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Tina aka poler.t.ina
391 Plays7 days ago
Stop in and enjoy this lovely chat with dancer Tina!
We chatted a bit of horror, a bit of art, a bit of dancing, standup comedy and constantly challenging yourself.
There was even a special guest visit by Ripley The Cat.
Thanks for visiting from Germany, Tina.!
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Transcript
Introduction of Guest: Tina from Germany
00:00:16
Speaker
Hey, everybody. This is the Something Rather Than Nothing podcast. And I'm very excited to have Tina ah from ah Germany. And Tina, welcome to the Something Rather Than Nothing podcast.
Viral TikTok Video and Dance Experience
00:00:31
Speaker
Hi, thank you for having me. Yeah, it's great to have you. um I think you might be my first guest from ah Germany. And um I've had ah German speaking guests, you know, that I know we will speak German. But um so I ah just what I had seen of your of your work um as a dancer and pole dancing in like your creative bent, the first thing I noticed, which I think a lot of people um who have come in contact ah with some of your work online would be like the kind of Halloween motif of like the ring and this kind of horror element and these wonderful like video creations um that you did ah with
Exploring Tina's Photography and Creative Process
00:01:15
Speaker
the dancing. And is am I right to say that's like where a lot of people came in contact with you maybe from around the world seeing those videos?
00:01:23
Speaker
Yes, absolutely. So I put that up. I was actually new to TikTok back then. I had been on TikTok for, I don't know, a few weeks really. And I made a Halloween ah video for... I had done that the years before too, but that was the first year I did it for TikTok.
00:01:45
Speaker
And it went crazy viral very quickly. And I was still new to TikTok. I mean, I had been on Instagram, but TikTok I didn't know anything about. So things were happening. People were stitching it. And I really didn't even know what all that meant and what what was happening. So it was pretty crazy. And then it took a while for it to spill over to Instagram, actually. So yeah, it was a crazy ride, to be honest.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yeah, and um one of the one of the pieces before we just popped on that I had mentioned is I found that some of the photography around um the work that you do ah to be just so incredibly um beautiful and moving our images is um some of the ah photography I've seen of of your dancing and um that's the Instagram a handle on that.
00:02:39
Speaker
um but just like lovely like trails of dress ah behind you just stunning images and I encourage everybody to see those thanks for sharing those Tina Yeah, those were fun. we also We actually, for all of those photo shoots that have the long dresses, we also have at least one, sometimes two people throw up the dress and then run away really quickly when the photo gets taken so that they fly and look all flowy. And then sometimes we have to repeat it a couple of times because it's not flowing nicely enough. So that's pretty fun, actually. Yeah, the trails are just are just wonderful. ah I wanted to bop around a
Journey to Embracing Art as an Artist
00:03:20
Speaker
little bit. um Just talking about the show that I do um is art and philosophy show. And um I love ah folks who create. And um one of the big questions I ask and <unk>d I'd like to know is,
00:03:38
Speaker
oh When did you see yourself as as an artist, as you know a creator, whatever word you want to use, but like as an artist, was there like a moment or did you always, were you always of that bent and saw yourself as an artist? No, not at all, really. So I think growing up, um my parents were always almost looking down. um Now I don't want to say, so art,
00:04:07
Speaker
I always had a little bit of a negative connotation for my parents because they were like, oh, you can't make money with that a lot of times. And it's just ah like a waste of time. So I didn't really connect to that idea of myself being an artist, right? I was always I always loved creating things. I always loved music. I play a few instruments. I always loved to dance and all that stuff, but I would have never thought of myself as an artist, probably because of that. And so then I posted that video and to me it was just, you know, it's my hobby and I made a fun video because I had fun doing it and I wanted to do something for Halloween and
00:04:48
Speaker
That was it. And then so many people started commenting and they were saying, oh, that's art. It's like art. It's so artistic and all that stuff. And I was like, huh. I guess they're right. It is art. Yeah, lean into it, right? Like lean into it. um that's that's that's That's really wonderful. um I know I listened to you on another podcast and I know you spent some ah time in the United States and just like to ask, um a lot of times I'm really interested in kind of like um a different perspective, like kind of outsider perspective. they've Like when I've lived in different areas of the United States, I felt a lot of times I
00:05:28
Speaker
looked at things differently than folks were there. Did you have any impressions of art or like ah the the ah the feel about um art or something that was different in in the US from your experience in Germany, um just but if you came in contact with it when you came to the US? I actually have to think about that.
