The Basel Art Summer Camp 2026 Pt.3 : The Storytellers & Their Art of Beautifying Life

I am truly honored to chat with Laura, Cathleen, Gabriella and Stephanie after our successful storytelling show, "The Ladies' Night" in Basel recently.  Ladies’ Night is a storytelling show built for divorcees, women, and friends but it refuses the tired script that says a divorce means you failed.

We pull back the curtain on what audiences rarely see: the coaching, the workshops, the prop chaos, the emotional labor, and the care that turns “a kernel of an idea” into a story that makes people gasp, laugh,  We talk about why bringing Ladies’ Night to Art Basel and Basel Art Summer Camp mattered, and the big strategic questions that come with growth: Can we scale this women’s storytelling platform to bigger venues, new cities, and even film or anthology formats without losing the intimacy that makes it crackle?

Each of the storyteller shared how they beautify their life : Gabs, a chef and nutritionist, reframes her craft as nourishment instead of numbers, tracing her creativity back to the women in her family. Steph stages a bold, improvised art metaphor where the inner critic gets a name and a voice, proving that perfectionism is easier than creating, but not nearly as alive. Last but not least, Cathleen blended her talent in singing and songwriting to capture her memories on her mother who inspired her creative mind and soul. 

If you’re craving authentic storytelling, creative community, and real tools for rebuilding after change, this conversation will stick with you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a spark, and leave a review telling us what line you’re still thinking about.

Transcript

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Pride, Fatigue, And The Afterglow

SPEAKER_02 0:15

I am so happy with our performance yesterday. It's Ladies' Night, first time in Art Puzzle in conjunction with the Art SummerCam, and it was an honor to be part of the show. And I'm happy to have both you and Kathleen to have this short chat post-show just to get a sense of how we're feeling today. And you know, some of the nice takeaways and perhaps some back-end stories from the whole process of putting together the show. But before we get into it, I just want to know how we all are feeling today.

SPEAKER_04 0:54

I'm feeling a combination of things, as is the human way. Um I'm feeling a lot of pride for what we put together. Also, I know you talked about back-end stories. The part that people who only see beyond stage component will never will not know as readily is how much work it takes to put something like this together. And I obviously credit Laura with the the the most of that, the Herculean task of putting this together. But also all of us were not like little divas prancing around. We lean in and we do the best that we can, not only in like the physical aspects of like getting the glitter up, getting the stage set, um, bringing the props, and but it's also the emotional work of really lifting each other up, lifting our stories up so that they can be what they're capable of being on that, you know, at that given moment, and in this case last night. So I'm really proud of all that. But of course, the inevitable second reality of that is that that means we're also really tired. Yeah. So I I'm proud and I'm tired. And of course, life keeps lifeing. There's still so much to do in a variety of respects, and I am choosing to really honor my how I yeah, honor the fatigue as well as the pride. It's really interesting to sit with both of those today.

SPEAKER_02 2:21

Nice. And what about you, Laura?

SPEAKER_03 2:24

Well, now that I've had some caffeine, I've had some food, had a little bit of rest, some time alone. I feel really good. I mean, this was it's interesting because I sent a photo last night of the show to my family chat in the US. And my sister was like, Oh, you got a daylight show. You know, and I made a joke about it during how we are normally in basements. This is probably used to daylight. Um, and then I was like, no, it was a sunset show. And she was like, How appropriate? Because this kind of sunset the season, so to speak. Um, because last night was, well, our fifth show since May of 2025. Um, and the fourth show of the format of the open call of stories, of the creating together, of the the coaching, the the co-creation, the the part that um Kathleen mentioned about the kind of there's there's magic that goes into Ladies' Night that is, you know, it starts with just an idea, you know, it starts with like all that you all knew about the show was that Ladies Night is a storytelling show. Yes, for divorcees, for women and friends. And then a theme. Absolutely. And this theme was the art of beautifying your life. Part of the magic is just putting that out there and seeing what the response comes with, and the magic that happens in the creation in the workshop, like as Kathleen said, like for we might well Kathleen's the part that I really enjoy about the show is I get to see the behind the scenes, I get to see your ideas, like your the the the kernels. Actually, you both no the kernels of the your stories, and then we work together one-on-one at first, and then as a group for to workshop them and see what responds. And then, you know, this time we had four storytellers, you both, plus two more, and actually the two ladies who uh well, no, all of you, everyone seems to go on this creative process of playing with the story throughout the workshopping where what happens on stage, it's I as you know, the producer, the director knows kind of what's coming, but then it's always a surprise. Yes, and I'm always in the back smiling, giddy, because it's like I know what's coming, but also there's always twists, you know, there's words that come from our conversations in the week, and it's so um incredible. It's so incredible to watch, and it's so incredible to watch people in the audience and what they respond to, how they gasp when they come out loud.

