Fiji St. Louis Interview

Hey everybody. My name Ashley, and I'm the social media manager for expenses. And I'm here with Fiji St. Louis. She is a creative a graphic designer, a typography expert, an educator. She's a lot of things. And we're gonna have a conversation today How are you doing today, CJ? I'm good. Thank you, actually, for having me, you know, staying inspired, making new things. Being creative. Yeah. Well, let me ask you this. I know I'm in Nashville, and and you're up north. If we were just hanging out somewhere pretty special where you live. Where would we where would you like to chat and have a a conversation? Would it be something low key upbeat? So probably something low key. I like to have a good conversation where you can listen and hear everything, make those connections. So I would suggest if you were up in New York that we would go to this black owned coffee shop up in Harlem. It's called that like black. And it's small. It's not too big, but it's like a really nice for a good conversation. And I stumbled upon it when I was doing my first solo exhibition up in Harlem, and I've just been trying to support all the businesses up there. So I would definitely take you through it. Got it. And, you know, I'm addicted to coffee shops. I think it's a vibe whether I'm working on the the weekends or just hanging out with friends. It's it's the perfect place to hang out. Alright. So speaking of your work, CG, is there anything that you do that's not creative, we looked at everything that you currently do, and we were just blown away. So let's chat about that. Yeah. I mean, I find arrest is probably, like, the most important thing if I'm not making or creating something, but dance has always been a big part of my life moving, running, being outside really fuels me. And then if I have a story to tell, I might do that with movement, design, or mine are. So I'm always dialing in all different mediums to tell these different stories. Thank you for sharing that. Let me ask you something else what compels you to create. I love that question because it's about that inner movement, that's art that you feel. And for me, I feel like it's my family. And their journey, they're from Haiti, came to New York, really tried to make something new, and the fact that I have so many resources from a young age till now, I feel like I can continue telling our heritage and our story both of the African diaspora and Caribbean diaspora. So I feel like it's a cultural push to continue sharing both the triumphs, strength, and the softness of our cultures with everyone. I love that. What do you think or who do you follow that helps you to stay inspired? That's oh, who I follow to stay inspired is a mixture of people because I have all of these these creative avenues that are in a lot of places. So there are young and up and coming fashion designers that I like to see how they manipulate fabrics. And at the same time there are type designers who are finding references from the past, letting people use that now to tell new cultural stories. I am always inspired, I would say, mostly by other creators and in different planes, so that might be also stinging and even musicians. Anyone who's using small elements but to create something larger, that's where I'm always inspired by. I love that just looking at a a variety of different industries and pulling from there. And I I understand how that inspires creativity. We were chatting about creative's block. Creative's block a few weeks ago with another creative and Of course, they they say the same things. Paul's take a break, but I love just looking at things outside of your industry. I think sometimes we don't really think about that. So that's really good insight. Yeah. There's always something to gain from the work that other folks are putting out there. And everyone has those same blocks, so even talking to them, you know, connecting with other creatives and saying, okay, when you did get to this point. How did you finally have this piece that I appreciate so much. So I think there it's always worth seeing what they're up to. Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. So, Fiji, you spoke about Noma, the national organization for minority architects there's a conference and you summarize graphic design as language visualized. How do you use graphic design particularly typography to link language and culture. Yeah. So Ellen Lufton is a typographer in the design world and she had mentioned that in her book. Thinking with type. It's like language is visualized through typography. And when you work together with interior designers and architects the scale and locations change. So what I love about being a graphic designer that works within the built environment is those messages can come to you through small touch points like a throw pillow or a coaster at a bar, but then it can also this larger expression like a museum or even an educational institution where we embed things that you need to learn into the space. And all of that I find is really anchored to the story, and the story is told majority through typography. So I love, you know, activating that aspect of design to make sure that you create an experience around these spaces that you're working on. Got it. Love that response. Thank you for sharing. Fiji, what do graphic designers typographers, visual artists, or creatives in general need to hear in order to turn in their heritage for inspiration. I believe because of the education that we've had that had been one-sided that now the ability for us to bring in our personal stories, our histories and our lineage will only make the work that we do for each other, that more rich, that more layered and textured. It's, you know, our, I would say, responsibility to honor the thing that came before us, but also then to innovate on it by working on things conjuncturally. So we can find parts of our culture now to create that new way forward, and that really comes from a lot of the elements that we had growing up, whether that was from typography or even the artwork that spoke to very specific stories from our families, or a country. So it's a great way to add another layer that doesn't feel superficial and it's not there just because beautiful, but there's a meaning behind it. Yes. And we would love to explore some of your work right now. Alright, Fiji, when you are working on projects, do you have a practice or a system or a flow to get you going or share a little bit about your design process with us. So when I get a new project or a new prompt, I'm gonna really digest the overall ask. So what are we trying to do with this? Not maybe just make a business card or create a new library, but who is the audience and then I wanna spend some time researching that local space. What do the people want? What have they typically spoken about? How are they celebrating themselves? And then I'm gonna use that as a pivot point to look at past art architecture, any type of inspiration. It doesn't have to be just two dimensional or three-dimensional. To bring in to create this mood board, share that out with a team, because even though I and a consultant, I love still working with the team, we bounce ideas off and then start sketching from there and taking the process forward. Yes. And research, we now live in a time where it's just, like, get it out there quickly, but I'm learning as a creative, the most important stage of all of this is is research. We gotta pause and really do the work on the front end. Because it it will show definitely at by the end of the project. And I can tell by just your success, that research is