00:05:52
Speaker
so The one thing I did there several times that I didn't do here ever, still not, is I went to comedy shows there a lot. Like stand-up comedy, I went to see Evan James and then Tosh a long time ago. sure And then a few other stand-up comedy shows. And I feel like that's a lot bigger there for some reason. I mean, we do have.
00:06:21
Speaker
Comedy we have stand-up comedy and we watch it on TV But it's not I almost want to say it's not as big a thing here to go to a comedy show as it is there That's the first thing that came to mind right now. That's probably the biggest difference I love that you say that because um, I love comedy and I and I've heard that before maybe I've had that impression like and And one of the cool things, that like ah one I view stand-up comics as tightrope artists. like Being up in front of everybody and like you don't control the dynamic of the crowd. and
00:07:02
Speaker
they might not like your jokes and they might really hate your jokes and like even the best of them and bombing and things like that. So I have such a high regard for it. And another piece is, you know, I studied philosophy and I had a lot of, ah or at least a couple influential philosophers really believe that like a lot of standup comics were like kind of the philosophers of our time. Like,
00:07:30
Speaker
And it was like kind of like that stage to philosophy, not everybody, of course, but like, and I think there's really something um there's really something to that. And so I like that you brought up ah the stand up comedy. We do. we I do in enjoy it. And um I have heard there's a lot more a lot more here.
00:07:52
Speaker
um What about, and we were talking about art and and it was great to hear your experience of like, hey, yeah, lean into like, you know, people are like, yeah, this is art and this is, this is beautiful. um What is art? What do you think art is?
Art as Subjective and Personal Expression
00:08:08
Speaker
What's your opinion?
00:08:11
Speaker
I really think it can be so many things. like You can't actually narrow it down. In the end, I think it depends on how you yourself define it. Any artist or any person can decide that I'm doing this thing and it's art.
00:08:28
Speaker
or a person that sees something can decide, okay, that's art to me, right? I don't think there's like hard rules that define, okay, this is art and this isn't. Even though the person that created it might say it's art, because you know sometimes you have these um sculptures and stuff where people are like, okay, I'm an artist, I put that there and it's art. And then other people go up to it and they're like, no, that's trash, that's not art.
00:08:55
Speaker
but It's always just your own definition, I think. So it's different for everyone else. Yeah, yeah. um And about art itself, in in in particular, its it's its role,
00:09:12
Speaker
um do you think that, at least speaking myself and like at least the United States, but like even kind of worldwide sense of like ah political strife and like rapid political changes and climate change and all these you know pressing issues that a lot of people feel. um Do you think the role of art has changed recently because of
Art in Society: Expression and Awareness
00:09:40
Speaker
that? Or do you think like the role of art and what art does for us humans is is doing maybe the same thing?
00:09:49
Speaker
I actually think that art has always done that because so, you know, I I'm a teacher. I'm an English and German teacher. So I studied a lot of literature, English and German. that's so So art has always talked about important issues that were going on in politics and in the world and in religion at one point. Right. And so I think it's just a it doesn't It doesn't have to do that, but a lot of times it does because it's a way of making people aware of things in a way that they listen to. you know if A lot of times they don't they they just won't listen to politicians.
00:10:33
Speaker
but they might listen to an artist that tells them in a way that's maybe funny and or entertaining or alarming even. um yeah So it's always been something that talks about issues that are going on and at the same time entertains people or even scares them.
00:10:54
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I um Oh, thank you for your thoughts on that. Um I've asked that like over time too. I mean like you know with the pandemic, right? Like I I remember when the pandemic first started I was like Why the heck am I talking about like? What is our like? Like like people are dying like I felt that like everybody like everybody felt like like But um, you know, I I found that for me like the meaning and like what art is doing like I felt like it's so important right in a lot of conversations I was having with folks are being like it wasn't for those stand-up comedians I'd have lost my mind if it wasn't for you know like being able to binge this show or like watch something or see something ah in art that I haven't had a chance not to romanticize it but just to be like people are like holy shit like
00:11:50
Speaker
arts save in my life right now. you know I felt it. Yeah, that's that's a big thing I think that people realized during the pandemic and they weren't when they weren't able to go attend plays and and concerts and stuff. I think that's when a lot of people realized how important it is.
00:12:11
Speaker
and how yeah how good it is to go places and just watch something and turn off your minds and enjoy. Yeah. though um Are you a horror movie fan or is that just a trick that worked in your creation?
00:12:29
Speaker
Um, so I'm, I get so scared. I barely ever watch any horror movies. And I think that's why that worked. So most of my inspiration for that video came from the the intro to Ghost Adventures.