SPEAKER_02 4:58

It's magic.

Why Bring Ladies’ Night To Basel

SPEAKER_02 5:00

What makes you want to bring Ladies Night to Art Basle and also to the Art Summer Camp?

SPEAKER_03 5:04

Great questions. Opportunity is the real answer, you know. Um, knowing Tay Monica, who created Basle Art Summer Camp coming as an attendee in the previous years, uh last year I was on a panel, and I um so I got to see kind of the community effort that they bring in different voices around, and not just about art but other things. Um, last year, uh my friend Kate did a uh theater performance and brought people as well. So that was also another inspiring thing. Um and so Basil Art Summer Camp, part of me wants to call it the best kept secret during Basil Art Week, which is not fair because it shouldn't be a secret. But there the fact that it is, it is so I am a writer, I I like art, but I do not necessarily know how to engage with fine art. But here, by coming to Basil Art Summer Camp, hearing the story of how it was created and how it's a platform for emerging artists to meet the public, be inspired. And I came here past couple years and left super inspired. So it's more of just feeling why did I want to bring Ladies' Night here? Why did I want to bring you here? It's to share glitter is the word in my head, but it's like I never say glitter, but it's like it's it's almost like the feeling of Ladies' Night, where it's the creativity in one space and people doing different things. You never know who you're gonna meet, what conversations you're gonna have. And and like what was beautiful too. I mean, Ladies' Night, you know, it's an emerging platform, it's an emerging show. Can Ladies' Night quote unquote work in a different venue than the one in Lausanne? Yeah, can we find people like there's so many different like tests and questions?

SPEAKER_02 6:50

I want to get to you, Kathleen, because you are the opening act. If it's a concert, I would say that that is a super, super strong opening act with uh, you know, with uh with your song.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

So yeah, opening is scary. It is scary, especially in a in a new venue. It is, it's um, there are new, there are so many new elements to take in, both uh practically, logistically, but also in terms of the feeling and and saying, okay, what does this space feel like as a performer? Um, and so I had the opportunity to not only share a story as a spoken story, but I also sang. Uh and filling and and choosing to occupy a room with one's singing voice is always a challenge. One thing that motivates me a lot is creating spaces where everyone can thrive. And so if that means sometimes putting myself in the front of the of the pack, let's say, or the the yeah, to to lead the way by doing that initial feeling around of like, okay, what are we working with? What are we doing? Is I'm game. I'm game, and I know I can and I've learned through this space, through the container that Laura holds so well of supporting and coaching us, right? Yes, because you can notice too. Yeah. Um, it's she creates a space where it's safe enough to be brave enough to do that. And I'm really glad that I could do that. And the response was very yeah, it was my work.

SPEAKER_02 8:26

Let me just tell the audience.

SPEAKER_04 8:28

I felt very well received, and that's of course a wonderful feeling.

Where The Show Goes Next

SPEAKER_02 8:32

What would the future Ladies Night should look like? Laura, I know you have lots of good ideas, like um, on how to expand the not only the opportunities for ladies to tell their story, but to also expand the platform to diversify different ways of you know women telling stories. So I want you to perhaps share a bit more. I mean, what how how the future behold for the ladies' night?

