2 Minutes With … Zoe Wilder, Founder of Liquid Culture
Zoe is a publicity professional and business consultant orbiting lifestyle, culture and wellness. For over 20 years, she has worked with hundreds of clients across a variety of industries to develop and execute inventive promotional content and campaigns.
Zoe is the founder of Liquid Culture, a community of artists and creators dedicated to preserving and furthering the psychedelic experience. She is also a part of DoubleBlind Magazine's founding team, and an ambassador for Success Centers and Last Prisoner Project.
We spent two minutes with Zoe to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she's admired.
Zoe, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, and spend much of my time in New York, California and Florida.
How you first got interested in cannabis.
My mother loves to tell the story about the time she threw a get-together at our home as I was just beginning to walk. Cocktails were flowing, music bumping, ganja puffing until mom noticed her stash was gone. After a little commotion and much fuss, I tottered into the living room, giggling, as I held up her voluptuous bag of earthy goodness. Everyone had a chuckle, and the party resumed as if nothing happened.
One of your favorite projects you've ever worked on.
We released Kukuni's eponymous album on Liquid Culture last year. Kukuni is psychedelic, indie, experimental art rock with pop sensibilities.
A recent project you're proud of.
When Firstman and Steve DeAngelo approached us about supporting their visionary plant retreat in Jamaica called Life Is A Ceremony, we were instantly inspired. Life Is A Ceremony is where Earth's peaceful warriors, healers, shamans, artists and change makers commune in nature's wisdom within the Rastafari Indigenous Village.
The biggest challenge cannabis marketers face today, and how to approach it.
Every challenge can be met with a bit of creativity. If you're in need of inspiration, reach out to me.
One thing about how the cannabis industry is evolving that you're excited about.
The more the industry evolves, the more we're able to free those imprisoned for cannabis-related charges. The same goes for providing truly equitable opportunities for those unfairly impacted by the war on drugs.
Someone else's work that you've admired lately.
Madison Margolin's book Exile & Ecstasy: Growing Up with Ram Dass and Coming of Age in the Jewish Psychedelic Underground. It's been a rewarding experience working with Madison. Exile & Ecstasy is a story of seeking and escape, rebellion and return, medicine and magic. From growing up among the HinJews of the Ram Dass community to finding her way on the psychedelic fringe of mainstream Orthodoxy, Madison's story is one of ultimately coming home—to self, to family, to nature and to the body.
A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.
Allow me to turn you on to Dynasty Electrik (Jenny Deveau and Seth Misterka). As resident sound healers at the Mystic Journey Crystal Gallery in Venice Beach, they captivated audiences weekly before offering their sound healing globally every Friday night on their YouTube channel. Dynasty Electrik are emissaries. Harnessing the power of frequencies is an ancient practice that's incredibly powerful and can be profoundly healing.
Your favorite fictional character.
The lovable martian Michael Valentine Smith from Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land.
A visual artist or band/musician you admire.
Nutritious just dropped a glittery EP for Paper Recordings (UK) entitled Blurs—five tracks of wonky, mutant disco-house. Warped out synths, distorted acid and other fuzzy disco stylings mingle in a psychedelic haze. It's incredibly danceable. And the cover art is by John Van Hamersveld, the graphic artist and illustrator who designed record jackets for pop and psychedelic bands from the 1960s onward. Van Hamersveld's first major assignment, in 1963, was designing the poster for the surf film The Endless Summer, after which he served as Capitol Records' head of design from 1965 to 1968. During that time, he worked on the artwork for albums by Capitol artists such as the Beatles and the Beach Boys. Among the 300 albums are the covers of Magical Mystery Tour by the Beatles, Crown of Creation by Jefferson Airplane, Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones and Hotter Than Hell by Kiss.
Someone worth following on social media.
Join the the party @weareliquidculture.
Your main strength as a marketer/creative.
I have a Master's Degree in Social Work from Fordham University. I studied harm reduction approaches for substance abuse and quickly became disenamored by the way in which our Western society has a tendency to pathologize and overprescribe personality traits, phases and cycles in our lives.
Your biggest weakness.
Something people would find surprising about you.
I love to play Galaga Wars. In fact, I'm in the top 1 percent out of 1,618,111 players globally.
One thing that always makes you happy.
Freedom.
One thing that always makes you sad.
We're in the midst of a serious health crisis. It's not always easy to figure out how to best take care with the cyclone of misinformation swirling about. A good place to start is by taking your health into your own hands, fasting and exercising, sourcing food like you source your weed, supporting local farms and ranchers (especially regenerative practices), eating grass-fed meat, avoiding seed oils, understanding different perspectives, focusing on what unites us, nurturing community, immersing yourself in nature, breathing art and dancing.
What you'd be doing if you weren't in the cannabis industry.
I was destined to be on this journey. I was born to support artists, visionaries and innovators who inspire and share their stories with the world.
2 Minutes With is our regular interview series where we chat with creatives about their backgrounds, creative inspirations, work they admire and more. For more about 2 Minutes With, or to be considered for the series, please get in touch.
