Sarah J. Coleman Returns to DLD
1st February 17
The Creative Arts Faculty at DLD College London welcomed Sarah J. Coleman back to give us another talk about creativity on Monday 30th January. Sarah is one of the UK’s (if not Europe’s) leading illustrators and typographers and has illustrated nearly 400 book covers, including the special anniversary edition of Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. She has designed an amazing variety of other commercial projects, including a 150 foot display in Times Square, New York; an updated Coca Cola can design; Easter eggs and even the cover of Playboy – the latter had to pass Hugh Heffner’s approval! What struck me was how individual her own sense of design is (you can recognise her style whatever item she is designing), and yet be so internationally successful, showing that you don’t need to be bland, or appeal to the lowest common denominator, to be commercially popular.
Sarah discussed her life and work, and showed a film she has devised about creativity called ‘Stupid Enough’. The film is based around a series of interviews with creative individuals such as composers, artists, and fashion designers who have learned to be ‘stupid enough’ to take risks in order to make a successful commercial career out of their creative passions.
