The Creative Files with Alice and Jannah from Coping: On Unpacking Why Life Feels Like This
Welcome to The Creative Files, spotlighting the writers, photographers, community builders, and creative thinkers who are daring to shape their own path. These candid conversations spotlight the non-linear careers, the unexpected pivots, the side quests and passion projects — the kind most of us rarely see on LinkedIn. Discover which rituals and daily habits inspire their best work, what anchors their approach to creativity and where these women turn to for inspiration.
Why does life feel like this? It’s a simple question that sits at the heart of Coping, a creative studio space and podcast built by the powerhouse duo of Alice Griffin and Jannah Anderson.
The pair have CVs that any creative would kill for: Alice has spent a decade working as an editor, writer, and host for the likes of MTV.com.au and Junkee, while Jannah has spent her career working across media, partnerships, and IRL community-building for Junkee, Gillie and Marc, and Carriageworks.
And like most creatives, they’ve felt exhausted by never-ending schedules, surface-level plans, and being always-on (but never present). Together, they’ve created a place for real conversations, shared connections, the chance to learn something new and make things with your hands.
In this edition of The Creative Files, Alice and Jannah get into leaving the structure and reach of an established media brand to build something entirely their own, why they're done tying their self-worth to a "cool" creative job, and how a shared existential question turned into a studio, a podcast, and a thriving community space.
Q. Tell us who you are and what you do, but skip the LinkedIn version. What's the real story of how you ended up here?
A: “I’m Alice, co-founder of Coping, our podcast and creative studio that launched earlier this year.
“While I’d love to be the kind of person who has a five-year career plan, the truth is I’ve always been flying by the seat of my pants. How I ended up here has mostly been me putting my hand up for projects I’m passionate about, in places I thought I could add real value to.” — Alice Griffin
There’s no way I could have foreseen where my career would take me at 20. I think by keeping an open mind, I’ve been able to stay close to what I truly care about instead of being ruled by an existential feeling of what I have to ‘achieve’ by a certain age or milestone. Following my curiosity down rabbit holes has led me to some pretty incredible gigs as Editor of MTV.com.au, Editor-in-Chief/Managing Director of Junkee Media, and now building Coping with one of my closest friends – I’m very grateful.”
Alice (L) and Jannah (R), Co-founders of Coping
J: “Hi! I’m Jannah, co-founder of Coping, and the short version is I’ve always been someone who wants to have it all (and somehow cope with my overflowing calendar while doing it all). My background spans media, partnerships, arts, law, and IRL community-building – I was totally convinced it would all make sense someday.
I’ve spent years wearing every conceivable hat in other people’s businesses, which teaches you a lot but never quite scratches the itch. Building Coping – a creative studio in Surry Hills and philosophy podcast that’s entirely ours – is the culmination of a very non‑linear career, but also a deeply personal achievement. It’s truly the first space I’ve found where my instinct to ‘do it all’ isn’t a liability, but something I can finally channel on my own terms – arguably even the point. And shaping it alongside one of my closest, most brilliantly creative friends has been v cool.
People say it hits different when you’re building your own thing. They’re right. And I’m not sure many people get to laugh as often as I do on an average ‘workday’ (trust that our podcast editor is actively working on ‘reducing the cackling’; please stand by for further updates).”
Q. What does a creative day actually look like for you: the conditions, the rituals, the habits and the way you do your best thinking?
A: “Anyone who knows me well (or listens to the pod) knows I’m not all that structured. I don’t have set routines or rituals that I do every day to tell my brain ‘I’m working now’.
“My version of locking in is by putting headphones on, blasting music (currently: Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, but if things are dire: a classical music playlist) and not letting myself step away from the laptop until I’ve done the thing.” — Alice Griffin
Like most people, the way I do my best thinking is probably coffee..? I also like to sit on things overnight; I find a lot of solves on head-scratchers come to me in the most random, often inconvenient moments like when I’m swimming or something. My Notes app is a mess of half-written ideas. Some rightly never see the light of day, but a decent amount have threads I’ll pull on later.”
J: “I’m a slut for routine – beware of my recurring calendar invite.
For me, the demands of a chaotic schedule are anchored by the time I protect for myself. As an early riser (controversial topic), most mornings start with a class and a walk with angel-baby-Mango, and my ideal evenings end with a sauna, yin yoga, or 9-10 episodes of a soothing medical drama. (I watched The Pitt and never looked back.) My weeks are punctuated by the rituals I hold most dear, primarily Hot Chocolate Mondays and an occasional Shell Day™.”
