Episode 175
Seline Shenoy, The Dream Catcher
In today’s episode, we chat with Seline Shenoy. Seline is a Digital content creator - a writer, a podcaster, and a journalist. Seline will share with us a lot of ideas on how to explore our own creativity, how to produce, how to research, how to write and how to look for new channels to express that creativity.
Seline is from Dubai, UAE, and has lived in the USA, in Sweden, and has traveled to many countries across the world. Through these experiences, she has interacted with people from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, and different racial backgrounds.
These experiences have enabled her to understand different perspectives and really take it in and figure out where she sees herself on the whole broad spectrum of all these different backgrounds and worldviews. she was able to figure out what she could do to relate and build a rapport with people who were different from her.
What are some of the ways this can contribute to a person's creative process?
- Get out of your comfort zone, your social comfort zone, and reach out to people who are different from you. You will see that there are so many different ways to live and think in the world. By doing this, your creativity really gets stimulated.
- the memorable interactions are with the people. Whenever you have the chance, interact with the people.
What about these different channels you use as a digital content creator that stimulates you to share these messages in so many different ways?
- I experiment a lot so I can get to see what are different ways that I can inform people about different aspects of the world. People take in information differently, I want to make sure I reach out to everybody and their media diet should not be a hindrance for me to convey this information.
Is there a protocol and a process you use no matter what the subject matter?
- First, it depends on how much you know about the topic, the less, you know, the more research you need to do. After the research, you must figure out how can I craft this material in a way that people would resonate with it, what would make it palatable for them? What would make it interesting for them? And that requires you to understand who your readers are, who's consuming your content.
- Second, I always think about, what is my intention in writing this? What is it that I want people to take away from this piece? And that informs the approach that I take and the angle that I take on the topic
What are some of the considerations for you when you sit down to write for different readers in different places?
- I try not to use too much jargon, I try not to use too many, terms that are very specific to certain cultures, also I try to make it as culturally neutral as possible because I want to reach everybody. Additionally, I use examples and anecdotes that everyone can understand.
In summary, as a content creator, you must have a thick skin because sometimes, you get rejected, so you must get creative about how you reach people.
You can find out what Seline is working on by visiting --
Seline's Website: Selineshenoy.com
Seline's Blog: Thedreamcatch
Transcript
autogenerated transcript
Mark (:Welcome back, friends. Today's guest agrees that creative expression isn't just part of artistic professions. We can express our creativity in whatever job or whatever task or whatever hobby we are doing. And she's also a content creator and a creative person. So she's gonna share with us a lot of ideas on how to explore our own creativity, how to produce, how to research, how to write, how to look for new channels to express that creativity. And it's gonna be a fun discussion. My guest is Seline Shenoy. Seline. Welcome to the program.
Seline Shenoy (:Hello, Mark. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here with you today.
Mark (:Well, I'm talking to Seline from Dubai in the UAE, and Seline your international experience you've had a chance to live and work in a lot of different places. How does that contribute to your creativity?
Seline Shenoy (:It contributes in so many ways. I mean, first of all, I've had the privilege of living. Obviously, I'm from Dubai, so I've grown up here. And then I lived in the US for about eight years and then I was in Sweden. And in addition to that, I've had the opportunity to travel all over the world. And during those times I have been able to interact with people from different countries, from different cultures, different ethnicities, different racial backgrounds. And because of that, I've been able to understand different perspectives and really take it in and figure out where first of all, where do I see myself on the whole broad spectrum of all these different backgrounds and worldviews and what is it I can do to relate to these people? How can I build a kind of rapport with them?
Seline Shenoy (:And that's what influences my work so much. What can we really be open and curious when we meet, when we meet people who are different from us, that really informs my writing. I think that's really important given the state of our world, we really need to, make that effort to understand each other and have that empathy to understand what our fellow human beings are going through. And that only, that really comes from, broadening our horizons and being willing to befriend people from different parts of the world. And you may not be able to travel to different places or live in different places but you still can do that in your own town, in your own city. I'm sure that you have different kinds of people in your own town and if not, you can interact with them online.
