Cultivating Community: Lena Ransfer’s Journey with Circadian Haus

How did your experiences in the local music scene during 2015-2019 shape your perspective and inspire the creation of Circadian Haus?

That time of my life was incredibly difficult for a multitude of reasons, one of them being that I had been forced out of my home before I was ready. I was not really allowed to go out, without a fight, even as a working, drinking adult. Being displaced, I had newfound freedom while also being heartbroken and scared to death but luckily I had a lot of friends all over the city and some of those friends happened to play music.

My journey in the music scene started out of organic support for my friends Ship of the Rising Sun (not playing actively) and in going to these shows I stayed for all the bands because I simply did not want to go back to wherever I was lucky enough to lay my head. 

What were some of the biggest struggles or challenges you faced when transitioning from your old habits to becoming the core of a network supporting artists?

Originally my involvement in the music scene was merely escapism. After getting sober, I connected with a lot of other music lovers in my recovery community and they made me realize it was possible to continue to enjoy the things I love without alcohol. The challenges that come with that of course is immense anxiety that you will falter or the anxiety surrounding the idea that you, a former party person, must explain yourself to everyone you come in contact with. I quickly realized though, that honesty kept me sober and I was met with more support than judgment. Now that I know I can thrive in these social environments without fear of “falling off the wagon” my literally dreams became more and more attainable and Circadian Haus in its baby stages is becoming a reality

Could you tell us about a specific moment or realization that motivated you to start Circadian Haus and pursue your dreams wholeheartedly?

Before I was really even a fully formed adult, I have always been surrounded by people who were constantly creating. Right out of high school (c.2010) a good chunk of friends and acquaintances had become professional muralists, filmmakers, street wear designers, etc and being someone who just wanted to support and soak up every bit of art that I could, I suggested to my friends at the time that we should start a productions company or an agency to have all of our friends housed under one place, and the only response I got was “How do I get paid?” and when I responded with, “Well, the money will follow, this is about supporting our peoples” I was essentially shut down and we all moved on with our lives, as difficult as some of them became. But the idea always stuck with me and here we are

What lessons have you learned from your journey with Circadian Haus so far, both personally and professionally?

have learned a lot in this process and 2 big things that apply both personally and professionally 1. YOU NEED HELP! No matter how capable you are you can’t do all the heavy lifting by yourself. We tend to get very precious about our visions, but sometimes having someone that isn’t in your head with you, that really sees you, can be incredibly beneficial to you because they can help with simple things like getting tasks done towards a common goal or by bringing in their expertise and occasionally, they can also help make you aware of when you are getting ahead of yourself or stretching yourself too thin.

2. THINGS CAN MOVE FAST! When you really put your mind to something, the rate in which things fall into place can make you feel a little insane haha. I believe the elements of “pronoia” come into play (experiencing pronoia believes that the world around them conspires to do them good.) – These two lessons go hand in hand because once you and your idea takes flight, in order to keep momentum, you most certainly need your crew. 

What advice would you give to individuals who are struggling with similar challenges or are hesitant to pursue their passions and dreams?

I know this question is centered around passions and dreams but very quickly I want to say, if you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, it is worth the effort to get sober, but in order to stay sober, you need to find your WHY? When I got sober, I made the decision because I had almost lost my mother to alcohol related illness that dominoed into a slew of other things, and when I visited her in the hospital I had several “AHA” moments. One being, “I do not want to end up this way” and two I have to be sober if I am to handle the inevitable, DEATH. The idea of my spiraling out of control because I couldn’t get a handle on my emotions set me straight. 

That being said, for those who are on the precipice of pursuing their passions and dreams, start small and start today. Cliche but it’s true. If you wait for the perfect cosmic alignment, or three months from now when you think you’ll have some time to yourself or when you feel like you’ve rested enough to spend a whole day on it, you’re never going to get started. See what’s possible today and the rest will come to you. Write EVERYTHING that comes to mind down and find the people around you you can talk about your dreams with. Anyone who encourages you NOT to do what you like, don’t react, don’t internalize and keep looking forward. DO NOT GAIN THE APPROVAL OF ANYONE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH YOUR LIFE! 

