Creative : at home

1. You work in the design industry, but your role includes a lot of management - how do you fuel your creative spirit ?

Observing, collecting, and creating. I have a thirst for gathering interesting objects, both new and pre-loved. I don't always have an immediate need for them. I get enjoyment from walking past a group of objects in my home that I have arranged and observing how they work together. With work and kids I find a lot of time to 'think' but not a lot of time to 'create'. I recently put together a studio space. Now I have somewhere at home I can go and make things. Even the creative fulfillment I got from pulling the objects together to create the space will be enough to keep me going for a while!
 
2. You work with a variety of different clients - how does your after work downtime feed into the work you do for them ?

The beauty of working as a designer is that you learn about many different industries. I like to observe and I'm not afraid of asking questions. If I come across a client's product or environment I will soak it up, take some photos and use the time to experience their business from a different perspective. For example, if I'm at Auckland Airport I can't help notice the way people are interacting with the advertising. At a hardware store that sells wood, I'll casually engage the store-man in conversation about weatherboard products and what they think of Jenkin Align. While reading, I often forward a link to a client that is relevant. When i'm observing the world my clients are always top of my mind.
 
3. What is your favourite place to be when you are not at work ?

In my studio! with the opera playing and the garage door up so the sun and birdsong can seep in. A close second would be my local cafe - mocha, brioche and a few uninterrupted hours to read and people watch.