Jade Tang kind of a design community superwoman. Up until this year, she was the Community Manager for The Big Idea (online NZ creative community), organiser of We Can Create and co-director of yMedia. She also founded the NZ chapter of the now world-wide Creative Mornings and organises the brekkie 'lectures' for creative types every month. Oh, and she's just launched a new social business, Curative. Sheesh. not entirely sure how she found time to answer my questions... (after the jump)
You have achieved a huge amount in the past 12 months. Is there a moment that just stopped you in your tracks with how wonderful and exciting it was?
Good question. [Thinks & reflects] Now? Hehe... To be quite honest, I’m not sure I have. I guess I’m hoping to achieve more in the next 12 months than I have in the past 12 and the potential prospect of that is wonderful and exciting!
What might an average work day look like for you?
6am: Wake up, read news, blogs, and tweets from overseas 7am: Tend to emails, field through inboxes 8am: Breakfast meeting and/or coffee catch-up with friends, etc. 9am - 12noon: This varies; but usually a combination meetings, strategy work and trying to get through the never-ending to do list. 12 - 1pm: Lunch! (A girl’s gotta eat right?) 1 - 4pm: This varies; but again usually a combination of meetings, implementation work and trying to get through the never-ending to do list. 4 - 5pm: Tend to emails, field through inboxes and a spot of social media procrastination. 5 - 6pm onwards: Networking event, dinner meeting and/or catching up with friends, etc. NB: There’s inevitably be overlap in time, task variation and priorities change from day-to-day; but you get the gist. Overall, it’s busy, structured, yet varied and often revolves around food and coffee I mean meetings.What challenges or frustrations have you had to push through and what lessons have you learned?
So many. Whether it be the people, the projects and/or the places... You’ll almost always encounter challenges. However, if you take into consideration the deeper intentions of what is trying to be achieved, keep hold of the creative integrity, try to not be too precious, learn to collaborate, at times compromise or at the very least have those conversations and most importantly listen... You’ll find it much easier to push through any frustrations you may have. NB: Also a bit of a disclaimer, it’s much easier said than done.
Do you have a guiding philosophy for your working life?
“Do what you love. Love what you do” and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.
What advice would you give to New Zealand creatives trying to make it?
In addition to the cheesey quote above, I have a couple more cheesey quotes:
“Work on the projects that inspire you, with amazing people you can aspire to.”
I set myself this mini-mantra last year whilst travelling through Africa, and with that vision in mind, it has helped with enabling me to pursue some unique opportunities and be a part of some amazing projects.
“You can do anything, but you can’t do everything”
This was particularly something I had to work on myself, my inability to say ‘no’ was often paralysing. My advice would be to try hone and focus your energies on one (or two) creative projects, give it your all, and let the work speak for itself.
I know you are a champion of creatives in general, but tell us about an artist or designer you particularly admire, and why?
John Maeda (President of RISD, author of Laws of Simplicity), Scott Belsky (Co-founder of Behance, author of Making Ideas Happen) and Tina Roth Eisenberg (Founder of CreativeMornings, curator of SwissMiss blog). Not sure if they all quite fit the ‘artist or designer’ box but each individual is incredibly creative in their own right. They are all able to take their relevant background, experience, influence and entrepreneurial attributes, combine it with a contrasting idea to work across sectors, and contribute to the overall creative community, creative industry and academia on a national/international level.
What is your dream for your career – where would you like to take it?
Designing for the other 99%; leading Design in Social Innovation in NZ and influence social change globally.
What are you working on right now?
Exactly that. I’m in the process of setting up Curative; a social business which enables community communications. Specialising in brand, design and online communications strategy for leading non-profits and social enterprises. Curative will be the main vehicle in which I’ll be able to do just that... And then some.
Show and Tell time. Give us a little peek into your creative space...
Home in the City...
Business partner’s home in the country
Co-working space in The Kitchen
The running themes across these creative (working) spaces are:
Creativity: the ability to co-conspire and co-create at meetings, extra inspiration comes from the food and coffee.
Connectivity: the ability to work from anywhere, anytime, as long as I have hi-speed wifi, my laptop (other apple products a bonus) and Curative journal with me.
No comments:
Post a Comment