We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lo Brewer. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lo below.
Lo , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 says: What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. If that was the case in biblical times, it’s all the more true now. I think as a creator, innovator, left-brain user, I often find it difficult to remain creative as a costume designer, because I’m trying to make something new. However, more recently, I’ve been finding inspiration in things that have existed for hundreds or even thousands of years. I spend a lot of time going to museums and communing with nature. I can find a silhouette or color palette to use for a character by looking at a sculpture or flowering tree.
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 came to my career much later in life after spending a decade in corporate training. When I decided to go back to school for costume design, I was finally at a place where I felt free enough to pursue a career doing something that I loved, not simply something I was good at and might be financially fruitful. I’d known for years that I was missing something because I’d only come alive when I came home from my day job. It was at night that I was so infused with energy to sit down and work on a short story or sew a garment I’d dreamed up.
I love the feeling I get when an actor puts on a costume I’ve designed and says, “Now I know who this character is.” Being able to weave a story, to create characters, to invoke feelings, all with clothing, is my purpose. And coming to my purpose has been one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received albeit a little later than I expected. But better late than never.
Going forward, as I take on projects that will help me grow and learn, I hope to work on pieces that are purposeful, that educate, that align with who I am and who I want to become. I’m manifesting my dream film right now: An afrofuturist story with a culturally diverse cast and crew, that entertains as much as it makes you think.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
A skill that I’ve learned over many jobs and many years is reading the room. Being able to read the room that your in will help you decide when it’s appropriate to speak your mind or better to be quiet. It’ll help you learn more about the team you’re working with and in many cases working under. Reading the room will often keep you from making mistakes when interacting with some more difficult personalities. I’ve found that sitting back, not saying a word and listening and observing have helped me to not only learn how to work better with other people, but how to do the job.
If I could give advice to anyone starting in the costume world, it would be to be as present and engaged with your team as you can be. But also be in tune with your emotional, mental and physical needs and make self-care and work-life balance a priority.
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
Using the costume world as an example, I think if someone is strong in a particular area, say sewing or illustration or aging/dying, that skill won’t go away if they choose to focus on other skill sets. So I’d say it’s better to be more will rounded. Granted, I’m of this mindset mostly because as a newbie in this industry, I work on a bunch of small budget projects where I have to be the designer, costumer, seamstress and supervisor. I have to be at least moderately skilled in all areas in order to get the job done. One day I’ll be working with a team of people, each with their own skill set, and I’ll be able to focus on being the costume designer only. But I believe that the time I’ve spent learning the other areas will help me to be a better designer, team leader and team member.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.flairhuxtable.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lo.n.beehold/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lopoullard/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlairHuxtable
