Lucia Massey

I run a Music & Mezcal bar/arts club called Doña in London, and work as a freelance creative producer. I'm also doing a masters at the moment in Global culture and creative industries at SOAS. 

We met at ... Meadows? Not even sure. Feel like you've always been around tbh. Mama.

Where are you based and why?

Based in London - born and bred. Reason I am still here is the people not the place [and def not the weather] - my family and friends are very important to me and I can't imagine not living close by. Now that I have Doña I feel even more committed to protecting the parts of the city that I love that I believe to be under threat, and as a Londoner I feel a sense of duty in that. Ideally though I would love to split my time and spend more of my life with sun and nature, the big smoke can be a lot sometimes... 

Do you do what you love and love what you do?

Bringing people together is my thing and I don't think I could base my life around anything else. It is always changing its genre and I sometimes struggle with that, but I can't imagine doing anything else.

Whats your morning routine?

I wish I was disciplined enough to have a set one...

Most mornings I am blessed to begin with a lil pillow chat with bae and coffee in bed. Depending on whether I am feeling proactive or not, I will either start my work day in bed and do a few hours without moving [!], or i will go for a very brief jog, practise kung fu and watch the ducks in the local park. The latter is the best way to start the day, but the former makes for the majority. 

What do you do to bring creativity into your life every day?

Life is a creative exercise! Everything from getting dressed to scrolling images on instagram is creative, Making my fruity breakfast in the morning, problem solving for my business and reading for my masters. I always listen to music and my home is a shrine to art, texture and colour. The most inspiring creative outlet [and input] is talking and interacting with people which I try and do a lot but in lock down that has been more challenging, though I am blessed to live with a very creative person so we usually manage to exchange ideas on the daily. 

What’s an adventure / trek / pilgrimage you have always wanted to do?

Running a Mezcal bar I want to spend some real time in Mexico. I really want to go to Japan and learn from some of the masters there. I would also like to visit the Galapagos Islands. Would love to spend more time in S.America and Sub Saharan Africa. I would like to go to New Zealand too. 

Basically anywhere in the global south! 

I  think it is preposterous to think that earth is the only single inhabited planet in the whole universe. The place is infinite for god's sake, we are not the only living beings. 

If you had 10k what would you do with it?

Chill out knowing my business was gonna survive Covid-19 and the madness that has been 2020! 

Biggest realisation of the year?

That the world and its ways are actually very flexible and can change in the matter of a few weeks. Therefore all this talk of "that's just the way it is" can be thrown out the window. Different/evolved futures are possible.