"I feel like it's easier to describe you than describing myself."
Tuesday 4 June 2024, Canterbury High Street, United Kingdom
Who are we talking to? Daphne & Flore
Who's doing the interview? Sean & Jolanda
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FLORE: So my name is Flore and I'm from France and I'm 20 years old. I don't know what to say about me, but like yeah.
DAPHNE: Hi, so I'm Daphne, I'm also 20 and I'm also from France.
SEAN: So, guys, the first question I'm going to ask is what are you guys passionate about?
FLORE: I feel it's kind of hard to choose one passion because we were talking about that yesterday, but I feel I'm really perfectionist and then when you are perfectionist, it's kind of hard to be like “Okay, so this subject is like kind of my passion” because you never really feel enough about something. But I would say that I've always been kind of influenced by creative arts, especially dance, for example, because I've been a professional dancer when I was younger and then now I'm more interested drama stuff, but like contemporary drama. So yeah, I feel like I'm passionate about that.
DAPHNE: And same as Flore. I would say I don't have one specific passion, but I like everything that's around creativity and expressing yourself and your vulnerability through art, and seeing my friends do the same is also really valuable to me, and I say specifically drama as well.
SEAN: Okay, what type of dance did you study growing up?
FLORE: Actually ballet, but we were doing like other types of dance, like a sort of like complementary disciplines.
SEAN: Was there someone or something that happened that sparked your passion?
FLORE: I feel like school for me wasn't fun enough, so I needed another space to express myself. I really love to actually chat and stuff, and I feel like people like actually pointed that to myself, like oh, that's not like a really positive thing. So I think I found another space to express, and it was like throughout my body.
DAPHNE: I would say probably my mom because like she's a creative as well. Like not professionally, but like she creates a lot and like for her it's more about like art therapy and stuff like that, because she's a therapist. But I feel like she always like encouraged me to like collect stuff like I would always collect like trash items just to make stuff out of it.
SEAN: Upcycling?
DAPHNE: Yeah yeah, so obviously my mom.
"I'm really perfectionist and then when you are perfectionist, it's kind of hard to be like 'Okay, so this subject is like kind of my passion' because like you never really feel enough about something."
SEAN: That's nice. How does it feel to think about your future?
FLORE: Well, I feel like that's, that's really…it really scares me. I feel like everything is really unsure and I don't really think about my future that much. I feel like it's not really precise and I don't have a particular plan or anything. But like the only thing I'm sure of, sorry it's just really weird of myself, but it's like my professional path. Like I know what I want to do. I want to work in an artistic institution, like as like administration or something, but that's the only thing I'm sure about. Like, yeah, I feel like I'm just like. It seems like it sounds really silly, like simple. But living day-by-day and surviving and just like caring about people you love is just like my main goal and that's it.
SEAN: No, honestly, it's real. I think it's a morbid question, to be fair, but I think caring about what's in front of you is important.
DAPHNE: Same, I feel like it's quite hard to project yourself in the future, because I don't have many plans yet. Like I know we're moving out, it's like we're going to start like a bit of a new life, which is exciting, but I don't know how to feel about it. I'm both scared and excited.
SEAN: It's understandable. So average wake-up time slash bedtime
FLORE: I feel like I don't really have habits, so it depends on my mood, my day, like there's nothing like set up.
DAPHNE: Usually I really have habits, but because it's like the holidays now, I really do not have any. I would say for now it's like 1 PM and then like 10 PM. The usual is more like midnight to 1 AM and waking up at 9 AM.
SEAN: Oh, okay, that's reasonable.
DAPHNE: But I put an alarm. It's not natural.
SEAN: Alarm helps, it's technically natural.
(All laughing)
FLORE: It was natural.
SEAN: So what was your dream job as a child?
FLORE: Oh I don't really know. Like, obviously so. I was training to be a professional dancer. So like I wanted to be a professional dancer.
DAPHNE: I would say I wanted to be a singer, but I really cannot sing.
