Creatively Blog

Kathrin Marchenko

Kathrin Marchenko is a textile artist and designer specializing in custom embroidery masterpieces. Her divine signature stitch is akin to a gestural drawing, the energy and emotion of each stroke evident in the stunning details of her threaded portraits and anatomical studies. These celestial designs are embroidered into transparent tulle fabric and seized by a wooden hoop, giving each piece a 3D effect.  

Born in Moscow, Marchenko studied and grew up in a small but cozy city in the Kharkov region of Ukraine. After admiring embroidered dresses from designers like Valentino, Elie Saab, and Dior, Marchenko was inspired to create an embroidered tulle blouse for a sewing course in 2016. She was hooked. The following year she took an embroidery course at Ecole Lesage School in Paris. 

Marchenko’s elegant fashion pieces conjure images of a vibrant fairytale. Feather-light tulle gloves look like translucent wings, flecked with Swarovski crystals. Brightly colored pheasants embroidered on a black tulle bodysuit show a more playful side. Beyond embroidery, Marchenko also creates resin art studded with dried flowers or speckled with gold leaf.

You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

At the age of 15, I was given paint to paint on ceramics, on vases and saucers. They, of course, did not find applications, but I really liked to mix a lot of shades and watch them frosting, they turned into bizarre shapes. 

I think, from that moment, I had a great desire to work with color, and over time this desire found itself in embroidery. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Expression, sensuality, meditation.

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

The project I had with Gigi Hadid and V Magazine. We worked together for V Magazine’s Gigi Journal Part II. I expressed the theme of quarantine through a girl in a mask. She can be anyone—a doctor, a nurse, an artist, an ordinary passerby. In a pandemic, we are all equal, and each of us wears a mask or other personal protective equipment for global security.

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

The set of works, “Touché Amore,” has shown my unconscious fear of love, of feeling anything. I had no plan before working on this project, but that’s how it turned for me.

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

I think creativity is symbiotic, something with which you are born and it never leaves you. You see the world in this special, creative way and it has an impact on everything you do.

What’s the last dream you had?

A dream about free borders between our countries. My grandpa lives in Ukraine, while I live in Moscow, Russia. It’s really hard nowadays to see the people you love. So I hope one day all over the world people will have this opportunity to be near those they value and love. 

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

I hope that people will say that my works were sincere, done with honesty. That I expressed my feelings—good or bad—with my work, and that I wanted to make the world a little bit better with my art.

Follow @KathrinMarchenko on Creatively.

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

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

Carlotta Kohl

Carlotta Kohl is a German born, New York raised photographer, artist, and model. Kohl’s work deals with ideas of female sexuality and identity. Her aesthetic demonstrates that what may appear to be soft, innocent, and candy-colored on the surface can nurture deeper observations, revealing emotionally charged themes about the female experience. 

With a photo degree from School of Visual Arts, her photography work includes editorials in magazines like L’Officiel Paris, Hommes, Singapore, Numero Tokyo, Playboy, and So it Goes. In addition, Kohl has worked on special projects with brands like Miu Miu, Gucci, Alberta Ferretti, and Tiffany and Co. The gifted photographer has also spent time in front of the lens. Represented by Elite Model Management, Kohl made her runway debut in Milan, modeling for MaxMara and Alberta Ferretti. 

Kohl’s encaustic works, sculptures and fine art photo works have appeared in various galleries in Paris, New York, and California. Her work can also be found in “Babe,” a collection of work by young female artists. 

Kohl’s credits include design and film; she recently directed the music video for “Chinatown” (featuring Bruce Springsteen) by the band Bleachers and she’s currently working on a photo documentary about the lives of four teenage girls. 

You can check out her latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

I very clearly remember meticulously making imprints. I must have learned it in school or something, but I remember this really nagging feeling that I had to “document” these things because they were important. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Nostalgic, melancholic, dreamscape.

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

It’s the one I’m working on now. I’m following a group of teenage girls and documenting them as they grow up in New York. I spotted them in the summer of 2019 on the street in the Lower East Side and I was enamored.  

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

Honestly again, it’s the project I’m working on now. I really didn’t know how important it is/was for me to work on something that’s real and something that I’ve been through. It’s heartbreaking and healing going back to a time that is actually the root/basis of my work. 

