Our newbie Kat is brimming full of energy and artist flair. We found out a little more about her and discovered why creativity is in her DNA …
What did you do before joining Alive?
Before joining Alive I was an Illustrator and Designer at a small studio with big clients, working largely in sports marketing and fashion. Covid-19 really rained on the parade of the sports and entertainment industries as well as fashion retail and hospitality, and so therefore destroyed the majority of our business. I was made redundant part way through the pandemic and whilst on maternity leave! As terrifying as that was, in a way, it was a blessing, as I got to spend more time getting to know my two wild, snotty, adventurous and emotionally volatile wee piglets. But I missed being creative, solving problems that weren’t related to bodily fluids, and talking to other actual adults, so I approached Alive thinking we’d be a good fit. I knew I’d found my people when my interview descended into little more than a webchat about dancing penises.
How did you get into design in the first place?
My Grandfather was an artist, and I guess I inherited some talent from him. Forever a bit of a weirdo, I was always going to be an art student and/or a struggling artist. Being a teen cliché and in love with my Art Teacher was probably an influence too. I did a degree in Photography before realising that I should have done an Art Foundation first, so I then went backwards to do a Foundation year, discovered a love of contemporary illustration, worked as an Art, Photography and Graphic Design Teacher for 8 years or so, and now, here we are.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
I love my job because every day, every project and every challenge is different. I get to use my chubby little hands to do the thing I love the most, in the (mostly virtual) company of some lovely folks and hilarious over-sharers. To be in a company that embraces me in all my wonkiness and allows me to work in a way which best suits my family, is a rare but dreamy combo.
Where are we most likely to find you outside of work?
If I am not working, you will most likely find me chasing my 1 year old twins around the woods whilst simultaneously scanning every inch of an ever changing landscape for potential hazards. I love the New Forest and have always lived by the coast, so if I am not at a computer I want to be outside, looking at the outside, getting grubby outside stuff on me and putting the outside into my lungs.
Finally, something we’d never guess about you?
Pregnancy and a pandemic, plus an unyielding love for sugar means that I look like I hate moving my body at all, but I actually love powerlifting. I’m also trained in Thai massage, once looked after Kriss Akabusi’s rats, and I have a big old man-crush on Captain Jean Luc Picard.