SEAN: What is something you've dreamed of doing for a long time, but haven't done so already?
FLORE: Something I haven't talked about yet is like I really love and enjoy writing and I feel like I'm writing a lot, but just like for myself, and then I don't really know, like I don't know, I don't really know how to build my writing and stuff. But I would love to like one day, not even to publish it, but just to write like a proper stuff, like just make a book for me.
DAPHNE: I don't know, it's kind of funny because, like, my answer is literally the same. It's not specifically about writing, but just like about like, because I love, like I do art every day, but then just like small project and small projects, and I never end up like doing one specific project because I feel like there's so much to do and so it would be the same, just like to focus on one thing that I can be like really proud of.
"All my friends being creative also encourages me to create even more."
SEAN: Makes sense. So what are some songs you guys have been listening to lately?
FLORE: So I don't know if it's. It's not like a specific song, but I've been listening to a French rapper. Okay, so it's like a woman I don't know. I feel like I don't know if I identify, but I rediscovered her. Her name is Diam’s. And I rediscovered her, like a week ago, and I'm just like listening to her.
DAPHNE: I would say I'm listening to Sexy Sushi, which is like a French group, but like they broke up like 10 years ago but they still made really cool songs.
SEAN: What's your proudest accomplishment?
FLORE: I don't know, I feel like I'm not thinking about that every day, but like, oh, I'm proud of that. And then, but when I think about the fact that like I've been moving, like two years ago, and then I've like actually like lived in another country and just like was studying in another, sort of institution, and then just like meeting people from like all over the world and then just like doing stuff in another country, I feel like I'm really proud of that and then I've been able to do that.
SEAN: You should be proud of that. That's a big life change to switch completely to a different country.
FLORE: that's also a privilege
SEAN: But yeah, of course, but, like you, should still be proud of the fact that you've done so well.
DAPHNE: I would say it's not like I don't know if it's like something I'm the most proud of, but something I'm proud of is that I've been like on set in movies and tv series. Like in France, with famous actors and people I knew and it was big productions and just like I was proud of it because like I never thought it was going to happen. And then, like every time I'm on a set I'm just really grateful that I'm there.
SEAN: That makes sense, that's a crazy life experience.
DAPHNE: Yeah, being on a set with people I've seen in the movie theater when I was like a kid.
JOLANDA: Describe yourself in three words.
DAPHNE: (Looks to Flore) I feel like it's easier to describe you than describing myself.
FLORE: Yeah.
DAPHNE: Wait, can we have time to think about it?
SEAN: Yeah, that's a crazy question, to be fair.
"I would say you're quirky and I would say you're interesting, like I feel like I wanted to be friends with you because I found you interesting."
JOLANDA: Then describe each other in three words instead.
DAPHNE: Okay, I have words for Flore. I would say she's creative, she is funny and she's caring, like, about the people she likes.
FLORE: I would say for Daphne that you are like I would say, creative as well. Like I had that in my head. I would say you're quirky and I would say you're interesting, like I feel like I wanted to be friends with you because I found you interesting. I was like, yeah, like this person kind of—it wasn't like fascinating me, like “Oh, you're a pop star,” you know but, like you know what I mean.
DAPHNE: Yeah, that's cool, that was cute.
SEAN: That was awesome. So do you have a nickname and what's the story behind it?
FLORE: I have a really short name, so like one syllable “Flore.” So that's, I don't really have a nickname. I would say I have one funny like fun fact about it is like since I've been living in England, people call me “floor” because it's hard to pronounce the French “r” and we've been laughing about that. It's like people, like we're like, oh, dance floor, floor and then everything.
DAPHNE: I have one, I don't even know where it actually comes from. But just like DJ the D, which is like my best friend, she started like naming me like this, but I have no idea why. Just random.
SEAN: What's something that's been on your mind recently?
DAPHNE: Oh, I need to find an accommodation for the summer. That's my issue right now.
