“Speak things into existence.” Emma Gardner, Co-Founder of Not Your Monolith (NYM), is sharing the wise words of Sulaiman Khan, Co-Founder and Chief Purpose Officer at ThisAbility.

It is the advice and approach that has proved transformational for Gardner, who successfully got not just her words but her ideas out into the world with the launch of Not Your Monolith, a magazine exploring pop culture and life through the lens of disabled creatives. With an intersectional and individual perspective, the magazine began its journey through conversation and collaboration. 

Gardner was speaking alongside NYM Co-Founder Priya Rekhi-Smith in the first edition of BITE Talks, centring around the theme of creative nonconformity.

At a time when many across the industry are struggling with burnout as agencies and brands alike grapple with the challenge of the great resignation, Gardner and Rekhi-Smith’s journey is a compelling reminder of the transformative power of making space for the things that really matter. 

Rekhi-Smith explains that taking the pressure off and not overloading the expectation that everything needed to be achieved by a set date was key to NYM reaching its full potential. Breaking with the well-worn stereotype of hustle culture, Rekhi-Smith urged people to take the pressure off themselves and not obsess about the end result. She explained: “Take that first step and enjoy the ride and see where you go with it. If there is no joy, you have failed before you start.”

Bring people into the process, don’t just put them on the poster

The episode delves into how the NYM team embedded inclusion into the design process; as well as their own experience of navigating a world which is not inclusive by design.

Garder shared her own experience of being a mother to her daughter Dotty, who was born with STXBPL, a rare disorder that can cause epilepsy. “One of the things that I wanted to bring to it was the perspective of a parent who is trying to do their best to be non-conformist and not to succumb to the narratives of what being a parent of a disabled child means.”

In fact, rather than succumbing to this narrative, Gardner shows through her work and attitude the strength and creativity of seeing the world through a different lens. As she shared: “I think of a product or something that doesn't exist, or a system that needs changing every day by being Dotty’s mum.”

Rekhi-Smith shared her own experience of losing her hearing aged 13 and wearing a hearing aid at 17.  “As a young British South Asian woman I was very much alone,” she added. 

The power of collaboration

The duo discussed how reductive representation can become. Gardner explained:  “Every person is different and there is no one way to represent them. So creating a reference point or a new benchmark for disability representation, or what it means to be disabled in today’s society felt like it hadn’t been explored enough.”

Throughout the conversation, the power of collaboration to create change was clear; with both Co-Founders recognising the significant impact of their third Co-Founder Elizabeth Wright.

Gardner pointed to the fact that inclusion is transformational for us as humans. She explained: “We are not ever done learning and we all hold a lot of bias and ignorance based on our makeup and our privilege.” 

Rekhi-Smith believes that the time is now to make the space to be intentionally and consistently inclusive, she explained: “We need to start breaking down these barriers. The fact that we are disabled is just one part of who we are."

She continued: “Brands should want to be more inclusive, the spending power of the disabled community alone is around £274 billion pounds. It's a huge market. Why would you not want to be talking to that market."

With the power of simply starting so evident in the NYM journey; Rekhi-Smith offered compelling advice: “No matter what level you are in an organisation only good things can come from being inclusive, Be inquisitive, be proactive. Do your research and just start.”

The incredible NYM team is currently looking for sponsors, supporters, allies and talent. Start something good today; download issue one and get involved here.