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

I think true creativity is something you’re born with. But I think people pigeonhole what creativity is. There’s a huge spectrum and it can transcend many different fields.

What’s the last dream you had?

Probably a nightmare. I’m so used to it though, that they’re just dreams now. And they’re also so ridiculously decodable—it’s almost painfully cliché. 

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

That’s not for me to figure out.

Follow @CarlottaKohl on Creatively.

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

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

KidSuper

Colm Dillane a.k.a. KidSuper is a New York designer whose boundless creativity can’t be contained in a single tag. His creative collective of people, ideas, and mediums not only makes clothing but also produces films, art shows, and music videos. 

It all started when Dillane, the son of a Spanish artist and an Irish fisherman, launched a t-shirt company with his friends, screen printing the goods in his parent’s basement and selling them out of his high school cafeteria. In college, the NYU sophomore expanded his grassroots operations, converting his dorm room into a shop and selling his KidSuper branded clothing to fellow undergrads. It didn’t take long for the fresh streetwear brand to take off.  

KidSuper the brand (and KidSuper the guy) now live and breathe at the cross-section of high fashion, music, and art. Some statement pieces look as if they were ripped directly from an abstract painter’s raw canvas or sketchbook. The label is known for bold patterns, wild graphics, and whimsical designs. Take a denim work jacket constructed like a piece of folk art—each color of the farm landscape patched together with separate pieces of fabric. Or an oversized coat completely covered by the faces of two people kissing but with the KidSuper twist; the jacket opens up on the kiss. 

Always innovating, for Paris Fashion Week Dillane embraced the digital event with a stop motion animation catwalk of his Spring/Summer 2021 collection. He’s expanded his fashion kingdom, attaining cult status by creating statement pieces that have attracted co-signs from culture hounds like Lil Baby, Young Thug, and Gunna and locked deals with major brands like Nike and Puma. 

You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

Wow, that’s a hard one. I grew up with a mother who was an artsy-type. So every morning or everyday after school, I would come home to a project that she made up. In first grade for Valentine’s Day, we hand stamped cards with potatoes for everybody in the class. I remember so many projects, videos, and silly things. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Fun. Vibrant…and…hodgepodge? Yeah, that’s probably not good to say that. Let’s try another word instead of hodgepodge. Ambitious. [Laughs]

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

There’s been many. From J. Balvin, from Proera, from Flatbush Zombies, The Underachievers–that was a huge one for me because that marked the first collaboration co-sign that I got. 

I think the most fulfilling one for me was PUMA just because I was able to check off so many life goals in one collaboration. I got a global collaboration, I got my own shoe, I got my own soccer cleat, but from there we got Héctor Bellerín, a professional player in the EPL [English Premier League] to wear the cleat and that was a crazy bucket list item. And we’re building a KidSuper x PUMA soccer field which is also a life goal. And then also, the “Scram” cartoon we used to promote the PUMA collection ended up being a 30-minute pilot cartoon for what I think could be a KidSuper cartoon with potential to be on streaming platforms. I’m pitching that out. 

There were so many things I was able to do in that collaboration that I was able to accomplish and finesse a little bit. So yeah, that was fulfilling. I just love the idea of someone coming to you, “Hey, this is a collaboration we should do,” and me being able to come up with different projects outside of what you’d typically think a collaboration should be. 

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

Gosh, these are some hard hitting questions. I would say it was the fashion show in Paris. It was such a big undertaking and I was a little bit unprepared and really didn’t know what to expect. [It was] a financially, physically, and mentally draining project. 

It was just cool to have so many of my friends figure it out and be on the same stage, same platform as Louis Vuotton and Hermes. What I found out about myself was that having good people around you is always important, no matter if they are the most skillful or not, just having a good team and a good group of friends. And I guess I also learned that things are possible, so shoot for the stars. You can compete with Hermes and Louis Vutton. 

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

I say this all the time: I think creativity is inherent. I think humans have that; humans are born with problem-solving skills. The term “creativity” makes problem-solving seem like it’s this blessing from another power whereas I think creatives are people with problem-solving skills that have been nurtured and supported. And I think everybody can be creative if they’re not only always asked questions and asked for solutions but also are supported. I think a lot of times people don’t have the confidence to say they are creative. I think most creatives are egomaniacs because to be creative you just need to be confident in your ideas. 

