We were lucky to catch up with Salena Nguyen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Salena with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I grew up as a competitive swimmer and found myself developing more of an athletic mindset, which influences the way I approach my work and my craft. My athletic mentality helps me overcome some of the hardest battles in my music career. Because that mentality has gotten me through so much, I haven’t stopped being a swimmer. I still train and compete on a masters swim team to this day. Everyday it takes discipline for me to show up to practice and put in the work to compete at my best. Similarly I do my best to work on my craft as a DJ routinely. On some days it gets really tough and sometimes I have bad practices, races, and sets. However, part of that mentality is picking myself back up, staying present and moving forward. This serves me in all aspects of my life. As a swimmer, I put myself behind the blocks and into tough races and I expect myself to perform the same way I put myself behind the decks on stage in front of large audiences. Facing that fear of having to perform is as rewarding as it is intimidating but it makes all of the work worth it. Even on my hardest days I imagine myself on that stage or behind those racing blocks and I visualize what I am feeling as I achieve the things I want to achieve. That is the true essence of manifestation for me.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My roots in DJing is a very traditional but rare start. I learned how to scratch on vinyl and I learned about the foundations of Turntablism at this non-profit organization “Horizons Unlimited: The DJ Project”, which was a public arts initiative funded by the City of San Francisco to empower youth through Hip-Hop education. Little did I know, it was going to end up as a whole career for me- just because I was introduced to it at such a young age (high school). Because of that, I feel the desire to constantly give back in any way I can.
As I grew in the local Bay Area scene and beyond, I started shifting from Hip-Hop and Rnb to House and Electronic Music. I have so much love for both sides of that music spectrum but I have always felt such a divide between the two communities. Sometimes I feel that my purpose to to bridge the gap between those worlds through my style and the way I listen to music. I often cater my sets to meet that duality.
Recently I have been collaborating with my creative friends in the industry on a project called “Sound On Site” where we build and document conceptual DJ sets. The purpose of this project is to challenge the norm of DJing and the norm of media at a typical set at a venue or a club. We wanted a space to experiment with different ideas and collaboratively “play” and experiment ideas with no expectations- in a way that engages the public. It has been such a good place for growth and learning in many ways.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most impactful qualities that got me where I am today is adaptability, grit, and integrity.
Adaptability is important because it allows you to be flexible when things don’t go as expected and it requires you to stay present rather than being in your head about it. Sometimes overthinking it can paralyze you and keep you from finding a solution to the situation at hand.
Grit is discipline. It means you are putting in the work everyday to reach those long term goals. It means building routines and habits that are in alignment with those goals. It means staying consistent, even on the hardest of days. It means pushing yourself to your threshold in order to grow.
Integrity is essentially staying true to who you are and standing by that in any situation that can test your character. It is about knowing your worth, knowing how to treat and respect others, and knowing how to move in a way that you can be proud of. Sometimes integrity feels like an initial loss but an inevitable win in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes it means doing what is right even if it doesn’t immediately benefit you. At the end of the day, integrity takes strength and a strong sense of self. It is so important though because you will always receive the energy you put out.
All of these qualities are not tied to “natural born talent”. They can be refined and worked on. All it takes is intention and awareness.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin is a book that has stuck out to me and many others in my creative community. The book really rewired by approach to creativity. It has essentially taught me that we are meant to simply play and experiment. We are born with senses to explore and tinker. As kids, we innately play and create, but as adults we lose a lot of that. Some of the greatest art was created out of randomness and exploration. Like in the games we play as kids, sometimes creating certain rules and limitations can help incite more creativity when feeling stuck. Sometimes limitations make us problem solve and think outside of the box. In essence, we are all born creatives and we are meant to connect to each other through creation. This also ties into spirituality At the core of it, all of the choices we make are creative choices and life is a creative act. The way we set our schedule, the way we decorate our space, the way we dress, the lesson plan we put together, the agenda for the meeting, etc. Everything you can think of requires creativity in some way, shape, or form. and a lot of the things we encounter require or form a sort of randomness. This book taught me how to truly start living like an artist- because we were all born to be one. It taught me to let go of expectations and just enjoy the process of doing and being and creating.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.saleniebeanie.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saleniebeanie/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@saleniebeanie
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/saleniebeanie
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@saleniebeanie
Image Credits
Marilyn Nguyen, Derek Tang, Matthew Cruz, uneakphotos
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
