The New Media Collective

Your blog is called Karmagrrrl: Tales of a Karmically Challenged Life? Why Karmagrrrl? How has the universal law of karma guided your life?
Karma for me is very much like Newton's Third Law taken to a psychological level. Every force comes in pairs (action and reaction) and everything we put out—either physically, emotionally, or intellectually—will garner some sort of response. Though sometimes it's not tangible, and most times unnoticeable. Karmagrrrl broken down also takes cues from the riot grrrl movement which was/is/has a sort of DIY girl empowerment ethic. I'd like to see more young girls and women making films and video.

As a whole "Karmagrrrl: tales of a karmically challenged life" is a constant reminder to regularly realign myself with the things and ideals that I find most important in this life.

You got quite a bit of attention a few months ago for one of your videos, Wake Me Up When September Ends. You even got written up in the New York Times. How did all this come about, and how has it impacted your life?
With "Wake Me Up..." it all kind of happened organically. I was back home in New York in September taking a bus upstate to my parent's house listening to Green Day's album on my mp3 player when the song came on. As it was playing, I noticed a newspaper on the floor by my feet with a photo on the front page of a Hurricane Katrina survivor's feet wrapped in cardboard and rubber bands. At that point the song took on a whole different meaning and all these images started floating through my head. I took out my video camera because I wanted to remember how horrible, guilty, and angry I felt at that moment. When I got back home to Los Angeles I decided to vlog my memory and how I felt using the song with media images and sound clips to create a sort of mash-up.

The attention has only impacted my life in the sense that I want to do more of this type of work. I love the experience of getting political conversations started through a creative medium—especially video and film. I've met great people who also want to make positive changes in our world, hopefully we can work together.

What made you want to start videoblogging? What inspires your ideas?
For me, videoblogging started when I moved from New York to Los Angeles. It kept me connected to my friends and family. Although my videos aren't always the most personal, it lets them know what I find interesting at the moment and what my state of mind is, which is the best way for me to let people who are close to me know how I'm doing.

I'm constantly inspired by thoughts and imagery and music. Music plays a big role in how I visualize something. We all have a soundtrack to our lives and certain songs just make an idea bubble inside of me like nothing else can. I'm also inspired by the news and what's going on in our world politically.

In reading some of your contributions to DVGuru, you seem to have quite a grasp on the technical side of video and film production. How'd you get started in all this?
I'm completely self-taught when it comes to video. My background is in art direction, photography, and theatre, so I have a grasp on the creative elements, composition, color, etc. But every creative person should have a skeletal understanding of how their medium works—it just frees you up to do more. I'm still learning and technology moves so fast that at times it's difficult to keep up, but I try and make it a point to keep abreast of it all and share the info I find.

You have your own digital media company, Smashface Productions. What kind of projects does Smashface produce?
Smashface Productions produces social documentaries and projects in a creative light. I created Smashface Productions when I was producing an off-Broadway play called The Truth about Heaven. I auditioned NYC poets and formed a play around the poetry that they wrote in weekly writing workshops that we held. It was amazing how eight people of different backgrounds, races, ages, and genders came together to form this beautiful play about their lives in the city. That's what it became—an organic piece about eight people traveling through the arteries of New York City being intertwined though not knowing each other. The play was free to the public on the condition that they donated an inscribed book of poetry. Those books were then collected and given to the local public high school. It was amazing and extremely fulfilling. Those are the types of projects I want to continue doing, those that are creative and have a social cause attached. I would like to continue doing similar work online.

According to its website, Smashface is "built on the belief that digital media can promote healthy discussions that can lead to social reform." Where do you see videoblogging's role in this reform?
Videoblogging gives citizens of the world the power to communicate with each other without any filters. With a camera and an internet connection people can virtually become their own broadcast station. We no longer have to sit in front of the television or in a theatre and be passive viewers. If we feel something is lacking in the programming we see on TV or what's being shown at the cinema, we can do something about it and we can teach others to do the same.

As a person of color, how do you feel about the digital divide? Do you believe it's closing? If not, what do you believe can, or should, be done about it, and who's responsibility is it to bridge the gap?
The digital divide is a huge problem—not only in developing countries, but in our own backyard. Many of us say broadband is cheaper, and cameras are cheaper, and computers are cheaper, but it doesn't mean anything if there are people who don't know how to use these things. We need educators. We need people campaigning for change. We need volunteers. We need programs installed in schools and funding for organizations. A computer is such a powerful and dynamic learning tool and the internet is an amazing gateway to information, but we need guides. It's everyone's responsibility to be concerned about this issue because it affects all of us. Technology is a huge part of our lives and how we communicate with each other.

Who is Zadi outside of the vlogosphere? What's life like for you in the real world?
I'm not that much different outside of the vlogosphere. The two really do intertwine. That's the thing with vlogging—you put yourself out there and people get to see how you live, what you think, and how you feel. It's a pretty public personal journey. What you see is pretty much what you get. And what you haven't seen, you probably will see in the future. Life in the real world is much more fun than online though. And I have met many vlogging friends in person—which has been cool because it's like you already know them.

You've been a field correspondent for Rocketboom, and have contributed to other sites like Blogher.org and DVGuru. What's else is there for Zadi to do? Any new projects coming up? Any new media worlds for you to conquer?
I have many projects lined up, many more on the backburner, and many more in the idea cabinet. The projects coming up involve vlogging and incorporating one into a weekly show. Another will be evolving Karmagrrrl into a more cohesive destination for young women's issues. I'm also co-producing a documentary on the Navajo Indians that has been years in the making. I love collaborating with others, so I'm sure I'll be busy no matter what—which is always a great thing.