FLORE: I feel like my issue right now is that I've been discussing that with my mother yesterday, but I've been prescribed I don't know how to say it antidepressants, but I don't know if I should actually take them. So that's my issue right now.
SEAN: What's your inspiration process or source for creativity?
FLORE: I feel like it's mainly observation, like I'm someone who observes a lot, like everything, like people surroundings, yeah yeah, so like mainly observation all the time.
JOLANDA: Do you think that just comes from, like you being a dancer and training to be a dancer?
FLORE: I feel like it's both. Like it's part of my personality to just observe like a lot of people and be kind of like interested. Yeah, but like I feel like with dance and then like with dance training, you get to like compare yourself a lot to the others. So you get to compare yourself a lot to others. So of course, I feel like I was observing the others as well and just like picking up things as well, because, like, when you see someone dancing, you just take some little things they're like doing. Like you discuss a lot about technique and stuff, so I feel like it's both.
DAPHNE: I don't think I have a specific inspiration process, because I feel like inspiration always comes at the worst time, like when I'm not supposed to be working on my artistic stuff. Sometimes I observe a lot and just consuming a lot of media and seeing what other people do as well.
SEAN: I was going to say, like with your mum, like watching her a lot growing up.
DAPHNE: Yeah, like sometimes she's just like, “Oh, do you want to make poetry, like this afternoon?” And I don't have any idea of what I'm going to do, but then forcing myself to do stuff on time. Like sometimes I try to plan it and like, okay, like tomorrow I'm going to do drawings, and then I actually force myself to do some and yeah, otherwise I'm just trying to have fun. To be fair with whatever I'm doing.
SEAN: That's how it should be fun. So, was there anyone who encouraged you to nurture your creativity?
FLORE: So you were talking about your mother. But if I think about my family, not really. Because I feel my family haven't been like, “You shouldn't do that,” like they've always been supportive. But they're not really in a creative, like kind of way, even though, for example, my mother loves, loves like literature, but like that's it. So I don't, I don't really think about like someone especially.
DAPHNE: Yeah, I would say my mom, but also like, just friends I've made like in drama classes or like on sets or like in drawing classes. Just like all my friends being creative also encourages me to create even more.
FLORE: I actually have. I met someone like when I was in first year at uni in France, like it's actually my ex-boyfriend, but he was encouraging me a lot about that.
SEAN: Fair enough, so describe the moment when you fell in love with your passion.
DAPHNE: Mine I would say just like, because I was doing so like my last year of high school I was doing drama classes every Saturday. And like the moment I realized it was like the most exciting thing I had to do every week and was just so excited to go and just like to see my friends and have fun. I was like, oh, like I actually want to pursue this.
FLORE: Yeah, I would say like one day when I was like six or seven, our teacher brought the class to a theatre, but literally the city theatre, you know. And we just saw a dance show. It was just ballet stuff and contemporary. It was really random, you know, and I was like, “Oh, these people look like they're having a lot of fun.” They look really happy about what they're doing. They're happy to be on stage and stuff, and I think it also sparked an idea.
SEAN: Okay, so is there a specific food or drink you like to consume when you're being creative?
FLORE: Yeah, I saw that question yesterday, but that's the only question we thought about actually (laughs). I feel like I like hot drinks and stuff. Whenever I'm just chilling in my room doing artsy stuff for myself, I really like hot chocolate and tea.
SEAN: What tea, specifically? Herbal?
FLORE: I feel like I really like green tea.
DAPHNE: I'm the contrary, I love cold drinks. I always have on my desk, like every time, there's always like a big cup of water in a plastic cup.
SEAN: Fair enough. I mean, it's summer, so it makes sense. So that concludes the questions we have for you guys today. Thank you for your time.
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Photographers: Dante Richardson & Paolo
Photo editor: Dante Richardson
Photoshoot Assistants: Hyla Etame, Vanessa Mbeko, & Jolanda Oruni
Interview editor: Hyla Etame