What’s the last dream you had?

[Laughs]. My dreams are worse than my reality. The one I had the other day was I had sex with my highschool girlfriend who currently has a boyfriend and I felt so bad about it because I ruined their ten-year relationship and I was just devastated and didn’t know what to do. My dreams are always worse than my reality.

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

100 years from now? I hope people go to my work as inspiration to channel their optimism and freedom and they look to my work as a guiding light to think without any bounds. Like, “Oh man, [KidSuper] has inspired me to be boundless.” 

Follow @KidSuper on Creatively.

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

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

Thomas Evans a.k.a. Detour

Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour, is a Denver-based creative specializing in large scale public art, interactive visuals, portraiture, immersive spaces, and creative directing. A born collaborator and “military brat,” Detour pulls from every conceivable experience that has shaped his landscapes and perspectives, examining the future of culture, music and society. 

“I always tell artists that we’re basically historians,” Detour told My Modern Met. “You can really tell what society was a thousand years ago based on the art that was created and the materials used and the subject matter.”

Detour’s vibrant portraiture has honored the lives of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as well as featured celebrities ranging from Anthony Bourdain to Erykah Badu—all with euphoric colors and striking detail. His work is an ongoing experimentation in visual art, music, and multi-sensory technologies like interactive paintings. The self-taught artist has been drawing his whole life and although he never attended art school, he does have an MBA in Marketing. This has no doubt helped him to navigate major partnerships with clients like Netflix, Red Bull Mountain Dew, the NBA, and General Motors.

With his ever-evolving approach to art, Detour’s focus is on expanding customary views of creativity and challenging fine-art paradigms by mixing traditional mediums with new approaches—all the while opening up the creative process from that of a singular artist, to one that thrives on multi-layered collaboration and viewer participation. 

You can check out his latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

The first major project that I remember participating in was painting a mural for my high school. This was the first time I was able to actually create a mural. This was in Ramstein, Germany. Our mascot was a Lion and we were called the Royals. It took myself and another fellow student about a week to complete. It was an interesting time because I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but it would lead to building confidence in my identity as an artist. 

Describe your aesthetic.

I would describe my aesthetics as being at the intersection of figurative community work and bright, bold expressions of color. Like any artist, my work and aesthetics evolve over time.

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

One of the most fulfilling collaborations was my last exhibition. We needed to turn the space into a museum for an imaginary band in the future. It required a ton of different art pieces to be fabricated in different mediums. This allowed me the opportunity to work with several different artists specializing in several different mediums. I had to get everything from an electric motorcycle built to a 6-foot-tall harp fabricated from scratch. This experience taught me a lot about working with others.

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

Creative projects that get me outside of the country really teach me about myself because it forces me to learn all new things. The residencies I participated in in France and Argentina taught me a lot about creative problem-solving. They both forced me to look inward when it came to my ideas about creating my own opportunities. 

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

I think everyone is born with creativity because it’s all about creating new connections between ideas. Because everyone comes from different perspectives y’all have the opportunity to create new things. It is something that has to be nurtured as well. Those that nurture their creative process, through reading, learning, traveling, and other forms of exploring, have more opportunities to create unique perspectives that then lead to new and original ideas.

What’s the last dream you had?

Unfortunately, I do not remember. I can’t recall the last dream I’ve had because it has been years. Hopefully that is not a bad thing. Lol!

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

It’s very hard to think about what will be relevant in 100 years. I hope that they will at least see how I tried to capture this time on Earth in a bottle. My wish is that they will  see and appreciate a colorful perspective of what was happening in our society. 

Follow @Detour on Creatively.

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

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

Ashley Armitage

Ashley Armitage is a New York based filmmaker, photographer, and creative director with a quirky style and honest approach that has garnered worldwide attention. Whether it’s photographing  women combing their underarm hair or gorgeous pastel portraits of families, her work exudes candidness and brings an intimate, fresh approach to storytelling. Her photography is centered around reclaiming clichés and subverting the hyper-feminine image. 