SPEAKER_03 9:00

I'm a dreamer and I'm someone who like I've got this vision in my head, but it's gonna take a couple of years to get there. You know, because the question is the thinking about the magic that was this this past year, the past set of shows, um, the women who came to tell stories, seeing who it's been interesting to see who comes back and tells another story because there is like different profiles of people. So over the past calendar year, there have been 16 stories. Um, I'm like not just individuals, because we've had some repeat that have come out. And out of those, some ladies have come to tell other stories, some they've told their one and they're good. They've gotten the medicine of the therapy of taking a story out of their bodies and performed, and then they've moved on to other things. It's unlocked things, right? Yeah. So as far as the future of the show, it's like, okay, so now we've had, so we had four shows in Lausanne, we've now had one in Basel. So it's like, is is the focus more so I would like to bring the show format to other cities, and I think folk, so you know, I'd like to go to Zurich, try another one here in Basel. Um, but then the question is I'm challenged to answer this question six succinctly, you know, because it's like, is it more of a produced rehearsed show?

SPEAKER_02 10:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:17

Is it more like hot mess where our decorations were falling as the stories were happening? You know, so the decorations were part.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Last night we all did our own props and we had it was a lot of choreography, is what I call it. Yes, you know, a movie to me. So, and also with with the coaching that we we do, and Kathleen has helped take share that work with the storytellers, which is amazing. Yeah, Kathleen has a talent to also see people and see people's stories and bring them out. And I love working with you on the on this process, you know. Um, and yeah, so it's I think there's a lot of questions. And we were talking about this morning, actually, um, with stuff, Kathleen and I have like, okay, what's next? What do we go for? Um and and it's a challenge because the stories are so rich, and so I want them to touch more people.

SPEAKER_04 11:13

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 11:14

But also, if we do, you know, if we get into a space where we can fill an auditorium with more than 50 people, because right now that's been kind of our audience magic number.

SPEAKER_05 11:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:23

Um, and that's where the venues in the sun has been limiting. Yeah, you know, I would love to have a room of more like 100, 150 more, but it's gonna take time to build that. And then that is a different style show. Yes, where then it would be less experimentation, more rehearsal practice production, yeah. But then is that gonna lose the magic? Yeah. So it's a lot of different questions, or then also can we take these stories that happen live and go elsewhere? Because we do film them, and I've got them, you know, in my laptop, shared with the storytellers. I know I owe you both cuts. Um, but it's like, where else could those go? Because there's so many things that are touched, and a lot of people who see the show, they say that the stories stay with them. Yeah, yes. So it's like a bunch of questions, and uh I guess my hope is that the energy, the excitement continues, and that we as as the creators of the show, as the storytellers, as the ladies of ladies night, as the audience want are are interested to continue the experimentation part of it and the play.

SPEAKER_02 12:31

I think those questions are just indicative of how how many, how much potential the show has, right? Because there's a possibility of, you know, like you say, going into a more like a stand-up format where you have a profile that tell appealing stories that could, you know, fill up a stadium or stadium, uh, you know, a hall or whatever, whatever venue, or you know, making it spontaneous where people come in and tell their stories so that becomes an outlet or a platform for people to express themselves, right? So whatever that is, I'm just thrilled with the fact that we are giving, or you particularly are giving, more space and opportunities for women to have their voice heard and and to have that authentic voice shared and also learned by others. And I think that's super um, super powerful and empowering.

SPEAKER_03 13:31

And yeah, sorry. Thanks to jump in, but since we're so on like the vision, because the more that yeah, now that I've answered and shut my mouth, I'm like eating more. Like, so a big part of my story is I've lived in different parts of the world. Yeah, and different parts of the world have changed me and impacted me.

SPEAKER_05 13:47

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 13:47

And I have friends in different parts of the world who are, you know, watching what we're doing on Instagram and saying, I want to come, I want to come. You know, um I lived in Tokyo for a while, and that was the the um place that really transformed me and found kind of in a way, ladies and night is a love letter to the best friends, the women who I met when I was living there.

SPEAKER_02 14:07

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03 14:08

Because it's the first time that I met women who I could be myself with, and we could be chaos and lovely and who we are, and also see each other the next day. Yeah, that's and so I would love to bring that internationally.

