Meet Catarina Amaro

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Catarina Amaro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Catarina, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

I think creativity has always had a fundamental role in my personality, defining my communication and shaping my behaviour, not only as a professional but also as an individual. I see it as a sort of wide trigger that enables self-expression. However, because it is not much of a learnt or acquired trait, I think creativity is the ultimate result of perceiving (things, the reality, thoughts or concepts) in a particular way, and in my case, it is fed on a constant finding of hidden/subtle inputs in everything. This type of sensibility allows me to perceive reality in a way I can redesign it, and eventually turn into something else.

Sometimes I feel drained from feeling so much, so frequently – because creativity is a powerful tool, it requires a great amount of energy. And when it seems low, or distant from its usual frequency, I tend to turn around and abstract myself from the ‘creative state’, which is suddenly gone. I know I must absorb reality as it is, and I turn to the objectiveness of things. Among other habits, I usually rely on physical activity during these periods – enabling my body to stay as strong as I can feel it, and a sort of organic means of recharging my mind. And it usually prevents me from feeling more overwhelmed and/or drained, when I already feel low on creative energy.

I focus on the truth of things and I write about this mental place, not in a poetical sense, but more like as a description of what it feels like ‘to feel less’. The truth is that even the thought of running out of creativity seems like an inspiring starting point to start creating from. I see it as a flexible concept, not a static thing, and from what I have experienced, even when creativity is lacking and I am out of ideas, I remember that it is possible to canalize this kind of emptiness into something else. Just like everything else in us, it is human, and it fluctuates. But creativity is never truly gone. And that’s what makes me go on.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am a Creative Director and Designer based in Portugal, driven by the passion of creating (from chaos, from passion, from boredom, from need). Regardless of the nature of the project, I believe in sensitivity that comes from unexpected places, and I understand creativity as the highest form of self expression. I think these premises reflect my path.

I started my professional experience as a graphic designer and visual communicator. After graduating as a master in Fashion Creative Direction, and living in Barcelona for a year, I decided to turn myself almost exclusively into Fashion, setting my own clothing brand VORTEX STUDIO (@vrtxstd). Focusing on the process of upcycling, and following the premises of the ‘anti-fast-fashion’ model, with each piece created I aim to turn useless into unique, sewing one-of-one garments that are wearable, irreverent statements of the cause.

Besides working as a Creative Director and Designer for @vrtxstd, I also do fashion modelling, as a freelancer. Since 2023, I am a published poetry author in Portugal.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

01. Graduating as a Graphic Designer was one of the most complete experiences in my early adulthood. Even though I do not work exclusively in the graphic field, I am sure that this three years of intensive learning enabled me to grow in several ways, allowing me to experience design as an analytical field, and pushing me to develop professional skills that only creativity, per se, would not be enough to sustain. I am glad I had the opportunity to learn so much – in order to create against the rules, I am privileged to have learnt them in the first place.

02. Learning English since a young age was also a fundamental part of my education. Being able to understand the language and communicate fluently since I was young was definitely one of the most valuable skills I have acquired. Besides everything you may learn or experience, remember communication is one key component for success.

03. Being exposed to the industry. Working as an independent designer, travelling, attending events, and meeting people in the areas I am interested in has always been fundamental to me. While making connections may seem difficult sometimes, I feel like it is a great way to start a journey, to get knowledge and insight from. Some theory may be different from the practice, and my advice is to engage with other professionals who already do the work you aim to do yourself. Afterwards, the people who are already established in the industry will most definitely have something valuable to share.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

In this past year I have been extremely dedicated to improving my fashion design/sewing skills. With graphic design baggage, and further knowledge in Creative Direction, I have always aimed to actually design and produce pieces of clothing that could have a visual and social impact. Back when I was living in Barcelona, I started sketching and hand-sewing some experimental garments – most of them as prototypes for pieces I would later develop – and when I got back to Portugal I upgraded my methods, and started working with a sewing machine. I learnt the basics at first, and while it took me some time to understand how to produce with precision, this practice was (and has been, to the date) extremely helpful in the process.

For the past two months I have been almost exclusively dedicated to designing and producing unique garments. Combining creativity with self-discipline, I have been deeply committed to this continuous learning experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catamaro.my.canva.site/acatamaro
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acatamaro/ and https://www.instagram.com/vrtxstd/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catamaro/
• Other: https://shop.boas.co/search?type=product&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&q=cat+amaro

  (my garments available at BOAS)

Image Credits

Catarina Amaro