Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lee Loo La. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lee, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
If being happy means loving what I do, then yes! Sure, I wonder about having a regular job. It’s not for me, but I’m sure there can be beauty in the monotony if you look at it the right way! For instance, you wake up every day at 5:30A because the cat needs to be fed. Then you get ready, grab your work bag on the kitchen counter, and scoop up your keys before heading out the door. Say “Good Morning’ to Robbie, your neighbor, who’s just getting home from the night shift. Then once at work, you say hi to Tom, the security guard, make your way to the cafeteria where Trish, the lady with that laugh, has your usual ready – a medium caramel latte and a blueberry muffin… See? It can be cool, if you look at it the right way. It’s appreciating the little things. Anyway, I digress… Even if I spent my free time from that job to work on my own projects, I’d much rather spend all of that time working on my projects.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m Lee, and I do wardrobe, music, and photography. I sort of fell into all of them. I got into wardrobe after someone saw some of the one-off pieces that I brought to a photo shoot. I did more of the same and over time I worked more on my designs. The next thing I know, I’m learning how to make costumes. I taught myself how to sew, poorly sketch, and construct. I do enjoy being able to work on one of my original designs, but sometimes I’m quite the sucker for a good fashion reconstruction. I say reconstruction instead of upcycling because I tend to deconstruct the original design and turn it into something new. Who knew that someone who just wanted to make clothes that fit her and matched her style would end up making costumes and dresses galore…? It’s been a lot of learn-as-I-go, lots of late night frustrations, early morning coffees, and so much appreciation for the process. Music was never on my bingo card, but here I am, and I’m in a band! If that weren’t wild enough, I sing! *faints dramatically* The conversation sort of went like this: Rick – Do you sing?; Me – Sure…in my car!; Rick – Good enough! Suddenly, I’m in our DIY vocal booth laying down some harmonies. So far, we’ve got an EP under our belts and an album in the works. Yay, us! I kind of feel spoilt in being able to work with two really talented musicians. Photography is sort of like a side quest. I mainly do self-portraits. It’s sort of my…thing. I started doing them when I wanted to improve my posing in front of the camera. So, I learnt how to style, light, and photograph myself. It’s helped me a lot to grow creatively and in some ways has helped to inspire me to create more with fashion and costumes. It’s also given me ideas for helping to pose others, whether they’re in front of my camera or if I’m assisting. Win-win all around! A side-side quest in photography is food photography. I like to cook, but primarily love to bake. When the final piece looks great, of course I’ll take a photo of it! So, I do go the extra 5 miles and create a proper presentation. I’ll have to show you my photo of my homemade strawberries and cream crepes!
As far as what I offer… In wardrobe, I can possibly offer one-of-a-kind pieces for your next photo/video shoot. I can even help you style it! In music, if you need female vocals to do some harmonies or some sweet spoken word on your next track, I could be the voice you’re looking for! Finally for photography, if you need some food photography done or want to be my muse for the day, send me a message! If you have merch or a product that you feel would photograph well with a pink-hair creature such as moi, my camera is ready. Also, if you’re looking for an assistant for your next creative project, I might be interested in it. Even if it’s something I’m not quite well-versed in, who knows, I might be interested in learning something new!
What sets me apart? Honestly, I wouldn’t know. I’m not trying to compare myself with other creatives. I’m just here feeding my inspiration and doing my thing. I kind of just make shit and get on with it. Haha
If there’s anything for me to be proud of, it would be that I’m still creating. I do a lot of different things and am still open to learning new skills. I’ve had my fair share of tears and feeling like I totally suck at everything I do. And honestly, I might! But I’m still doing it and loving every minute of this adventure.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Knowing that your work has touched or inspired someone is such rewarding experience. Sometimes all it takes is to get that one message, that one hug, or that one look that says ‘Thank You’ and suddenly every single doubt that you ever had about your work goes out the window.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
For non-creatives, the question is usually ‘Why?’ Why be a creative when you can get a regular job and make money that way? For me, the reward for the work I do goes beyond a paycheck. It’s the opportunity to create something where I can bring a vision to life. It’s the hours invested in it, whether it’s cutting and measuring fabric, recording the same verse over and over again until I get it right, or trying a bunch of different poses until I get *the* shot. It’s the last minute stresses that somehow work themselves out and make for a great background story. It’s taking a step back when all is said and done, and you can take a look at the final product. It’s so many different layers when it comes to creating and so many different emotions. It’s about the adventure from start to finish that makes being a creative so worthwhile.
Contact Info:
- Website: leeloo.la
- Instagram: LeeLooAbsolute
- Linktree: https://linktr.ee/leelooabsolute
Image Credits
All of the photos are by me.