SPEAKER_04 14:21

Yeah, no, yeah, let's try. No, I look at your vision. Yes, look at you how like this can go as big as you and we can dream it, and and there's so many what I love about what you're creating and what we're supporting you in creating is that there's so much space to play. There's so many different formats, as we experimented with last night. And I don't think we have to sacrifice intimacy to scale. Yeah, no, I you know, um, there are ways to bottle this lightning and to ship it all over the world. Like that can be books, that can be an it can be an anthology either in print or in audio or in video or buy all three of the box set. You know, it can be so many different things. Um, because the world needs this, the world needs what you are creating. Um, we needed it. Yes, and I can't tell you how many times people have said the same thing. Like, I'm so sorry I can't be there. When's when's the screening? When can we watch this together? And it's like, you know what? I need to check with my producer on that because this is it's important that we do this well and that we do this in a way that is sustainable, yeah, yeah, um, and that it honors the impact, but so that it's not just you're not just running on fans. This is powerful and this needs to be well sustained and honored in you know, yeah, in all the ways.

Divorce As Catalyst And Sustainability

SPEAKER_04 15:53

So here's to here's to the future, lady.

SPEAKER_03 15:56

Yeah, and this is a bit that you know, you've touched on this word, you know, sustainable. Because this has been a year of you know, learning how much it costs to produce a show, to create a show. Yes, we have tickets, but that money doesn't go very far. There's marketing money, there is you know, building a new brand, da da da. Absolutely. This is how we've ended up doing five in 13 months, you know, because it's like the continuation. And also when someone says, when's the next one? You're like, yes, here's the date. You know, it's like, so it's it's a dovetail. And like, you know, for doing the global tour, that is in my head, you know, that is in my head of like, okay, who can we partner with who can help fund this? And what does the ripple effects look for? I shared a bit of this last night, how like ladies' night is one of my answers to the loneliness and the discomfort that I felt in my own identity the summer after I got divorced. And there was someone last night who came who is a divorcee, who said, I love that this show was for divorce, but not about divorce. And I'm like, Yes, because divorce is that it's the catalyst, it's the catalyst for a lot of things. Yeah, and there are so much noise, stories, movies, television, music that shouts at us that subliminally says you are a failure because your marriage didn't work out. Go find another love. And I have I have very strong feelings against that, and that is essentially what Ladies Night is is to show different kinds of stories, different kinds of love that puts you at the center. I'm getting so emotional right now, that puts you at the center of your story, and that's why our rule is make the story about the theme, tell it from the eye, it's about you and not about your ex. Because fuck that.

SPEAKER_04 17:42

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 17:43

I totally see it. Um, and I don't know if it's the ambience, the the energy here in art buzzle, but I see how a lot of things are blooming. I've been in the last chapter, and then now in this chapter, and I can tell that it was it's it's very different, and it was such a personal growth for me as well, from that one to this one. And I also love the fact that we are taking this moment, and hopefully we can, and of course, for you, because you have so much ideas to to to stock take, right? Like, because now you have you have a lot of women looking after the show, and they want either to be part of it, to support you, or to just like, I want to be a storyteller. I mean, I have my friend yesterday, a guy, Mario, right? The the guy that attended the show. Do you remember what he said? He was telling me, Oh my god, I've never seen a group of powerful women. He said that so inspiring. Um, I just made me feel that I want to go back and write.

SPEAKER_03 18:50

Yeah, just shows it, transcend women as well. Um at the love show, there were quite a few men who came because they were um friends of one of the other storytellers. And I was chatting with one in the back, and he was like, This is interesting. I don't relate to these stories, but it's good to hear and learn and be in the room. I'm like, mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 19:10

I think they're catching the vibe, like the energy, even if it's the sorry space, it's magnetic, it's undeniable.

SPEAKER_04 19:16

Yeah, and I I firmly I'm gonna bang the storm again. I think we need to I think it would be incredible to do it to do a show that actually specifically goes to them. And it's like, want to be an incredible partner, show up. Oh, yes, and it transcends gender, it transcends location. I think it trans it transcends format, but the intimacy, the crack, the crackle comes from the intimacy. And and you're doing something so incredible, and it's such a privilege to be a part of it. And and where it goes from here is is a question of how do we create sustainability and how do people just keep how do we keep this light shining? And uh to all listeners, like this is this is you're a part of that. Like passion can only sustain itself for long enough. But if we amplify this, if we um seek to keep this up, and and instead of just saying when's the next show, it's like how can I help you build the next show? Yes, like that, that's a really helpful question. I mean, all the questions are good, but like come on, guys, let's make this thing let's take this global, let's take this where it needs to go, wherever that is, and let's work together to make it happen.

