Who? Katie-Lee Faulkner, Senior Operations Manager
Katie-Lee’s creative hero: Kate Bush
Why Kate Bush? She’s not afraid to be wholly herself. She embraces both the beauty and ugliness of being human, and explores how those feelings and perceptions change the ways we relate to each other, especially with regard to gender roles and womanhood. Her songs have always called to the weirdness in my heart. And, of course, I have to note that Kate’s a fellow Leo.
The piece of Bush’s work that Katie-Lee comes back to again and again: I absolutely adore Kate’s 1985 masterpiece Hounds of Love, and I play it maybe once or twice a month front to back. It’s dreamlike, full of wonderful texture, layered vocals and clever samples. When I first listened to it, I was shocked because it feels so ahead of its time, and I discover something new with each play-through.
When she does her best work: In the morning. I’ll brew some coffee and burn my favorite Japanese incense at the start of the day, and those moments of quiet set me up for success.
The ritual she follows before embarking on a new creative project: Whether they’re professional or personal creative projects, I always reflect on the vision, how I want to feel by the end of the project, or how I want my team or the people I interact with to feel. After that, I separate that feeling into tangible steps to achieve the vision, which manifests as either organized early-morning brainstorms or slightly unhinged power hours later in the day.
What the title of Katie-Lee’s memoir would be: The Weirdness of My Heart. I’ve always been eccentric, and I hope to have many more flamboyant stories as my life goes on.
Her most treasured possession: I’ve been journaling consistently since I was 7, and my personal tomes literally tell my life’s story. I’ve completed 14 journals to date!
Her idea of happiness: Being surrounded by the people I love and doing something that we love together. Community and creativity feed my spirit.
Her idea of misery: Sacrificing who you are in order to fit in. I tried it when I was younger, and I felt insecure and unhappy for a long time. My life started to blossom when I decided it was time to give in to the impulse to be a little strange.
