Asmiet “AZ” Nega‘s job description? “I make great things happen.”

As a program director and creative producer based in Chicago, Nega amplifies the visions of both global brands and small businesses alike through her unique approach to campaign conceptualization, production, direction, photo shoots, and even styling.

For five years, Nega was an integral part of the renowned store and creative hub Fat Tiger Works, as the project and e-commerce manager. With several successful projects and collaborations under her belt, she carved out a space for herself to exist beyond the brick-and-mortar shop, upon its closure in 2022. Nega continues to work closely with Fat Tiger founders Joe Freshgoods and contemporary artist RELLO to bring their independent projects to fruition in Chicago and worldwide.

Nega’s passion for helping others bring their ideas to life has propelled her into diverse creative work across various industries. Some of her recent notable contributions have been to projects such as Joe Freshgoods x New Balance’s “Conversations Amongst Us” and “Performance Art” campaigns, the opening of Cherry Mountain Arts, and the success of social impact projects like EAT THE RICH.

You can check out more of Nega’s work here on Creatively and @hellocreatively on Instagram.

What is the first creative project you remember?

The first creative project I remember working on was a school project I did with my dad in elementary school. My dad is very competitive, and he passed that competitiveness down to me, so we always wanted my project to be the best in the class. Every time we had the chance to create, we went above and beyond to craft these masterpieces. That project was very simple; we had to create a moment from a book we were reading and bring it to life. I forget the book title, but we went all out and thought of creative ways to bring this scene to life. We went to Home Depot and got all these tools and sand to create an area that we could put real water in to make it look like a beach. We also built a mini house out of wood. My dad wasn’t one of those parents that would do all the work for you. His biggest thing was, “I will teach you so you know how to do it yourself one day.” So many things that he taught me have helped me get to where I am now.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

I can give you 2 words. A clusterf*ck! I hate putting myself in a box. I always like to spice things up. So, depending on how I’m feeling, I give different vibes.

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

That’s hard because all of the collaborations I work on are very fulfilling. I work with a small team, so we sometimes wear different hats. I am always learning how to do new things or how to do things better. With each project, we strive to come up with innovative ideas and ways to impact history, so I am consistently stepping into new territory—from set design, styling, directing, script writing, curating, and even building computers. Each project introduces a new element and experience to my life, and that alone keeps me fulfilled.

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

Teaming up with the Fat Tiger team is the creative project that really taught me that there are no limits to what I am capable of doing and that teamwork really gets shit done. Most importantly, I was put on this earth to help others. In a world where being a boss and doing everything on your own is glamorized, there aren’t a lot of people who really highlight the major role their team plays. I was blessed to work with a group of people who aren’t afraid to share the spotlight, give flowers to their team, and show the important roles they play—especially when it comes to highlighting black women and women of color in a field where we are usually overshadowed. Shout out to all the amazing women that I am honored to work with and learn from. I am a true believer that we are put on this earth to help others, and that being kind goes a long way. That thinking has opened many doors for me. My hard work has allowed me to exist in a lot of different rooms, meet a lot of different people and experience a lot of dope shit.

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with, or something you’re taught?

Both. I think creativity is definitely something you are born with, but through time you can either lose it or build on it. I believe that there are things you can learn or do that can help you sharpen your creativity. I think like anything, if you keep working on it, it gets better, and if you don’t you lose the ability to perform at a high level. I’ve learned so much from the people I work with. They help me keep my creativity flowing, and I think that is super important. I think you should keep people around you in the creative field that are older and younger than you so you can learn from each other. I also think traveling the world and putting yourself out there to experience new things is a big way to feed your creativity.

What’s the last dream you had?

The last dream I had was dabbling in the fragrance world. I’ve always been intrigued, but I’ve never had the time to take a deep dive into it. In the dream, I took some time away from working with others and focused on learning more about the fragrance industry. I had created my own line to sell everything from candles to unisex perfume and home fragrances. I even remember the concept I came up with in the dream. I can totally see myself getting into it in the next few years, but we shall see what the world has in store for me.

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

I hope my work inspires people, especially the youth, to work hard, fight for their dreams, and to be kinder to one another. I hope they use my life and work as a blueprint so people interested in taking this path can be better versions of me, learning from my mistakes and building on my strengths.

Follow @aznega on Creatively.

Creatively is more than a platform—we’re a creative collective.

Questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@creatively.life.