ILENIA MARTINI, CREATIVE CONSULTANT, BERLIN, GERMANY

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

I am a creative consultant and I run Neni Studio which is a visual communication agency that I co-founded in 2017. Neni Studio works with international design and lifestyle brands to create digital communication strategies and content aimed for social media.

How did you get into photography and creative consulting?

I got into photography pretty early on in life. Mine is one of those stories where one of the parents introduces the medium. For me it was my dad, who with both film cameras and 16mm film recorded my childhood from basically birth to age thirteen.

I had mixed feelings about turning it into a career, so I experimented within the field, assisting other photographers and then becoming an editor and ultimately went to film school where I graduated as DoP (Director of photography for Film).

Fast forward to 2015 where after seven years in New York, I relocated back to Europe for a job as Head of Creative for a Design brand called Hem - where I worked until 2017. In the meantime the work I had done for them got quite the traction and started receiving requests for work outside if the brand and that’s when I decided to consult. It was a natural transition.

What’s your creative process?

It’s messy - that’s for sure. It doesn’t really follow any specific rule but one thing is constant, I write everything down on paper, and I sketch a lot - from concepts to ideas that come to mind. You’ll never find me without a pen and a notebook.

A fun fact about yourself?

Ah, I don’t know if this is fun, but for sure for me it is.
I have a thing for pens and paper, well, stationery in general.

When do you feel most inspired?

I feel like inspiration is a muscle that needs constant training, so I constantly work on it. From reading/flipping through books about architecture, typography, art, photography, to watching films with incredible cinematography. I usually dedicate a couple of hours to inspiration and research each week, no matter what project I am working on.

How would you describe your aesthetic?

I would say ‘experimental’. I like to mix colors and patterns in a subtle way and I stay away from matchy-matchy pairings for both work and personal style.

How do you think COVID has affected the creative industry?

It’s a change that has caught everyone off-guard and nobody had the time to adjust gradually to this new way of living.

Here in Europe, I am in Sweden, it’s still a work in progress. Digitalization hasn’t come naturally to the creative industry but I see, very happily, that the ones who embraces this shift rather than resisting it have been thriving. One big change that Covid brought is expose different mediums/possibilities, look at NFTs for instance - perhaps if Covid hadn’t hit, it wouldn’t have had such positive reactions from both art and creative industry in general.

Who are some other creatives that inspire you?

I am always keeping an eye out on the fashion and art world. I am constantly inspired by Gabriela Hearst and Lucy Chadwick.

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

Ah, this is a tough one because I love flowers. I feel like I have to say roses because I have a huge rose tattoo on my arm.

They are so underestimated and there’s so many beautiful variants that you’ll never have the same experience twice!

What do you hope to achieve in 2021?

Some renewed energy to step outside my boundaries - I’d love to try new paths!

You can find more of ilenia’s work here:

Website

Instagram

Nitty Valentin, Floral Designer, South Coast, NSW

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

Hey, I am Nitty. I own a wedding, events & workshop floral business on the South Coast of NSW, named “Follow Your Nose”. I am a studio-based florist and I am lucky enough to be able to create ‘Native Chic’ florals for the special moments in my clients lives, I also get the chance to surround myself with the most beautiful people when I organise and teach my floral workshops.

Why did you decide to begin floristry?

I have always been a lover of gift-giving and as time went on, I really enjoyed picking up a bunch of flowers to add to every gift I was giving, eventually I became interested in individually choosing the florals at the shop & putting them together myself (they weren’t good haha, but I liked the idea of it!) I then found myself at a flower-workshop and from there the desire turned into passion and after attending two more workshops, I was hooked. I signed up for the next available course and basically the rest was history. I became so infatuated with all things florals and knew this is what I wanted to do!  

What’s your creative process?

