We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maya Marzuki Peters a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Maya Marzuki, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

It’s pretty cliche, but I’d have to say my mom. Growing up, our relationship wasn’t always easy, she’s pretty stubborn and I’m pretty stubborn, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to appreciate just how much of a fighter she is.
She grew up in Indonesia, raised by my great-grandmother, who was a Chinese seamstress and was losing her vision with age. It was a difficult time in the post massacre era, both politically and financially. My mom would often tell me stories of her childhood to remind me of the importance of inner strength and how she had to be resourceful to survive. She would buy kitchenware from one town and sell them door-to-door in the other, played cards with adults on the street to make extra cash earning herself a reputation as a not to be messed with gambler, and worked her way into Trisakti University on a scholarship. She was relentless, smart, tough, and honestly badass to rise above her circumstances.
That mindset shaped me more than I realized when I was younger. I may not be as tough as she is, but I try to carry that same drive with me. Whenever I hit a roadblock in my career or start doubting myself, I think about what she would do. She wouldn’t hesitate, she wouldn’t dwell, she’d just keep moving. Proud to say I want to be more like her.

Maya Marzuki, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m a production designer and director, two disciplines I love dearly. I originate from a fine arts background so in both my production design and directorial work I tend to lean towards more conceptual or experimental shoots. For me, my passion is in worldbuilding and creating distinct environments. Recently, I’ve been interested in exploring the experiential space and have already dipped my toes in cross over design work in those industries.
I love creating genre works too, whether it be fantasy, sci-fi or horror. I grew up reading a lot of manga and reading fantasy novels so I think this is where I get it from. I’m particularly inspired by the fashion and movement space and have had great collaborations with fashion designers and choreographers.
I’m all for a multi-disciplinary approach when it comes to making my work, as I think every department is an art and being able to be in a creative position where I can craft those elements is what gives my work purpose.
When I am working for a director or a client, I try my best to come up with the vision that they may not be able to vocalise. I am a very active listener when it comes to picking up on brand cues, and really try and get a POV feel for what they want and what their taste is. Some creatives don’t like creating others visions but I feel a great passion for it. I like to build out peoples vision and within my own creative lead projects I always feel like my work is a reaction to the brand’s creative identity. For me it’s like a puzzle I have to solve.

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.

I think the biggest misunderstanding is that many non-creatives don’t think there’s a point to art. Which is entirely untrue, whether you’re a frequent museum goer or you listen to music on the subway, you are consuming art. Our world would be a lot more boring and dull without it. We should really support our artists.
I also think another misunderstanding is that art doesn’t take work. It takes a massive amount of communication, project management and entrepreneurial skills to pull off a creative project. And more importantly, a massive amount of discipline. The creatives I know are the most hardworking people who live and die by their work. There is a huge amount of rejection in the industry, and it takes a certain person to get back up and keep striving with the fire of passion to keep going.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think with my work it’s that I can immediately see it happen and it feels tangible. After ages in pre-production, nothing is more rewarding than arriving at a shoot and seeing the work come together, it’s the same as painting a painting or sculpting a sculpture. I like that I can see, touch and hear my work and activate the senses.
Which I think is the point of film, is that it activates the senses and transports the viewer. And being able to create that experience and share with another is incredibly rewarding. I remember seeing a friend cry by watching one of my first films and that’s a memory I’ll never forget. I was so touched that he was so moved and it was definitely a reminder of why I do what I do.
Another thing is creating with a community, being able to work on a shared vision with a team is inspiring. No creative project like film and design is done alone. In the art department, I have art directors and set decorators and assistants under my lead, and it’s nice to support them and feel supportive, which are the environments I think we should focus on creating in the industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maya-peters.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nastymarzuki/