Armitage catapulted herself into photography and directing at the young age of 15 after observing the lack of diversity and representation in the media. Her work, which helps to dismantle beauty standards, continues to push the boundaries of the expected and often out-dated ideals that society adheres to. 

Marrying impactful imagery with a progressive outlook, this Seattle native continues to inspire the next generation of female filmmakers through her commercial campaigns.  She’s worked with Nike, Gucci, and Nordstrom. Her ad for the razor brand Billie was the first ever to show women removing body hair.  

You can check out her latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

Maybe not exactly the first but a notable early project was when I was in third grade. I had a role in a school play as a shark and had to make my own costume. So I recruited my grandpa and together we made this incredible cardboard shark head that fit over half of my body and left me pretty much unable to see. On the day of the play opening, I was going to be the best shark there ever was. It was my big break. When it was time I ran out onto stage and immediately collided into some sort of stage prop, fell over, and moderately injured my face. I haven’t acted in a play since.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Colorful, nostalgic, cinematic.

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

One of my favorite projects I’ve ever worked on was this commercial for a diaper brand called All Good. It was a nine-day shoot in Toronto and I just got to hang out with surprisingly chill babies all day.

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

Two years ago I was brought on to direct Billie’s launch film called Project Body Hair. Before that I had only been a stills photographer and this was my first real motion job. On that day I very clearly remember thinking, “Yes, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.”  That was the day I realized I definitely wanted to be a director. 

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

That’s hard to say! I kind of believe that anything can be taught if you’re put in the right circumstances and given the right opportunities. Like heck, maybe I’m a REALLY good chess player but I’ll just never know because I didn’t start young enough. Maybe I’m actually (secretly) a math prodigy!

I think the same goes for creativity, I bet there’s something innate that can’t be taught but I think so much of everything is nurture, not nature.

What’s the last dream you had?

Last night I had a dream that someone snuck into my bedroom and cut my hair as I slept (in my dream), and then I woke up (in my dream) and was kinda okay with it!

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

I’m not really sure but I hope my work can serve as some sort of sweet time capsule for someone to stumble upon.

Follow @AshleyArmitage on Creatively.

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

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

April Walker

April Walker is the fashion game-changer and culture creator who inspired a lane. Her brand, Walker Wear, helped create the multi-billion dollar industry of urban menswear—or what’s known as streetwear today. 

Guided by the custom tailoring requests that poured into her Brooklyn boutique in the late 80s, she focused on fashion, fit, and function. Inspired by workwear, Walker was an innovator of the all-denim look, ushering in an era of contrast stitching, deep pockets and wide legs. 

“We were listening to this thing called hip hop that had just become mainstream,” she said in an interview with CFDA. “I’d like to call it the voice and generation of the unheard and at that time, it really brought in a spirit of entrepreneurship.” 

As the first woman to rise in this realm, she’s also one of the first to dominate it, securing celebrity endorsements from the likes of legends like Tupac, Method Man, Notorious B.I.G., Aaliyah, and even Beavis and Butt-Head. The lifestyle brand was one of the first to open distribution doors and command millions in sales, and it’s still thriving today. 

Walker has consulted for various brands, branched into online learning as a contributor to Parsons School of Design “Streetwear Essentials” course, and is the author of the book, Walkergems: Get Your A$% Off The Couch. She’s featured in the film “Fresh Dressed” (2015) and the award-winning Netflix documentary, “The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion” (2019).

You can check out her latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

The first creative project I remember is making some artwork and a screen and then screen printing and selling them for the United States bicentennial with my dad. I was 10.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Left. Fly. Cool.

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

The most fulfilling collaboration was with myself and God. [It was a] self-care project on getting to know myself and listening to that energy. It was understanding that I needed to shed to become and unlearn to learn.

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

I remember going to the fashion district in high school and buying linen dresses wholesale and then selling them on pay day to the working women at their jobs. It taught me how to live in my discomfort zone, and once you push past that uncomfortable stage, you build your confidence. I also learned that you’ll never grow in a comfort zone.

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

I think we all have creativity in us. It just may be gifted in different ways. Some of us are creative in financing and some are creative in art. Believing activates your creativity and then fostering that energy enables it.

What’s the last dream you had?

