Today we’d like to introduce you to Nimai Larson.
Hi Nimai, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Raised by a family of artists, I grew up in the woods of Wimberley, TX (40 minutes southwest of Austin) hiking barefoot with my sister until the sun went down. My parents are nature loving hippies who found a deeper life purpose in Eastern spirituality, so my upbringing was steeped in a wholistic compassion that extended to every living thing– animals, family, friends, diverse communities, people who are easy to love and people who are hard to love. Being raised so intentionally instilled in me a moral compass, guiding me towards a life that would revolve around building an inclusive community.
After 10 years of drumming in an internationally touring band and living the “rockstar dream” in Brookyln, NY, I decided to shift my focus back to my roots and make Austin my home. Everyone thought I was nuts, but I knew my heart, my truth and my passion. As much as performing live for thousands of people in faraway lands was thrilling, I yearned to grow closer to people, to form lifelong bonds. Ultimately, I choose friendship over fans.
Over the last 6 years back in the Lone Star State, I’ve taken in the sights like a starry eyed child, relearning Austin for the first time as an adult. “Austin isn’t the way it used to be”, people grumble. “Austin isn’t weird anymore”. Uh…yeah, of course, because Austin has evolved with time just like people do, it’s part of life! Contrary to popular opinion, I love Austin just the way it is. In my experience, change has been such a natural part of my own growth process. I, like Austin, am not the way I used to be. I, like Austin, probably wouldn’t be considered “weird” anymore because I don’t play in a crazy band. But I love my life just the way it is.
I created an Instagram account called Fun City Austin so that I could combine my passion for the city with my desire to create community. With this account, I have free reign to explore local businesses, coffee shops, art galleries, restaurants, music venues and nature– all of the things that make Austin the vibrant city that it is– and share it with my followers in hopes of igniting a curiosity and excitement from them. Most recently, I’ve moved beyond the digital community and started hosting inclusive in-person meetups. Because booze and BBQ play a role in almost every activity in Austin, I went with an alternate theme for my gatherings that’s closer to my heart: vegan meetups and sober activities. My mission is to show locals that peaceful food can be delicious and fun hangouts don’t have to equal hangovers. And selfishly, I wanted to meet like minded people. As it turned out, I’m not the only one in Austin who doesn’t eat meat and doesn’t drink alcohol! I’m in good company.
So far, my vegan meetups (which are in collaboration with ATX Vegans) have attracted vegans, the vegan curious, vegetarians, pescatarians, people who are lactose intolerant, and people interested in a healthier lifestyle. All are welcome and these meetups are always free– the only requirement is to bring a vegan snack to share. I make time for intros and ice breakers, so everyone leaves with not only a full stomach, but full hearts and new friends.
I’ve also started partnering with Sober and Funky to host sober karaoke at Sans Bar. Sans Bar is America’s first alcohol free bar, serving creative mocktails made of zero proof spirits and elixirs. Austin, being the live music capital of the world, is home to so many music enthusiasts so it seemed fitting to hold a space for sober or sober curious singers. Between the vegan meetups and sober karaoke, I’ve started seeing new friendships and romantic relationships blossom from my gatherings. Community is such a beautiful thing, isn’t it?
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
A challenge for many social media creators is gaining followers organically. I’ve never bought followers or hired anyone to grow my following. I focus on making a big impact on my small following as opposed to a small impact on a big following. Studio 512, which is an Austin lifestyle TV show, has hosted me on their show 3 times. Each time, Fun City Austin has gotten a flurry of activity. Anytime I host a meetup, Fun City will also get a spike in followers. Having hundreds of thousands of followers is not a goal of mine, but creating inclusive community is, so I just hope that my account will eventually reach all of the people who would benefit from it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As mentioned earlier, I created Fun City Austin as an alternate landing place for locals looking for more than booze and BBQ. In my eyes, everyone is making decisions in their lives and taking actions based on the experiences they have had. And we are all doing the best that we can based on the information available to us. I know that my experience won’t be a carbon copy of anyone else’s, but I do know that I have endured periods in my life of feeling very lonely and isolated because I’m not a drinker and because I don’t eat meat. In chatting honestly with other people, I’ve learned that this is common for everyone who feel they are lacking connection. So in my eyes, making the decision to develop Fun City Austin was the action I took based on my experience with not finding like-minded people. Taking to social media was the best thing to do based on the information available to me at the time.
I take pride in my page being inclusive and neutral. Going back to my upbringing and learning to approach life with an active compassion, I find myself visiting and posting about a wide variety of spots around town. The events I host are always free because I would hate for anyone to not feel included based on cost.
Since I’m the sole curator, it’s fun for me to focus on places that energize me– for example, enormous murals. Murals are accessible to everyone, and in my opinion, it would be ideal if art was always like that. I visit free fitness events, such as yoga downtown hosted by Swift Fit events. Local coffee shops are always hotspots for community and creative tastes, so supporting and posting about those are high priority. Activities that make Austin unique, such as paddle boarding on Town Lake or hiking the Green Belt, are frequently on my profile as well.
Peppered throughout my photos in Fun City Austin, you will also find my professional photography. I love collaborating with another local photographer, Eric Booth, to take portraits, headshots, shoot live music, shoot music videos, and generally capture the vibrant Austin scene.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
As more people move to Austin, there will be more ideas on how to manage the growth, there will be new businesses beginning, and unexpected closures. Although Austin is no stranger to change, I believe what stays the same will maintain its appeal as a city. For example, The Hike and Bike Trail on Lady Bird Lake (previously called Town Lake). This Is 10 miles of well kept trails along the Colorado River where walkers, runners and bikers have a constant view of the Austin Skyline and access to dog parks, swimming holes and boat launches. Originally championed by Lady Bird Johnson over 50 years ago, the trail is maintained by The Trail Conversancy now an will remain cherished by Austinites and tourists alike, This nature-centric jaunt isn’t going anywhere. Austin also prioritizes art and music. In every neighborhood across the city there are giant commissioned murals by local artists, almost every event includes a pop-up market featuring local artisans and there is of course, a soundtrack of live music around every corner. Music festivals– like Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, Blues on the Green– have all adapted to their surroundings over the years by expansion and higher prices. But they aren’t going anywhere. The sound of music will always be wafting in the air as long as Austin exists.
Pricing:
- Live Event – $275
- Portraits – $350
- Full Day – $1,000
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.nimailarsonportfolio.com
- Instagram: @funcityaustin
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nimailarson/
Image Credits
Eric Booth, Nimai Larson, Lewis for ATX Vegans, Gracie Watts for Studio 512, Chris for Sober and Funky
