Creative Q&A: Jessica Comingore
Name, Location, Occupation
Jessica Comingore
Los Angeles
Designer / Photographer / Lifestyle Blogger
Please describe your workspace:
I share a studio on the east side of Los Angeles with two other wonderful creative women who do graphic design and letterpress printing. We all have very similar working styles and desires for an afternoon snack. There is beautiful natural light beaming through the windows throughout the day, and makes for a perfect working environment. Wouldn't have it any other way!
What are you working on right now?
Recently I've been working to wrap up some existing branding and web design clients to focus on some personal projects I've put on the back burner for the past few years. Details are still in the works, but basically working to extending my own brand a bit beyond just creative services. I also have a few ongoing graphic design clients I work with on a weekly basis that keep me busy with a wide range of web and print projects.
What has been your most rewarding project to date?
Early last year I had the opportunity to photograph a residence in Cabo San Lucas that was really a dream job for me. I got to spend a week on site, walking around with my camera from dusk 'til dawn, capturing the ins and outs of this stunning residence on the beach. They're some of my favorite photos I've taken to date.
Which designers and artists inspire you?
Oh, there are so many! Currently I'm really loving the work of Building Block, Nobuhito Nishigawara, Elizabeth Suzann, Josi Faye, and photographer Trevor Triano.
Has there been a defining moment or turning point when you realized what you wanted to do for a living?
I think I was always a creative kid growing up, and would always play pretend business where I would draft invoices and file papers (ha!), so perhaps I was destined to be an entrepreneur at a young age. My mother also has a very creative side and exposed me to things like trolling the flea market and going on home tours at a very young age. It wasn't until the end of high school that I had the ah-ha moment, per say, but once I did it kind of all made sense. Going to design school was sort of that moment where I realized there are a lot of other people out there like me and I just needed to find the right environment to explore my creativity in.
What do you think is the most difficult aspect of working in design?
Creative people tend to flock to each other so it can also be tricky not to compare yourself to what others are doing. I think it's important to always find your center and connect with your voice and what it is that brings you joy, outside of what may seem like to "right way" to do things. It can be a challenge, but carving your own path is always the most rewarding.
What are you reading at the moment?
I'm in the middle of Joan Didion's Blue Nights, and The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. A little work and a little pleasure.
What websites do you visit for inspiration?
I really enjoy Thisispaper Magazine, Decade Diary, 101 Cookbooks, Wide Eyed Legless and as overwhelming as it can sometimes be - Pinterest.
What are your simplest daily pleasures?
A morning hike, a hot shower, a cup of tea, and a hug from someone I love.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Happy and healthy, I hope! The rest will fall into place.
Creative Q&A: Babes in Boyland
Name, Location, Occupation
Babes in Boyland
Nathalie Myrberg and Matilda Hildingsson
Stylist and Photographer
Sweden
Please describe your workspace:
A big red house with 20th century architechture that's designed by Erik Hahr, who was Västerås' City Architect in the beginning of the 20th century. The kitchen window in the old part of the house (called Trädgårdsmästarbostaden) has become Babes in Boyland's own place for creating things. This is where we feel at home.
What are you working on right now?
We've just moved our blog to the Swedish site Lovely Life, which mixes life style and editorial material with creative and interesting blogs. Right now we're getting settled in at the site. Spring also brings a lot of exciting and fun photo sessions.
What has been your most rewarding project to date?
Since our blog is just a couple of months old, we still find ourselves in a phase were we're grateful and fascinated by the fact that people are noticing us and our projects. It's a great feeling to get all the positive and kind words for the pictures and posts. Even more people seem to be gaining interest, and not just in Sweden but across the globe, so right now everything feels really rewarding.
Who are you inspired by?
Our own drive and will to create and express is the base for everything we do. We're great at inspiring and getting things done by pushing eachother. It's easier and more inspiring to do things together.
Has there been a defining moment or turning point when you realized what you wanted to do for a living?
Nathalie: I've never had a specific lightbulb moment because I've always known that I wanted to work with something creative. To name a moment, it might have been when I realized you're allowed to work with different things at the same time. You don't have to choose one thing to do for the rest of your life.
Matilda: Not really, some choices have led to bigger changes and clearer direction than others. But I don't believe in things being constant, everything is always changing, even me and the life I lead.
What do you think is the most difficult aspect of your work?
Finding the time to get things done.
What are you reading at the moment?
The Swedish book Självhushållning på Djupdal, a handbook for everyone that dreams of growing greens and caring for animals, for those that may already have a farm or is drawn to a countryside life. An important and really inspiring book.
What websites do you visit for inspiration?
A lot, so it's hard to choose a few. Some that gets visited often are Pinterest, Green Kitchen Stories, Local Milk, Northern Delight, Mokkasin, Filippa Berg.
What are your simplest daily pleasures?
Nathalie: Kissing and hugging my two year old, cooking a delightful vegetarian dinner, yoga, really good coffee in the morning.
