Karen Polinesia FAULT Magazine Covershoot & Interview

Photographer: Raen Badua | Stylist: Oliver Brown | Makeup: Kierra Lanice | Hair: Sheila Fisher | Manicurist: Nisha  | Fashion assistant: Safa Haque  | Fashion Assistant: Sara Lynn | BTS Photographer: Alfield Reeves | Film Director: Max Bartick | Director of Photography: Kevin Chiu 

Words:Oliver Brown

It’s been almost 10 years since you and your siblings started your YouTube channel. How has YouTube changed since you began and how has it influenced your life as a young millennial?

Life has changed a lot, that’s for a fact, but it was not as fast as many believe. Since we uploaded our first video to YouTube until it began to have an effect on my life three whole years passed. I started to dedicate more time to create content and read the audience, an audience that was eagerly awaiting more videos every week. Everything has changed a lot since then. Over the years, my brothers and I realized that we could empower our audiences and other creators to create a positive change, on and off social media. That’s why we also set out to develop content and experiences that could impact people beyond YouTube, from live shows to clothing or toy lines. We developedGazer73, a company that creates, grows and empowers entertainment brands, and only with the content of Plática Polinesia we have been able to take our message to places, we could never have imagined, with 1 billion minutes per month played. Life in this industry can be really fun and exciting, but to be successful you need to work hard and make big sacrifices.

What inspired you and your siblings to start a YouTube channel and how would you describe your journey in the beginning?

The idea came from my older brother Rafa, he is the most restless of the family, he loves to explore new ideas, and one day he got the crazy idea of uploading videos to the internet. At first, it was a hobby, it was very easy to create something and upload it to social media, we really had no expectations, we were just enjoying the time together that adolescence had taken from us. If you ask me, what did we do? The answer is PLAY, we were playing and experiencing life the same way as we were little. Today we continue to play and learn, either making a new song, supporting other creators so that they can also grow with their content or representing Latin American culture in international venues.

What is your process when approaching new content for YouTube and other social media platforms such as Tik Tok?

It is extremely difficult when you have been making content for 10 years, it seems that you have already done everything, but the key is to propose. Everything you see on TIKTOK now has already been made on YouTube, people are still consuming the same types of content but now faster. As a creator, you must innovate and know how to adapt to the new platforms that arise. That is why we have been able to reach new audiences on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram or even Spotify, and now we have reached more than 63M followers. What we always do is propose, we forget what we have done and start over, it is like restarting your creativity.

Everyone can’t say that they’ve had a Barbie collection in their image or have travelled on a world tour at such a young age. What challenges have you faced that’s gotten you to this point?

The toughest challenge has been making our way into an industry where television and cinema were the kings of entertainment. We convinced executives and C.E.O.s that a change was taking place and audiences have migrated to digital platforms, audiences that needed attention. We demonstrate that with our content we captivate audiences of millions of people, and proof of this has been our collaborations with brands as big as Mattel or institutions like Guinness World Records, who believed in us and in the impact that had been built.

I love the relationship dynamic you and your siblings share on camera but especially in person. How would you explain your sibling dynamic with one another? And how supportive are they when it comes to your music and personal ventures?

It sounds crazy but this project brought us closer as brothers. Before that, we were not as close as we are now. Working with family is not an easy task, as in every family there are conflicts and many times it is difficult to agree but we always listen to each other and act for the common good. I really believe that it was possible thanks to the family values that our parents taught us: love, togetherness, and freedom. These values are what we want to spread to our audiences, no matter the social network, they will always find a positive message. These ideas have allowed us to achieve everything we have achieved and have allowed us to collaborate with global organizations such as UN Women, the World Wildlife Forum or wildlife SOS. At the end of the day, what we want to create is a positive message, a social conscience through everything we create on our social networks, sharing positive entertainment for everyone where diversity is celebrated and where we share everything positive that we have learned at home and that now keeps us more united than ever. The truth is that we have a small “siblings agreement”, we try not to interfere in each other’s projects if we do not ask for it. So, each one has creative freedom and makes their own decisions.I like to help with creative direction and art, only if they ask me to

Speaking of music, who influences you as an artist and how would you describe your sound?

Music is something new for me since I was a child I have always enjoyed it. My grandfather played the piano, cello and violin and I always had the desire to play an instrument, but I never dared. However, there has always been something there that called me in music, until I discovered what it was: I love how music can make you feel and go from one emotional state to another, music lives in our human fibres and I want to give through its Deepestmessages to the world and to my followers, messages that are sometimes very complicated to give through a 10-minute YouTube video or a 30-second TikTok.I decided to start making music, it is a new world for me, I am discovering what my sound will be like, it is a journey that I am really enjoying and that is giving the results I was looking for. I want to work with new producers who have this same concept of what music means to me because if the whole team has the same vibe, you can create something that lasts forever and that makes people really feel.

When can we expect more music?

I ?ve been working a lot on my music, in fact, I am always looking for new producers to create and explore new musical styles. Right now, I am very excited about a song that is ready to come out at any time, you will be able to hear it soon! but not only that, soon you will be able to listen to songs with my brothers so stay tuned to our YouTube channel PLATICA POLINESIA because there will be much musical news.

You expressed to me that you love supporting independent designers and enjoy expressing yourself through style. Who are some designers that inspire you? And what’s one designer or brand you’d love to collaborate with?

I really like to support independent designers, they are all great artists who want to transmit art beyond thinking about business or fame and this has much more value for me. These designers have many new, disruptive and challenging proposals for the fashion and art industry that we should all know about. That’s why I really like to support the development of other artists, especially those who celebrate diversity and social wealth. I would like to collaborate with artists like Victor Barragán, Sanchez Kane, Sita Abellan and Marine Serre. There are many good designers, but these ones are my favourites.

You were recently in NYC for our FAULT Cover. In what ways would you like your influence to translate into American culture and are there any bridges you’d like to gap?

One of the biggest rewards of being a content creator is to reach people from all over the world, including the United States, which is the 4th country that consumes our content the most. I’d love to create a positive impact on whoever watches my content. To inspire people to fight for their dreams and foster inclusion, diversity and healthy family relationships.

What’s one piece of advice that’s always resonated with you?

It’s not a piece of advice that someone told me, it is more like a reflection that I keep in my mind “Art is the expression of soul and spirit, it is inexhaustible energy” If you don’t have the energy to keep creating anymore. Maybe it’s because your spirit wants to learn something new. So try to listen to your heart and you ?ll always have the energy to create anything that you want.

What next for you?

My next big challenge is about linking entertainment with art and new technology. I want to be able to bring to life what’s on my mind and that of my siblings in a fun, creative, techy and innovative way. I also really want to make a difference in order to build a better world for everyone.

What is your FAULT?

My biggest fault was to stay in my comfort zone for many years because who rests on his success is doomed to fail. And It took me a while to realize that I had to WAKE UP and that’s how I decided to create a new musical and artistic project that I had never done before. Despertar (Awakening) is my last single and it has over 600,000 streams on different platforms and 4 million views on Youtube. Definitely, this project is a new milestone for my career as an artist and creator