Fiverr is all about getting sh*t done. No surprise, then, that we immediately connected with The Skin Deep, an NYC-based creative studio and publisher exploring human emotion and intimacy in the digital age. So we embarked on on a three-part collaboration exploring—and celebrating—the Act of Doing. These videos focus on real-life pairs of doers— Lauren & Jesse, Victoria & Nathan, and Julia & Anthony—discussing the nature of doing during the different stages of their business and personal journeys. To kick things off, we had our own candid conversation with The Skin Deep founder, Topaz Adizes, about the origins of the project, his passion for storytelling, and the importance of authentic relationships in our modern world.
Tell us about the origins of The Skin Deep. What made you want to tell these stories in this particular way?
I’ve been building The Skin Deep for two years now and share this reflection any chance I get. Now, I’ve been asked to put it into writing. Ouch. Not my strong suit. Words… I prefer images and sound. But words?Perhaps with a statement that lies at the core of everything we are doing and exploring at The Skin Deep: The emotional experience of human life is dramatically (and arguably traumatically) shifting in a short window of time never seen before in our history. Today, we’re experiencing an exponential shift in how we relate to one another. The way we emotionally experience our lives is changing in ways we never imagined and few of us even realize. And the fact is, our children are feeling it through the experience of life and sharing that experience with one another in ways we never have nor will. We now take it for granted that there are movements led by a collective consciousness without a clear figurehead, all facilitated by a peer-to-peer platform.
Similarly, in business, if in early 2000 I told you there would be a company that — with 13 employees and within 18 months of launching — would be valued at 1 billion dollars without ever having made a profit, you would tell me I’ve lost my mind. Throughout history, business was defined by the ability to earn a profit. So how could something be worth so much without ever turning one? Well, meet Instagram, where its massive widespread adoption in such a short amount of time explained its value. Things are clearly changing in ways we have never imagined. Exponentially shifting. We’re in a period of human history that is a profound turning point in our evolution. And much like how politics and business has radically altered, so to has the way we humans experience connection, intimacy, emotions, and relationships. This is the focal point of The Skin Deep.
What's different about {THE AND} and your previous work?
Great question. I don’t know what’s different. What I know is its value. It’s the reality of feeling. The AND illuminates the space between; the threads that bind us. The idea of {THE AND} is that a relationship isn’t you or me, him or her, romeo or juliet. It’s you AND me, him AND her, Romeo AND juliet. It’s the and that connect us. So what if we can take the user and put them in the space between, in THE AND, of other relationships so that that they can witness another connection and learn from it. At its essence {THE AND} is a humanizing storytelling agent. You’re placed in the intimate world between two people and can experience it for yourself. What we’ve learned is that there is something to learn from every relationship, you just have to ask the right questions.
What drew you to Fiverr? What about our collaboration excites you?
Fiverr’s commitment to doing, to making things happen and empowering a whole generation of entrepreneurs, of makers, of doers to doing just that. We are living in a new paradigm, where it’s not about what you have, but rather what you have access to. Where it’s not about where you live, but about who you can connect with. Fiverr empowers creators to make sh*t happen. The Skin Deep makes sh*t happen. Thus the match felt like a great fit.
How do you find the contributors to Skin Deep? Do the doers approach you, or do you seek them out?
At The Skin Deep we have a wonderfully engaged community as well as great producers who are always seeking out interesting relationships and stories to explore. So it’s between those two sources that we find our participants. What amazes me is just how many stories there are. Again, every person has a story, you just have to ask the right questions. Who ever thought people talking could be so interesting?
What is special about the Act of Doing? What is your definition of a doer?
What’s special about The Act of Doing is that it’s the world we live in now. Make dope sh%$ happen seems to be the ethos these days. Go out and do, make, explore, create, participate. Nowhere before in human history has an individual had the ability at their fingertips to not only create, but to also distribute an idea, a service, a movement. No time before have we had the power to create something that could rattle a culture or even the globe. The consciousness of us is growing, it’s becoming more integrated and real and connected and alive. And so the place for an individual to make, to create, to do is at the center of it. To simply start and take a risk and to voice their expression is here and it’s easier than ever before, and yet with an upside never seen before. So it’s an incredible time. But there is an underbelly to Doing. There is the fear. There is the risk. There are the highs and the lows. In this campaign of {THE AND} The Act of Doing we wanted to explore all of that. The relationships of doers, between doers, and for doers.
If you were going to sit down with someone for a {THE AND}-style video, who would it be and why?
My grandparents. One at a time. When one is young, one may not appreciate the legacy of where they come from. I would love to sit down with them one on one and get to know them better.
Want to talk more? Keep the conversation going by asking your questions for Topaz and the Skin Deep in the comments below.
