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“We all need help to change habits and patterns.
The first step is really asking for help.”
Samantha Moyo is a social entrepreneur who specialises in community building, innovation and culture change. She designs future focused campaigns with positive social impacts and is the founding alchemist of Morning Gloryville. She’s also a signed spoken word artist with her first EP coming out in April.
Talk to me about your current feelings and emotions…
Today I’m on my period so feeling soft, feminine and receptive.
How has 2020/2021 been for you?
It has been full of surprise, magic and opportunities I’d never imagined. I went from working on diversity and inclusion to a TED talk in front of 1500 people to having my speaking tour cancelled due to covid to my business actually falling apart. From here I moved to the countryside to gain more perspective and recover from burnout. Then something unexpected happened, the artist within me started coming alive. I started painting, then singing then writing. Today I’m a signed spoken word artist with my first EP coming out in April. I’ve also been signed to a global speaking agent and am now sharing my story on how I broke out of identity echo chambers into letting go of labels. This year has been a year of liberation, playfulness, self-discovery.
Tell me about your early life, and your journey to where you are at present.
I was born in Zimbabwe and lived there until 15years old. Growing up in Africa is one of the greatest gifts anyone can have. Firstly you’re raised with the Ubuntu philosophy “I am because We are” This philosophy instills a love and acceptance for humanity that has carried me through life. In Zimbabwe the sun is a god. I remember revering the sunsets in a way that reminded me of the simple pleasures of life. School was also such a gift. You’re brought up to be grateful for education because not everyone has access to it. I remember moving to England and being shocked that kids spoke back at teachers. Living in the midlands in UK from 15yrs old was a real culture shift, one that I’m so grateful to have experienced. I quickly went from school enthusiast and sports fanatic to smoking weed in parks and doing what teenage kids in UK did. And within this was an awakening to my homosexuality. I went to university in Brighton which was another culture shift from the midlands – if there’s one thing Brighton taught me was how to be gayyyyy and proud…. How to dance like there’s no tomorrow and the power of music, community and silliness.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronomer or a PE teacher. Guess that’s what I do now coaching people to think outside the box, live unapologetically and remember we are all made of the same stuff as stars.
What’s your favorite family tradition?
I loved Christmas growing up. The whole family coming together and seeing cousins I’d missed all year round.
Who’s been your strongest influence?
My strongest influence has been my mum and dad. Both my parents have always supported me being whoever I wanted to be. And believe me I’ve stretch many cultural boundaries and still had their support. So they are my role models because I saw them let go of their own ways of being and accepting all my sides.
Can you describe the first time you fell in love?
It felt like tingles in my body, the best kissing and exciting. I remember meeting him, slapping him and us both laughing. We knew we’d met our match.
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
Bungee jumping at Victoria Falls and the time I decided to go and live with indigenous tribes in Africa instead of Burning Man.
We first met over ten years ago, in what could be described as our party days – tell me about your journey of transformation and healing…
Well you saw how wild I was haha!!! It simply became unsustainable. The alcohol, cocaine and acid trips started taking their toll on my abilities when I was 26years old. I started therapy, meditation and then found some mentors who inspired me with their spiritual connection….And without much thought a friend and I decided that the only way to stop our wild lifestyle was to start throwing sober raves.
Tell me about Morning Gloryville, and how you came to start it?
Me and friend found ourselves living a highly unsustainable lifestyle. Nothing seemed to work for me personally to calm my addictions so we thought “why not start a sober morning dance party, something that we would actually enjoy, something that challenged societal norms and through that experience a dose of healthier living”. We designed an immersive experience that included theatrical performers, smoothie and coffee bars and books some of London’s top DJs – the key ingredient was hosting the parties at 6am on Wednesday morning…. When we launched our first party only 26 people bought tickets for a 700 person club. We were convinced it was a flop. But the energy in the space was electric… everyone felt completely transformed and told pretty much everyone they knew about it. the next event drew 400 people, and after that the BBC came and the whole world knew about it. For 4 years our London events were selling out…we’d toured the experience to 23 cities and fully pioneered the sober dance movement. Sometimes I can’t believe that we created a movement simply out of our own personal need for transformation. So grateful for that journey.