That’s a tough one, for me creating becomes one big mess. Most people would probably walk into my studio and feel extremely overwhelmed. But, I promise there is a method to the madness. Basically, I like to write out what I will be making and annoyingly, I probably write out my lists 10 times before I am comfortable with what I am about to create. Once my lists are written, I must have at least one work table completely clean so I can lay everything out that I am going to use. Then I get to creating. Sometimes I start and everything falls into place naturally. Other times I have to make a bouquet, pop it in the fridge & come back to it in an hour later to make sure I like the way it is sitting. I am guilty for over thinking things and remaking them, but most of the time, if I don’t 100% love the way it is looking, I would rather start fresh so it looks the way I want it to. A lot of the time, as a florist there is a client-brief to follow, but over the years I feel like my style has really begun to shape the clients I attract. I am generally drawn to all Native flora, but I find ways to add softer flowers/foliage’s to give it more of a romantic look.

A fun fact about yourself?

I am a part time disability companionship worker & have the pleasure of assisting the most beautiful human in his day to day activities. It has been the greatest honour & biggest accomplishments of my life. I never knew the feeling of truly caring for someone with every ounce of my being until I was blessed to meet him and be there for him. 

When or how do you feel most inspired to create?

I am most inspired to create once I have had the chance to organise myself and declutter my thought space, allowing me to be fully immersed in what I am doing. I love over cast days because I get all cosy & creative and don’t feel like I am missing out on the going to the beach. I also hate feeling hot when I am creating, so a nice cold day is perfect for the creative mind. 

How would you describe your aesthetic?

I was introduced to the words “Native Chic” by a lovely gal-pal who came to do some work with me recently. She described my work as Native Chic and ever since I haven’t stopped using it. I think native florals often get quite a masculine point of view, so I love softening them by adding some more romantic florals to the overall look. I am also very attracted to warm, autumn colours and will always flock straight to them at the flower market.

A word of encouragement for Beginner Flower Designers?

YOU GOT THIS!!! Don’t be afraid to dive into your own personal style, avoid spending too much time comparing your work to other florists and just follow your own rules. There is no right or wrong, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and you will attract others who love your style and what you do. Ask your fave floral-babe to let you come and do some work experience so you can build that confidence that is burning inside you and never ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough! Let your work speak for itself!

Who are some other florists who inspire you?

There’s actually alot, my local area has some of the most incredible florists in the world and if you are lucky enough to get flowers from them than I am sure you have held pure magic in your hands. Some of my faves are: Film and Foliage, Gypsy Carmen, Emily Nicole Florals, Lady Gnarbo, Fleurescent.

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

I really love Flowering Gum, when it is in season I think I nearly cause car accidents when I slow down, admiring its beauty. They look like bright fireworks on trees and they are just the most beautiful texture. I am also very well known for throwing a King Protea in most of my bridal bouquets, they are definitely a show stopper!!!

What do you hope to achieve in 2021?

I hope to run frequent workshops once we move into our new house & build my new studio!!! (top secret - heard it here first, haha) I also hope to organise a mini retreat sometime this year for all my flower enthusiasts out there!!

You can find more of Nitty’s work here:

Follow Your Nose Instagram

Follow Your Nose Workshops Instagram

Catherine Jensen, Photographer, Melbourne

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

I’m a 31 year old human who’s obsessed with flowers and in perpetual awe of nature in general. I have a few different balls in the air at the moment, spending my days creating photographic floral works for my little print business, making music and now I’m just about to head back to uni (yikes) to do finish my masters.

How did Catherine Jensen Design start?

I started creating my floral prints a few years ago after being diagnosed with a movement disorder known as Dystonia 6, a genetic condition where your muscles start to work against the motions you're most practised at. I’d started having symptoms when I was 18 but because it’s quite rare, it took 8 years for doctors to figure out what was going on. I had many things to be joyful for during that period but it was also a really tricky time. I’d always been very active and loved working with my hands, and I could feel myself slowly becoming less capable of engaging in the things I love most. At the time of my diagnosis, I was in complete no man's land about what I wanted to do career wise, grieving for the life I thought I’d have and struggling to find purpose in my days. The prints where born during this time. I’d become a Christian a few years earlier and despite my confusion over what the future held, I truly believed (still do) that God loved me and and would work all these hard things together for blessing.