I dreamed that I went to my niece’s school to complain about a teacher that was inappropriate and that there was a line of parents waiting to complain as well about the same teacher and incident.

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

I hope that people write about me as a giver, a game-changer, and a woman who came, conquered, and created; [I want people to say] that I helped and empowered others towards their dreams, acting as a catalyst for positive change.

Follow @IamAprilWalkeron Creatively.

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

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

Samantha Gongol of Marian Hill

Samantha Gongol is the lead vocalist of the band Marian Hill, an American songwriting duo formed in 2013 with co-writer and producer Jeremy Lloyd. Together they’ve written songs that have garnered hundreds of millions of streams and views across multiple platforms, and have had songs synced across film and television.  

The long-time friends and collaborators starred opposite one another in their high school production of “The Music Man” as Marian Paroo and Harold Hill. While their band name may be a mashup of Broadway characters, their sound is leagues away from the whimsical show tune. 

Gongol’s sound is piercing and pure, soaring over hazy synthesizers and a deliberate backbeat. Billboard praised the band’s “signature dark pop production and jazz-inflected melodies,” while Mother Jones noted their “well-balanced tincture of electro-pop, old school jazz, and R&B that feels rebellious but controlled.”

Their song “Down” was featured in an Apple AirPods commercial in 2017, which landed them their first Top 40 hit. They have performed at festivals and headlined shows around the world, and have made several television appearances, from “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” to “Later… with Jools Holland.” 

They’re scheduled to release new music this year. You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

I’m sure if I dig through the recesses of my memory, there were a myriad of early creative projects. However, one that really sticks out to me, for some strange reason, was an invention fair in third grade. We had to invent a product, and I created a glow-in-the-dark balloon—which I thought was revolutionary at the time. Really bringing that extra pizazz to all the parties.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Magnificent, dazzling, resplendent. (Haha! Isn’t “resplendent” a great word?) 

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

I’ve been lucky to work with a lot of talented people. But Marian Hill has, up until this point in my life, taken up the most creative space. Jeremy and I have been working on Marian Hill consistently since 2013.

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

Not to be a broken record, but Marian Hill has taught me more than I sometimes give it credit for. It’s been the defining project of the last eight years of our lives and I’m very grateful for it. I sometimes have friends and family remark that I’m “living the dream,” and while that’s often true, this business can also be really challenging. 2019 and 2020 were particularly difficult (2020 for obvious reasons!). 

Jeremy and I have been lucky to celebrate the highs, but we’ve also had to navigate the lows. And let me tell you, there are lots of them, haha. And while it’s amazing and necessary to enjoy the highs, the lows have been the real teachers. They’ve taught me the importance of listening to the power of my own voice. I know that sounds cliché, but when things are tough it’s really easy to let it consume you. No one can fight your battles for you, and I had to learn that often the hard way. 

2020 has also made me realize that I hate livestreams and they will never be a substitute for a live audience—not even close. Even when they’re unruly and talk through all the quiet moments, I love our fans so much. And like Tinkerbell I become starved for applause if I don’t receive it. I guess that’s problematic, if that’s a fundamental truth of mine. 

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

Both. I think everyone has the potential to be creative, but some are encouraged and allowed the time to flourish while others don’t get the chance. A great tragedy.

What’s the last dream you had?

Literal dream? I’ve had stressful COVID dreams lately about my life and it’s lack of forward progress. I’m trying to ignore them.

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

That we were resplendent! Haha! This question is also so hard to answer. I think all creatives want to be remembered as moving the conversation forward. Contributing to culture. Making the world a better place, even for just one person. 

In terms of live performance, I hope people say it was empowered and joyful. That they left feeling better than when they came. Maybe they were transfixed, brought into another world when they experienced our work. Even for just a moment in time. That we left a small yet bright and indelible mark in this vast and beautiful creative universe. 

[Laughs] Okay, I’m done! I barely know what I’m doing tomorrow and thinking too far into the future makes me really anxious. I literally can’t process one hundred years from now. I’m just trying to leave my house these days and imagine a pandemic free world—which is hopefully in the not too distant future.

Follow @MarianHill on Creatively.

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

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

Galen Hooks

Galen Hooks is an L.A. native who has been in the entertainment industry for over two decades. With a unique artistic approach to dance and choreography, she’s created a style that is instantly recognizable and entirely individual. Her versatility and experience have rendered her one of the most respected and sought after performers of her generation.

