NSFW episode with swearing. Jasper promotes heavy metal shows with Dead Species, and sings for the death metal band Beyond Extinction. Trying to lose your Essex accent, and going to posh school. Sangita is the Essex Queen of Podcasting, official. Jasper is fully Essex, born and raised. Jasper was on the In The Abyss podcast at Essex Podcast Festival and Nick was impressed with his eloquence. Skullets are mullets for bald people, the ultimate heavy metal haircut. Mono dressing and eliminating decisions from your day so you can spend more time being creative. School uniform chat, is it good? Promoting shows and selling tickets for gigs is very hard work. The economics of putting on shows is complex. How to balance being in a band with school work. Why do schools encourage violin and classical instruments and not thrash metal bands? Dealing with tragedy from the loss of a member of a young band. Big up Mr.Rochester from Forged in Black, and heavy metal club at school. Practicing at different studios in Essex helps for building relationships and experiencing the diversity of the scene. Learnings from promoting shows as a teenager. Making things happen from action and effort - build it and they will come. No one is doing music for the same reason. Gigonomics - different expectations for different people. Putting the distance that a band has travelled on the merch stand price list. Bands rely on merch sales to cover travel costs. The importance of promoters establishing good relationships with venues. Why isn’t Essex on the touring circuit? Planning long term for growing a scene and establishment of gigs. Organic growth in music makes it more financially secure. Don’t try to get big too fast. The changing face of ticket sales - 75% are now on the week of the show, compared to pre-COVID when gigs would sell out early. Big up Gareth Kelly from Music Venue Trust. The multiple factors affecting gig ticket sales, like reliable transport links. Creating safe night time economies. Finding your death metal voice! Learn by doing and be careful that you don’t damage your throat. Sangita learns death metal vocals from Jasper. Looking after your voice at gigs. The Essex Beyonce. Bay Days festival and how awesome it is for Essex to have our own metal festival.

Beyond Extinction

Dead Species Booking

Jasper on Instagram

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Helen is the founder of Sketchface, a creative drawing movement based in Chelmsford that helps people rediscover the joy of drawing. She’s also an unapologetic early bird, often waking at 4:44am and using the hour between 5 and 6am as her creative power hour.

Sketchface is designed to level the playing field. It doesn’t matter whether you can draw or not. Through playful exercises and simple rules, participants are encouraged to get out of their own way, let go of perfectionism, and enjoy the creative process. Sessions are fuelled by music, movement and experimentation, creating a space where people can make work freely without worrying about getting it wrong.

We discuss how many people lose confidence in drawing through their experiences at school, and how Helen’s approach helps people reconnect with creativity. Exercises often include drawing with a continuous line, drawing without looking at the paper, using a non-dominant hand, or holding a pencil from the very top. The rules act as a "get out clause", removing the pressure to control the outcome and helping participants avoid judging their work too harshly.

A popular warm-up exercise is “writing for the bin” – creating something with no expectation of keeping it, simply to enjoy the process before throwing it away. Sketchface embraces this mindset throughout, encouraging play rather than performance.

At Sketchface events, participants both draw and pose for one another, creating an interesting dynamic where everyone gets to observe and be observed. Drawings are exchanged at the end of the session. This leads to a conversation about vulnerability, including Nick’s memorable experience of drawing a life model as a centaur and then having to show it during a serious critique session.

We talk about the strange intensity of sitting and looking at someone for sixty seconds, and Helen’s giant soft emotional-support pencil, which participants can cuddle if they feel uncomfortable posing.

The philosophy behind Sketchface is heavily influenced by illustrator Wendy MacNaughton and her belief that drawing can be a tool for connection rather than judgement. Helen asks a simple question: if creativity only makes you feel bad about yourself, why would you continue doing it?

The conversation also explores Helen’s background in art psychotherapy and the fashion industry, her habit of drawing a self-portrait every day for the last five years, and how daily creative rituals can become a meaningful practice. Nick compares this to his own project of taking a photograph in the first photo booth he encountered each day for a year.

Other topics include drawing on the floor rather than at a desk or easel, Sangita draws for the first time in years, the surprisingly difficult challenge of drawing trees, the emotional complexity of illustrating hugs, Nick’s recommendation of the game Six Second Scribbles, and the importance of creating environments where people feel safe enough to experiment.

Ultimately, Sketchface is less about learning to draw and more about learning to enjoy drawing again.

Helen Girling Art
Sketch Face

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support

Olly Thatcher AKA Olly Thatchh is a content creator from Basildon (or Bas Vegas, depending on who you ask). Starting out behind the camera as a photographer, videographer and music video creator, he built a production company creating on-brand content for businesses before stepping in front of the lens to become a creator in his own right.

Spotting a lack of Essex representation on social media, Olly set out to showcase the county's hidden talent, culture and character. He's on a mission to flip the tired Essex stereotype and show that there's far more to the county than teeth and tans. Essex is a place of many identities, from the coastline and countryside to its towns, cities and creative communities. As Olly puts it, Southend is basically the LA of England: palm trees, a pier, a ferris wheel and incredible sunsets. Canvey is Miami!

Through his videos, Olly explores unusual places, local history and overlooked stories. Essex's past is so rich it could easily fill a 20-part HBO drama series. His approach to content creation is simple: keep filming. The best moments often happen spontaneously, and the more time you spend behind the camera, the better your instincts become.

Olly has been making videos since childhood. Armed with camcorders, he already knew what he wanted to do. He taught himself to edit, studied successful creators, and learned how to craft engaging content before building audiences on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. His advice? Ignore the view count and make the videos you want to make.

We talk about documenting local culture, why behind-the-scenes content often outperforms the polished final product, and how his social channels have become a powerful marketing tool for his production company, OVisuals. We also discuss Cash In Hand, the Essex-made TV show he's worked on, the rise of Essex pride and "geezer hustle culture", and whether a new South Essex cultural movement is beginning to emerge.

Along the way we celebrate the unique character of Essex's towns and cities, the importance of independent businesses, and the value of capturing a vibe rather than chasing perfection. We also hear about approaching strangers for interviews, the realities of content creation, and how his partner Jess helps bring many of his adventures to life while creating her own vintage fashion content - big up the Year 2K early 2000s fashion @jessicajoanlouise.

Plus: South Woodham Ferrers facts, Rayleigh appreciation, and Nick's latest public artwork — The Dogs' Bollard for Concrete Canvas Chelmsford.

Olly Thatch instagram

OVisuals instagram

Olly on TikTok

Jess 2K fashion on insta

Cash In Hand

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.

Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos

Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram

Thanks to NGDA for their support