#43 Mar 16 2023

In a world that's never felt more divided, regressive or in crisis, putting our happiness and creative fulfilment to the bottom of the pile has not only become the norm, but it's become a messed-up, back-to-front coping mechanism.

(Which, granted, sounds like the perfect welcoming intro to a motivational, creative pep talk!)

But let Kerry take you on a ride to an alternative future, and explain why the kind of daydreams and delusional self-belief your six-year-old-self had, are actually the keys to your success, happiness and creative fulfilment. You might want to invite your six-year-old self to come along too.

About Kerry

Kerry is a creative coach and a born-again illustrator based between Birmingham and Dublin, with over 20 years experience as a designer and art director, and nearly five years in mindset coaching. Kerry's combined experience supports high-achieving creatives who've lost their mojo in their career, to recover (and live) their true creative call.

Alongside her certified coaching practice, Kerry launched her childhood dream of an illustration studio and flagship wallpaper collection in 2022, and is expanding into licensing in 2023. She has a penchant for Nike Air Max 90s and is a certifiable *hugger*.

About Luyang

Luyang Zou is an artist with a diverse background in new media, digital art, and architecture. As the founder of LAB ZOU, Luyang's creations are an ode to the interactivity between spaces, humans, and senses, with a focus on story-telling and critical thinking. His works include immersive experiences, projection mapping, kinetic installations, spatial sound, and virtual production, which have been exhibited globally at prestigious venues such as the National Theatre in London, Today Art Museum in Beijing, and A4 Art Museum in Chengdu.

Having initially trained as an architect, Luyang's artistic journey has been one of exploration and evolution. After graduating from Interactive Architecture Lab at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London in 2018, he joined Arup London as a lighting design consultant. Luyang is also a dedicated mentor and educator, sharing his artistic thoughts and expertise at universities such as University College London and University of the Arts London.

In 2021, Luyang founded LAB ZOU, his new media art studio, where he continues to push the boundaries of art and technology with his unique vision and creative flair.

If you don't like the conversation, change the subject. Nikos Georgopoulos re-invents the scope of storytelling though the work of his advertising agency Marlon Tate. Nikos believes we live in a new age, where a brand can tell its story not only through traditional media, but in whatever form most suits its message. Nikos will talk about the power storytelling has in brand building and will share stories, anecdotes and his own company's project work to prove that nothing is impossible if you bend the rules of physics.

About Nikos

Nikos Georgopoulos is a Greek-British art director, writer, model and singer. He is the founder and Creative Director of Marlon Tate, an advertising agency famous for claiming to have offices in space. Described as ‘sensitive, considered and essentially poetic’, he is best known for creating narrative-driven brand identities and advertising campaigns for creative clients. In 2020, he branded Greece's first coliving brand as an imaginary country and in 2021 he launched East London's biggest urban regeneration project as a festival of electronic music. Labelled by the UK design press as ‘pop star art director’, Nikos rose into prominence when it was announced that he is collaborating with famous photographer Polly Brown on a trilogy of fictional projects entitled 'Time travel branding'. The first project premiered at the prestigious ATypI in New York and received positive reviews from critics and press, who praised Nikos' 'fictitious but brilliant universe'. He teaches Branding at London College of Communication since 2017 and in 2018, he was named the first-ever Head of Graphics of PTE architects overseeing the award-winning brand narrative of Eastman Village in Harrow.