Aishah Ibrahim Warda, Freelancer and Owner of Kreo Designs
When did your journey as a creative begin?
Looking back into my childhood, I have always enjoyed the idea of design and art. Long car rides while attentively listening to discussions on design and art from two architects (my mother and father) has very much influenced my passion for practical and purposeful design.
As a curious kid, I have experimented and tried a few creative fields including photography and videography. However, my passion for graphic design stood out along the way and has now turned into something bigger.
How about as a freelancer?
My journey as a freelance graphic designer gradually developed in University. I started designing simple posters for events to taking commissions from friends and family during the early years of my university life. This passion as well as a side income has now become more stable when I decided to establish a start-up, Kreo Designs in the final year of my studies. This journey has been and still is a rollercoaster ride, I would never say it is a boring one. The challenges and joy it brings has developed me into the person I am today.
How would you describe your creative/artistic leadership?
Effective listening has always been the pivot to my problem solving techniques as a creative leader. Understanding problems is half of the problem solved.
If there's something you noticed women creatives doing (for example not promote themselves, being too shy to put themselves out there) how would you advise them?
I would advise them to not be too attached to the opinions of others. People are most often attracted to authenticity and purpose. So let's just be ourselves and get our message across.
"Effective listening has always been the pivot to my problem solving techniques as a creative leader. Understanding problems is half of the problem solved."
What is your life ethos and how does it relate to your creative journey?
I see myself as a person who facilitates others. I often find myself always assisting others to amplify their voices, fulfill their potential and get their message out to the society.
In the creative journey, something that I find interesting is that many have inspiring goals to achieve including starting small businesses, establishing clubs, or owning cafes. However many are held back by certain circumstances and difficulties, which often results in abandonment of their goals and dreams.
Having a discussion on their dreams and assisting them to visualise their goals is where I often come in. This element in my creative journey is very satisfying for me and is simply wholesome.
What was the most significant/impactful project for you thus far — why?
One of the most impactful project in my personal journey would be one of my earliest ones. It was a project to create branding, product label and logo for Sambal Kak El. For others, it would seem a small job with small pay, however, it was the client as a person herself that made this project so significant to me.
Kak El started as a small catering company and my friends and I would often buy cheap meals from her during our university days. We saw her mini startup grow to the point that she managed to release her own line of products. Being able to share the journey with her was an honour as we knew her struggles to achieve what she did.
This story made me realise how our work as creatives could actually impact people's lives in so many ways.
What do you love about your current role?
What has kept me going as a freelancer is witnessing the impact in the work that I can create for people, even if it is not of a major significance. Knowing that a simple logo or product label that I designed for them has made their journey smoother gives me joy and relief.
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