collective conservation about the carnival experience within Toronto, inclusive of the gaps and opportunities, while also being focused on how we could create positive change together. One of the reasons why I think it is so important to have a meeting of the minds and more importantly diversity of thought, is that it generates innovation and better decisions. Although we did not together to make any decisions, it was great to experience and tap into the collective wisdom from the group and see how we could each support each other.
FL: The industry is forever evolving, especially in the times we are in now. Can you talk to us on the importance of collaborations and networking?
M: #Collaborationovercompetition! I think collaboration and networking is very important and two sides of a coin. Networking to me is the precursor to collaboration, though the word that I would use is building relationships. In focusing on building relationships (or networking) with others, you get to know more about their interests, expertise and the wavelength they are on. Building from these relationships, collaboration can be fostered. I think we have all seen the power and magic that can be fostered through relationships and collaboration particularly within carnival and soca (ie. an epic road march song, 40+ artists on a ship, etc)
Although we are navigating unprecedented times, I believe there is strength and power in collaboration. For example, although many carnivals are being cancelled or postponed globally, I have noted many virtual collaborations that are occurring to share positive energy and music. Another potential opportunity for collaboration, is bands, section leaders working in partnership with photographers, videographers and producers to create epic recap content to relive the moments from the road. As carnival is an area within many that generates joy and wellbeing within the life of many, this could be an opportunity to collaborate to retell these stories and experiences. This is me thinking, as I look at the 3000+ videos and images on The Collabo Vibe.
FL: Speaking of collaborating….. Collabo the blog, then turned all female media team. How did the team came together and how was it navigating the media side of things after 1. being a veteran masquerader and 2. Being an all female media team?
M: Great segue! I created The Collabo Blog about a decade ago, to write and share my experiences within carnival and help prospective masqueraders in Toronto. Although we talked about collaboration in the previous question, the name Collabo was based on the word Collaboration and this was the title of my first ever blog post.
My early experience as a blogger, ultimately stemmed from my love and appreciation of mas. I literally would get excited every year for band launch season and the feeling I would get when I see the costumes it the stage. I was one of those people who felt the best way to see the mas was in person, and as I believed in fairness in giving equal coverage to all the bands, that led to me going to pretty much every single band launch within the season. During my journey as a content creator, I evolved from writing to also taking photos and video. Over the years, I joined forces with my two teammates and we formed an all-female media team, The Collabo Vibe.
There is so much that I can say about being an all-female team. Firstly, it is something that I am very proud of, as within the media world within carnival it is often very male dominated.There were definitely a few challenges and obstacles that we had to overcome such as not being taken seriously, content being lifted from our page without credit and more often than not navigating the assumption of being there to model as opposed to work as media. Overall, though, we weathered those challenges and have established ourselves as a key media source for Toronto Carnival band launch coverage. Last year, I also had the opportunity to cover an international carnival launch in Bermuda. My hope is that this shift that continues (once the borders open lol)! Vibing worldwide!
FL: Based in Toronto, with Caribana being canceled this year what are some ways you think mas players and band leaders can fill the void.
M: Although it was unfortunate news to hear that Toronto Carnival is being cancelled this year, there are many ways in which mas players, band leaders and creatives within the carnival industry are filling this void. Given the need for physical distancing, many are filling the void and remaining socially connected through leveraging social media. I think I have seen more people Go Live or post to their accounts than I have ever before. It is great to see the initiative and innovation creatives and bands are taking to connect meaningfully with their communities through digital and virtual ways. Looking broadly outside of Toronto, many artists and carnival brands have come together to bring virtual events into fruition. Many of these virtual sessions have been free and openly accessible. As COVID-19 is impacting many creatives and countries economically, I think one things we can try to do to extend the gratitude back to the creatives who are graciously sharing their craft and the joy of music, is to support them as well (give a donation, leave a comment, engage- ie. show your love and gratitude in some way).
