Artwork by Liisa Kruusmägi
We ask 11 creatives to share their strategies on how to deal with the emotional minefield of receiving criticism, scrolling through Instagram, and being creative when you don’t feel like it. Take a deep breath, grab a CBD latte, and read on.
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Sometimes I’m proud of where I’m at and other times I feel so behind, like all of my friends and peers are further along because they make more money or they have jobs at well-known agencies. I’m in my late twenties and I want to feel like I’m making progress. Starting a business feels like starting over.
Read MoreCedar Pasori seamlessly weaves between editorial and brand writing, having recently finished an editorial stint at Nike. As Cedar puts it, “It helps to have writers who come from true editorial, storytelling backgrounds.”
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Every year The New York Times commissions thousands of original illustrations from independent artists around the globe. We share the 21 WNW Members whose contributions made the NY Times' year-end list of the highlights
Read MoreWith feminism in the zeitgeist, brands want to be part of the buzz. As a result, briefs targeting women are trending toward an ask for an “empowerment” message. A noble intent, one would think, but as a female creative who is often called on to answer these briefs, I’m left feeling more icky than empowered.
Read MoreWNW Member Lisa Carletta is a London-based visual artist who uses photography as her main medium. Her work is a delicate balance, shown in the worlds she creates from both behind and in front of the camera. Every element has a purpose and a place, which often gives her work a cinematic quality; she cites both Wes Anderson and Paul Thomas Anderson as influences.
Read MoreMIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR
WNW Member Edward Tuckwell's work often looks like it's pulled from a classic film that doesn't yet exist. The cinematic staging and palpable tension of Edward's world draw the viewer in, with his images often feeling like they're pausing mid-motion. We interview Edward to talk about his creative style, his biggest influences (who tend to be filmmakers), and the turning point of his creative career, which he credits to London: "It seems like a common trend with a lot of people I know, but there’s a certain relentless buzz of a capital city which is so important for a freelance creative starting out. Being around people whose work I admire, collaborating on projects, and fully immersing myself in the industry helped me develop."
Tell us a bit about your creative background. Who is Edward and how did he get here?
I knew from a relatively early age that I wanted to work in some form of creative job. My mother was a landscape architect, and my father works in construction so I thought I would end up pursuing a career in Architecture. At the time of my foundation year, I wanted to explore multiple disciplines and found that Illustration was a good compromise between graphic design, traditional art, and photography. Since then I’ve leaned on the graphics side more and more until I’ve ended up with the approach I have today.
How would you describe your creative style? Do you recognise a signature style that links most of your projects, or do you try to excuse yourself and approach each project as its own entity?
I think it's important to come at a project from a fresh perspective without forcing a visual style that might not be suitable for the job. Having said that, there is a need to keep some sort of consistency across the board. It's a balancing act. I tend to use sections of flat colour to define the illustration, combined with a small analogue element of some sort - a scanned texture, brush stroke or dissolved gradient for example.
What do you see as the turning point in your creative development and career so far?
Leaving part-time work and moving to London. It seems like a common trend with a lot of people I know, but there’s a certain relentless buzz of a capital city which is so important for a freelance creative starting out. Being around people whose work I admire, collaborating on projects, and fully immersing myself in the industry helped me develop.
What were some of the challenges in launching your creative career?
One of the largest challenges was working around my job in a restaurant to develop a body of work. Finding the time to do that was difficult, and my social life at the time suffered as a result. From there, getting enough regular design work to support myself financially was a big hurdle to overcome.
Which of your projects are you proudest of and why?
The TFL campaign for ‘New Spacious Trains’ on the Underground was a nice moment. The job came in soon after I had moved to London, and was the first time I’d actually felt proud of a piece of work I had produced. I’m currently working on a 3-year ongoing project with Studio Pensom and SMOKE Creatives for The Canal & River Trust, illustrating the covers of Waterfront magazine. They’re shaping up to be a really good set of images, and I’m very thankful to be part of the project.
What would be your dream project or job, or is it already on your resume?
I would love to work on a modern-day film poster with a top director, much in the vein of S. Bass / A. Hitchcock. Or produce something for BAFTA, Cannes, The Oscars… But I'm dreaming.
How would you define the London creative scene?