From Networking To Community Support

SPEAKER_02 20:30

Absolutely. And I love that call as well because I think we need to move and shift away from just networking. Yeah. Like after the show, people come in, network. And I attended a talk this morning, which is part of the art, you know, art uh summer camp, where we talk about how networking can be so dated, but what we should look now is into community building and how Ladies Knight can be really uh a catalyst or a platform to build a community. And to build a community, you don't just need storytellers, excellent storytellers or talented storytellers. We need resources, we need people who are willing to come up and say, I got your bag, and uh people who can actually come and say, Hey, let me help you strategize for your global dominance, right? And so, listeners, I'm just echoing what Kathleen said and what Laura said as well. Yes, if you are um, you know, interested to support the cause to be part of the Ladies Night, you know, effort, um please reach out to Laura.

SPEAKER_03 21:34

We're creating something. And I know that you both are exploring your art. You know, one of our storytellers at the love show, you know, her word of the air was express, express expression. And so she wanted to tell a story because she felt feel felt like she doesn't express herself. She was fucking phenomenal. So, you know, and actually her story inspired some of your story last night, which is a beautiful thing. It is a community effort.

SPEAKER_02 22:00

If you can sum up what Lady Snight had brought to Aunt Basil this year.

Garden Metaphor And Closing Thoughts

SPEAKER_02 22:05

It's a garden.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Um there were seeds planted. There were seeds that started to pop out. You know, I think of your friend saying, you know what, I want to go and write. I'm sh I'm I'm I'm affirming that I'm ready to express something. That's like a little bud, right? And and there was blooming. And some people were doing all three of those things at the same time. Yeah. Myself included. So yeah, that's how I would describe.

SPEAKER_02 22:30

Oh, that's beautiful. One sentence, Laura. Permission to play. Oh, live that.

SPEAKER_03 22:36

Permission to play. Yep. Mm-hmm. So fun. Mm-hmm. I mean, we're sitting here in the lobby of a hostel. We have verse that's still still up under the banner.

SPEAKER_04 22:47

It's all up.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

Yeah. It's all up. Garden, permission to play. To me, it's the joy. You know, I think and the and the joy that is communicated by the audience is not so much in what they say, but also how they feel, the faces I saw as I was telling my story. That was just enough a gift for me to continue telling my story. So it's the joy. Thank you, ladies. Thank you. I love all of you. And uh hope to see you guys again soon in the next Ladies Night. Thank you. Bye. Okay.

Meet Steph And Gabs As Storytellers

SPEAKER_02 23:34

Stefan Gaps, welcome to the episode.

SPEAKER_00 23:38

Thank you so much for having us. Uh, it's great to see you again. And I'm excited. Yeah. Yeah. Nice to be reunited, even if online. I know. When when can we meet again in person, huh?

SPEAKER_02 23:55

At least, you know. I know. One thing that the audience need to know that we did get a chance to party a bit at the Busle Social Club. And uh that was that was pretty epic. Even though Gabs and I left early. You, Steph, stay on. Yeah, you and Lightweights. I know. Okay. In addition to the ladies' night, I also get a chance to talk to different people, have conversations about who they are as a storyteller. It's it's wonderful how all of us are storytellers in our own unique ways. And the two of you bring your own brand of awesomeness, uniqueness, unhingedness, creativeness with that night. Who are you as a storyteller?

SPEAKER_01 24:54

I guess I am a perhaps an unusual mix of artist, storyteller, or artist and storyteller. And and my intention as a storyteller is to hold up a mirror to the audience to enable them to see themselves and their life differently. Yet I use art, metaphors, and personal experience to create that space for them to step back and see things differently. That's that's my form of storytelling, I'd say.

