How do you express your creativity in a way that’s authentically you? For me, it's a jumpsuit.

When I asked my creative director, Sam, how he’d describe me as his boss, he said: 

“You’re like a jumpsuit; all-in-one, streamlined, easy breezy, but creative and impactful.” 

His response (which I loved) reminded me of something I’ve been thinking about lately: 

Designers need to be creative. But do creatives need to be designers? (Because Sam could never design a jumpsuit for me, but he could concept the s**t out of one.)

I’ve been asking questions like this my entire life. Ever since I was little, I’ve seen the world through an aesthetic lens; it always mattered how my toys were displayed. It mattered which colors were used and which shapes went where.

To some, it might seem minuscule. But to me, it was – and is – the story. 

My storytelling nature grew when I went to NYU Tisch. Performing allowed me to immerse myself in stories and express myself fully. But when I started my first “real” job, as an associate producer, I soon realized that not every aspect of my life made room for creativity (ie. How could anyone not care about what a production schedule looks like? Because I sure do!)

This realization led me to my true purpose: Design. 

And I worked hard for it. I taught myself through mockups in power points. I began hanging out in the creative corner of the office asking too many questions and giving my opinion without being asked. I took classes and watched ENDLESS hours of tutorials to learn these design programs, so I no longer had to ask questions and give my opinion; I could SHOW my opinion. 

Now, back to our question: 

I don’t have the answer. But the question doesn’t matter. 

What’s most important is not how your artistry came to be – it’s how you express your innate talents and your learned skills in a way that’s authentically you.

For me, it’s a jumpsuit. For someone else, it could be a ballgown. Or for Sam, it’s board shorts and flip flops. 

P.S. Sam tells me that in Australia, his native country, they call flip flops “thongs.”