5 Things we Learnt at September Nicer Tuesdays

Last week we stepped into Autumn with the first Nicer Tuesdays of the season. We had the pleasure of listening to a fantastic line-up of speakers including illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli, Creative Agency Super Impose, Filmmaker Margot Bowman and Photographer Dougie Wallace.

Each speaker showcased their bold and unique work while speaking about their inspirations, creative process and latest projects. Here are five of our top takeaways for all you creatives out there…

1. Go back to your roots for inspiration

Illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli used her childhood memories of late 1980’s Italian culture for her latest project Cuore di Panna. She was first inspired by a retro ice cream sign near her home town and from there dived into bold colours and blunt shapes for her project. She used old advertisements from the period and drew on these memories including ‘fruit shaped ice cream, fizzy soda and bubblegum’ to create an air of nostalgia. This has resulted in a playful exhibition which captures the innocence of childhood as well as serving us a snapshot of 80s Italy.

2. Two is better than one, and a team is better than two!

Independent creative agency Super Impose showcased their broad range of projects, from their first brief with Adidas to one of their more recent Burberry campaigns. Founders, Ollie Olanipekun and Toby Evans, set up the agency to create provocative storylines and find innovative ways to use media. Their agency has now grown to almost 20 people, with one of their junior creatives coming up with the idea of a campaign which ended up in the archives of the London Science Museum. They explained that working as a team helped enabled them to bounce off each other creatively and gave them ‘no boundaries of style’. With their main objective to be ‘independent, culturally rooted and globally active’, their growing team is a testament to their commercial and personal success.

3. Match your medium to your audience

Creative Director and Filmmaker Margot Bowman decided to use animation to explore aggressions in nightclub culture for her latest film, Common Misconceptions, commissioned by Boiler Room. She picked animation as felt this could connect the subjects of dominance and harassment to a male audience without alienating them, and ultimately connected a controversial topic with a younger demographic.

4. Don’t be afraid to make your projects personal

Photographer Dougie Wallace led the audience through a presentation of his work from the very beginning to his latest project to date – beach dogs in Goa. Though he has travelled all over the world for his photography for commercial briefs, he intermixed his personal bests into his presentation, reminding the audience that though projects can be your bread and butter, they must always include a personal spin as this is what makes them unique.

5. Follow your instincts

Super Impose founders Ollie Olanipekun and Toby Evans, risked their successful careers as Creative Directors to start their own company, with no clients, no other employees and no briefs in the pipeline. Ultimately their agency became an amazing success, but they never would have had the chance if they didn’t take the risk first. This is the case with many creatives, as you’ll never know how your work is going to be received until you put it out there, give it a try and see!

Tweet us @AdobeUK and let us know the best piece of creative advice you’ve ever received.

Feeling inspired? Get 10 free Adobe Stock images with our free trial: adobe.ly/2Aqj71D and get creative!