Creatives , art enthusiasts and students gathered in SM Aura’s Samsung Hall last October 12 for the 5th year of the Scout Creative Talk with speakers Yeokaa, LA Aguinaldo ,CJ Cruz, Petersen Vargas, Danyl Geneciran, Jess Wilson, Coco Quizon, Eric Salta, and Mark Nicdao. Here are some of our takeaways from the event.
8 Things We Learned About Being Creative at The Scout Creative Talk 2019
8. On Vulnerability and Self-Reflection
Yeokaa shared her insights on how she creates her artworks and where she draws her inspiration from. According to her, “Hindi ako magaling pero masipag ako magtrabaho, halos lahat ng trabaho ko tungkol sakin.” [I’m not good, but I’m hard-working. Most of my work is about me.]
She shares her tenacious passion for painting despite her struggles in life and how it became her personal outlet for her emotions. In the talk, she tackled mental health issues by sharing her favorite paintings, one of which is the artwork entitled “Killing yourself is like killing everyone who loves you.”
She opened up on her personal struggles and how they inspired her to be the artist that she is now. She emphasized the power of self-reflection and how it helps her be strong and strive as an artist in the midst of insecurity. She claims self-reflection will give us a sense of direction on where we want to go as an artist in our respective fields.
7. On Authenticity and Finding Your Own Voice
LA Aguinaldo talked about being expressive and using our voice for the greater good rather than creating meaningless content online. “Find your voice and focus on it,” he says. The social media sphere is currently polluted with the noise of tweets, Facebook posts, and Instagram photos; so being able to authentically connect with people online has become a challenge.
He talked about the importance of taking breaks as a YouTuber and finding time to reconnect with himself. “And what we want to share on social media is who we are because no one is like us,” he says. In a nutshell, we all want to be real in a world filled with filters and curated feeds. We want our real selves to connect with other people through our content.
6. On the Pitfalls of Modern Technology and Building Meaningful Relationships
CJ talked about how technology plays a major role in building relationships and getting your name on the Internet. “Technology is beautiful; don’t get me wrong. But that’s how it’s deterring the relationships you build,” he says.
CJ said that we can use technology to make a meaningful impact and make a brand for us creatives without compromising relationships online. We have to be careful on how we use technology as our voice and platform, though.
To quote him: “Find balance and life will never slow down for us, but we should always be ready for what comes our way.” One of the keys in using technology is finding a balance on how we use social media platforms for good. Since technology keeps on evolving, we have to be prepared for its changes, too.
5. On Embracing Passion and Creative Obsessions
Petersen Vargas emphasized on the obsessions of well-known local and international film makers, such as Sofia Coppola, Quentin Tarantino, Cathy Garcia Molina, Antoinette Jadaone, and more. He also shared how small details make a big impact on telling stories and creating films.
According to him, “If you want to make films, you have to love films.” Passion and making every detail count in writing an authentic story are essential – basically embracing the quirks and obsessions that’ll define your language as a filmmaker.
4. On Being a Fashion Editor and Storyteller
What does a fashion editor do? Danyl Geneciran answered that million dollar question for us!
According to him, “The role of a Fashion Editor is telling stories through images without using words.” Sounds like a dream come true to those who want to pursue a career in fashion and editorial, huh? He adds that “you need to have an eye for art and storytelling through pictures”. Being a fashion editor is more than just a title; it’s about being a storyteller.
3. On Branding and Resonating with Your Audience
Branding and marketing are often mixed up. Jess Wilson and Coco Quizon defined the differences between the two and also touched on the branding styles of companies like Nike, Outdoor Voices and more that run through the power of word of mouth.
According to Jess Wilson, “You can have a great brand and you can have the best marketing and you can tell the best story. But at the end of the day, what’s gonna stick to your brand is the products and that alone.”
2. On Writing Purposeful Online Content
Eric Salta’s talk was all about content creation via the written word through print or digital. He shared the importance of creating purpose driven content nowadays that isn’t preachy or annoying. Messages should be valuable and relatable to people. According to him, “There is something to be said about presenting something serious in a way that is more acceptable and relate-able to your audience. Very important for content creators, especially for writers that sometimes, we tend to forget.”
We have to remember the power of writers have in changing minds and changing the world through their words. Therefore, we have to create content that is meaningful to our readers.
1. On Grit and Passion
Mark Nicdao’s talk ended the event with an in-depth yet insightful take on photography and his life as a photographer. He talked about his early beginnings and his continuous journey as a creative. He talked about being a photographer, too: “You need to put in hours of work and be passionate.” It really is true that being passionate and having grit will help you sustain your career as an artist.
The Scout Creative Talk 2019 was a full day of insightful learnings, encouraging dialogues, and fun activities for us attendees. The event was produced by Hinge Inquirer Publications with the collaboration of Bumble.
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