Seline Shenoy (:So I always say get out of your comfort zone, get out of your social comfort zone and reach out to people who are different from you. So that you can really see that there are so many ways to live in the world, to think in the world. And I believe that when you do this, your creativity really gets stimulated. And you start to think differently because you stop being myopic and kind of stuck on your own way of doing things and seeing things.
Mark (:I'm so glad you brought this up. Of course, we're gonna be talking about your work and as a digital content creator, but as you're talking about travel, I too have had the opportunity to travel to a lot of places. And you do think, well, I'm sure the museums, or I'm sure the concerts, or I'm sure the walks in different cities have simulated the creativity. And yes, there's a lot of external, inputs to that, but you're right, the memorable interactions are with the people. The time you were in the coffee shop or the time you were on the train yes or the time you were on the ferry boat, whatever the case is, you do have a chance to interact with the people don't you?
Seline Shenoy (:Exactly. And you're so right about that, Mark's those little conversations that you have, with the taxi driver in a city you just landed in or someone you're sitting on a plane, who's sitting next to you on a plane ride. It's just all of it. All of it makes a huge difference. Like every single encounter matters and adds to you as a person.
Mark (:And Seline, I've read you have blogs, you have podcasts, you have videos. I mean, to say that you're a digital content creator, a lot of people think, well, good, she's written some articles, but you've really explored a lot of different mediums and channels to express this creativity. What about these different channels stimulates you to share these messages in so many different ways.
Seline Shenoy (:That's a good question, Mark. Well, I always like to experiment and see what are different ways that I can, express my message or inform people about different, aspects of the world. And I believe that people take in information differently. There are some people who are readers, who like to read long-form content. And there are some people who like videos. There are some people who like audio, so I wanna make sure I reach out to everybody and their media diet not be something that limits me, that prevents me from being able to convey this information. So I wanna make sure that people are able to access everything that I create through different ways. So I try to make that available. And I guess it's fun for me. I love creating content. I've gotten better at it. I mean, in the beginning, I was pretty, I would say I was very mediocre. I was not that great, but over the course of time I took some classes, I did some courses and I practiced, I think I'm pretty good now, but still, there's room for improvement.
Mark (:when I look across some of the topics, IT and Technology, but also lifestyle and wellness, beauty, retail, publishing, would you find yourself applying many of the same skills and techniques regardless of the topic? I mean, is there a protocol and a process you use no matter what the subject matter?
Seline Shenoy (:Yeah, absolutely. It always helps if you are familiar with what you're creating with the content that you're creating, if you have some level of knowledge, it makes it easier. But you're right Mark, no matter what the topic is that you are following the same protocol, the same, kind of steps First of all, it depends on how much you know about the topic, the less, you know, the more research you need to do. After the research, you gotta figure out, okay, how can I craft this material in a way that people would resonate with it, what would make it, palatable for them? What would make it interesting for them? And that requires you to understand who your readers are, who's consuming your content.
Seline Shenoy (:So whenever I'm creating a piece, I always think about, what is my intention in writing this? What is it that I want people to take away from this piece? And that informs the approach that I take and the angle that I take on the topic. because at the end of the day you're not writing in a diary, you're actually putting out information that people are gonna consume, and you gotta make sure that they're gonna consume it and that they're gonna like it, and that's the only way that you're gonna build a readership, and make people actually like you as, a personality, as a brand.
Mark (:I think the practical nature of our podcast, sometimes, we wanna speak to the listeners with the craft of the writing and the content creation. And sometimes it's a little overwhelming to think of all the places your work could be published, but how do you begin to really research those channels and get involved in those channels and pitch your work? What works for you?
Seline Shenoy (:So if I'm understanding you correctly, you're asking how do I find the best avenues to publish my work?
Mark (:Yes. The best platforms or the best media, you're publishing for a lot of other publications or blogs or websites are they coming to you to commission those articles, or are you pitching those articles to them?
