The Optimist Project Airs Nov. 20
Award-winning actress, activist, producer, and now podcast host, Yara Shahidi took stage at the 2024 CultureCon to engage in the “Creative Genius” conversation during the event’s final day. She opened up to the SiriusXM Sway In The Morning co-host, Tracy G about her creative work and upcoming podcast, “The Optimist Project”.
The podcast is set to be released through her, and her mother Keri Shahidi’s, production company 7th Sun Productions on Sirius XM on November 20, 2024. The podcast will feature Shahidi and her mother speaking with pop culture leaders about what gives them hope and “how to access resilience and joy in our everyday lives.”
“The Optimist Project blossomed from two things. I think the first was a totally selfish endeavor. Me and my momma Keri were business partners, we’re friends but we’re also people who sit down at the end of most days to think about [the] quality of life, to think about ‘How do you be of service,’ and to think about how we sustain,” said Shahidi. “It was a question of accessibility, ‘How can we take those people that have inspired us personally and bring them so that we can all listen and indulge and enjoy?’”
Shahidi also said the podcast stemmed from her love of audio as a child.
”I have to say that audio has been my first love. I didn’t watch T.V. during the week until Blackish came on, otherwise, I watched T.V. for an hour on Saturdays growing up,” she said. “Audio has fuelled so much of my love of art, whether it was music, whether it was audiobooks, we’ve always been a very audio-heavy family.”
She went on to say that her family would set up audio nights instead of movie nights with her and her siblings.
Activism and Art
Shahidi has managed to sustain a career while remaining outspoken about social issues like police brutality and human rights; she even obtained a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in 2022 where she studied Black political thought under a neocolonial landscape.
She spoke to Carvd N Stone about the role of art and activism.
“I think what’s beautiful about Black folks is that we have a long tradition of art and activism going hand and hand. Many times to share our art required activism and so I think there’s such a direct link when you think of Eartha Kitt when you think of Harry Belafonte Jr., Sidney Poitier, these are all people that were inherently activists because of their work and continued to take it further,” said Shahidi. “So, I feel like nowadays there’s a role in which I think art primes culture for change. Many times it is our fun sneaky entertaining way to start conversations that we may not be ready to have in depth.”
In the wake of dealing with such heavy topics, optimism is something that can be hard to experience. However, Shahidi uses her art to stay hopeful.
“I feel like oftentimes being of service and finding ways in which your art is of service is ultimately grounding because we know it’s an uphill battle and we know that it’s going to be a lot that you have to endure in order to share with the world,” she said.
Shahidi also gave advice to people who want to be in the audio space but are scared.
“I think the one thing I’m working through even just as a 24-year-old in the world is realizing that you’re supposed to experience those emotions,” said Shahidi. “The gift that you can give yourself is rather than say ‘Why am I afraid,’ be a little afraid, but don’t feel guilty about it, she added. “Everyone is figuring out their path as they go.”
To watch Carvd N Stone’s CultureCon 2024 interviews, click here.