Meet
CLARISSE BARBIER
I am a multimedia composer, so I enjoy writing for video media (ie film/ television) but also for projects like dance, visual art displays and things like that.
Where do you live/where are you from?
I am originally from Dublin, California which is located in the East San Francisco Bay Area. With how crazy things have been in recent times, I'll say I currently live in "California" as I've kinda been all over the place but I'm planning on locating to Los Angeles permanently soon!
Proudest accomplishment:
Instead of focusing on grand accomplishments, I've recently started to appreciate and elevate the smaller stepping stones that would lead me to those big moments. So for my most recent and proudest accomplishment, well, I'd say surviving through the pandemic but more specifically I took this past year to get ALL my ducks in a row: my mental and physical health,
my finances, my priorities and my goals for the upcoming few years. After graduating college there's this pressure to go right into the workforce, and not only did the pandemic make those plans nearly impossible, it actually gave me the chance to take a step back and figure out what I wanted out of my career and future lifestyle instead of rushing into a situation that might not benefit me long-term. Let's normalize celebrating healthy lifestyles in the music/entertainment industry!
Fun fact about yourself:
Outside of music, I am actually a visual artist myself! I make sculpted earrings, paintings, multimedia pieces, watercolors and stuff like that. Having multiple creative outlets has really shaped me as an artist overall and it helps to save money when decorating a space for myself... feel free to contact me about some wall art if you need it. I also love to cook so let me cook for you!
One sustainable change everyone should make:
As many of us know, sustainable companies, products, and clothing tend to be a bit more expensive, if not completely out of budget for a lot of individuals, including myself at times. One sustainable change everyone should make is an effort to reuse all products as much as you can and in as many ways as you can to limit consumption and production of single-use materials. I know it's difficult for many people to put down their phone and get off Amazon, but if you need a new vase or container, consider saving the glass jar from your pasta sauce, and if you need a new towel or washcloth, maybe look at the shirt in your closet that you haven't worn in a few years. There are ways to reuse so many things around us within budget and it's fun to get creative with it!
"There are ways to reuse so many things around us within budget and it's fun to get creative!"
Who are your inspirations?
Two women come to mind when I think of inspirations within my life. On a bigger scale Greta Thunburg is one kick-butt teenager and although I wish I was more informed, passionate and active about the fight on climate change in my younger years, I can't help but to be equally inspired and motivated to take her energy into my own life on these matters. Representative AOC (Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez) is another powerhouse, although climate change is urgent and extreme, it's really hard to care about the planet when society has not taken care of you and AOC is an amazing social change activist who constantly brings light to the many ways in which we can improve as a nation on these matters. Although I am a musician, I am also a human who lives in this country and on this planet so social and climate change are equally as important to the wellbeing of my art, myself, and others!
What is your personal sustainability goal over the next year?
My sustainability goal for the next year is to buy/eat more locally and reduce the amount of food waste and overconsumption within my lifestyle. Buying local products reduces the amount of shipping and packing materials, likewise, it builds small businesses and the communities around them. I love to cook so I am going to become the leftover queen: seeing all the ways I can use every part of produce and making sure I'm not overbuying/ consuming and wasting food. Less wasting of food, less processing, etc (you get the point!!)