Mandolin artist from Riverside

You cannot imagine a mandolin aficionado in Cardiff could has such amazing stories behind him.

Steve Garrett is always busy. He organizes farmers’ markets and sustainable development projects in Cardiff and teaches courses on how to set up a social enterprise. He is a part-time musician and poet, and also passionate about working with men around gender issues.

“Some people focus on one thing, and some people do lots of other things, and I just do a lot of different things, and all do my best,” says by Steve, proudly.

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Steve and his mandolin

Happy farmer and his daughter

Life always is extremely colourful for Steve. He is running an interesting business names “Riverside Market” for ten years, which provides a place where people can learn how to grow food in a sociable and supportive atmosphere. “People need healthy body to live. It’s a meaningful thing, so I contribute my wisdom and strength in it, I feel full,” says Steve, raising his gentle voice.

Another business of him is called” Riverside Market Gardens” , which has been supplying beautiful organic vegetables from award winning market garden to Cardiff’s farmers’ markets, local people, and restaurants. Steve adds, “It’s a part of my sustainable project in Cardiff. As I mentioned the ‘Riverside Market’ before, there are 2 different companies. I’m founder, for both of them.”

Steve has two daughters who aged 31 and 23, and a son aged 12, and his oldest daughter lives with him full time while she’s studying in Cardiff for her Masters. “She is doing a Master degree in Cardiff Metropolitan University actually, and her subject is health sociology. We have the same interest in health food, she is really into health eating, healthy food. Hope she can help me, really,” Steve laughs.

 

Poet or musician sometimes not happy

Not only be encompassed by organic vegetables, but music and poetry. “Life in my house is easy, I think all the human beings need to express themselves. It’s a natural instinct, that we all have,” says Steve. Then he picks up his mandolin, a bright solo begins. “Do you know the most important thing? It’s not what you do, it’s absolutely doesn’t matter what you do, the important is, are you able to be happy and are you able to spread happiness.” Sounds like he plays music and write poetries just for bringing happiness to himself and others. The truth is, yes, he has done a good job indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxQggdL-n-Q

However, Steve is not happy all the way, as he always cares about others. “If everyone in the world will be happy, I could be completely happy. But I can’t be happy when I see hungry children, I can’t be happy when I see people be killed, I can’t be happy when I see boom in Syria and people be killed in Paris. How can I be happy with that reality? We even have hungry kids in Cardiff, we have people who are poor here they don’t have enough money. If you are unwealthy, if you don’t have job in here Cardiff, the government doesn’t give you enough to have a decent life. So that why I have mixture feeling sometimes I’m not be happy,” Steve thinks he is lucky, incredible lucky, as he “try to do what he can to make the world a better place.”

Talking genius

What Steve spreads are beyond happiness, but knowledge. He teaches in community centre for those people who don’t have qualifications, it is an outstretched program of Cardiff University. Lots of practical experiences Steve could share with his students, “I try to help whatever way I can. I can teach people to set up business for themselves to make living.”

Being talkative and energetic in class is a piece of cake for Steve, as he is also a genius to express himself. He has also created an organization names feMANism. Steve tries to encourage man to be more open to have emotion. He explains in deep voice: “We all have emotions, but man have learnt to cut them off when we are boys, we were told, never cry, never show we’re afraid, never show you feel vulnerable. When we become older, we even don’t know how to show feelings anymore. That’s make a little bit of crazy? I’m trying to encourage more men to be able to have emotions, and show feelings. It’s healthier, it’s happier.”

All the evidences show Steve is such person who enjoying sharing and be passionate towards life. Maybe that is the reason, why he chose to run Airbnb with nice service but low price. “I’m trying to say is achieving thing like making money cannot make you happy. It’s absolutely true whether you are able to love people for example, not all about he money, that’s for sure,” Steve continues to say. “people who travel with Airbnb they do not have lots of money, it’s my experience, they are traveling by budget. Everyone has interesting story to share. I love listen to it. It’s just normal life. Everyone has equal chance to be happy. I try to make them feel welcome, friendly. I do my best, for everything.”

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Steve’s Airbnb room

 

“Every day is different from me. I feel comfortable life is unpredictable,” follow up those words, a melodious rhythm from Steve’s mandolin raises again, smoothly and happily.