Seline Shenoy (:Would say it's a mix of both. But when I pitch, I usually look at who are their readership and what kind of material articles do they currently have on their website and am I capable of putting together, putting something together that would add value to their publication, because at the end of the day, they're gonna be like, what's in it for me? And you gotta convince them that, your content has value and it's something that your audience would appreciate. You have to really sell it to them. So you gotta accentuate the reasons why you think your article would be perfect for their publications. You obviously wanna target those publications that fall under your niche. You wanna make sure that they have the readership that you wanna attract to your platform. And that usually involves good old-fashioned Google searches there are a lot of directories out there. Over time you get familiar with the main, blogs, the content platforms that are in your field, the more research that you do,
Mark (:I see what you're saying. And your content ranges from, I’d say, long-form articles, if I could use that, really is kind of deep and, and in-depth to very short in-app bullet points, get to the point kind of articles. That's quite a range to cover style-wise.
Seline Shenoy (:Yeah. would say I'm more inclined to write long-form because I have a lot to say, and I wanna make sure I cover every single thing. You know, I'm a bit of a perfectionist that way. I'm like, I don't wanna miss out on anything. In fact, editing takes me longer than writing, because I have to like, kill my darlings, so to speak. I'm like, oh, no, this is like ready, 2,500 words.
Mark (:That was my favorite paragraph. I can't take that out.
Seline Shenoy (:I know. And that's sometimes really hard, but I'm like, people are not gonna read all of this stuff, People have very short attention spans when they're reading online. So, you gotta like make it scannable. You gotta make it bite-sized as much as possible. So I really have to push myself to cut down on what I write sometimes. Even in journalism school, my professors, instructors used to be like, you write too much. That was something they always told me and I'm like, okay, I need to learn the art of cutting down and editing and, making it more, reader-friendly,
Mark (:And we were talking about with travel, the cross-cultural inspiration, but also now let's turn it the other way. You're writing for readers in different countries, in different cultures, for example, you might be translating a Scandinavian brand to a US audience or vice versa. What are some of the considerations for you when you sit down to write for different readers in different places?
Seline Shenoy (:I try not to use too much jargon, I try not to use too many, terms that are very specific to certain cultures, in my case, but I have to say that most of my readers are from the United States. And they are from Canada, and Australia, South Africa, so these are people who are familiar with the language that I use, but I tend to stick with American English. That's, what I tend to use. I follow AP-style. I try to make it as culturally neutral as possible because I wanted to reach everybody. I work for a Scandinavian publication, even there I'm writing for an American audience. They tell me, use American English, make sure you use the lingo, they have to make sure that they can relate to whatever I'm writing, to consume what I'm writing. So, that's what I keep in mind. I, try to keep it as neutral as possible as far as the writing is concerned, and I try to use examples and anecdotes that everyone can understand
Mark (:Now you also have a terrific blog and a podcast called the dream catcher where you really explore this idea of ye Creative inspiration but also feeding the creative soul as it were. Tell us about sort of the topics, what you're exploring in that channel?
Seline Shenoy (:Well, the core topics that I cover are personal development and spirituality, but I also get people who to talk about, relationships, cultural issues, social issues. Sometimes I get people talking about history, philosophy. I don't like to limit myself. I like to add variety but at the same time, I try to stick with the core topics because that's what I know my listeners appreciate those the most. So I try to stick with that, but at the same time, I like to throw in, a few different types of, themes and topics once in a while. I just think that's important because I feel that having a kind of panoramic perspective stimulates your creativity when you can look at things from different viewpoints, you can really broaden your horizons. And I think that is an essential aspect of being a creative person. And that's why I try to keep it as broad as possible whenever I can.
Mark (:It's interesting you say that you explore not only maybe their creative process, but things like relationships and I mean, all of these other things that do create contribute to the creative spirit,
Seline Shenoy (:It does. Yes, it
Mark (:What sort of guests are you hoping to continue to attract?
Seline Shenoy (:I do have some in my wishlist. Do you want me to name them?
Mark (:Absolutely. You never know somebody somewhere knows them.
Seline Shenoy (:I work with a lot of publishing houses and have been able to build a pretty robust network that I tap into when I'm trying to find guests. But as a podcaster, you gotta have a thick, you gotta have a thick skin because sometimes, alot of the times you do get rejected, especially in the earlier stages. Because I like to aim high. I always set the bar really high. So, I do get rejected a lot and it hurts, but as I've built my listenership, that doesn't happen so much. And, the goal is to get some pretty high quality, high caliber guests. I'm definitely working towards that, but, if you're someone who's considering, doing an interview-style podcast and you wanna get top-tier guests, then be prepared for that's all I'm gonna say.