00:12:44
Speaker
Yeah. I used to watch that a lot. and I love that show. Then maybe the ring a little bit, but honestly, I'm really i'm way too scared. I watched that once, um but I didn't even see the whole thing because I got too scared. Most of my inspiration was probably things that I would be scared of, and then I did it.
00:13:06
Speaker
and Probably if I didn't know that I made the video I would probably be scared of it to be freaked out you freak yourself out I know that's That's that's so that's so great to hear um I I'm a ah horror movie ah ah Horror movie freak so like I love that I love the vibe around Halloween and I loved kind of some of the melding at least I've seen culturally um You know kind of like ah Halloween and all and into Christmas and everything just kind of like maybe holiday season melting and and in lights um It's a it feels like a good vibe um Over here when and it gets like in the Pacific Northwest. It gets like super rainy Continually and in in dark, so I'm looking for light
00:13:56
Speaker
um I ran today to the Portland Art Museum, which is about an hour away to get in for about half an hour just to see like vibrant color in the museum. And so it's like that that that connected to the art.
Pole Dancing: Confidence and Growth
00:14:10
Speaker
um ah So pole dancing, and not everybody goes into a pole dancing. Like why, what does it, um for your like need for expression, like what does it, you said it was a hobby, like,
00:14:25
Speaker
what does what the what does it do for you as a creator um it just it's it's a great thing that gives you a lot of confidence because you practice a lot and the tricks are very hard and they look pretty cool and so you always have something on mind that you want to learn and then when you finally do it you're like whoa look at me i can do this now that's so cool and then you take a picture of it and you're all proud and you post it somewhere you show it to your other pole dancer friends and everyone's like yay that's so good so it helps a lot with confidence and it also helps you just
00:15:03
Speaker
Keep on trying because I've always been someone who I'm pretty good at a lot of things I try right away So whenever I encounter something that I'm not good at right away I give up very easily because I'm not used to sticking to things because a lot of times I don't you know i don't really have to um and if i do i give up so with paul dance so it's so much fun and there's always something new that you learn every every class really to me there's always. Even if it's just one little new achievement even if the entire class doesn't go well there's usually one thing that you did good that you couldn't do before.
00:15:42
Speaker
And that keeps you hooked and that also teaches you to still work on the things you can't do because eventually you'll get them. So that helps a lot, really. I think it's taught me patience. Yeah. Um, uh, you work in a community or feel you do at least online with, with folks, a creative community. Um, I'm, I mean, I'm connected with a lot of poll dancers, but it's,
00:16:11
Speaker
I'm, ah my role isn't as big there to be able to say I'm working with them. There's other creators that are way more known in the pull dance community that kind of lead the community. I don't, not in a negative way, but you know, that people look up to and sometimes they do like.
00:16:32
Speaker
I don't know, they do topics that everybody talks about and stuff. So I'm not that advanced in a way, but I'm part of it. Yeah. um and it what ah one of the things i wanted to um One of the things I wanted to ask you, when when I was asking you about like how you see yourself um you know as an artist and some of the things like maybe with your parents um as far as how arts reviewed I find that ah so many times when I talk to artists of like how important um ah like those influences are and um you know whether it's a teacher and what they said in both positive and negative in the affirmations or how art is viewed or whether folks ah come from artists.
00:17:20
Speaker
Hey Tina, I'm going to have to interrupt the the podcast because everybody, ah you won't see this on video, but um I do have to introduce ah Tina to Ripley, um the most lovely cat in the world. Ripley has made her first entrance onto the podcast. Hi Ripley.
00:17:40
Speaker
Ripley is um a is a Christmas cat born ah December 25th, so her um birthday is coming up. And she has a baby twin sister who's also in the house whose name. ah Yes, who's named Amidala. And um these cats, I gotta be honest with you, are the most adorable things I've encountered in my life. And I've never had sibling cats.
00:18:15
Speaker
So I like seeing them like almost in synchronous movement and play with each other is like such a cool experience. I've had, you know, like single cats or um but anyways, big interruption from from from the cat. I absolutely had to absolutely had to introduce you. So Tina, when when you were talking about, ah ah when I was asking about like seeing yourself as a creator and seeing yourself as as an artist and you had mentioned a lot of times I have these conversations, um people bring up like teachers or or parents and um just kind of I find like the huge influence early on both positive and negative at how people look at art.
00:19:07
Speaker
And I would say even for myself, I come from a working class background. I actually come from Rhode Island, the same ah state where Ghost Adventures people are from. So maybe I'm making you comfortable with probably like the Rhode Island accent that that you have on there. But I come from like working class. And um my parents were like like supportive of like me following my mind. but like I had a cover of like an artistic background and I find it such a fascinating piece of um ah of the influence. Was there somebody in your time or like whether it was a friend or a companion or an artist that really kind of like helped you like get that courage that you have to to to be creative, um did that did that positive experience or that affirmation?