Vibrant. Driven. Relentless.
How do you see the creative landscape shifting in the UK/Europe?
I’d find it hard to predict to be honest. People have been saying for years now that print media will die out soon, but it only seems to be going from strength to strength, much in the same way vinyl has had a massive popular resurgence. I see new magazines, publications and exciting print work emerging all over the place. I can only hope that we don’t loose our connection to tactile things… even though most of my day is spent staring at a computer screen.
If not here, where would you most like to live?
Rural Japan. I’d like to live somewhere totally alien to London and the UK for a couple of years.
Who are your biggest creative influences?
In my personal work, I take a lot of influence from film, old and new. I see Paul Thomas Anderson, Steve McQueen, Damien Chazelle and Alejandro González Iñárritu as some of the finest directors working today, and I always make an effort to catch their films in the cinema. Other than that I pretty much worship these late image makers - Eyvind Earle, Moebius, Fumio Watanabe and Saul Bass.
What scares you most about making creativity your career?
The need to work for money taking over the love of making art.
One book, one album, one movie, one show. Go.
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Hail To The Thief - Radiohead
There Will Be Blood - Paul Thomas Anderson / Robert Elswit
True Detective - Cary Fukunaga / Nic Pizzolatto
What is your most treasured possession?
My 1970s Zieleman ‘Type Special’ racer. It's the oldest possession I own, and I use it daily to transport me around the city - mainly to and from work.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A downhill mountain bike rider of all things. We used to have a downhill track near my house in the countryside growing up, where the top teams in the UK would come to ride on the weekends. I used to go down there with my mates from school and watch guys launch themselves off dirt jumps that towered over our heads. It was the coolest thing ever.
What do you do when Not Working?
Going to gigs, traveling to and from Brighton, spending time with my girlfriend, indulging in computer games, visiting galleries and hibernating at the cinema.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard or received that all creatives should hear?
I said something along the lines of this in another interview a few years back, and I think it's just as apt now as it was then… Take advice with a pinch of salt, others' experiences may not apply or work for you. Just make work.
Who are some WNW members whose work you admire and why?
Janne Iivonen - A fantastic Brighton based Illustrator, with some of the best character-based figures in the game.
Kate Copeland - Without a doubt the most talented person working with brush and ink today, she depicts photorealism with a truly unique eye. Based in London.
Adam Avery - The Norwich work-horse with a vibrant use of colour and an always interesting collection of graphic shapes in his compositions.
What’s next for you? What are you working on now?
I'm working on a variety of projects at the moment, a couple I can’t talk about. Right now I'm on the next installment of Waterfront mag, a drink's bottle label, and some illustration work for a south-west music event.
Discover more creative talent and projects like this on Working Not Working.
If you're a WNW Member with new work, exhibits, products, or news to share, email us.
Jackie Lay
MIKE O'DONNELL / EDITOR
We interviewed WNW Members Jackie Lay and Caitlin Cadieux, both full-time animators at The Atlantic, to get some insight into what it's like contributing regularly to the history of such a storied publication. But while The Atlantic was founded in 1857, Jackie and Caitlin are at the forefront of its foray into animation. As Jackie tells us, "I started doing little animated trailers for each magazine issue we released. This caught the eye of our video department head, who was trying to do more animated content. She hired me over to the video team as their first staff animator, and I’ve been happily blending art, design, and storytelling every since."
We also source some great advice from both animators, who touch on the importance of committing to the research to fully inform your creative output. There's also a bonus to putting in this work, as Caitlin notes. "I learn so much on all of my projects because of the varied topics we work on, and how deeply we dive into the subject matter. I really like that we have this platform to share educational and insightful stories all across the spectrum, from science to politics to culture."
Caitlin: As a kid, my fondest wish was to be a hand-drawn animator for Disney. I grew up in Oklahoma City, dreamed of going to art school, but opted for an in-state school because of costs. I studied Visual Communications/Graphic Design at the University of Oklahoma, and halfway through the program discovered After Effects. I ended up finishing the last year and a half of my degree doing animation and motion graphics projects instead of the branding/environmental graphics projects everyone else was working on. After college I freelanced quite a bit and worked in OU’s Web Communications department, then Time Warner Cable News in Albany, NY before I started at The Atlantic.