very important to you in the design process. That's why I know you have a ton of people that enjoy your work, and I I know that you do good work from from what we saw. So so inspired by you. So inspired. I appreciate that. But it's true. You know, you need to know who you're making this work for. We are a service related industry, so we need to serve and work for the people, and if we don't know much about them, then how can we be designing for them? So Right. Love that. What is your ideal work environment? Do you listen to music? Do you work in silence? Map that picture out. Of. I mean, I do find the environment that you created is important. So I like a space with good lighting, sunlight, hopefully, and I'll even have, like, a humidifier, so I make sure that the overall temperate space is good. Music is a big part of it. And that comes from my love of dancing that just you create ambiance through music, and I'll listen to a lot of different genres. I'm not stuck into one. Music is a big part of me, and that is good for those early stages. And when I start to, then maybe start to design more heightened details, I'll start to listen to music that's a little bit more focused driven. But that, a handle, like, always having the mood set where just positive energy to come into you and to push that out through the work. Yeah. And as we start to work more remotely, I'm filled with so much gratitude because we get to create our own environment My parents were not able to do that. They had to, you know, go into an office, but now as creatives, we get to create that space and I I couldn't imagine having to not determine the work environment that I work in. So we are we're very lucky. Yeah. Very grateful. I think that's a great point, like our family, even some family members now, they don't have that autonomy of creating their own spaces. We've always had to do that within a larger kind of environment. So now it really can change, I believe, the work that we put out by -- Yeah. Making that ideal for us all. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. So you've mentioned that you are blown away by your students that you teach? What do you learn from your topography students at the school of visual arts? I love being an educator because you get to bring all of your experiences both as a student and as a designer and professional into the classroom. So what I love to see is their unique approaches, especially this younger generation. They had different upbringings from a content than we did. So a lot more on the digital side, but things that don't feel as traditional. So I love to see the processes that they go through in making things a bit more, I would say, almost natural. There's not this rigidity to some of the pieces that they're creating. And within that, I'm still trying to develop those foundational skills of how do you tell the message, how do you make hierarchy, how do you present work so someone can understand it. So it's been fun kind of collaborating with them both in the class and through their work to see how their design perspective has changed. Now let me ask you this, did you always know that you wanted to teach? Or did this just spark one day? I have an inherent love for teaching in general. So when I was younger as, like, fifteen, sixteen start teaching these classes for all ages from three to twelve. And the idea that I could break something down for someone that they can understand and then pick up. That's the aspect that I love the most. And so after that, I would even teach dance classes in in Midtown and in downtown Manhattan. Also, salsa classes for adults, so that was another fun way to break it down. So I've had different styles of teaching before I even got to the design classroom. And now I'm also loving that I'm integrating, teaching younger students fine arts. And getting color and shape and form in really fundamental ways to them. So different ages and subjects At the core of it, I just love sharing the knowledge that I have. Yeah. Fine artists, man. It's so important. And I I know I'm I'm in tech, so I get it. You know, I'm in front of my laptop right now, but I think it's just something that even a lot of just regular public schools have I'm kinda going on the tangent pulled away from, and we forgot how important the arts really is. So I'm loving that you're an advocate for it and just being a teacher for so many years. It's important because, especially, we were talking about even our hobbies from before. Right? It's separating ourselves from these digital spaces so that when we come back to them, we're becoming more fulfilled. So these students are very tapped into their iPads and their iPhones and other digital tools, but when you give them paint and they're able to create something, seeing them proud of themselves of what they're able to make is, you know, you have the ability to create from even these very analog elements. So what could you then create if you start to incorporate materials or a digital space? It's -- Yeah. -- the possibilities. So yeah. Endless. Love that. So how does your experience with dance? How does that affect your work today? And guess that really leaves kinda spin off of how you said it it does the same thing for your students. So how does this affect you? Now, dance is interesting because now you're using your body to tell a story and it could also be a solo or with a collective. So then there has to be this type of connection between you and either the stage or the space that you're performing in or you and the dancers that are also there together with the music and the audience that is right there. Right? Like, it's not something that happens post. It's usually something you get to share live. And that helps me understand just navigating space in general of how someone might go through either a museum or a retail store, I understand that from the, even the perspective of a dance area. How much space does someone have to breathe or to take something in? And also the idea of subtlety in the work, so you don't need to say everything. There are things can be inferred through small details, but you just have to be intentional about them. Yeah. Sometimes it's just better to You're right. You you don't have to say things just to communicate. And I you're just so brilliant. Every answer that you say it today It's just like, yeah, I I get that. It resonates with me so much. Alright. And I wanna end this interview with one final question. Fiji, what are you most proud of? I am truly proud of just the ability to believe in the creative sense that I have and that the voices and stories and imagery that I created are not only fulfilling for myself but accepted by others in representing certain elements of our culture. I think the ability to visualize our experiences, both things that have happened and things were inspired to create is really what I'm most proud of that. I get to share that with everyone and that it happens to translate into spaces that can be experienced for multitudes of years and for different audiences over time. Yes. Thank you for participating and just giving us your time, we know you're so busy. If I'm ever in New York, which I was actually chatting with friend. She wants to do a a trip a quick trip from Nashville to New York in the next few weeks. I would definitely reach out such a cool person get me such great vibes and you're so talented. So, again, thank you for being with us today. And you guys check out our YouTube channel. We are going to interview a ton of creators from all over, and we look forward to connecting with you guys soon. Have a great day. Thank you.