8 mins

Agency life

Our team: Swimming in creativity, 24/7

Date 27.12.2018

We’re taking a break from the usual tips and tricks of digital marketing to share a few of our creative pursuits outside of work. Maybe we’re still feeling a little bit merry after Christmas or maybe we’re looking to show off our individual talents because we’re interesting people…

Either way, here’s a few hobbies and talents we’ve been hiding…

Writers gon’ write

There are a few hidden writers in the team. The first is me, which probably isn’t that surprising since words are kind of my job… but on the side I’m also a games journalist covering horror games and more for HorrorTalk.com and have even written an interactive horror story using Twitter polls.

Also creating new worlds when they put pen to paper are Matt Bayliss, developer, and James Wills, designer, one of whom is also a lover of horror and writes about all things that go bump in the night, and one of whom is obsessed with exploring the stars, going as far as to create his own planets, species, and fauna.

Shake it like a polaroid picture

A couple of us like to put down our tools at the end of the day and pick up our phones or cameras for a spot of photography.

You’ll see that Scott, our lead designer, has a serious eye for it and his Instagram is full of great landscapes and nature shots:

And then there’s our social media consultant, Kirstie Smith, who has a real thing for floors over on Instagram (and for good reason):

Creativity we’re drawn to

There are a few members of the team who are as handy with a pencil or a paintbrush as they are with code and campaign creative. These skills all saw the light of day during #Inktober2018, where you have to draw something every day for 31 days.

Here’s a selection of my favourite pics from James, designer and artist alike. I’m all about the colours and lines of that digital desert design. Heart. Eyes.

Oh, and see that one in the bottom-right? Yeah, I did that. You’re welcome. (I’m better with words…)

Another person bringing blank pages to life is Matt, developer and #Inktober veteran, who managed to make it the entire way through the month with some great pieces to show for it.

Again, here are a few of my favourites from his Instagram channel, and I can’t decide whether I love his Pennywise or his latest Cat & Rainbow art more:

Make mine a mosaic

As well as being a beloved copywriter within our team, Sanina also goes by another name…

The Mosaic Queen.

As The Mosaic Queen, Sanina creates these handmade mosaic hearts from scratch, making bespoke designs for each person who wants one, meaning every completed mosaic is truly unique.

A secret identity and a hidden talent… Does this make her a super-hero? Potentially.

Get a closer look at the mosaics for yourself over on Facebook.

Christmas feelings for everyone

James Johnston isn’t just the best project manager in the business… He knows how to care for a client and his community, and outside of work he’s been giving back over the festive season:

Christmas cards for 1,500 houses – Part of his role in his church is to oversee their media (makes sense, no?), which covers their annual Christmas card. The cards talk about the meaning of Christmas and include upcoming events for people to join, being delivered to 1,500 houses in the community.

Community Christmas carols – In addition to these thoughtful cards, James was also part of a team who arranged a festive carolling event. This heart-warming occasion included carols (with James on percussion), poems, scripture readings, and hot pork rolls for all. There wasn’t an empty seat in the building and everything was completely free to the community.

Keeping it creative with crochet…

On the way to and from client meetings, Emmaline McAndrew, account director turned digital consultant, puts knitting needles to yarn with her heart-warming yarn creations. This creative pursuit is called ‘amigurumi’, which is Japanese for ‘crocheted’ and ‘stuffed doll’.

Have a look at her Secret Santa gift for Katie, one of our senior account managers, who received this uncanny copy of her family Jack Russell, Finlay. He deserves it, too. He’s a good boy.

Head over to Emm’s Twitter if you want to see more of her creativity.

A bit of everything, really…

Plus, there are just so many more hobbies hidden within the team, even if they weren’t highlighted above. We’ve got long-distance cycling and mountain biking, a CEO with a pilot’s license (and a plane!), a quarterly magazine for ‘wild women and free-spirited families’, appearances on TV, plus Monday football matches that have been going on for almost 10 years with a bit of creativity on the pitch.

Are you spending the Christmas break indulging in a few creative hobbies of your own? Share with us…

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