Jackie: I was much more naive with my career path. I always loved drawing and writing, and spent my time at University of Florida experimenting and trying out every genre of art (including stop-motion animation). After college, I lived in an art commune in Queens for a few years while doing odd jobs, but got very disillusioned with the art world and started thinking more about design. I sent myself to grad school for design at SVA and did my thesis project on explaining ideas through motion graphics (this was before the internet was chock full of animated explainers). Fast forward many years, after working at several design firms and then as an art director for The Atlantic magazine, I started doing little animated trailers for each magazine issue we released. This caught the eye of our video department head, who was trying to do more animated videos. She hired me over to the video team as their first staff animator, and I’ve been happily blending art, design and storytelling every since. It’s funny to me that I sort of fell into doing my thesis project again. Most of my career has felt very unintentional and ‘go with the flow’, and I’ve serendipitously landed in the perfect spot.
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin: I do make a consistent effort to switch up the look on every new fully animated project. I always want to be learning new things, and I’ve slowly started incorporating more and more Cinema 4D/3D work into my stuff. I feel like I’ve done a good job of exploring a bunch of styles, but I do think there’s a visible throughline to my work, especially with character animation, which I love. I’m definitely influenced a lot by feature and character animation.
Jackie: I’m ok with not having a style and I like tailoring each project or series with a look. In fact, I’d love to explore way more and get a little weirder. If I can, I like to switch between hand-drawing in Photoshop and drawing vector stuff in Illustrator, because after a few weeks of doing it in one format, I get a little tired of it and feel like I need a break.
Jackie Lay
Caitlin: I couldn’t be more proud to work for The Atlantic. I learn SO much on all of my projects because of the varied topics we work on, and how deeply we dive into the subject matter. I really like that we have this platform to share educational and insightful stories all across the spectrum, from science to politics to culture.
Jackie: I couldn’t agree more. It’s an honor to be trusted with this legacy. It’s also a lot of pressure to get it right and feel like you’re living up to the name.
Caitlin: Because we’re in editorial, the turnaround is really fast. We also do all of the design and animation ourselves, generally with just one animator on a project. This makes it difficult to always get that level of polish that you might envision when you’re starting a project. I think it’s helped me learn how to work a lot more quickly, and how to cut corners in efficient ways that don’t hinder the story, or tailor the design to fit the deadline while still looking sharp.
Jackie: Agreed. I want to be doing stuff that’s on par with the finest work out there, but we work alone and we work fast, so we end up making sacrifices. For me, that often means I concentrate on the ideas and metaphors, and then the designs, and focus on the animation less due to approaching deadlines. Another challenge is feeling like you’re doing justice to the character or subject matter. I felt the most pressure for an interview with Obama on the subject of race - it’d be lovely if he could tweet at me and let me know if I did right by him...
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin: This can vary a lot! We adapt many videos from our articles; our writers are a huge benefit and resource for us. On more science- and educational-related videos, I often do extra research to make sure the visuals are accurate to what’s being described. On videos like How Do I Explain America to My Black Son?, I got on the phone with Vann Newkirk II to make sure as many details as I could were accurate – down to the make, models, and colors of the vehicles in the animation. On the Women in Tech animation, we did a TON of research on the history of computing and women’s involvement, much of which didn’t make it into the final animation.
Jackie: A few years ago, we adapted our own scripts from articles, so getting it right was crucial. Now that we’re a bigger team, we have producers who get interviews or write scripts for us, but there’s always more visual research to do. At one point, I created a series of visual histories on a subject, such as the history of weapons, or transportation, or hairstyles. I did all the research for those myself, and I read books and articles at night and drew them by day. Those videos get complaints like ‘hey, you left out this important thing’, but I’m still proud of the hustle and I did my best to make compelling, visually-stimulating videos.
Jackie Lay
Caitlin: Oh man, this is a super tough question. I think the aforementioned Women in Tech project was a big one for me. I learned so much working on it, and really enjoyed being able to connect that story to a wider audience. I also am really proud of the look and feel on my latest, the Rob Reiner animated interview. Honorable mention has to go to the Augmented Reality piece, because I got to design and animate Pokémon. For work! Just the best stuff.
