We were lucky to catch up with Charlotte Ratel recently and have shared our conversation below.
Charlotte, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
Ideas are very beautiful and complicated flowers that need lots of care to flourish. No ping-pong tables and free snacks will ever be enough to maintain a healthy creative team.
Charlotte, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I’m a trained graphic designer with experience in advertising, film, set design and mural painting. I’ve had great opportunities to translate my love for graphics to spaces, books, art installations and video commercials. At the moment i’m dedicating all my time to Art Direction in advertising for 360 campaigns and brand identity. In addition to my commercial work I teach conceptual photography and film for the Graphic Design Bachelor at my alma mater Université du Québec in Montreal.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I applied to the Graphic Design Bachelor’s degree, I barely knew how to use a computer because I had spent prior years studying human sciences. I felt a strong urge to pursue a creative path. In a few weeks, I was able to put together a design portfolio. I spent all my time on tutorials trying to learn Adobe but also learning typography, the art of composition and design. Teachers would later tell me that it was rather my ideas that allowed me to be accepted into this program. I learned early that you miss every shot you don’t take.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
When people think about ressources they see material, workshops, classes, books, tools! But my best ressources through my creative path has been other creatives. There’s no tool, not even AI (yet) that can converse about ideas like another designer or creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: charlotteratel.com
- Instagram: charlotteratel
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-ratel-5b075266/
- Other: Behance: https://www.behance.net/charlotteratel Working not Working: https://workingnotworking.com/40056-charlotte