Matilda: Seeing and experiencing things (big or small) that I didn't notice yesterday. I love the little details and I'm very observant of changes around me.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Nathalie: Living with my family in a big house on the country side, with creaking floors, big windows and a rampant growing garden.
Matilda: I feel that it's impossible, and maybe unnecessary, for me to try to look so far ahead in the future. I rather live in the present and stay very open for suggestions when it comes to the future.
Creative Q&A: Emma Robertson
Name, Location, Occupation
Emma Robertson
Oakland, California
Freelance Graphic Designer
Please describe your workspace:
Lots of wood, plants, bright light, and white! I just recently had curtains installed because the glare on my computer screen was too much! They are a nice transparent fabric that filters the light perfectly, instead of creating an ugly black out! The entire space is broken up into sections for each of the studio mates. We typically stick to our corners - focusing on our work all day! Every once in a while we'll take breaks to catch up or go for a walk to get coffee and lunch. Jack London Square has proven to be a wonderful spot to have a studio.
What are you working on right now?
A promotional book for a photographer friend of mine, Eva Kolenko. I also just met with the owners of Oakland Surf Club to talk about working together. They are adding children's clothing to their shop and want to create a new mark for their "mini" addition. Both of these clients are good friends of mine - I love that I've been given the opportunity to work them!
What has been your most rewarding project to date?
I truly enjoyed working with Hoboken Coffee Roasters in Guthrie Oklahoma. I went to college with the owners, Trey & Mallory, and was so excited when they reached out to me about their young business. They are a very passionate, hard working, & uplifting couple - they were always positive, great at communicating, and had such vision for what they wanted. They took the logo that we created and made it come alive through their signage, packaging, coffee mugs, the list goes on! I've never had my work become so tangible.
Which designers and artists inspire you?
Oh man, right this second ( it's so hard to narrow this down ) - Fuzzco, Park & Cube, Ro & Co, Wide Eyed Legless, Lotta Nieminen. Essentially, anyone from my Lovely Lady & Gentle-man series inspires me! They are all creative people doing something amazing that caught that my eye.
Has there been a defining moment or turning point when you realized what you wanted to do for a living?
Honestly, I became a freelancer out of desperation. I had just moved to Berkeley with my boyfriend ( fresh out of college ) so my portfolio was small and obviously the work of a student! I applied for as many jobs as I could get my hands on without a single response back - not even a Thank You for applying! I was devastated. So from there, I quickly put word out to family and friends that I needed design work and the jobs slowly started coming in. I'm still friends with the first client I ever had as an official freelancer - she is a photographer here in Oakland. As I now have time and experience on my side, I'm realizing that I truly do love graphic design! I don't plan on shifting to something else anytime soon! I do feel my perspective changing a bit but I think that's just me maturing as a business owner and craving new and different things for myself. I am about to relaunch my portfolio with plans to really expand my creative reach. Tres exciting!
What do you think is the most difficult aspect of your work?
Working with people on such an intimate level is a challenging and very personal experience. I'm taking someone who is starting a business, re-launching an idea, or beginning a new phase in their life and helping them with a huge part of the process. Keeping it professional is the name of the game but it's difficult to not bond and connect on a very personal level with the client.Also, every single person is different so my job is to figure out how to wrangle up their strengths and weaknesses to make sure we get the job done! There is a lot of communication involved, questions, guessing, trial and error... !!
What are you reading at the moment?
A Story Lately Told by Anjelica Huston. She is one of my favorites so I couldn't help but dive into her story. It's all about her enchanted childhood in Ireland, her teen years in London, and her coming-of-age as a model and nascent actress in New York. Sounds magical right? I also got It by Alexa Chung - I couldn't resist the light pink cover and the insane layout of the interior of the book. One flip through and I knew I needed to spend more time with it.
What are your simplest daily pleasures?
Riding my bike to and from work. It forces me to step away from the computer, phone, friends, everything... It is such a great way to clear my head, get my blood flowing, and just relax... I also love cooking dinner every night with my boyfriend. It has become a huge source of happiness for us. Also, sleep has always felt like a huge gift to me. The fact that we can go go go all day, pushing ourselves to the limit, and then when we're ready - we can lay down, calm ourselves, and rest. I find a lot of comfort in resetting my mind and body each night.
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
With work? I'll most likely have my hands in LOTS of different things - I don't think I'll ever be able to JUST design! I do hope that designing will always be apart of my life as I'm excited to grow my skills and watch myself evolve. I hope that my blog sticks around. I have thought about stopping a few times but it has never failed to bring creative opportunities my way so I quickly ditched that idea. In the end, I can't imagine moving forward without it. Lets see, what else? I have an idea for another book but I want to sit on it for a while - It won't involve knitting or crafting! With life? I'm 26 so I feel like the next decade has a lot in store for me - a few more moves, I want to travel a lot more, maybe marriage, who knows!!! Crazy fun stuff to think about :)