Cooking, Identity, And Nourishing Yourself

SPEAKER_00 26:49

It was like the same story but from another approach. And while it was developing because it was really fresh, um I started like uh connecting it with uh my process, my actual process, where I am also professionally, where I I have uh to take some time to uh uh plan and to know what I really want to do next because I think uh my path started taking um a direction that it wasn't like 100% me, so I wanted to go back to basics. Uh maybe because I've changed careers like pretty often, but um I want to go to basic, and for me the basic is cooking and showing how to nourish yourself, and I don't like this part of being a nutritionist who helps people losing weight. I I wasn't very comfortable with this role, so I wanted to change it, but I couldn't find like how I wanted to do that, and while developing this story, I came back to my basics to remember my great-grandmother and the kitchen and how my my cooking skills have developed first with family, with all the women in my family, and then also professionally in culinary school. So I wanted to join everything together and to say, okay, this is me and this is my passion. So, how can I connect it to being a nutritionist and helping people to eat well? So I'm pretty much more connected with this part of nourishing, like uh knowing what you need and not to run after a number, a specific number, that at the at the end it's not what is going to make you happy. So it took like a very, very interesting um direction because uh I started like from another point of view and I ended uh uh going to my basics that is cooking and my passion for for cooking.

SPEAKER_01 29:27

I can really relate with what Gab said earlier about the the process of getting ready to tell a story. Obviously, we're offering something hopefully helpful, insightful for the audience, but I also process a lot of my own journey and challenges w when preparing for each speech, and that that's part of the beauty of being a storyteller. There's a a two a two-way two-way benefit um for for both sides of the fence. And rather than using cooking on my side, I'm a probably a different kind of alchemist.

Perfectionism On Stage Through Art

SPEAKER_01 30:08

It's I always try and uh find a way to bring in the art, right? As an artist, how can I how can I bring in the metaphors of an artist in the story I'm telling? Uh and the the theme, if there's a red thread, I think, in everything I talk about, it's about seeing differently. And this is something that artists, I think, by nature do in in their visual work. And it's it's uh I've I've been experimenting over the last few years, how can I how can I do this live on stage, bring in the art, help people see differently, tell tell the story. And when I heard the theme, the art of beautifying life, something I've been working on the last few years is uh learning to live or learning to collaborate, let's say, with my perfectionism, which for many, many years I didn't even realize was there, it was unconscious. And and this was the story I wanted to bring to the stage. But why just talk about it when you can show it? And this was the sort of daredevil moment for me at Art Basil. I basically ended up walking the audience through a gallery tour of four works in progress on stage, and it was curated by two characters. One, Priscilla, and Priscilla is my perfectionist, and two is Steph the artist. So the audience got to see, although those are both parts of me, these two different perspectives, and perhaps find themselves in where they are looking at their art life or something that's happened to them with that more critic, inner critic. We all have a sort of inner art critic in us, I think. And it's way easier to be the critic than the creator on top of it. So by by showing my inner dialogue on stage going through this art tour, it was it was a way to show that, yeah, we have a choice to step back and see things differently. And when we step back to see things differently, we can we can choose to paint the next chapter of our life differently as well. So that was that was the direction I went in. Interesting, as you have to be there to get it.

SPEAKER_02 32:35

I I would um I hope maybe at some point some sort of a recording of what we did in Basel could could be shared. Or maybe even we can do another edition of the storytelling, uh, perhaps in in in in in our cities, right? Yeah. Because I felt I I I I'm with both of you about how it was such a journey preparing for the story. So a lot of what happened in the back end is what the audience could not really see or understand, you know, the process that you gaps and staff and Kathleen, what we've been through. And I think Steph, yours was super dynamic because we see how things developed, progress, unfurls throughout the process to where you get to that night, which was totally something that we didn't expect at the beginning. And I think that's the magic of the process uh where we stay authentic to our voice. It's not just about being unique, right? Like, but it's about being authentic. So since we all go through this very interesting journey in telling our story, I have a question. This question might, I don't know, it might make Priscilla want to join the conversation. So I'm just cautioning all of us today in case Priscilla joined us, because this question, yes, with with her, yes.

Would You Change Your Story?

