1. What sparked your interest in having a creative career?
I think the spark was born the same time I was. Since primary school I was always drawing and sketching. By the time I hit secondary school I was downloading cracked versions of the Adobe Suite teaching myself how to use the software. With that being said I feel creatives are born with a different mindset with an ambition to challenge, create and conquer regardless of industry. They have a vision which is unique and see something different in everything. I feel personally no matter the career and path I followed or created, I would've made the role my own with creativity infused resulting in a “creative career”.
2. Do you have any major inspirations and why do you look up to these people? Could be in any respect ie. designers, musicians, family etc?
If I was to give you my top inspirational people it would be my father Oscar Henson, mother Sallyann Harris, Kanye and Charles Saatchi, all for very different reasons.
My father has an incredible heart, bravery, loyalty, optimism, morals and aura. He is a great role model and led by example in which I followed in his footsteps in admiration of his positives traits, but he also helped me learn from his mistakes/weaknesses (which obviously there’s few, the man is a god). But to give an example, letting people exploit your kindness then mistake it for weakness.
Mama Sallyann is a remarkable woman. She had my brother aged 16 and myself at 21. We weren’t born into wealth. As a single parent she raised myself and my brother whilst educating herself to get a degree and worked mediocre jobs to put food on the table. She sacrificed herself and her life for others and enabled us to be the people we are and have the life we have today. Me and my brother have a common goal which is to give her the world and everything she deserves within our ability. She is also my voice of reasoning, the angel on my shoulder. May not always agree or do what she advises but she helps me see the full picture. She’s an inspiration and driver behind most things I do.
Kanye West for me is a creative genius. He may not always say the right things but the message he portrays and the thought process behind how he works is like nobody else. He will push the boundaries that need pushing regardless of consequence. Kanye sets trends before you realise they are trends without the acknowledgement that is deserved. He will lay the foundations/the platform or inspire so other artists can build and profit.
Charles Saatchi is humble and honest. He wasn’t academically outstanding but always knew what he was good at in life and how to utilise those abilities to his advantage. With his vision he built an empire resulting in a legacy which his children will inherit and be proud of.
3. What has been the most challenging project you’ve ever worked on and why/how so?
I'm currently working on a project with a global brand which has been the biggest project we've worked on and definitely been the most challenging. The bigger the project/company, the more hurdles you have to jump and closed doors you'll greet. That's all I can say there for now unfortunately.
4. If you could give me one singular piece of advice for a future career in design what would it be?
One singular piece of advice... Be confident in your abilities, identify your strengths, be honest yet constructive, speak eloquently and intelligently, build on your weaknesses, constantly learn and finally provide a unique and enjoyable customer experience. You can be an incredible designer or creative but this is a growing competitive industry, you must stay humble and identify that there's thousands of people with similar skills or styles to you... but what makes a creative credible or profitable? So I would emphasise on the point of providing a unique and enjoyable customer experience as this will turn you from a creator into a business.
5. What other important interests or passions do you have?
Nothing out of the ordinary really to be honest... Music, fashion, art, football, travel and food.
6. If you weren’t a designer what career could you picture yourself having?
I never knew the answer to this question until recently. So I would be an actor. Not for the fame or prestige, I'm not about that life. More because I find it interesting how you have to detach yourself from yourself and create a new persona, an alter ego, a character. You're constantly learning, developing skills, creating and living a new life for intermittent periods. When you think about it from that aspect it would be a fun life right?
7. What short and long term goals do you have for your studio in the future?
Short term goal is to build a talented team of creative individuals that can cater for a range of services across a broad spectrum of industries. Long term goal is to conquer the world and eventually the universe.
8. What do you love most about your job?
I love creating on a daily basis. I am fortunate to have clients within a variety of industries that trust Xvavi as a studio to express and deliver ideas from concept through to fruition. As cheesy as it sounds I’ve created a business and life that I love with a healthy balance of freedom, creativity and commitment which brings new and exciting challenges daily.
9. What would you say your greatest strengths and weaknesses are personally?
One of my greatest strengths personally is understanding people and their thought processes. In business this is invaluable as it enables me to understand the clients needs, direction and vision in addition to having the ability to deliver across a variety of speciality areas in design. But those skills aren’t developed overnight. So I guess the desire and ambition to learn and achieve on a daily basis also.
My greatest weakness is not knowing when to stop. Sometimes you just need to “be”. I don’t do that often enough.
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