DJ: What does it take for you to feel creative?
Hattie Newman
Hattie is an artist and animation director working in London and New York. She’s spent over a decade creating worlds in her work, constructing sets, structures, images and environments with paper as her primary material. A range of clients from Vogue to NSPCC have been attracted to Hattie’s work, commissioning her to craft bespoke pieces.
HN: Time ahead of me. To do list out the way. Not too much pressure, but enough to get the adrenaline going! I love being around other creative people, even just as background noise and bustle. I get energy from that. For creative problem solving I quite like to be on my own, thinking and testing through trial and error. If I’m on a photo shoot or working in a team I like an atmosphere where all ideas feel valid and I don’t feel self-conscious, collaborating with open-minded people.
DJ: How important is drawing to you?
HN: Drawing to me is like meditation. I love doing it because it makes me forget about everything else and I can get into a little bubble. And I also love the challenge. I want to get better and better so I just keep practicing, like an exercise. Mostly when I sketch it’s not for any reason, it’s just to zone out but it’s also important in my work too because I use drawings to explain ideas.
DJ: Do you have strong feelings about colour?
HN: I surround myself in colour at home and in my studio. I also love wearing it. I have quite consistent instincts about what colours I like and don’t like. I think I have a natural colour palette that’s kind of developed by itself over the years and you can see it across my work. Lots of blue and green! I grew up in quite a colourful house too, which must have done something to me.
DJ: Which do you value more, loosening up, or tightening control?
HN: Up until now I think I’ve always strived to tighten control, but I think loosening up is really important. When you’re collaborating, other people need to understand what you’re striving for. If you’re too loose it can be confusing. I suppose I place more value on loosening up when I’m working on my own, but in teamwork I need to make sure the outcome we’re striving towards is the right one, which means it can’t develop with too much flexibility or it can go wrong!
Drawing to me is like meditation. I love doing it because it makes me forget about everything else and I can get into a little bubble.
DJ: Can clothes have power?
HN: They can make you feel powerful. To be honest I’m mainly about comfort with clothes, but I do unconsciously make choices that seem to recur, a bit like with my work.
DJ: Do you ever dream at night?
HN: I remember my dreams most mornings but forget them pretty quickly. They’re often about the end of the world. Once I dreamed that a tidal wave of knives was cascading over the earth. When I’m dreaming I sometimes think I’m having the most amazing ideas but when I wake up I realise they’re absolute nonsense. But maybe nonsense is good. I love that dreams connect your experiences and thoughts at random with no logic, like mixing childhood memories with TV shows.
DJ: Is there a part of the year you most yearn for?
HN: I love feeling spring turn into summer, and knowing I’ve got the whole summer ahead of me. I have a lot more energy when the sun’s shining and the days are longer. I make more time to sketch out and about, do personal work and travel. I grew up in Devon and it’s so beautiful there in spring time. There are so many daffodils and it smells amazing! ●
