Kiss Nuka speaks about her experiences of artistry and activism, sharing her thoughts on creativity, empowering people, and connecting work to social impact. Quite often on the podcast, we explore the outward journey to creating social change, but there is an inner journey as well. Both being able to articulate our values and what we stand for, and then, to be able to position ourselves in alignment with our values when the structures of the world around us pull us in different directions.
Kiss Nuka’s career in music exploded when she was 17 years old through a famous reality show in India, and she went on to be a successful musician in the Tamil and Bollywood film industries. Kiss Nuka started in the music industry by accident, and had other plans for the future. That is until her music career snowballed into other opportunities in the entertainment field. She says she went with the flow as she maneuvered her unplanned success, and now Kiss Nuka is nearing 20 years in the industry.
How can someone stay grounded after years in an industry with so much visibility? One of the things Kiss Nuka points to is her upbringing. Her parents were more open-minded than the parents of her peers, and she grew up feeling empowered in her family environment. While speaking, she explains her thought that many of the concerns people deal with in adulthood stem from their response to their upbringing. She believes that traveling is one of the ways to grow more accepting of the world around you.
In terms of what surrounds you, Kiss Nuka tells her personal story of finding her passion towards social impact concerns, along with her realization of the importance of having a community. People sometimes have some skill, talent, or perspective within themselves that doesn’t fully flourish since there isn’t a way to exercise that gift. Having a community to connect with can provide space for people to explore and sharpen what they have to offer the world.
A balancing of the masculine and feminine energy can help social entrepreneurs learn to be both gentle and strong while navigating purpose. Earlier in finding a purpose, Kiss Nukka used to anchor herself in anger. She says she became more open to feeling a wider range of feelings later in life. Being human, she knows anger will always have the possibility to resurface, but realizes that other emotions, like love, also have utility.
Discussing the decisions to help present her art while being an activist, brings Kiss Nuka to talk about different styles of expression having their own utility. Everyone contributing in their own way can spark inspiration in others that helps the collective interest develop more. Kiss Nuka expands on her thoughts around staying true to her aesthetic, discovering what mission she is creating art to promote, unlearning the limits of the industry around artists, and making an identity document to know yourself more.
If you would like to learn more, you can visit Kiss Nuka’s website, YouTube, Instagram or Facebook.