We were lucky to catch up with Beige Radio recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Beige, you’ve got such an interesting story, but before we jump into that, let’s first talk about a topic near and dear to us – generosity. We think success, happiness and wellbeing depends on authentic generosity and empathy and so we’d love to hear about how you become such a generous person – where do you think your generosity comes from?
I get a lot of comments on how much I contribute and show up for my little section of the local music community I’m a part of. I really do appreciate it…but I hear it a lot. And sometimes it can be hard for me to hear so many good things about myself constantly, but I don’t think this is that. I think it’s because the people who say it are usually the exact same folks who regularly contribute and show up for the community too. They are just as generous, I just do a lot. I do a lot of things. And sometimes, oftentimes, too MANY things. Sometimes I just get on a roll, and it snowballs, and it takes me getting irritable and blowing up a couple times to realize it’s too much. I think I’m starting to get a better idea about balance in this area, but time’ll tell. Also, sometimes I do a lot of things because I feel it’s what I have to offer. I don’t have a lot of extra spending cash to buy your merch or go out to dinners with you all the time (even tho I really want to), but maybe I can help you showcase your art and take some nice photos of you and that can be my way to give back and hang out
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Wes Gonzalez, but some people know me by my stage name, Beige Radio. I am the Chief Rabble Rouser at, “Beige Radio Enterprises, music. photos. events”
I’ve always been a musician and I used to book on behalf of venues and event spaces for my day job yeeeeears ago. I’m still playing concerts every couple months, but this last year has seen a real uptick in producing shows. As opposed to my old day job, it’s been incredible NOT having to book shows on someone else’s behalf. I can do it at the rate I want, with the exact bills and branding I want, and can speak and live out my values at shows. The creative control is another reason it feels funny when people always mention how much I give back to the community. A lot of it is on my terms lol. I used to tell my old booking partner, “We don’t get paid enough for this to be anything but fun.”
While I’ve been doing music the longest, I’ve fallen HARD into photography in the last six months. I can develop a real one-track mind and hyper focus on something when it really intrigues me, sometimes to the detriment of other areas of my life 😅 Photography has really taken my life by storm and while I’m diversifying my creative outlets, it’s definitely what I’m most excited about at the moment. That said, I am looking into how I might help artists with apparel and merchandise…
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
These are literally the first three things popping into my head right now: 1) go towards what naturally attracts you 2) show up 3) experiment
1) I’ve spent far too much time building skills for and in spaces that I didn’t care for. Sometimes it was because someone else had expectations of me or as I mentioned before, I was booking shows, but not on my terms. You know what excites you or catches your attention. Trust it. Follow it. Like a moth to a flame.
2) Show up – this is just about discipline…getting your 10,000 hours in if you want to get better at something. You can treat it like a task and it will be if you let it, which is why #1 is so important
3) Experiment. This probably means something different for everyone, but for me it means honing the skills I already have down, but always making a point to push the envelope a little. It doesn’t mean I have to work harder, but just always make a point to at least try something a little different. If I play two songs at an open mic, maybe I play one I’m really comfortable with and then one I need to work on. If I’m taking film photos I spend some shots with techniques I’ve gotten down a little better while really experimenting with other techniques where I don’t have the experience, but understand the principles. It keeps things interesting for me and keeps it interesting for others. People end up attributing it to “talent” but it’s just time and the ability to make a bit of a fool of yourself (vulnerability and experimenting) and then fine-tuning.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
I’m a really big proponent of journaling, or really anything that allows you to let out your excess energy/thoughts and helps calm your nerves. I’m definitely projecting some, but I think many of us are wound up tight and more of us are wound up tighter than we’d like to admit or even realize. I think collectively, we’ve created systems that put far too many stressors on our lives, so anything we can do to release the pressure from those stressors helps us show up better for ourselves and for each other.
For me, that comes out through journaling, yoga, meditation, music, and photography. And I guess a little more recently hiking, which I NEVER thought I would say.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://beigeradio.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/beige_radio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeigeRadio
Image Credits
Main photo of Wes Gonzalez aka “Beige Radio” by Francis Einkauf
All other images by Wes Gonzalez