Spurred on by this faith, I started getting up every morning and praying that God would give me inspiration for the day ahead and he really met me in that. I kicked off drawing and then when my hand began stiffening up, I moved on to taking photos. I chose flowers as my subject because I was spending my days surrounded by the most beautiful blooms as I worked away in my parents back garden. I became utterly entranced by the abundance of different colours, shapes, textures and seasons that made each flower unique in its beauty, and decided to create a series of works that reflected these characteristics. I wanted to try and share with people what I was seeing when I looked at each individual flower. However strangely, it's through this creative process that I became more able to trust the way God’s made me and rest peacefully in the knowledge that just because my disorder has changed my shapes and colours, it doesn’t make them any less beautiful or void them of purpose. They've just changed the way I bloom. Corny but oh so true. My hope for these prints is that they would uplifting, bringing a little bit of peace and a simple dose of beauty to the lives of those who acquire them. 

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

It’s so hard to choose just one! But if I had to it would be the Wisteria in all its colours. I love the way they climb and entangle themselves around an arbor or pergola, and how the flowers fall from the branches. It looks straight out of a fairytale.

What’s your creative process?

It usually starts with me having an idea and developing a clear picture of what I want to create in my head. This is followed by a series of photographic iterations and digital editing that goes on until I’m happy with the result. Sometimes it takes a couple of hours and sometimes a couple of days. 

A fun fact about yourself?

I still love climbing trees. I don’t understand why people stop doing this post childhood. It’s pretty darn fun!

When or how do you feel most inspired to create?

Hard to say, because it’s something that ebbs and flows so much for me. I do think though that the times where I’m most inspired to create are born of moments where I’m stirred emotionally to joy, sorrow or anything in between, by various personal or collective circumstances. 

How would you describe your aesthetic?

Minimal and colourful.

If you could choose any vocation in the world which would you choose?

A film composer or some kind of writer.

Who are some other artists that inspire you?

From musicians to filmmakers, writers, visual artists and performers, I'm inspired by so many different kinds of art and artists. At the moment I'm obsessing over a brass quartet called The Westerlies. I've been playing 'Robert Henry' on repeat. In visual arts, the melodramatic old hollywood creations of photographer and film maker, Alex Prager are current favourites of mine.

How has COVID affected The Arts Industry, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this?

With a lot of arts workers in freelance, contract and casual roles the industry's been hit pretty hard across the board. It's a tough time for us, as with so many other sectors. It's not all doom and gloom though, I do have a few illustrator friends who actually say they're busier than ever. I guess one of the results of people having more free time is that they're finally getting around to starting projects they've been putting off. I think it's encouraging that amidst the job losses there are still little pockets of growth. I'm really interested to see how the industry continues to adapt and rebuild throughout and post pandemic. There's an old english proverb that says "Necessity is the mother of invention" which basically means that the greatest innovations are often rooted in need. Creative's are nothing if not innovators, so while the industry and our roles along with it may be changing, I'm confident that we'll be able to evolve with it. And who knows, maybe this pressure cooker we're all sitting in will bear some of the greatest art and innovation the 21st century has seen. 

You can find more of Catherine’s work here:

Website

Instagram

Somala Jacobs, Photographer, Melbourne

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

Hi, I’m Somala. I’ve been living in Melbourne for the last 7 years with my husband but was born and raised in Noosa (Gubbi Gubbi country), QLD. 

Growing up in a small beach town, I was always curious about other places and left home at 18 with my best friend to go live and travel overseas. I spent that time much of my 20’s experiencing lots of different things and worked hard to facilitate that exploration, as I really got to know myself better as an adult. I experienced living in London, spent six months in an off-grid community on a beach in Turkey working at a scuba hut, did a stint of marine conservation in Fiji, a snow season with my now, husband, spent a winter in the Scottish Highlands, a summer living in a caravan in Cornwall, and studied, amongst some other things along the way. 

I now work in wellness as a chiropractor, calming my clients nervous systems, so that they can express their unique gifts in this life with more ease. 