Mark (:Exactly. And I think that's true of writers of any kind, but, podcasters for sure, because, there is a certain kind of ego factor.
Seline Shenoy (:Gotta have a thick skin as a creative person. You gotta have a thick skin because it can be hard because I believe creativity is an act of courage, You're putting your work out there and you never know how people are gonna respond. You definitely don't wanna hear crickets when you publish your stuff.
Mark (:That's right? Where are they?
Seline Shenoy (:Where are they? It's like, I worked so hard on this, but, you just gotta do it because you love it.
Mark (:You bring up a good point. And that is, we've raised it in the context of podcasting, but like we said, at the outset, our creative expressions can range the gambit. So it's the same for a painter who wants to get their work in a great gallery and somehow they're not let in, or, a writer who wants to interview a Broadway star, but can't get access, whatever the case is. Like you said, there's a thick skin, but isn't there also, what would you say, the creativity or the persistence in pursuing the people that you wanna work with?
Seline Shenoy (:You gotta get creative about how you reach these people. Alot of people don't talk about this, but there is also a very strong sales component. When you're a creative person, it's not just enough to create the material. You have to sell it, whether you're selling it to, publishers or you're selling it to your audience, you gotta find a way to convince them that this is worthy. And right now the online world is so so saturated. There's so much information out there. And if you don't know how to make your materials stand out and be different, you're probably gonna get lost in it. So you gotta find a way to be unique and the thing is you gotta keep coming back again- and again, you gotta keep abreast of what is going on out there in the content world, who your competitors are, what are they up to? Cause if you don't do that, then you're gonna drown.
Seline Shenoy (:I hate to put it that way, but that's the truth.
Mark (:No, I mean, we gotta have a reality check here.
Seline Shenoy (:It's a reality check.
Mark (:Everybody says, oh, that mark, he's a fun guy you forget what's behind the scenes.
Seline Shenoy (:Gotta hustle
Mark (:You gotta do the duck paddling.
Seline Shenoy (:Yeah. You gotta hustle. If you're in the content world, you gotta do it. You're not gonna become an influencer overnight. It's gonna take work.
Mark (:Yeah. There you go
Seline Shenoy (:And strategy.
Mark (:So well, Seline, what a wonderful conversation. What are you working on these days and what's ahead for you?
Seline Shenoy (:I’m just taking everything to the next level. I'm kind of opening the door for guest writers on my blog. So if anyone's interested, please get in touch with me. I'm just gonna take everything to the next level. I'm gonna start working on my next book, in the middle of this year sometime, I still have some things to take care of before that, because when you're writing a book, you really need to get in the zone and I wanna make sure I'm the right frame of mind when I do that.
Mark (:Yeah. Terrific. Well, we're gonna put all your connections in the show notes, but for now, how can we get in touch with you and learn more about your work?
Seline Shenoy (:Well, my personal website is Selineshenoy.com On that website, you'll find a link to my blog- the dream catcher blog, to my podcast, and also to my writer's portfolio. So if you wanna work with me, for copywriting, for content creation you can go there.
Mark (:Wonderful. Well, my guest has been Seline Shenoy from Dubai, Seline. What a wonderful conversation. I've enjoyed talking with you so much.
Seline Shenoy (:Mark. It's been a pleasure. Thank you so much.
Mark (:And thanks for the creative inspiration and a little bit of the sobering reality, but mainly The spark to say, get the work done, but also get out there and sell it. Gotta do both.
Seline Shenoy (:Absolutely. Exactly.
Mark (:All right. Well, listeners, this is just the kind of advice and experience we wanna bring you, not just people who, you know, have ideas and talk about 'em, but the people doing the work like Seline. So come back again, next time to creative practitioners all over the world about how they get inspired, how they organize their ideas, and most of all, how they get the confidence and the connections to launch their work out into the world. So until then, I'm Mark Stinson and we're unlocking your world of creativity.