Ever hear of “Too many cooks?” haha

Also, practice non-attachment, impermanence  

Pay attention to your dreams. I’m serious. The name Circadian Haus literally came out of a dream

How do you envision Circadian Haus evolving in the future, and what impact do you hope it will have on the artistic community?

We are already starting to see some growth and we are over the moon that the artistic community is starting to trust us and what we are about. That is my MAIN concern – I tell everyone I work with who starts to do the money song and dance that our main focus right now is BUILDING TRUST. Currently, we are a means of free promotion, and free networking/connection. Ultimately when we do grow, we would want to expand to other parts of the westcoast and maybe even be international!

For now though, once I take this grant writing course, I will be trying to find donors who will provide us with the means to help with:
*Podcast Dream: Promoting creatives and their events while also giving new audiences a chance to get to know and love creatives they otherwise may not have discovered
*Pay for Paid Promotions
*Content creation
*Recording Time
*Donating to local film makers budgets
and whatever else we can think of to support struggling artists like continuing to rent venues and throw our own events that provide a safe space for people to perform, try out new material, be seen and most of all connect with other creatives, and have fun. The fun of creative expression has been exploited and made to be non-existent and we want people to be motivated to create and perform because they know they will be supported, even if for now it’s just by us. Art and Expressive Creation are what keeps us alive and what keeps this wild world going ‘round.

If we really strike it big, I would love to give back to kids who may not have a supportive family when it comes to the arts. That’s a huge, personal dream of mine because a lot of us in our various collectives do not have the support of our families in the way that would be the most beneficial to a serious creative person.

Can you share a story or anecdote that highlights the power of community and support in fostering artistic growth and success?

I have so many I don’t even know where to begin but a big thing for me is as I was escaping, by any means, because I was incredibly depressed and suicidal, the community fostered in my first collective Westside Revival, who’s hub has been Harvelle’s in Santa Monica, that was the main reason why I continued on. Being able to take a shower for the first time in sometimes days, just to go out, dance and be greeted with hugs and love from all the Westside Revival supporters and bands kept me alive and I will tell everyone that until the day I die….of natural causes haha I would not be here without the love, encouragement and support of the people in that collective that are still here in LA and that have moved out of state to live their rockstar lives.

Currently, a huge highlight is now that we are out there and because I have fostered such a nurturing and embracing energy within myself and within our organization, people have been sending creatives my way to help them connect with others for future shows and events from now all the way into the summer, and that’s what we are here for.

No Gatekeeping here at Circadian Haus!

What role do you believe creativity and expression play in personal healing and growth, based on your own experiences?

Play is fundamental to how we learn as children. That’s how we learn to relate to our environment and to other people.  As we get older the element of play is kind of beaten out of us. We then, sometimes, lose the ability to connect.

In my recovery experience, I find that when you no longer have the ability to give in to your process additions like drinking, or overconsumption of one thing or another, the only thing you can do to find joy in life is find an element of play, no matter how our traumatized adult brains tell us how silly or stupid it is or we don’t deserve to have a good time. 

Seriously yall, I recommend trying our sobriety, even if its not forever, because the chance to get to know yourself and your big feelings again (no matter how scary or uncomfortable-remember impermanence) and getting back to the things that bring you joy, truly feels like a super power or like you’re getting away with something. Your inner saboteur loses power when you take control of yourself and your higher self supports that. You can do it.

Lastly, how can people get involved with Circadian Haus or support your mission in empowering artists and creating a positive impact?

Follow us @circadianhaus or visit us at circadianhaus.org. Share us with the creatives in your life that may be struggling to find community in LA (and surrounding areas). Folks can also, buy us a Ko-Fi or donate to us at [email protected] or $CircHaus on Cash app for now. 

If none of of the above floats your boat – at least do us this solid: Support the creatives you know! It’s a very unforgiving world these days and for some, the art they create is all they have, and whether you enjoy it or not, folks have to start somewhere. Growth is always possible with a little support. Be constructive and be kind