Creative Thought Space |
Chiara Aliotta | Syros, Greece | www.untilsunday.it
Brand Designer, Strategic Storyteller
Photographer: Nicoletta Barbata
What do you think being creative means?
For me, being creative is the ability to make connections where no one else sees any: putting two unrelated things side by side and finding that together they say something new. It's imagining and creating at the same time. It's also the only way I can feel my life in colour and turn the ordinary into something extraordinary: a rainy afternoon, the clouds, an ordinary word can suddenly become the start of something.
How do you include creativity in your life?
I can't imagine my life without it, so it comes very simply and spontaneously. Creativity is looking into the fridge and cooking something lovely out of just a few ingredients. It's also the ability to find solutions in difficult times. Creativity has saved me from despair more than once: as soon as the anxiety left my mind, I could see alternative ways to move forward. It's what I breathe, and what I preach in my work as a designer to my interns and to young designers.
What are your thoughts on how your life has influenced your creative imagination, and how your creative imagination has influenced your life?
The person who first opened the door to creativity for me was my grandmother. She was a seamstress, and I loved watching her transform a simple piece of fabric into a dress. I admired her, and I wanted to be able to bring that same transformation into other people's lives. I chose to become a designer, fully aware that my creativity, through everything I design, would shape and touch other people's lives. So I am a conscious designer. For me there is no separation between creativity and life: the two are closely bound together and depend on each other.
What, if any, exercises do you do to get into a creative mode?
I like to sketch. To get an idea started, I need paper, pencils, markers and a good soundtrack. I love my office desk because it's big, and I need the space to be clean and everything in its place before I begin, and then the chaos can start. For bigger projects, I usually prefer to take a nice trip, so my mind can come back with fresh perspectives. In general, I need to relax, because I've realised that when I'm stressed, no original ideas come out.
How important do you think creativity is in life?
As a designer, extremely important. As a human being, essential. In a world where so much is becoming automated, creative thinking is a gift we should fiercely protect. I teach this in my workshops and to my design students, because I believe it's what sets humans apart from machines.
For me, being creative is the ability to make connections where no one else sees any: putting two unrelated things side by side and finding that together they say something new. It's imagining and creating at the same time. It's also the only way I can feel my life in colour and turn the ordinary into something extraordinary: a rainy afternoon, the clouds, an ordinary word can suddenly become the start of something.
How do you include creativity in your life?
I can't imagine my life without it, so it comes very simply and spontaneously. Creativity is looking into the fridge and cooking something lovely out of just a few ingredients. It's also the ability to find solutions in difficult times. Creativity has saved me from despair more than once: as soon as the anxiety left my mind, I could see alternative ways to move forward. It's what I breathe, and what I preach in my work as a designer to my interns and to young designers.
What are your thoughts on how your life has influenced your creative imagination, and how your creative imagination has influenced your life?
The person who first opened the door to creativity for me was my grandmother. She was a seamstress, and I loved watching her transform a simple piece of fabric into a dress. I admired her, and I wanted to be able to bring that same transformation into other people's lives. I chose to become a designer, fully aware that my creativity, through everything I design, would shape and touch other people's lives. So I am a conscious designer. For me there is no separation between creativity and life: the two are closely bound together and depend on each other.
What, if any, exercises do you do to get into a creative mode?
I like to sketch. To get an idea started, I need paper, pencils, markers and a good soundtrack. I love my office desk because it's big, and I need the space to be clean and everything in its place before I begin, and then the chaos can start. For bigger projects, I usually prefer to take a nice trip, so my mind can come back with fresh perspectives. In general, I need to relax, because I've realised that when I'm stressed, no original ideas come out.
How important do you think creativity is in life?
As a designer, extremely important. As a human being, essential. In a world where so much is becoming automated, creative thinking is a gift we should fiercely protect. I teach this in my workshops and to my design students, because I believe it's what sets humans apart from machines.
