Debbie Millman’s ongoing project “What Matters,” an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers, is now in its third year. Each respondent is invited to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
James Wilkinson is the chief creative officer of interdisciplinary design studio G&A – crafting unforgettable experiences for global brands, museums and cultural attractions. With more than three decades of international experience, his leadership ensures that human connection and brave creativity remain at the heart of everything at G&A.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
My family and I have moved around a lot, across Europe and now parts of North America. Every time we landed somewhere new, our little gang would stick together and head out to explore. That early window – the honeymoon period – lasts about six months. Just us, discovering our new surroundings before real life kicked in: school friends, dinner parties, sleepovers. But in those first few months, the world always felt wide open and completely ours.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
My grandparents lived in a small seaside town in the southwest of England. There was absolutely nothing to do there—except, thankfully, go to the library. It was a good one. Quiet, a little dusty, and home to a beautifully complicated guide to drawing Disney characters, put together by actual Disney animators.
I used to check it out on my way to their house, then spend most days at the kitchen table—tracing, painting, inventing my own stories. My family loved them, so I kept going. And, really, that was it. That was the beginning of the path I’ve been on ever since. I tried to buy that book recently, but I couldn’t find it. Perhaps I imagined it.
What is your biggest regret?
Easy – Leaving the BBC. My father spent forty years there, and for a brief moment, it looked like I might follow in his footsteps. His career was fascinating, glamorous and rewarding. I should’ve stayed—joined the Wildlife Documentaries team and traveled the world filming, or maybe the World News department and covered global conflicts with a camera and press pass in hand.
But I didn’t. And while that version of life might have been extraordinary, I can’t complain. This one turned out pretty well, too. I get to do what I want, and I am very creatively fulfilled.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
Embracing my inner 1980s UK punk self. Whenever I feel overwhelmed, unsettled or upset, I listen to something that awakens my memories of my youth. The kind of music that reminds me of who I was back then: snarling, cynical, convinced I had all the answers. It’s all about recalibration. A reminder that I’ve rebuilt before – with spiked hair, Kensington Market stretched jeans, and all – and I can do it again.
What makes you cry?
I don’t cry easily—but when I do, I do it properly. It’s usually a film, an old photo, or a piece of music I’ve deliberately tied to something sad. I’m pretty good at putting myself in other people’s shoes, so stories—especially on screen—can really get to me.
The last time I cried was watching the absolutely fantastic Tim Key and Tom Basden film The Ballad of Wallis Island. It got me. Completely.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
A matter of seconds, then it’s on to the next. My favorite piece of work is always the one I haven’t made yet.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
Sadly, no. I wish that I did. I believe in people, and in memories. In the stories we pass on, the impressions we leave behind. That’s the closest we get to an afterlife.
Though I suppose, soon enough, AI will emulate us so convincingly we’ll live forever on our kids’ phones. Not that far off, really. These days, whenever they want something, they already get me on their phone.
What do you hate most about yourself?
My imagination, especially when it runs in the wrong direction. I can catastrophize just about anything, set impossibly high expectations in both my personal and professional life, and overcomplicate everything I see. Lucky me.
What do you love most about yourself?
I like the way I’m always searching for the idea, how I build on suggestions, throwaway comments, and the smallest of ideas. I’ve been told the teams I work with appreciate that. I think I’m a generous collaborator, and that mindset has served me well. Oh, and my hair.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
Prickly-skinned from a morning swim in the sea, still in damp shorts, sun-salted and happily windblown. Glasses of rosé and sparkling water everywhere, moules-frites on the table. A long, lazy lunch with family and friends, stretched out over too many hours overlooking The Med. That’s it. That’s the one.
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