Feminism, Environmentalism & Culture With Teyah Payne
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Interview with Teyah Payne
Q
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO OPEN YOUR CREATIVE DESIGN STUDIO AND LIFESTYLE BRAND?
A
My design studio was born out of necessity. As a multidisciplinary scientist and writer, it seemed like the most natural progression in my career.
Basically, my research and writing has always been focused on understanding the ways in which environmental policy and knowledge, especially around water, impact the lives and well-being of BIPOC women living in Global North countries. And while I love what I do, I feel that there is a huge disconnect between specialists and academics and the general public. To me, studying water is the most natural thing a person can do; I mean half of the human body is made of water and it’s one of , if not the most, important source of life and energy. Yet, people are always shocked when I tell them that I specialize in the politics and culture of water. I think this shows that a large chunk of really important data and knowledge just isn’t connecting with the people who need to be connected with it the most. Research, at least in my opinion, is nowhere near as useful as it can be if everyday people aren’t given the tools to engage with it. Thus, I’m committed to disseminating my knowledge in ways tailored to the new norms of communication and multimedia. So I took an audit of all the things I am trained and interested in, used my COVID lockdown downtime to develop my CSS, web-design, and copywriting skills, and launched my studio! (Best career move I’ve ever made.)
Q
WHAT RESOURCES DID YOU USE TO LEARN YOUR WEB DESIGN CRAFT?
A
All of my skills for web design are self taught. Honestly, I think web-design is one of those things that you learn best by doing. It’s hard for me to explain, as I know much more than I do now, but I still have so much to learn. So I’m not as comfortable with giving advice on how to approach it. Perhaps ask the experts on this one. But I learned CSS pretty quickly through Youtube and some savvy google searches on key terminology.
Q
DOES YOUR ACADEMIC RESEARCH INFLUENCE YOUR DESIGN?
A
I’ve never considered this if I’m being honest, so I’m not so sure. My instinct is to answer yes because I believe all of my work is connected in some way or another. However, since I’m so new to the creative industry as a creator myself, I think it’s a bit too early for me to have a genuine answer to this question.
Q
WHAT ARE YOUR TRAVEL PLANS FOR THE YEAR?
A
This year, most of my travel will revolve around my PhD research. This summer, me and ethnographic documentary filmmaker Zac Wichlei are heading out to the Great Plains as a pilot project to make a short film focused on my research on women-led household water insecurity on major groundwater basins. We’ll be traveling from the Black Hills down to the Sandhills and I’m super excited.
Q
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MOVE TO THE UK FOR YOUR UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES?
A
I’m not so sure if I’m being honest. I wanted to travel Europe and didn’t see myself living in the US. So I chose the UK for university as it was the only official Anglo-country and I wouldn’t have to deal with a language barrier.
Q
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO CREATE A PERMANENT LIFE ABROAD?
A
I kinda touched upon this on my last answer, but I just didn’t see myself settling in the US. I looked around and I didn’t see any Americans living a life that I wanted for myself. But, when I looked around London, I saw a lot of people embodying the ways I wanted to live. I don’t really have a “hometown” per se, as my childhood was split between Virginia, Japan, and Florida and my family predominantly lives in Texas. So, I’ve always had it in my mind that the idea of “home” was anywhere I felt comfortable and could see myself being genuinely happy. That place, at least for now, is the UK.
Q
HOW HAS TRAVEL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGE ENHANCED YOUR LIFE?
A
It’s helped me understand how humans work a lot better. That might be a cliche answer, but it’s the truth. I think my people skills have become stronger than ever before or ever could be if I didn’t leave to move abroad. Constantly having to be around people with different backgrounds from different cultures and expectations has made me a better sister, daughter, friend, and overall communicator.
Q
WHAT IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT THE UK?
A
That the UK is any less racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. than the US. I know that answer is probably gonna piss some people off, but I stand by it wholeheartedly. While I would agree that American hatred is more direct, I would not say that is more in amount if that makes sense. I just think UK hatred is more coded and less obvious to some as people who are not racialised, heteronormative, or male might miss a lot of the coded language and norms that are just as harmful as those in the states. I mean the same year Donald Trump became president the UK left the EU, a campaign riddled in racism and xenophobia. The UK at one point colonized ⅔ of the world and trust me when I say I can tell everyday I’m walking down the street.
Q
WHAT IS THE NEXT COUNTRY YOU WANT TO LIVE IN?
A
Probably Spain. The food, the sites, the PEOPLE! Plus, as a Mexican, it would allow me to perfect my Spanish.
Q
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE?
A
The first time I went to Monet’s gardens in Giverny, France. Me and a friend at the time went in June, summer 2018. On our journey there, it began to rain a little and by the time we reached the house it was pouring. The rain discouraged most of the other tourists, so everyone left the gardens to stay in the house or head back to Paris. My friend and I decided to embrace the rain and ended up running through the gardens all by ourselves. There was a point where we reached the bridge depicted in Monet’s The Japanese Bridge and leaned our backs over it with our hair flowing toward the pond. With the rain pouring and our laughing and having one of the most beautiful, iconic places on earth to ourselves, it was single handedly one of the greatest days of my life!
Q
DESCRIBE THE TYPE OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CREATE. WHAT COUNTRIES DO YOUR FRIENDS COME FROM? WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM ONE ANOTHER?
A
Weirdly enough, almost all my friends are from regions or places I’ve called home or represent my heritage. Although London is foreign to me, my friends and community very much aren’t. I think some people find stability and comfort in a single place where I find mine in people.
To answer the second part of the question, I think I’ve learned a lot about independence from them. I think to live away from home so far away you have to learn a form of self reliance that people close to their hometown networks don’t. Learning logistics like visas, passports, credit, insurance, taxes, etc. isn’t easy and there are almost never many accessible resources out there to guide you through it all. That’s why having friends who share my background rocks because we can all support each other as young adults trying to navigate complicated shit no one prepped us for.
Q
YOU HAVE MANY JOBS AND I KNOW YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BUSY. HOW DO YOU REMAIN ORGANIZED?
A
A lot of planners, Notion, Google docs, and apple calendars. I’m still trying to figure out how to stay organized, so perhaps I’m not the best person for giving advice on this yet!
Q
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE SEEKING TO START A PHD PROGRAM?
A
Focus on your supervisor and your university’s culture. Those two things are the MOST important, at least in my opinion when it comes to choosing. Most projects in the social sciences can be done if tweaked in multiple ways at multiple universities. However, the PhD isn’t just about the research. It’s about the community that helps you get it done. The way you feel when walking through the campus. Those things are often left on the backburner when people are seeking programs, and I suggest making them front and center. The PhD is a long, difficult journey and you want to make sure you’re in an environment that makes you feel supported while you’re going through it.
Q
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR THOSE SEEKING TO START A PHD PROGRAM?
A
Focus on your supervisor and your university’s culture. Those two things are the MOST important, at least in my opinion when it comes to choosing. Most projects in the social sciences can be done if tweaked in multiple ways at multiple universities. However, the PhD isn’t just about the research. It’s about the community that helps you get it done. The way you feel when walking through the campus. Those things are often left on the backburner when people are seeking programs, and I suggest making them front and center. The PhD is a long, difficult journey and you want to make sure you’re in an environment that makes you feel supported while you’re going through it.
Q
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
A
My instagram is @teyahnp
“Basically, my research and writing has always been focused on understanding the ways in which environmental policy and knowledge, especially around water, impact the lives and well-being of BIPOC women living in Global North countries.”