This is a time where many bands and creatives are grappling with uncertainty and navigating tough decisions. As I am not in their shoes, it would be hard for me to speak directly on what they can do to fill the void, but I will say often with every challenge there comes an opportunity.
FL: Speaking of canceled carnivals, 2020 has been literally wiped out. Being a creative dealing mostly with carnival content, has this impacted your content creation process and have you found ways to overcome it, if so how?
M: 2020 is a year of significant change and emergence of a new normal due to COVID-19. Although the carnival season and festivities are unable to be celebrated as we previously have experienced, I think rather than viewing it as a complete ‘wipe out’, the mindset I’m looking at it is from is what are the areas in which we can pivot and connect meaningfully with our audience and community.
For MAS.IV, the focus is on carnival, but at its foundation it is about the people (ie the creatives) who bring mas to life and are shaping carnival to scale. So rather than a slow down of content creation, to me I view it as the continued opportunity for creatives to continue to share their origin stories, a time where they can be thinking about how to digitize their expertise and further connect and collaborate in virtual ways.
FL: I can definitely relate on this one. Being an introvert, but also a content creator. Can you touch on some struggles you faced, how you over came them and some tips you may have.
M: Yes, yes, happy that we both can relate to being an introvert. I view this as one of my strengths though earlier within my journey as a creative this was not the mindset I initially had. Often, we might put limitations on ourselves that because I am an introvert and more reflective, that I would not be good at doing x, y, z. For me, this was something I had to overcome, as well as my comfort in being more behind the scenes. Growth comes from pushing through and out of your comfort zone but doing so in a way that still feels authentic to you. The MAS.IV Meetup is an example of how this translated into practice. It was important for me to create an inclusive space where everyone felt comfortable- typically for me that would be me being behind the scenes and taking in the big picture. For the Meetup, I challenged myself and pushed out of the comfort zone by facilitating each of the panel discussions. In thinking about your question about the tips I would share, one thing I that I have found helpful and positive when working through challenges is to tap into your strengths. For example, my strength is that I am a very deep listener and able to make connections to concepts. How that translated into the MAS.IV is a I wholeheartedly enjoy listening and learning about the journey of other creatives while also being able to draw reference to the emerging shifts and trends within the industry. So rather than focusing on the dread of public speaking, I focused on and appreciated the opportunity I had to share my insights and hear and learn from the experiences of others. Growth does not come from comfort zones!
(This interview is also an example of me stepping out of my comfort zone).
FL: Outside of work for the MAS.IV brand. What have you’ve been doing during this world quarantine
M: Outside of the MAS.IV brand, The Collabo Vibe and my 9-5, there are several other projects and initiatives that I am working on. I also am passionate about mentorship, supporting community and advancing equity. On a personal note, I am using this time of physical distancing to invest in personal development, growth and learning. On any given work night, you would likely find me either listening to a podcast, audiobook or watching videos on strategy, mindset or business. One of the things I heard a speaker say that I thought was really thought provoking was, is if you were to think about your life three years from now and look back at the period we are in today, what would you say to yourself in relation to how you used your time and the person you became…
FL: Moving forward in the months ahead tells us what can we expect from Mas.iv and where can we find all of the content we have been speaking about today?
M: In the month of May, I was gearing up for the second in-person MAS.IV meetup. Building on the progress from the first year and the desire to continuously elevate and grow as a brand and movement, the Meetup was going to feature two complimentary events and surprise international guests. With the borders being closed, the meetup has been postponed, but I am excited as I know these ideas will come into fruition in the future!
In the meantime, you can look out for more spotlight interviews, Musing features and much more on MAS.IV. I am also planning to get more in front of the screen (lol) (definitely a work in progress).
If you are interested to learn more about MAS.IV or view the past MEETUP and spotlight interview content check out @themas.iv Instagram page. For creatives interested in collaborating, feel free to contact me.
Thanks for reading
-Yinx-
