Debbie Millman has an ongoing project at PRINT titled “What Matters.” This is an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers. This facet of the project is a request of each invited respondent to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Kirsty Vance is the associate director of interior design at experience design agency I-AM. As an experience design lead, Kirsty works across hospitality, food & beverage experiences, even working on retail banking spaces. Specialising in creating branded environments, she has worked on projects with brands such as Center Hotels, KFC, and Sides, to create experiential customer journeys.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
I should probably say something really clever here about shaping environments that make life better for humanity. While that is great, and I’d love to be doing that, like really doing that, having a sense that I was making the world a lovelier place to be… In all honesty, it’s much less grandiose. I love being at home on a lazy Sunday, playing some records, and spending all day cooking a roast dinner. I get a warm and fuzzy feeling just thinking about it.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
This is really hard to pinpoint. I’m pretty sure I was drawing (scribbling) as soon as I figured out how to get my fingers to hold onto a crayon. I drew on pretty much everything. My mum had a set of table mats given to her by a relative that had a cork backing—this was obviously the perfect canvas for me to doodle on as a child. Those mats were a staple on our dinner table for a very long time, and I’d often flip them over to admire my work. The drawing was pretty obsessive (probably the symptom of being an only child and having to make my own fun) but my parents encouraged it, and I was labelled “artistic”. I did graduate to drawing on paper, eventually.
What is your biggest regret?
I don’t want to be boring, but I’m not really sure I have any regrets. I take a bit of a “F*** it” approach to life (am I allowed to swear?) I view regret as looking back on opportunities you had that you didn’t take. I don’t know whether it’s stupidity or blind faith that all things will work out, but if something has come my way that represents a fork in the road I tend to go for the risky option, and it has sent me down some really fun and fulfilling paths. I definitely look back on my adventures with fondness and a sense of pride, “you really did that!”
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
I’m not entirely sure. I’m not convinced there’s a formula that I can put into words. The passage of time helps. Settling into the emotion and accepting it as another part of life’s lessons. Heartbreak makes you reflect and analyse yourself, understanding your part in it helps…
What makes you cry?
I actually cry a lot- but it’s not all sad tears! I cried recently when I saw my best friend with her baby for the first time. Full-blown, couldn’t-even-speak cried. It came out of nowhere and took us both by surprise. I cried more than the baby…
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
Not long enough. I had a conversation with a friend recently, who also happens to be a designer, about how short-lived that creative endorphin high lasts following a project. However, we agreed it’s what keeps us going, just constantly chasing that high.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
Yes. It feels pretty appropriate that I’m writing this on All Hallows Eve-Eve. I’ve had some experiences that cannot be explained by science. Human beings have deep connections that don’t just disappear when you pass. It might just be a coping mechanism for grief, but it helps to believe you’ll be reunited with all the special people in your life someday…
What do you hate most about yourself?
I talk too much. I’m too loud. I over-compensate. I wish I could be the type of person who is able to articulate a message in just the right number of words and dazzle people with my succinct and direct approach. I just over-fluff.
What do you love most about yourself?
I couldn’t possibly say… BUT what I have been told is I have a great ability to put the people around me at ease. Essentially, I’m a people-pleaser. I like to make sure people are heard, and I take great interest in others. I think it’s a good trait to have, I never feel put-out by making the people around me happy.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
Haggis, neeps and tatties. Did I mention I’m Scottish?! I love it so much that I always make a point to prepare Burn’s Supper for my colleagues most years. I’m shocked by how many people haven’t ever tried it. There’s nothing better than watching people try it for the first time and see their eyebrows rise in surprised delight! There’s a nostalgic warmth that comes with this meal that just can’t be beaten.
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