SPEAKER_02 34:10

Um, but really we I think we did a great job in telling our story. But are you happy, both of you? Are you happy with the story that you share tonight? And if you could ever get the chance, another chance to tell the story again, would you ever change anything in the story that you share? So who wants to go first?

SPEAKER_01 34:33

Don't let Priscilla Priscilla want to go first, or Gabs or uh Staff? Who wants to go first? Yeah, sure. Uh Priscilla can speak if you like. Oh gosh. Short answer, yes and yes. Yes, I'm happy, and yes, I would change things, but perhaps change is the wrong word. It's created a it's basically sandboxed a new approach to how I bring art and storytelling together that I want to take further, not only for this topic for but for others, which is beautiful. Um I'm proud of Priscilla for letting go. As you probably both witnessed, I had the shakes at the very beginning when I showed the first art installation. Um it was scary for her to let go because it was completely improvised. Obviously, I had an idea in my mind. The idea came at 2 a.m. the night before. I don't know. It it was like the moment I let go to, hey Priscilla, we're doing an experiment tomorrow. Some of that pressure was off that the idea was channeled through. I wrote it down and I was testing it with a uh cozy live audience on the day. So super proud for her courage in doing that. Super proud that by having that courage to test that out, it's opening up new possibilities of things I want to take forward in the future. So was it perfect? No, but nothing's perfect. But I'm really happy with it and excited to see the video when we receive the videos, obviously. So cool, cool. And Gavs?

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Uh at the beginning I was like really intimidated by you guys because um I thought we were in a very different level since you all three are artists, and I didn't consider myself as an artist. And yes, of course, now I know that my canvas might be different from yours. My canvas is a plate, and uh yeah, my paintings are the ingredients, and altogether, yes, that could be considered as art, but at the beginning I was having like a hard time like uh figuring out how to do this. Uh at the end, yes, I was really happy, uh, especially with the new direction that the project took, and I was satisfied. Of course, you always want to change some small details, and since then I've also developed, so I'm always uh changing, so uh, yes, of course, I would change uh some things. I don't really know what specifically, but I think maybe I would add some more ingredients because that part of developing the recipe or cooking my story uh could go longer since I've been developing new ingredients, and you can always like a recipe, you can always add a little bit more of herbs, a little bit more of pepper, some chili, spicy. So of course I I I could change things, but I I was really uh satisfied with uh what I accomplished.

SPEAKER_01 38:13

Oh I look forward to the spicy version gaps.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Me too. Uh as a Malaysian, I have to have chili in everything. So so I'm looking forward as well to the spicier version. How

Sharing Vulnerability While It’s Fresh

SPEAKER_02 38:29

do you share your vulnerabilities with others when it's still fresh? The wounds are still fresh, and you choose to tell the story and bravely as well on the stage, you know? And if if if if I can ask you that question, what would you say?

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Yeah, of course, uh well for the audience, uh, I would like to to explain that I am uh living the separation or the the end of my 25-year marriage, so it's been uh quite um a trip. And uh I think I this helps me process things and it's like a sort of therapy, uh because when you get closed in your head and you start like ruminating and thinking and looping, it it doesn't help because you you cannot see the exit, you cannot see the the light at the end of the tunnel. But when you express yourself uh and you write, and then you you tell your story, then it helps you or it helps your brain also to to put the things in order. For me, it has been therapeutic because it's like okay, I'm dealing with this, and this is my method, and now I can close the door for a moment and I can rest. Because if you only think about everything in loops, you never rest, it's a never-ending story. So for me, it's like opening and then closing, and that's uh very important for me. It's not going to be closed like forever, like sealed, but that I can learn to open and then close, that's uh that helps a lot.

SPEAKER_01 40:42

What I admire in what you did, Gabs, uh obviously we we got to see the behind the scenes uh before the night, the big night, right? But you man what's really challenging in the situation you were in on for story night is finding a way to tell the story um from the s a scar rather than the wound, yet you're in a way still somewhat with a wound, it's not yet a full scar, but you were able to to find that balance, even though you're in it still to some degree at the moment, and and and that that that's not an easy balance to find. So you did a fantastic job at that. And your your your creativity is fully there, it just takes place in a different space. So well done for bringing in your your magic, your your cookery magic into it as well.