Hooks is the mastermind behind scores of blockbuster music videos. She’s worked with over 50 artists, including Janet Jackson, Justin Bieber, Britney Spears, Usher, Chris Brown, The Jonas Brothers, The Pussycat Dolls, Miley Cyrus, Rhianna, and Ne-Yo, just to name a few. Her mesmerizing YouTube tutorials have become a viral sensation with over 300 million views across social media. 

She’s modeled extensively for Nike‘s Dance and Sport Culture lines, including a two-page ad in Vogue. Hooks’ eye for crisp detail and storytelling that she breathes into every project, including her own self-produced, self-written, and self-directed short films. 

You can check out her latest projects on Creatively here. 

What is the first creative project you remember?

I started dancing and gymnastics when I was three, so I remember being in classes and moving to music at that age. Even though I was following a teacher, the creativity of interpreting music was so engaging—even at that age.

Describe your aesthetic/approach to dance in three words.

Personal, musical, storytelling.

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

So many! Touring with Snoop, dancing at the Super Bowl with Janet Jackson & Justin Timberlake, working on the entire Libra Scale album with Ne-Yo, three seasons of a show called THE LXD: Legion of Extraordinary Dancers on Hulu (with live performances at TED Talks, The Oscars, The Guggenheim Museum and so much more), every self-produced project I’ve done (“Campfire Vaudeville,” “There Once Was a Woman,” “Wait For Me,” “Tuesday,” all of which are on YouTube!).

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

The 20-minute original musical I wrote, produced, directed, wrote original music for, composed, choreographed, styled, and edited, “There Once Was a Woman.” I had never written a script, never directed dialogue, never hired a crew that big; there were so many “firsts.” We shot about three days of material in about 10 hours. It was overly ambitious and I didn’t get key footage I needed.

I sat on the footage for months completely depressed. But I ended up editing the film (having never edited dialogue/acting scenes before) and I am so incredibly proud to have overcome the emotional hurdle (major depression) and creative hurdle (missing key footage) to create a film that I am extremely, extremely proud of.

It taught me the fundamental ability of problem-solving and solidified my love for filmmaking.

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

Creativity doesn’t only relate to the arts—there is creativity in running a business, in marketing, even in planning what to make your kids for lunch. In any case, creativity has so much to do with being inventive, and being inventive is about thinking outside the box, which can absolutely be taught.

What’s the last dream you had?

It was actually incredibly sad! I dreamt my mom (who in real life is alive, in her 70’s, and is essentially my best friend), was no longer able to drive and was losing her motor skills. I’m hyper-aware of the mortality of my parents, family, husband, and friends—and I suppose it crept up in that dream! I’m sure 2020 was a great reminder for everyone reading this to cherish the people in your life, but in case you need it, consider this a reminder!

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

100 years is quite a ways into the future! To be honest, I’ve always thought it presumptuous to assume that anybody thinks/writes/talks about my work now, or that they will in the future.

If I had to hope for or pick one thing I’d like people to write about my work, it would be that I shared the joy of dance with people of all levels. That’s why I developed The Galen Hooks Method. We’ve had everyone from producers, recording artists, architects, animators, scientists, stylists. (For some, it was their first dance experience ever, so there is no level of beginner that is too inexperienced). The style of my choreography, the elements of storytelling, song choice, musicality, experimentation, acting, etc., have become a new way of approaching dance entirely, and because I plan to solidify this approach, I hope that in 100 years it’s something that can be written about in that context.

Follow @GalenHooks on Creatively.

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

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

Derrick Ofosu Boateng

Derrick Ofosu Boateng is a photographer and digital artist based in Accra, Ghana. Inspired by the richness of everyday African life, his images are methodically concepted, transforming ordinary scenes with vibrant color-blocking. These soulful images are all shot on his iPhone and edited with Photoshop, Picsart, VSCO, and the internal iPhone image editing tool. 

Boateng wants to use his contemporary photography to change the world’s perception of Africa and its art, which is often viewed through a limited lens in film and media. Through his work he represents the beauty and visual poetry of everyday African culture, lifestyles and behaviors, thereby “changing the story that is told of Africa.” 

