Kitiya Palaskas, Creativity + Craft

Ever wonder, 'what exactly is a craft-based designer and what do they do?' Well then meet this week's guest, Kitiya Palaskas. In this episode Kitiya will discuss how she got her start in this industry, how she stays creative in this crazy, tips to get reaching out and staying on big brands radar, and advice for turning your creative passion into a career.

Kitiya Palaskas is an Australian craft-based designer, author and speaker with a multi-disciplinary practice. She specialises in prop and installation design, content creation, illustration and workshops, focusing primarily on using handmade techniques and traditional craft methods re-imagined in contemporary ways. Her work is characterised by its bold colours and quirky themes and has spanned the retail, music, advertising and publishing industries. Her clients have included: Lego, Etsy, The Washington Post, Warner Music, Amazon, Bailey Nelson, Frankie Magazine and Lily Allen, among others. She is the author of Piñata Party, a DIY craft book available in Australia, the UK and the USA.

Episode notes:

• [05:43 ] What in the world is a craft-based designer?
• [14:10] How to stay inspired in a digital world.
• [21:35] The three tactical tips you need to pitch and secure big name brands as partners
• [33:03] How has your business pivoted since COVID?
• [47:21] What advice do you have for people who want to turn their creative passions into a business?

Selected Quotes:

• [ 11:32] " I get these ideas and I get so passionate about them and I just have to see them through. Life's short you just gotta like to follow your dreams," Kitiya says.

• [14:19] "I think it's really easy to think that you're looking for inspiration as you're scrolling through Pinterest or scrolling through Instagram feed. But really you're just absorbing the ideas of other people. And I know that's what inspiration is, but it's really hard when you then want to use your inspiration to create original work if the core inspiration came from somebody else's work, because it starts to form this rehashing cycle, where your work starts looking like everything else on Pinterest," she mentions.

• [25:27] "These brands get pitched all day long and have multiple campaigns running for different aspects of their business all the time. So you wanna make it really easy for them and clear for them to see exactly how they could use you," she discusses.

• [30:48 "It's not just about what you can get from them [clients], but it's about how you can nurture [that relationship] once they are your client and keep them on your list," Kitiya says.

• [45:18] "Self care and well-being need to come first! Because if you don't feel great like that, then you're not going to be able to be your most creative and authentic self and that's the thing that brands and clients want to work with you for." She says.

[47:34] "First thing to do is just start putting your work out there! Don't worry too much about having a fully realized brand from the get-go, before you begin, because you might never feel ready then." Kitiya says.

Show notes

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