6 lessons in harnessing creativity from the Vogue Codes In Conversation Brisbane breakfast
The final instalment of our series of Vogue Codes In Conversations breakfasts took place in Brisbane, as Vogue’s deputy editor, Jessica Montague, moderated a panel with two supremely creative women–Anna Spiro and Christy Laurence. Spiro, an Audi ambassador, is an internationally revered interior designer, whose work includes the likes of Halcyon House, perhaps the most Instagrammable hotel in Australia. Laurence is a tech entrepreneur whose Instagram planning, scheduling and analytics app, Plann, is used by more than 1.5 million people across the globe.
As guests mingled over coffee and chatted over a delicious breakfast, Vogue’s Jessica Montague opened the event with these sage words: “Young girls need role models to see there is a place for them wherever they want to go in their career. We want to prove that it’s not just possible for a female to work in and around tech but it’s also possible that they’ll rise to the very top.” Then, she invited Spiro and Laurence to join her to discuss design, technology and the power of a great image. Here, we’ve pulled together the top lessons from these innovative women.
If you’re not being fulfilled creatively, that might be a sign it’s time to make the leap
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“I was working in corporate advertising. The further you climbed up that corporate ladder the more you were removed from the creative day-to-day work. I decided to just do it.” – Christy Laurence
Learning to innovate in your field takes persistence
“It’s the old adage, ‘never give up.’ I have a great amount of strength and I don’t want to fail. I don’t want to give up. I just keep on getting on that horse and trying again.” – Anna Spiro
“One of the biggest challenges is, I am not a developer. I watched YouTube videos until my eyes bled. In tech there’s nothing safe. If you have a good idea, it will be stolen. It’s about passion.” – Christy Laurence
You have to be willing to adapt as technology changes
“Technology has changed my industry in that a lot of clients know a lot about things they didn’t know before. It’s given them awareness. It’s up to my team to find things they haven’t seen before. It’s a sharing community.” – Anna Spiro
Never underestimate the power of Instagram
“It has been something that has driven me into an international realm. Technology, Instagram, my blog, all those things have been the major driving force for my brand.” – Anna Spiro
“Instagram has the highest organic reach of any platform. Instagram has become part of the daily ritual of people’s lives and there’s a billion unique people on that platform.” – Christy Laurence
The perfect work-life balance simply doesn’t exist
“There’s no such thing as work life balance. In the sea of life you just have to put everything into it. Even one hour is only five per cent of the day so I just try to get that five per cent in.” – Christy Laurence
Authenticity is respected in the digital realm and on social media
“[My Instagram is] about me. People want to see something real. If I see something or I’ve done something I like, I post it. I’m very creative and I come up with an idea spontaneously. A lot of people say they like my honesty. I’m just me and I don’t want to ever be fake or be something I’m not.” – Anna Spiro