Maekan

Rarely do creatives start their careers with a particular defined path. It requires a few bumps and bruises, and wrong turns to find the right path. Decatur Dan, otherwise known as Daniel Hall, has come up through the ranks in a way that’s almost a requisite for success… your own way. His initial start creating content began as the streetwear boutique in Atlanta known as Standard. Regular meetings with Atlanta’s vibrant hip-hop scene allowed a new chapter to emerge as a music video director for the likes of 2Chains, Future, and more. Script & Narration by Eugene Kan Transcript by Alek Rose Audio by Elphick Wo Video by Daniel Hall Photos by Alex Maeland See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/there-is-no-handbook-chapter-by-chapter-with-director-decatur-dan What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social med

Researcher and photographer Behzod Sirjani has dedicated his career towards the understanding of culture. It has come through the lens of both social media, at Facebook and more recently with remote and digital work at Slack. The interactions we’ve engaged in online have changed significantly from our face-to-face communications of the past, and as such, we now see our peers much differently. Our access to their interests, their views, and how they interact is on full display. These cultural nuances, through Sirjani’s role as Senior Researcher at Slack, present themselves as key determinants of how digital work culture moves forward. The inclusion of photography has also given him an added tool to force him to observe and be present as things play out around him. Interview by Eugene Kan Transcript & Text by Alek Rose Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Behzod Sirjani See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/product-research-through-culture-behzod-sirjani-and-how-slack-humanizes-work What is MA

Hey, everyone. My name is Umar Issa. I’m from Los Angeles, California and recently I took a trip to Egypt for a few weeks. Egypt is a place I’ve wanted to visit for so long. It’s known in Arabic as Umm al-Dunya which means “mother of the world”. And I thought it would be an amazing opportunity to spend some time this summer exploring the land of our ancestors. Narrated and text by Umar Issa Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Umar Issa See the full story here: https://www.maekan.com/article/maekan-travel-diary-conversing-through-football-in-egypt What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else

Avery Trufelman is a producer at 99% Invisible, an extremely popular podcast created by Roman Mars. She crafts stories about things overlooked and believes anything can be a good story when told correctly. “If you go far enough away and zoom out and look at larger pictures everything is fascinating; if you zoom in and in and in closer and closer and deep into histories and linguistics of anything everything is fascinating. Like everything has a context, everything has a person behind it, everything has some sort of conflict.” Listen to Avery and Charis untangle what it means to be a podcaster/producer and delve deep into the possibilities of storytelling. Hosted, narrated, and text by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Stanley Cheng See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/anything-can-be-fascinating-avery-trufelman-of-99-invisible-on-telling-stories-well What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're abou

Chris da Canha is a skateboarder and photographer who hails from Durban, South Africa, but currently calls South Korea home. A regular contributing photographer for MAEKAN, he has shot many of our stories in Seoul, where he is currently based. These include our stories on RYSE, Cody Hudson and most recently Kang Seunghyuk of WORKSOUT. Photos by Chris da Canha Audio by Elphick Wo See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/sights-sounds-chris-da-canha What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of

Weed. Marijuana. Bud. Pot. Reefer. Dope. Herb. Mary Jane. Chronic. Broccoli. Every region, person, and demographic seemingly have their own preferred definition for cannabis. Mind you, the short list above only spans the English language. The universal nature of cannabis has made it a particular interesting part of popular culture fabric. The fact that so many differing perspectives exist mean that the resulting experiences we create for them also have the likehood to change and adapt whether it be a user, grower, storyteller, or in the case of Ariel Stark-Benz, the retailer. Hosted by Alex Maeland Transcript by Alek Rose Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Carmen Chan See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/building-a-true-cannabis-lifestyle-brand-ariel-stark-benz-of-mister-green What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level th

In this first story to come out of Saigon, Elphick recalls his chat with film producer Jenni Trang Le. A near 10-year veteran of the Vietnamese film industry, her work has continued to push the envelope of cinema in Vietnam overcoming obstacles that include tight budgets, fickle box offices and government censorship. Script by Nate Kan Transcript by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Christopher Lim See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/straight-outta-saigon-jenni-trang-le-talks-vietnams-film-industry What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offe

Jonnie Hallman has dedicated the past four years to building an app called Cushion to help ease the minds of freelancers. A long time freelancer himself, he meets the needs of freelancers with useful, smart features and also through giving a digital tool personality and warmth. Interview by Eugene Kan Text, Narration & Illustrations by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/calming-the-freelance-rollercoaster-jonnie-hallmans-cushion-app What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKA

In this Building the Brand, Eugene and Charis sit down with Alek Rose, MAEKAN's second full-time apprentice who we had the pleasure of working with these past 28 days. Half debriefing, half feedback session, this episode examines some of the insights the soon-to-be graduate Alek has gained, as well as challenges he faced in his short few weeks in Hong Kong. Hosted by Eugene Kan, Charis Poon & Alek Rose Text by Nate Kan Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Christopher Lim & Nate Kan See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/building-the-brand-alek-rose What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and

