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.
Paul Blackburn is the founder and creative director of Studio Blackburn, a London-based brand studio working at the intersection of design, architecture, culture, and identity. With over 25 years of experience, he has created bold and lasting work for clients such as the IOC, Zaha Hadid Architects, Sky, Toyota, and Brompton.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Taking a single chairlift in the Alps up to a high altitude. There’s something about being transported as you silently glide through treetops that I find incredibly relaxing and uplifting. Equally, sitting in the sauna after a gym session would be my go-to moment. The combination of relief after a workout, the endorphins, and a completely clear mind enables me to allow myself the time to solve a problem or think creatively without distractions. It’s the only time I’m able to stop my mind whirring.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
I have two memories from my childhood: one is of my dad teaching me art. I’d never heard the word before, but I had discovered some of his books about early twentieth-century artists from his student days. The art he taught me was how to draw bottles in white candle wax onto white paper and then wash blue ink over them. I can still remember the white lines emerging from the blue; it was magical.
My second memory is of my mum coming home with a one-square-metre piece of hardboard. It sat on the floor in my bedroom and became the base for all my Lego, Airfix and papier mâché creations. A true blank canvas for creativity. My mum still marvels at how much enjoyment I got from that board.
What is your biggest regret?
Succumbing to some of the voices of laddish behaviour before I knew any better. Verbally lashing out at people earlier in my career, usually when I was feeling under pressure to perform better, and nearly always when I was feeling intimidated. Thankfully, I’ve done a lot of work on myself so that it doesn’t happen anymore.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
Spending an hour each week talking with a therapist for most of my adult life has been a lifeline for me. Talking is the best medicine.
What makes you cry?
I’m not a crier at all. I prefer to let events hurt me before I then bury them deeply so that they get released slowly over time, causing me low-level, agonising and ongoing pain. I think I should learn to cry.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
It didn’t used to last very long at all, which I put down to not knowing what ‘enough’ looks like. But I’ve been working on it and I’m now able to maintain pride and joy of accomplishments for much longer. On the odd occasion that I stop and consider the amount of high-quality work myself and my teams have produced over the years, it gives me huge satisfaction.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
I don’t believe in an afterlife, absolutely not. I’m a big fan of the idea of ‘rippling’ though, described by Irvin Yalom in his brilliant book, Staring at the Sun: “each of us creates – often without our conscious intent or knowledge – concentric circles of influence that may affect others for years, even generations.” I find this idea hugely reassuring and enabling.
What do you hate most about yourself?
That I can’t control my wine intake. It annoys me that something so detrimental to physical health can be so seductive and delicious (and the strap-on belly I acquired about 15 years ago). I also hate that I can’t speak another language or draw in a way that instantly impresses people.
What do you love most about yourself?
Well, I’m beginning to allow myself to love the fact that, by any sensible measure, I’ve done rather well. If you run a creative company in London, employ staff, hold down a studio space, and make a profit, you’ve done well. The fact that I’ve come and done it after my upbringing in Yorkshire, arriving in London at age 18, from a standing start, sort of impresses me. I really know what I’m doing, and I love that I’ve made it in London.
On a much more recent note, I love the fact that last week I judged the Diploma students in Graphic Design, Photography and Interactive Design at ECAL, and I could see that my interest in the students enabled them to express themselves to their best ability. I love seeing young people blossom, and I love that I’m able to help enable that. Also, I do really care about people, I’m genuinely interested in them, and I love that I’m able to have conversations with almost anyone.
What is your absolute favourite meal?
BAO in Shoreditch, a Taiwanese noodle restaurant. Their noodles, with sliced beef in kelp broth, and a cured egg. I don’t know how anything can taste so good.
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