You’re an activist and you’ve led some really compelling Ted Talks – tell me more about your mission…
My mission is to help people live, work and express authentically and without apology. I’m passionate about wild expression and all my work and being oozes this.
I read in another interview you said “your perception of life is based on what you put into your body” – tell me more about this…
Yes quite simply, we are what we eat. Have you ever noticed how when you’re having a juice cleanse, you have energy, you experience the world with more clarity, you feel lighter??? And around Christmas, we eat loads of cake, loads of carbs, we indulge in all yummy goodness a table provides and enter the new year sprightly in sprit but feeling like we’ve gotta do something about our bodies???? Or is this just me. Also I noticed a drastic improvement in my life when I stopped drinking and taking drugs… actual clarity.
Tell me more about your rituals…
I’m a multifaceted creative who needs a variety of flows to keep me lit. I practice rituals from traditions from all around the world – from yoga, to twerking to Japanese sword fighting to boxing to yin to painting to simple walks in nature
Tell me more about your thoughts surrounding gender labels, and your own personal gender transition….
I’m gender fluid and spent 2 years realizing and transitioning. Now I’m in a beautiful space where I just see myself as a being made of light. When people ask my pronouns, I now say “I don’t mind, as long as you don’t see me as one gender. I don’t like to be boxed up.”
What advice can you share surrounding addiction and overcoming alcoholism?
We all need help to change habits and patterns. The first step is really asking for help. The next step is leaning onto the help and listening. It’s hard at first but just let yourself surrender to new ways of being…know it’s uncomfortable as fuck at the start and simply stick with it….Secondly, the way I got out of alcohol and drug addiction was replacements with other things…please note, I’m not a doctor so just talking from experience. When I felt like a night out, I’d go to meditation centers, I’d chant, use prayer beads, learn new crafts. Find new activities to do in the time you’d usually indulge in that activity. Create a new reflex.
For people who have been suffering from stress and anxiety, particularly throughout the pandemic, what advice can you share to help them manage their wellbeing…
Chill, breathe, walk, cold water swim, read, journal, laugh at yourself
What has been a pivotal moment(s) in your life?
Guess when I when I went from being captain hello titties to running a global movement within a few months… that was pretty epic
What do you have coming up in 2021
The biggest thing is I’m releasing my first EP in April so please follow me on INSTA for news and an exciting new event @mysticmoyo. Also if anyone is looking for an expansion coach to grow their business or movement, information here.
What have you found to be the biggest challenges, and learnings of 2020?
Biggest challenge was the first month of pandemic/lockdown – never had my whole calendar get cancelled before!!
Biggest learnings – we are all made of light, from planet earth, milky way galaxy. The more we sit with this the more we’re reminded of our interconnectedness. This planet is our home and beyond perceived differences we really are the same.
The year is 2070, tell me about your visions for what the world looks like?
I do channeling for a living, it’s a whole process of earthing, calling in guides and listening to what different societal groups from the future have to share…. Book online here!
What rules do you live by?
Love hard, live unapologetically and remember to laugh at yourself!
What are you most thankful for?
Family, friends and nature (cheesy but true)
How do you get into your creative flow?
I get myself looking and feeling sexy! If I’m turned on by life, creativity flows out of me!!
What’s your philosophy for life?
I was raised on Ubuntu: Umunthu Ngumunthu Ngabanthu – I am Because We Are
What advice would you give to your younger self?
No advice – just well fucking done for always being yourself!!
Tell me about your biggest “failure”, and what you learned?
Right now I feel like my biggest failure was getting pissed every Friday night and missing my driving lessons when I was 17. Because now I live in the countryside and could really do with a car. Learning is: sometimes, it’s best to choose the boring route (suggested by your mother) and postpone “good times” to later….