00:20:00
Speaker
Well, you know, it's funny, because... that was also my parents because my I was just thinking about it when you said it. My dad, he's a guitarist, and so he played in bands almost my entire life. He stopped a few years ago, but growing up, he would always play the guitar in bands. He would sing. We would go to his concerts. I would be like right next to the speaker, and so now I don't hear that well and all that stuff.
00:20:30
Speaker
And i am my mom, she used to play in a theater. so And she stopped when I was maybe 10-ish or so, maybe a little younger. But I still remember when I was really young, I would go there and I would watch her play and I would be backstage and meet all the other actors and actresses and talk to them and see all the stuff on the stage. Yeah.
00:20:55
Speaker
That was really fun. and so i and But to them, both those things, it was not their job, right? It was just their hobbies. And so probably that's why they taught that they yeah they taught me that you can't make money with art because it'll just always be your hobby.
00:21:12
Speaker
Yeah. You mean that's why it went both ways at the same time? It went both ways. Yeah. Yeah. I can totally see that. All right.
Creation as a Coping Mechanism
00:21:21
Speaker
So there's the title of the show and the big question of the show, and it's either absurdist or the most profound question that I ask, and it's the name of the show. But I wanted to ask you, why is there something rather than nothing?
00:21:44
Speaker
Like in general, you mean? Yeah, yeah. That's a hard question. Do people actually answer that? People try to. People try to. Another way I ask as far as like with creators, um one of the things that creators sometimes enjoy or move into is that there's this idea of whether you're creating something from nothing as a creator.
00:22:11
Speaker
Or, you know, everything's already there to to to begin with. It's all about um creation. um So it's like the power of the creator. um That's the idea behind it. I think a lot of times, or specific people like the creator types or artistic people, they have to create something otherwise they just feel bad, you know, you get depressed. You don't feel like yourself. You can't cope with life as well as you would if you create like it's an outlet for all kinds of emotions. Yeah. Stress, everything. Yeah. So that that's probably what drives people to create. And that's why there's more now or where why they're
00:23:07
Speaker
were more creators and even normal people were starting to become creators in a way on TikTok and not normal people, but you know people who would not normally maybe think of themselves as creators during COVID because people didn't have anything to do. People were going crazy literally left and right because they were just stuck at home.
00:23:30
Speaker
Yeah, and they just had to do something and that's the one thing that everyone can do in their own way Like I think everyone can create something It doesn't necessarily have to be good in the end and it might not be but you can do something I really like
Social Media and Following Tina's Work
00:23:47
Speaker
that. No, I I appreciate your thoughts. All right, Tina, so um where does where does Where does everybody ah find you? like is it like What are your handles like on Instagram and TikTok? or like Where do people go to find what you create?
00:24:08
Speaker
So I'm mostly on Instagram. I have a TikTok account, as I mentioned, but I'm um also too old for that a little bit. Oh, come on. So I'm not as active on there. um But it's the same handle. It's polar ah.t.ina. Yeah. I love that. polaina Polarina, right? Yeah.
00:24:34
Speaker
Uh, Tina, thank you so much for visiting the show and coming out to something rather than
Conclusion and Farewell
00:24:40
Speaker
nothing. And, um, it's, it's, it's been a, it's been a real thrill to be able to, to chat with you about art and, um, creativity. And I really appreciate the time and, uh, and, uh, hanging out on the, on the podcast with me.
00:24:56
Speaker
Well, thank you. It was so much fun. It was totally worth it getting up early for. Hey, that's an endorsement. Thanks so much, Tita. Thank you. All right.
00:25:16
Speaker
This is something rather than nothing.
00:25:26
Speaker
and listeners to stay connected with us in our guests visit something rather than nothing calm join our mailing list for exclusive updates and access to guest created art if you enjoyed this episode or any episode please like subscribe leave a review on your podcast platform people really read that shit Your support helps us reach more and listeners and spread our community across the planet. This is a global show and we like to give a shout out to our many listeners across the world, including many listeners in Canada, Spain, Germany, UK, Argentina, Brazil, India, Thailand, and so many more places. Be sure to follow us on Instagram at something rather than nothing podcasts for behind the scenes content.
00:26:15
Speaker
And the best way to help the show is to tell your friends about us. If you love it, they'll love it too. Tell your friends who love it. We love you. This is something rather than nothing podcast.