Jemel McWilliams: Lizzo's Choreographer Who Uses His Moves To Change The World

unproductive by daydreamers

Jemel McWilliams is a self-proclaimed ‘Journey Man’. But, even though he’s tried his hand at all types of creative (and not-so-creative) endeavors, he never lost that spark. And now, as a highly-regarded artistic director and choreographer for artists such as Lizzo, Janelle Monae, John Legend, Alicia Keys and others, Jemel understands something that his younger self may not have: being different - being yourself - is the coolest thing you could do.

Jemel has spent over ten years in the entertainment industry - moving through every single phase of the process from backup dancer to artistic director. And, now that he is calling the shots, he’s been a major visionary in creating cultural movements through his work. Jemel crafted Janelle Monae’s historic performance at the 2020 Oscar’s (making it not so white) and bringing together Lizzo’s Big Grrrls crew. No matter what type of creative project he’s working on, Jemel is consistently bringing together all body types, colors, experience levels to the table - no matter how long they’ve been left out of the conversation.

Join us for a conversation that’s equally energizing and grounding - and one that’s deeply needed in our world right now.

Some stuff we also cover:

• Jemel’s exact creative process as an artistic director and lead choreographer when working with major artists like Lizzo and Janelle Monae (hint: it’s more spiritual than you might think)
  
• Jemel’s thoughts on “popcorn careers” and the importance of moving through each stage of the process over going viral
  
• Why it’s extremely important to find your community and how that relates to your ability to find creative fulfillment
  
• The way that Jemel thinks about creating major cultural movements through dance and entertainment - and how he doesn’t get lost in the comments section
  

Resources you might want to check out:

• Social media: @Jemelmcwilliams
  
• Website: https://www.jemelmcwilliams.com/
  

As always, this podcast is sponsored by:

Daydreamers. At Daydreamers, we’re redefining how we all spend our free time and making space for adults to build creative hobbies. Get on the waitlist to find out what tricks we have up our sleeves (hint: we’re launching something major soon): daydreamerspace.com.