Tell us about yourself:
I am a Black, queer, neurodivergent design generalist & creative activist originally from seattle, now based in london. in my practice, i find myself drawn to the places where design is overlooked, ignored, and/or under appreciated. i am influenced and inspired by our world and the chance we have to purposefully and deliberately expand its potential through creative means.
What is the inspiration behind your poster design?
This poster visualises my families history and the marks we continue to make on our world. The visual in the middle is a collection of data from each of my closest family members. It denotes times of learning, growing, our highs and our lows. one ring is one life, inspired by the rings of the trees back home and their ever-growing nature. The quote hidden in the background is one that my dad has said to me for years and what drives me forward, ‘your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character, and your character becomes your legacy’ and adapted version of lao tzu. This poster is where i am from, and where i will go.
Why do you love being creative?
For me, being creative and being alive are the same thing. One doesn’t happen without the other, the way we make our tea in the morning is creative, the way we walk to work, the way we think, it’s all a creative practice. mundane maybe, but still creative.
Tell us about your experiences in the design world…
I’ve always been seen as the token Black person within creative spaces, the ‘approachable’ and ‘less scary’ Black person. the one to go to when there’s a question about race, or anything that isn’t neurotypical-cis-white-centric. Because of this, my voice as a Black creative is usually dismissed or not understood. After years of sitting on DEI committees, and equity working groups, and leading workshops on micro aggressions, i’m starting to take a step off the pedestal that i’ve been placed on and truly work on my craft as a Black creative. Finding my true voice, and not the one that i’ve been told to have, both in the design world and life in general.
How can we create a more inclusive design world and ensure that Black people are represented?
Inclusivity is not just inviting someone to the party, it’s working together to create the party, a collective project from the get go. inclusivity isn’t an after-thought, it is the thought. I don’t believe that the design world can ‘become inclusive’, it has to be redesigned as an inclusive space.
In general… How can we make more equity or equality for us?
Dismantle and rebuild.