SPEAKER_00 41:39

Yeah, thank you. Dev did that night was incredible uh to me because I've never considered myself like uh the biggest uh art fan. It was like okay, I can appreciate uh art, but I don't feel like that I have like a real connection to it, especially with modern art. Because yes, I can appreciate uh a great painting from a very well-known artist, but I didn't consider myself that I was able to connect with modern art. And what you did that night, it was like an explosion in my head, and it was like, okay, now I understand. I I I'm not going to say now I understand art, but I understand the relationship between art and myself. It was like I love art when I know the story behind the piece, and and when I can connect with the artist with the process of the creation of uh the masterpiece. And that day I loved your work, but I fell in love with courage. And afterwards, I told you right away, I want courage. I wanted, I need it. So I I thought uh a lot about that, and then I approached Steph because yeah, I was I was afraid, I was like, oh, it's surely not in my budget, but I'm not losing anything by asking. So I did, I approached her, and yes, now I am um starting my art collection with courage, which is now in my bedroom, and it makes me so happy every day when I'm coming to bed and when I start the fresh new day, and it also helped me to have like a different relationship with art, and I was already uh thinking about uh projects for my book and for my profession. And it helped me to end up like grounding what I wanted to do and to narrow it a little bit more. And I'm so happy that this happened because it has helped me a lot with my own creative process. Shazira knows a bit more about it because she's in my project also. From the classes because now everyone is going to know that you are also in my project. So in my cooking book that has been in the kitchen pantry for a year, ready to see the world, but not ready enough for me. So now we are running all the project and it's going to come out really soon. But I needed like this kind of inspiration that I got from Steph and also from Shaz and also from Kathleen and from Laura because you all been part of this process, and you helped me to develop what I needed without knowing that I needed it. So it was like a great push and uh and to dare to embrace art because I was afraid. I was like, I don't know anything about art, and now I know that that's not true. I do know, but I have like a very particular special relationship with art. I'm not an art curator or an uh collector, but I have a special relationship, and that's enough for me.

SPEAKER_01 45:43

And above all, you are the artist of your life, Gabs, who's now holding your brush, painting your next chapter and cooking up your next chapter, perhaps.

SPEAKER_02 45:56

Before I end this wonderful conversation with both of you, I want to invite each of you to say something about what do you think is what do you think the future you know behold for you as a storyteller?

Authenticity, Ripples, And What’s Next

SPEAKER_02 46:10

What are you looking forward to as a storyteller?

SPEAKER_00 46:15

Um for me, what I would like to say is to dare to leave a little bit of your perfectionist on the side. Sorry, Priscilla, but to dare to tell your story, to be authentic, and not trying to find the perfect words or to wait that you speak uh perfectly. For instance, for me, English is not my native language, but I dare to do it with uh native language speakers, and uh for some people that might be a no, but um it's for me it was like why not? So there dare to be yourself, don't look for being perfect, uh look for being authentic.

SPEAKER_01 47:16

That's a brilliant idea, especially in this day and age with AI, where when people are writing things on social media, everyone can look and sound perfect, right? Because you can get AI to help you, and I think that's where this presence and authenticity, this realness is gonna become something everyone is thirsty for more and more in in in in in the way the world's shifting. Fantastic idea, Gabs. What would mine be? Mine would be yeah, linked to the ripple effect that we were talking about earlier. The the honor of knowing and sometimes not knowing, because not everyone tells you what your story or the art and the story, because I'm in that weird intersection there, how it's helped them see something differently and and choose to do something differently, even if it's just one person in an audience each time, that makes it so so worthwhile. And and and to keep on um growing my ability to strengthen the impact of that, so the ripples are more and more. Then I'm then I'm aligned and serving my purpose, I think. Using my strengths and developing my strengths, bringing those ripples. I just want to keep on, yeah, making bigger ripples. Change the world.

SPEAKER_02 48:49

Let's change the world, girls. Great answers, great answers from both of you. Thank you so much again, uh, Steph, Gabs, for joining me in this conversation. Um, I don't know how much it meant to me just to share the stage with all of you in Basel.

SPEAKER_00 49:08

Thank you, Chef, for creating this uh space.