Charis Poon interviewed Adem Niazi and Drewbyrd from 40s and Shorties during their short trip to Hong Kong. Listen as the two co-founders speak about building the brand and how it has enabled them to share their own story of being rooted deep in California's culture. Text, Interview & Narration by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Christopher Lim See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/rooted-in-californian-nostalgia-40s-and-shorties-grows-up What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlo

Gideon De Kock is a Hong Kong based street photographer originally from Cape Town, South Africa. He used to work as a full time musician while in South Africa, has a background in sound engineering, and still occasionally plays guitar and bass and mixes audio. After moving to Hong Kong, Gideon cut his teeth as a photographer shooting the streets and back-alleys of the city. His approach to photography is loose, with a focus on details and salt-of-the-earth subjects. Gideon currently works at a boutique creative agency and will be releasing a solo photo book this August. Photos by Gideon de Kock Audio by Elphick Wo See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/sights-sounds-gideon-de-kock What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't ha

“See you at the Packard” was what Detroit youth would say as they parted ways at the city’s coffee shops, before regrouping after sunset. Opened in 1903, the Packard Plant was a grand statement of the booming American car industry. Yet the mid-century recession meant the 3,500,000-square-foot plant was left abandoned. In 1957, the plant closed its doors to the auto business, and in its replacement laid the foundation to a musical subculture that shaped electronic music today: techno. See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/the-golden-years-detroit-technos-warehouse-scene What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story fr

Depression is Like Anything Else — Neal Brennan Mic'd Up Comedian and Chapelle's Show co-creator Neal Brennan opens up on how culture and society need to change perceptions of depression. Script, Narration & Audio by Kevin Chau Photos by Christopher Lim & Eugene Kan Illustrations by Jeremy Leung See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/depression-is-like-anything-else-neal-brennan-micd-up What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access

Alex Valdman has worked dilligently and embraced the bumps and bruises of innovating in fashion and design. His early path in fashion was driven by the vanity of working with the likes of Kanye West and Nike, but in time he recognized vanity's detrimental effects on a creator's ultimate path. Hosted by Eugene Kan Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Mia Haggi See the whole story: https://www.maekan.com/article/shedding-vanity-establishing-purpose-with-alex-valdman-of-rapha What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unloc

David Kenji Chang spoke with Brendon Babenzien, creator of the apparel brand Noah, about taking a stand, not pulling punches, and balancing contradictions. Continue reading for the full story or listen to a condensed version of the interview above. Text and interview by David Kenji Chang Audio mixing by Elphick Wo Photos by Heather Sten See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, participating, and connecting with a global community on a deeper level that social media just doesn't provide. We’re defining the future of creative culture. We don't have all the answers, but our curiosity ensures we never stop looking. Sign-Up Today If you've enjoyed this story from the archives and want to see what else MAEKAN has to offer, sign-up for your membership at MAEKAN.com. You'll unlock all of our stories, be given exclusive member-only-access to our Slack community, and have the opportuni

The brand Hinoki may be best known for the S1 Gyuto Chefs Knife, but 24-year-old founder Hamish Grace is doing a lot more than just selling blades on the internet with this project. Behind what appears to be a sleek knife brand is actually a mission to c --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Eric Lau is a London based music producer focused on making music that connects people and has a positive impact on society. He looks intentionally for ways that his music and his skills can inspire and encourage others, whether it’s through mixing albums, producing original work, or teaching young people. His desire to shift society towards goodness as much as possible can be traced back to how he got started making music. Hosted by Charis Poon & Elphick Wo Music by Eric Lau Mixed by

The creative world sees itself as progressive and liberal. The beliefs that make up this mindset are easy to understand on a theoretical level, but they don’t always translate directly into practice. Each life is a collection of unique experiences: a combination of our background, our history, and our culture. Taking that complexity and simplifying it into an easy-to-follow line of progress can be difficult. Good decisions, just as much as the bad decisions, are a culmination of everything that got us to this particular point in time. The democratization of cre --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Imagine moving ‘home’ for the first time in your life. Having spent almost the entirety of her life abroad, Mahira returned to Karachi, Pakistan to explore the the city of her father’s childhood and mother’s early adulthood. Brought up on the stories of Karachi’s past, of ‘the good old days’ that seemed to have withered away under the dust and debris in the forgotten parts of town, she embarked on a journey to explore the city she was told was once filled with bars, nightclubs and discotheques—the city --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Joshua Kissi’s initial foray into the world of creative culture started at a unique point in time. The fashion forums were a place of digital congregation and represented an era before the emergence of social media as we know it today. The in-depth conversations Joshua engaged in about the underlying aspects of fashion would transcend the forum pages into real-world interactions that resulted in the creative agency Street Etiquette, and more recently, TONL, a modern inclusive stock photography platform that has taken a massive step forward in redefining an old-school industry. Hosted by Eugene Kan Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Rog Walker See the whole story here --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support