What do creatives value in themselves?

In a brand-new written series by Fuse, we’re massively excited to share the start of a sequence of articles we started to work on just before the year ended…

We’re asking established industry experts and upcoming talent from all over the world to define what they value in themselves – in the hope that it can be encouraging or provide the spark to look inward, into the practices of those who may read. This series will last throughout 2022 and our next three incredible creatives are Poan Pan, Kohenoor Kamal and Anna Laviniere.

The launch of Creative Values was interesting. If you’re reading this then you’ll have realised that this is only the second written piece – and we’ve already learnt so much about the three creatives featured in the first. We had a mention of the value of one’s diligence, passion and the last about cultural heritage. It’s brilliant for us to learn about creatives we’ve known for so long and even more so for you, if these are new faces you’re about to discover.

For our second selection of creatives, we have Poan Pan; a London-based illustrator best known for his quirky, observant illustrations which we’ve shared more about before. We also have Kohenoor Kamal; a Warrington-based illustrator with a growing portfolio of clientele and finally, Anna Laviniere; an embroidery artist and UX designer! Anna was recently on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas on Channel 4.

Poan Pan, London, Illustrator

Follow Poan: @poan.pan • panpoan.com

"I would say that I value my bizarre perspective on how I observe and engage with the surroundings. It leads me to express my opinion or message with strong characteristics. And of course, my passion for illustrations is the fuel driving me to pursue my dream career and helps me through the ups and downs”

Kohenoor Kamal, Warrington, Illustrator

Follow Kohenoor: @kohenoor_kamal • kohenoork.myportfolio.com

“I think something that I value in myself as a creative includes the awareness I’ve gained over the years, that even if I’m not creating something for a little bit, this doesn’t undermine me as a person and my creative abilities. When we live in a world of hustle culture, I think the most valuable thing I can do for myself is self care, whether that’s taking things slow work-wise, or even just remind myself that without realising it, I might be absorbing creativity through the from of film, music or design that is configured in day to day objects we interact with.”

Anna Laviniere, London, UX Designer & Embroidery Artist

Follow Anna: @lavystitch • etsy.com/uk/shop/lavystitch

“I value my imagination as a creative. Day dreaming a lot and having a wild imagination seemed like a bit of a distraction at first when focusing on tasks, but now I see it as how I take my digital and fiber art to the next level. Half way through a piece, I can completely change the colour of thread or transfer a file onto a different platform, just because I had an idea and thought ‘what if?’. Our imagination can be so unique and bring out the best ideas when we actively try to tap into it more.”

If you’d like to share what you value in yourself, please email fusedirectory@gmail.com with a few words about yourself and your creative values!*

*Fuse is platform for creatives from a racialised and ethnic backgrounds, so we’re only accepting submissions from those who identify as that!