Interview

How Marie Téa get's her groove: Playful writing and doing a podcast about sex with her husband

Marie Téa approaches her creative work with a mix of play and color, her writing and creating a podcast on sex with her husband

I got to know Marie Téa, when she took my class 'Learn Indie Filmmaking - by doing a Short Film.' Marie has that distinct quality that makes a great artist. She thrives on thinking out-of-the-box, everything unusual is normality. Marie Téa approaches her creative work with a mix of play and color, guided onwards by her gut feeling, with a limited tolerance for the superficial.

[A link to the UNICORN DIARIES Podcast Below]

Name: Marie Téa
Where do you live: East Coast, USA
Date of Birth: November 3
Education: Bachelor's degree in Holistic Nutrition
Hobbies: I enjoy writing, playing the cello, reading thriller/mystery novels, baking and travelling.

Where in the world do you live and your family?

I live on the East Coast with my husband, Antony.

Where did you grow up, what were the most important things/values you learned, and who inspired you during this time?

I grew up in Pennsylvania with my parents & three older siblings. Being the "baby" of the family has taught me to fight for what I want & never show fear while doing it. My mother was a big inspiration to me because she was such a strong, caring woman who was always true to herself & super stylish.

Have you always been interested in writing and who or what inspires you to write?

When I was younger, my love affair with books inspired me to use my imagination which in turn, led me to writing. I've always kept a journal as a child. In fact, I still do. I used to create bullsh*t stories to include in my diary so if someone read it, they wouldn't know what was fact or fiction!

Where do you stand in your writing now?

Like brushing my teeth, not a single day goes by without me writing something. I'm constantly coming up with new stories and ideas so I stay busy. Writing is also a way for me to escape and deal with stress so I guess you can say that I enjoy AND rely on it.

What is your writing process?

I'm old school when it comes to writing. For me, pen & paper are my instruments of choice until completion because it feels more intimate and personal. There isn't anything wrong with using writing software but I feel somewhat disconnected once technology is involved.

Nothing like listening to relaxing music, curling up in a comfy chair and writing until my heart's content.

I keep notepads all over my house because I'm always jotting down lines here & there throughout the day. I've even woken up in the middle of the night to write so I won't forget an idea by morning. Sometimes the words flow effortlessly & I can't stop. Other times, I have to create little notes, diagrams & outlines to help move things along when I get stuck. I view writer's block as a part of the process, and when it surfaces it is not something to beat myself up over.

It's a fun, lighthearted show about our experiences & other sex related topics

I've also come to realize that setting designated times to write just doesn't work for me. It feels too forced. Nothing like listening to relaxing music, curling up in a comfy chair and writing until my heart's content.

You and your husband launched a Podcast some time ago. What is it about and what was the reason You decided to go ahead?

My husband Antony & I noticed there weren't any podcasts that really catered to us, so we started one for adults only about ethical nonmonogamy called Our Unicorn Diaries. It's a fun, lighthearted show about our experiences & other sex related topics.

What, if anything, surprised you with the podcast setup and feedback from listeners?

Being total amateur podcasters, we were surprised that our recording set up was well received by listeners. We started with some lesser quality hardware and gradually upgraded as needed.

In short, what are the key things anyone needs to do from a technical and marketing aspect to set-up a podcast?

Antony is waaaay more "techy" than me so, you'll definitely want his input for this one!

Antony:
When it came to choosing our initial hardware, I watched a ton of YouTube videos on what microphones and recorders to use. I decided on a pair of condenser mics and the Tascam DR-40 for a recorder. Some mid-range over ear headphones, microphone booms & downloaded several editing software programmes.

What none of the videos commented on was the XLR cables. We went cheap at first, and the poor quality led to us picking up a lot of interference from the cables not being adequately shielded. I spent hours playing with software trying to eliminate the background hiss on the playback. So I would definitely recommend good quality cables. Having a spare set is always recommended. Also, research different podcast hosting sites before you decide.

As for marketing, we opened up accounts on every social media site we could. The easiest part of that is having a drop dead gorgeous wife to take photos of. The sexy content we posted definitely helped build our numbers.

Marie:
Let me state for the record that I did NOT tell him to say that about me!

What's next for you, in terms of writing and the podcast?

Right now I'm working on a satirical book about dating. I think it's pretty funny and I hope others will too. As for the podcast, we'll continue spreading the word about ethical non monogamy one laugh at a time while slowly trying to take over the world. (We're halfway there!)

What advice would you give someone in life, what is your MO?

Trust your instincts, follow your heart & chase your dreams.