Following the things that light me up, creativity has been a huge part of my own wellness journey. Pursuing my love of photography guides me to want to spend time taking in and appreciating details. I love spending time in thoughtfully curated spaces, nature and exploring cities and streets of old, sunny suburbs. I am always on the lookout for cute elements of nostalgia – the perfectly imperfect things. I also love styling the different nooks of our home so that it is a calm but inspiring sanctuary to come home to and spend time in. I love taking photos of all of these things and find the philosophy of Wabi-Sabi guides my creativity the most.  

Have you always had an interest in photography?

Yes. My mum has a background in photography and she had a small darkroom set up in our home when I was little. Mum bought me an old, second hand Pentax and lenses for my 13th birthday and my bestie and I joined the school photography club “Shutterbugs”. It was pre-digital photography so it was great to learn with film but we both had digital cameras by the time we set off on our overseas adventures. Our first couple of years of travel was pre-social media so none of our photos were edited and we were just learning how to use basic photographic principals of composition.

As the years went on and social media became a thing, I experimented and had fun with different editing tools, finding and honing my aesthetic and composition. Photography is definitely my favourite creative outlet, it just really fills my cup to capture & edit details in nature, cites and old suburbs. Colours, textures, architectural shapes and lettering of the mid-century era are my favourite things to document. With so many kit homes and mass produced everything, I love capturing things that remain from older eras while they still stand – things get knocked down and replaced so quickly! 

What inspired you to begin the project, palmbreeze house?

Palmbreeze House account was originally Riverbreeze House, which I created to help promote my parents Airbnb. They had recently finished a second renovation of our family home (my dad is a builder and my mum a ceramicist) and were heading off on their own adventure, so put the house on Airbnb for the better part of 2019 while they were away. I started the page to help get the house out there for Airbnb but also because it gave me an excuse to post my captures of Noosa in context and also interior shots of the house, which I loved taking whenever I was home.

The house hosted lots of guests and was hired for some beautiful brand shoots, before they sold it at the start of this year to move on to their next project, “Palmbreeze House”. So now I’m using the account to document the design and build of the next house which is another home that focuses on clean lines, open, welcoming, breezy spaces and nostalgic, mid-century elements. 

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

Everlasting/paper daisies (the white ones with the pink and yellow centres) & peonies (fresh or dried). I also adore the well-loved rose bushes that bloom in the front gardens of our neighbourhood in Spring – and the perfume of jasmine vines! 

What’s your creative process?

I love exploring streets in neighbourhoods and cities and just looking out for little details to snap with my camera. I’m always looking for things that catch my eye when I’m out and about. I might go back to a spot a few times to get the right sunlight or blue sky. I love editing photos in my down time, in my favourite spaces in our home, with some music, natural light or low light with some candles or incense burning in ceramics made by my mum around me. Smell, sound and warm light help get me in a creative zone.

Are there any other photographers or stylists that inspire you?

Photographers: Justin Chung, Ali Mitton, Jamie Green, Boguang Sun.

Stylists: Serena Mitnik-Miller (General Store), Alison Carroll (Wonder Valley)

what about music, art, books, that you’re loving right now?

Wabi-Sabi Welcome by Julie Pointer Adams, The New Mediterranean by Gestalten, Abode by Serena Mitnik-Miller & love artwork by Daren Thomas Magee, John Zabawa and Bonnie Gray. 

How has COVID affected your way of life, any top tips on surviving lockdown?

My husband and I have been very fortunate in that our work situations have not been affected, so our days are just to and from work to home.  The extra time around the home has really opened up a lot of conversation about or values and just re-evaluating where we are with those at this stage of our life and what we want to change moving forward after all of this. 

I think the best thing I have done to survive the extra time at home is just move and change things up around the house to give it some fresh feels! Changing plants around, photography on the walls, furniture rearranging – it’s definitely helped having some changes to what our eyes are seeing every day!

Favourite weekend activity?

In Melbourne, a drive out to the forest to go for a hike with our dog, coffee in one of our favourite spots on our local High Street, or taking some street snaps and doing some editing at home amongst the plants. 

You can find more of somala’s work here:

Somala's Instagram

Palmbreeze House Instagram

Reed Ceramics Instagram