“Photography has always made me happy, since I was a child,” he said. “And now it means something important to me because it is the way I have to defend the idea that Africa is not just something negative.” 

You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here. And tap on the “Black Creator Spotlight” at the top of your Discover feed to see all the incredible Black creators we’re showcasing this month!

What is the first creative project you remember?

The first picture I created after searching hard to find my preferred style in photography, which is colorblock. I did a picture called “Life is Like Riding a Bicycle.” That very image wasn’t staged and it was a little boy on a bicycle.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

I would say live, love, evolving.

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

For now, I would say the new one I just did with the phenomenal rapper Common. My images were used for his album covers.

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

I learn from each stage of life. Every project prepares me to be better for the future.

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

I wasn’t taught to be a creative, or a photographer, or an artist. I feel it’s something that came naturally. I believe one works hard on something to become talented or creative in that field. 

What is your wildest dream?

That my art has brought love to different people with different cultures and backgrounds. It has inspired people and changed the negative attitudes towards Africa. 

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

I would want my art to be remembered as spirit, truth, love, and happiness. How bravely I am fighting to change the mindset of people about Africa or Africans and promoting love among people.

Follow @DerrickOBoateng on Creatively.

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

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

Coco & Breezy Dotson

Corianna and Brianna Dotson (better known as Coco and Breezy) are the style icons and creative geniuses behind their eponymous sunglasses line, founded when they were just 19. The twins are also music producers, DJs, and owners of a set of bespoke cottage rentals in the Catskill Mountains. 

The Minnesota natives got their start embellishing safety goggles with studs and spikes, DIY-style. They moved to New York City and launched the premium eyewear line that has been worn by icons like Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Serena, and the late, great, superlative style icon Prince. 

They’ve partnered with brands that range from Twizzler to Samsung to Zenni Optical and—most importantly, at the age of 26—they’re writing their own rules for their brand. 

You can check out their latest projects on Creatively here. And tap on the “Black Creator Spotlight” at the top of your Discover feed to see all the incredible Black creators we’re showcasing this month!

What is the first creative project you remember?

Our first creative project was when we were two years old. Our aunt tells us this story that every time she babysat us, she could never put us in front of the TV like other kids so she started to buy us bags of arts and crafts. But if we received the same bag with the same crafts, we would know and we would tell her so she had to mix them up to challenge us more. We always wanted to create something new. 

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Our aesthetic is unapologetic, effortless, and thoughtful. 

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?The most fulfilling collaboration was our partnership with Zenni Optical. It’s an eyewear collaboration called Planet CB x Zenni and we actually just launched in August. The reason why it was so fulfilling was because for almost 10 years, we said we would live on Planet CB in 2020 and then we—funny enough—launched Planet CB in 2020. We wanted to launch affordable glasses for kids that were stylish. What’s great is that a portion of Planet CB proceeds supports Child Mind Institute’s efforts to provide youth of Black communities with greater access to mental health services. 

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

One creative project we did that taught us something fundamental was when we did the ‘third eye’ glasses for Prince. He taught us a lot about ourselves because during that time, we got to work with a legend. When he told us he wanted us to design glasses for his third eye, we were like: “How the hell are we going to do this?” This was a real challenge. Just being around someone that creative and that special was amazing. Even if an idea sounded unrealistic, he would just say it; being around him made us think bigger. 

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

Coco: I think creativity is something you’re born with. And I think the beautiful part about creativity is that you don’t have to be artistic to be creative. I tell people who work in jobs that aren’t artistic like accountants that they are creative because they have to find creative ways to do things or creative strategies. That is really the definition of being creative. 

What’s the last dream you had?

Breezy: I just had a dream that Rihanna had a crush on me. She was flirting with me in front of everybody. [Laughs] I was like: “Are you sure you want to do this in public?”

Coco: I don’t remember my last one! Breezy writes her dreams down. 

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

I hope people will write that they got the blueprint to be Black women entrepreneurs. Men aren’t often criticized for having multiple businesses but [according to society], women can’t handle it. If this is the Coco & Breezy blueprint, I want people to say, ‘If they did it, I can do it, too.’ 

Follow @CocoandBreezy on Creatively.

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

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