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 we’re starting it off with three incredible creatives, Ari Liloan, Kumi McKenna and Jason Lyon.

Despite the type of creative you may be, the field you specialise in or level you’re at, all creatives have value and everyone has something they’re proud of – even if they don’t publicly show it off (you should though!)

We’re passionate about showing off the best of creatives everywhere and this series should be the start of an intuitive archive, where instead of having creatives talk about achievements, projects or clients they’ve worked with (don’t worry, this will still be something we strive to share in our ‘In Conversation’ articles) but instead have people talk about their personalities and how they see themselves – in the best way.

For our first selection of creatives, we have Ari Liloan; A Berlin-based illustrator who we last spoke to at the beginning of 2021 and was coincidentally our most-read feature of the year. Kumi McKenna; an Aberdeen based illustrator and printmaker who we’ve been following for a while now and have finally gotten to collaborate with and finally, Jason Lyon; Devizes based and also an illustrator that we’ve connected with recently.

Ari Liloan, Berlin, Illustrator

Follow Ari: @madeby_ari • madebyari.com

"At first I would have said "being self-disciplined" but that word is so ingrained with masochism. So, let's not go there. What I value in myself is having a very compassionate sense of self accountability. I'm a diligent person, I was raised to be a hard worker but I also refuse to beat myself up for not getting it right from time to time.”

Kumi McKenna, Aberdeen, Illustrator and Printmaker

Follow Kumi: @kumimckenna

“I value my connection to my heritage within my work. Often, growing up I was shamed or stereotyped due to my heritage. Through my time in university I found myself time and time again inspired by Japanese design, and began to implement both Scottish and European styles with Japanese influences, proudly. I get the most joy using the risoprinter for most of my non-digital work; knowing my grandpa used similar machines in the past is comforting.”

Jason Lyon, Devizes, Illustrator

Follow Jason: @jasonlyon_ • jason-lyon.com

“I think what I value the most as a creative is my passion for this lifestyle/career. It isn’t the easiest career path due to many aspects, but having that passion really helps. It ignites a spark within that motivates me to be better and create stories that I care about and find joy in.”

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!