Jackie: I’m fond of my David Lynch piece. I’m a big fan of his, and his interview was terrific, and the storyboard came together so easily.
Caitlin Cadieux
Jackie Lay
Caitlin: Ooh, another tough one!! I couldn’t possibly pick a single one as the best, but Jackie’s work on the Bold Questions animated interview series was really phenomenal. This is such a good example of how animation helps storytelling, and the series format for these animated interviews makes it even better. I also really love the History of ____ series she worked on. It’s got everything; it’s educational and beautiful. Would definitely love to see more of those!
Jackie: The Rob Reiner interview has great style, and the Women in Tech video has those awesome 8-bit textures and transitions and is full of compelling characters. Caitlin has also animated the prettiest Black Holes you could imagine.
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin: Human characters are still tough for me. I love character animation, but don’t get too much of an opportunity to do it, and it’s also extremely time consuming – so it’s not easy to implement and polish on our tight turnarounds. I’m making a point of concentrating on this in my off-hours!
Jackie: I still have not figured out how to do a decent walk cycle.
Caitlin: Definitely get involved! Your best work will come when you really sink your teeth into the subject. Ask questions, and even more importantly, do your own investigating and groundwork (and make sure you get everything approved!). Also don’t forget about the craft! Editorial’s big challenge is the fast deadlines, but you can use this to challenge yourself and improve your work – don’t let it get the best of you!
Jackie: Make sure to have fun with it and try to make it as entertaining or memorable as you can (within the story constraints). Break rules and expand boundaries (if the project allows).
Jackie Lay
Caitlin: My number one influence will always be feature animation. I like to think that Disney sort of invented the explainer video, when they worked for the government during WWII producing not only propaganda films, but actual training videos for the military. Storytelling doesn’t have to be filmic, and I think a lot of those storytelling principles translate very effectively to what makes an excellent editorial piece. I’m also really plugged into the online motion graphics community; there are so many talented folks and agencies doing amazing work these days. It’s particularly inspiring to see stuff like Late Night Work Club, where a group of talented animators put together such fantastic anthologies of work for everyone to see.
Jackie: I look to the design and illustration worlds a lot but I also watch motion shorts every day and am inspired by so much of it. I’m even more impressed by self-motivated people who create originals like Felix Colgrave, Eion Duffy or Reka Busci to name just a few. I love animated tv like Adventure Time, Bojack Horseman, Avatar / Korra, Major Lazer, Lucas Bros Moving Co, among others. For feature-length animations, I loved The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea by Tomm Moore.
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin: Ooh, can we reveal this? I’ll err on the side of caution. But I will say we have some really great animated interview material coming down the pipes that I’m pretty excited about. We also recently pivoted to focus on YouTube and rolled out a new science series, You Are Here! I animated the title sequence on that and collaborated on the overall look and feel with Jackie, and I’m really happy to see it out in the wild now.
Jackie: Yeah, we’re starting to do more live-action hosted series with animation layered on top. We’re also doing more fully-animated interviews with noteworthy people.
Jackie Lay
Jackie Lay
Caitlin: Watching an inordinate amount of animation/cartoons and adding to my growing collection of animation and art books. I sneak in video games whenever I can scrounge up the time. (Still working on getting through Breath of the Wild at the moment!) I’m also finally realizing the importance of exercise, and started krav maga martial arts and ultimate frisbee this year! I’ve got some travel plans to San Francisco and Italy/Spain later in the year, and I’m hoping to get into a little plein air gouache and watercolor painting on those trips.
Jackie: I run, I drink cocktails, I watch too much tv.
Caitlin Cadieux
Caitlin: I highly recommend to any and all that you check out Zack Lovatt’s profile. He’s done so much awesome work, and is also one of the masterminds behind a lot of AE scripts that are completely invaluable to my workflow. Ryan Summers is also fantastic; everything he tweets is a perfect nugget of wisdom. He also does some really amazing photography at zoos around the country and I will never get tired of seeing them.
Jackie: My friends Matt Chase and Daniel Savage are both absolute powerhouses in their fields.
Caitlin: Thanks so much for having us! If any students or people interested in learning more about animation and motion graphics are out there, please, please feel free to shoot me an email with questions, comments, whatever. Or tweet me! I would be more than happy to share whatever knowledge I can.