“My best ideas arrive in motion – watching a movie, upside down in pilates, or any other scenario where my phone and myriad other devices are locked away. But the absolute best part about having a routine? Breaking it.” — Jannah Anderson
Q. What's something you've completely changed your mind about in the last year?
A: “So we did a whole podcast episode on this, but I’ve always struggled with placing my whole identity and sense of self-worth into having a ‘cool’ creative job. In the past I’d sacrifice almost anything to make sure I was succeeding at that editor role or media opportunity.
What we’re building at Coping is the culmination of a lot of conversations Jannah and I had (at the wine bar, naturally) about our ambition, creativity and wanting to contribute something meaningful in our work, while also making space for the other parts of ourselves.
We landed on: you can deeply love what you do and work passionately on that thing, without it having to cost you all your downtime, creative headspace or the capacity to be present with family and friends.
Coping will never be ‘just a job’ for us (it’s not in either of our natures, really), but we’re trying to be intentional about making sure we also have time to live and be in the world. The upside is: if you do that, you bring whatever ideas and musings you find back to your work – the podcast would be pretty boring otherwise!”
J: “‘Life is truly what you make it.’ – Alice Griffin, last Tuesday. It’s sticking.”
Q. You both built careers inside one of Australia's most influential youth media brands. What does it feel like to go from the structure and reach of an institution like Junkee to building Coping from scratch, and what surprised you most about that transition?
A: “It feels exciting! And to be honest, not all that new for us. Most people who have worked in independent media know that you’re usually stretched for resources and trying to get the creative projects you want to do off the ground quickly. We’re used to doing a lot with a little, and by this stage we’re very attuned to how each other works to make things that feel impossible actually happen. (I’ve never met anyone with more sheer willpower than Jannah Anderson.)
While not much has surprised me, it’s been a joy to have the time and space to go really deep on one creative project instead of being pulled across so many in past roles.
It’s such a delight planning out our next podcast episodes; researching and musing about what this or that cultural moment tells us about the temperature of society right now. Having big picture conversations with Jannah and sharing our (often very differing!) thoughts on why life feels like this will always be the most thrilling part of the job for me.”
J: “The clearest throughline between our previous era and what we’re building now is the conversations we have over a chilled red at the little wine bar around the corner.
How we’re coping: with the exhaustion of never‑ending schedules, surface‑level plans, being always‑on (but never fully present), and that feeling of being a little out of sync.
“In seeing our own sentiments reflected straight back at us in our comment sections – millions articulating those exact same existential pressures – it became so obvious to us that the conversation needed a home.” — Jannah Anderson
And so we officially started capital-C-Coping, our hybrid podcast‑studio space built around the questions we were already asking, a thoughtful departure from our time in traditional media structures and a chance to build something new.”
Q. A lot of brands talk about "real conversation" and "authentic community", and it ends up feeling like more of the same. What are you doing differently with Coping to make sure it doesn't become the thing it's pushing back against?
A: “We started Coping to speak to people who, like us, are overwhelmed by the pressures of life and are looking to better understand the big existential questions we all face. We made the decision on the podcast to share our own experiences with mental health, in relationships and other side quests so that we can have conversations with our listeners that go deeper than surface-level.
We’re very intentional about the community groups we partner with for our bespoke creative clubs, and we always want to make sure we’re creating an inclusive, accessible space at the Coping Studio for people to come together, connect and make stuff.
Our long-term collaboration with Support Act also brings us back to why we’re doing this: to connect with people in a world that can feel super lonely.”
J: “Crucially, we are Coping in the present tense. Not prescribing, instructing, or claiming to have all the answers. For us, it’s about facilitating an evolving conversation on the podcast and in our studio (that you actually want to be part of).”
Q. What are you obsessed with right now?
A: “When we first started Coping, well-meaning friends suggested we design the brand ourselves. One of the best decisions we made was not listening to them.
I found graphic designer and illustrator Siena Zadro when she was spotlighted in one of my favourite design publications, It’s Nice That, and Jannah and I fell in love with her work. The design world she built for Coping was beyond exciting, and it’s often one of the first things people comment on when they come across Coping. Jannah will never stop talking about the posters. Everyone follow Siena!”
J:
☆ Obsessed with rn: NYC third spaces
☆ Something interesting: miscellaneous lecture series curated by @letty_etc
☆ Fixating on: growing my happy hour list – a civic duty
☆ Coveting: silly shoes
☆ Newest ritual: weekending [gerund]
Want to follow Alice and Jannah's journey?
Learn more about Coping’s studio and program of community events
Tune into the latest episode of the Coping podcast
Connect with Alice on LinkedIn
Connect with Jannah on LinkedIn