As a women in the creative industry, I'm always keen to look outside the box and speak to peers who speak my language. On Saturday, I was thrilled to be asked to speak at Soho Create, a series of talks that celebrated the creativity of Soho in London and the people who frequent the area. The week held discussions, speeches, chats, drinks and performances and I was thrilled to be asked to speak with Sonja Klaus, set designer of blockbusters such as Prometheus and Gladiator, on the topic of "Inventing Spaces", chaired by Elle Decoration Editor-in-Chief Talib Choudry.
While both falling under the umbrella of 'designer' Sonja and I's jobs could not be more different - but somehow have inherent similarities that come with the title. Our creative process may be in different industries, but follow the same pattern. For example, the process of installing a job starts with a client. You come up with an idea or concept and create it in your head. You would then choose the objects and decide how they - and the space itself - is going to work. Then, you create it and watch it unfold in front of your eyes.
One really interesting point that was raised was today's reliance of technology in the design community. I'm all for networks like Instagram and Pinterest and I can see the value and convenience, but there's something to be said for seeing things with our own eyes. As a child I was literally dragged by my mother to museums and galleries. Now I know what to look for and can see inspiration everywhere - it's all about training your eye. This was another point where Sonja and I saw eye-to-eye. Creating a space is about so much more than a look, it's about the smell, sounds and the taste and you need to be in the physical world to experience these.
You can see the conversation on Twitter under the hashtag #InventingSpaces and I'm really grateful for everyone who joined myself and Sonja!
Love Kelly xx