Jackie: It’s been an honor.
Jackie Lay
Jackie Lay
For designers, non-designers, readers and non-readers, the beauty of the magazine world at the moment doesn’t just lie in the fact that print isn’t dead, but that it feels more alive than it’s ever been. There’s a vast wealth of stunning independent publications out there that will make you inspired and make you think, so we’ve drawn together a list of our nine favourite ones for you to metaphorically leaf your way through.
The mag’s debut issue boasted a massive pink vibrator on its cover. From that moment, I thought, “What’s not to love?” Turns out the content’s pretty rad too. The publication is created by a group of recent graduates–Kitty Drake, Madeleine Dunnigan, Sadhbh O’Sullivan, Tyro Heath, Scarlet Evans and Bronya Meredith. While it certainly takes a feminist bent, the team ensures it’s not just for girls. The most recent issue takes the theme "Mind," and provides a superb range of features looking at the intricacies of mental health and society’s view of all-things psych-based, from long-form copy to illustrations and photo-essays.
Ordinary Magazine is an arts and photography quarterly that focuses on a different everyday item with each mag. This time it’s the humble cotton bud, and once again we’re mighty impressed with the creative endeavours inspired by such a seemingly mundane little object.
“About men who date men” is the strapline of Hello Mr., but it’s really so much more than that. It provides a smart approach to writing about gay culture and eschews typical queer publication stereotypes through well thought-out features, unusual photo series commissions and a cute mini format. Hello Mr. is helmed by founder Ryan Fitzgibbon, who impressively handles pretty much everything, from commissioning to distribution to sales.
I can’t begin to say how rad the design is for Sabat magazine. The thick paperstock is peppered with transparent inserts and strange little elements, while the back cover features an embossed modified pentagram marque. When laying flat, the pages show an image of a foetus; from the other side, a crescent moon. And that’s just the visual elements. The content too is equally awe inspiring, based around modern day witchcraft and tackling the subject in intelligent, original ways.
Krass Journal is now on its second issue. Co-founded by Sanja Grozdanic, she says the publication is “all about self-realisation.” It’s exquisitely designed – all bold, punchy primary colors and typographically led – created by Simon Pearce from Frame Creative and Kirby Manning. Issue two features words from Noam Chomsky, Audrey Wollen and filmmakers Maya Newell and Charlotte Mars, who explain their documentary Gayby Baby.
A more traditionally “magaziney” magazine than most of the others on this list, TGD hails from New York and was cofounded by Tina and Ryan Essmaker to cover all things based on “those who create.” It’s been around for just over five years now online, moving into print too in 2014, and in both formats the mag shows a commitment to unearthing interesting stories about people who you know about and love, and people who you don’t and soon will.
I love photography journal Collection of Documentaries for a few things: its impressive weight, its refusal to issue an online accompaniment and the incredible new photography talent it manages to unearth. As per its editor Lee Crichton’s aims, it’s as much a book as a magazine. The design is super-minimal, with a cover entirely grey and with only a tiny footnote to indicate what the publication actually is. Images vary from those pilfered from pornography to Fanny Schlichter’s trip and beautiful images to a series that merges ripped-torso selves and snaps of terracotta pots, creating a beguiling portrait of youth culture today.
This little mag is the creation of design agency Human After All and partners including IDEO and D&AD. Edited by James Cartwright and with a plethora of gorgeous illustrations from the likes of WNW Member Jean Jullien and Adrien Johnson, the magazine has the not-small aim of changing the world by examining issues such as culture change and how design and societal changes can help make life better for our aging population.
It’s rude, it’s raunchy, it’s just what you need: a magazine for cinephiles with lots of lush pictures of beautiful boys. We’ve had five issues so far since the publication launched in 2010, and each shows an influence from old queer zine formats that feel a little bit DIY, but still with a grounding in academia and an eye for the sort of films you aren’t likely to see discussed anywhere else.
I recently wrote up 7 Tips for the Advertising Freelancer. But how about the agencies that employ them?
Pulling in specialized talent when needed has long been a hallmark of agency life. But the trend seems to be on the rise with more and more project work (versus Agency-of-Record assignments) and a new breed of “lean by design” agencies.
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