Vic Mensa on Creative Workflow and Digital Tools
The artist explains how Voice Memos and mindfulness practices sustain his multifaceted career.
1Voice Memos as Foundation
Vic Mensa relies heavily on the Voice Memos app to capture spontaneous creative ideas. Whether recording song snippets, essay drafts, or personal moments with his son, he uses the tool to prevent thoughts from disappearing. He describes the app as an honest space within a device otherwise filled with constant digital distractions.
2Instagram for Audience Connection
Instagram serves as Mensa's primary platform for public engagement and discourse. Starting with casual videos of peeling oranges, he evolved his content into deep conversations covering politics, history, and fatherhood. This organic growth eventually provided the necessary momentum and audience validation to launch his own podcast, The Vic Mensa Show.
3Mindfulness and Focus Techniques
To maintain focus amidst his various professional roles, Mensa utilizes specific meditative and breathing practices. He incorporates the Shambhavi Mahamudra meditation, learned from Sadhguru, alongside the Wim Hof breathing method. He often performs these exercises in a steam room to maximize their effectiveness before starting his creative work sessions.
4Investment in Daily Quality
Mensa advocates for splurging on items that directly impact daily life and longevity. His priority list includes high-quality mattresses, reliable headphones, and durable clothing designed to last for years. He emphasizes prioritizing meaningful experiences with his child over spending money on impulsive purchases that do not provide lasting personal value.
5Production and Artistic Vision
The artist is currently focused on his upcoming album, marking his first project where he takes full responsibility as a producer. Beyond the music, he is actively curating the surrounding visual art, video content, and fashion design. This holistic approach to world-building represents a significant shift in his creative process.
6Skepticism Toward Tech Trends
Despite his reliance on digital tools for productivity and connection, Mensa expresses clear reservations regarding certain emerging technologies. He specifically cites Meta glasses as a trend he wishes would disappear, suggesting that the hardware appears to be utilized for negative purposes rather than enhancing the user experience in a meaningful way.
7Diversified Professional Portfolio
Mensa balances a wide array of professional hats, including music, acting, podcasting, and activism. His career trajectory includes the recent release of his debut mixtape, Innanetape, on major streaming services. This diversity of output requires a disciplined approach to time management and a reliance on simple, effective tools for idea capture.
8Strategic Creative Sustainability
The intersection of high-level production and personal mindfulness defines Mensa's current operational strategy. By combining analog-style recording habits with rigorous mental health practices, he sustains a prolific output across multiple industries. His approach highlights the necessity of balancing intense digital engagement with intentional, offline habits to maintain long-term creative health.
Original article: The Verge (theverge.com) — Vic Mensa on Creative Workflow and Digital Tools