Jens Bringsjord
You're listening to Design Atlas Season four.

Megan Luedke
Close your eyes for just a moment and imagine a world where creativity isn't just a tool for design, but a force that ignites change. Change that echoes through the corridors of both environmental and social landscapes. Now open your eyes.

Megan Luedke
In today's episode, our guest has not only envisioned a world where creativity is a tool that ignites change, but is also actively shaping it. She is a designer who has not only mastered the art of illustration and design, but has also transformed into a creative director on a mission.

Chrissy Levett
And we just try and inspire people to say, look, you can make a difference. You can build a world which isn't currently working for us. You can change society through design.

Jens Bringsjord
That's Chrissy Levitt, with a background in illustration and design communications from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. Chrissie has evolved into an accomplished creative director and the founder of Creative Conscience, a global organization that champions, trains and rewards creative thinking for social and environmental impact. Chrissie is not just a designer, she's a motivational speaker who believes in the power of creativity to drive positive change.

Jens Bringsjord
Her work spans across multiple countries and creative disciplines, from branding, packaging and print to structural design, digital exhibitions, film, animation, illustration and conceptual drawing. But it's not just about design for Chrissie, it's about a set of beliefs that drive her work.

Megan Luedke
She firmly stands by the idea that anything is possible, emphasizing idea based design, intelligent thinking, and skilled crafting. Moreover, she is dedicated to inspiring and mentoring the next generation of creative thinkers, encouraging them to use their talents for social and environmental impact. Currently based in London, Chrissie focuses on designing training workshops and behavior change initiatives solely for social and environmental impact.

Megan Luedke
As a TEDx speaker and a positive creative activist. She has been a catalyst for change, inspiring and coaching hundreds of creative minds to develop game changing projects around the world.

Chrissy Levett
For a start, I was hopeless at school. Absolutely hopeless. I couldn't read and write and spell or any of those things. I'm still really hopeless at those things. My one of my sons actually teases teases me and so says I. Will you do the coloring in because he's a physicist. So I kind of didn't really have a choice, but do anything but creative stuff because I was just so completely hopeless at school.

Chrissy Levett
and having kind of done a foundation course. She wanted to be a jeweler, and I was told that you just, you know, you'll never make a living as a junior. And I desperately want to make living and be independent. And so I kind of went into illustration for my degree and then ended up doing graphic design and communications at the Royal College of Art.

Chrissy Levett
Just kind of by chance.

Jens Bringsjord
Chrissy discovered that her path into graphic design was not a meticulously planned route, but a series of unfortunate events. The design world beckoned not as a meticulously charted course, but as a consequence of the unique opportunities and privileges bestowed upon her during her school days. In essence, Chrissie didn't choose graphic design. It chose her, a testament to the unforeseen turns that can lead us to our true calling.

Chrissy Levett
I sort of came out of the RCA in the middle of a recession and just ended up freelancing for some amazing human beings, and then just sort of started a career as a freelancer. And I was always a freelancer. and so that's how I got into graphic design, really. I suddenly fell into it and the design generally was because I was just so spoiled at school.

Chrissy Levett
Well, it was kind of it was back in the day, really, when people didn't do go on and do amazing things like that. It was kind of unheard of. And I entered a competition and I was kind of more of an illustrator. And I did this at, at my, a tutor of mine, a really beautiful human being called David.

Chrissy Levett
So he is, no longer with us, I'm afraid. It was a fantastic opportunity. He, as there was this competition that was advertised tonight and, in the in the art bar, at this art school I went to in Canterbury and it was the Cecil Beaton Vogue Illustration award. It was just this poster on the wall, and it sort of cross your bar.

Chrissy Levett
And I said, why do you happen to enter that? And I asked my tutor and he said, yeah, yeah, go for it. So I sent in these prints and to my utter amazement, I was one of the finalists in this competition, and they had a show up, in London in the Royal Academy. And I went along to this show, not horribly shy, really, really shy, insecure, and I kind of went to this show in his private view at the Royal Academy.

Chrissy Levett
And I sat here. No, I didn't sat there, stood there, and I didn't speak to anyone throughout the entire the entire thing. And then about five minutes before the end of this thing, this funny little old man came up to me and he said, you know what, dear? You should you should apply for the Royal College of Art.

Chrissy Levett
And I thought, oh, what's the Royal College? I didn't even know what it was. And, I sort of thought, oh, okay. So I went sort of skipping back to Canterbury, which is this really small town in the UK where, you know, it's very sort of countrified and a bit hokey, and I just said, tutors, I'm going to apply to the Royal College.

Chrissy Levett
And they all kind of laughed at me and no one had all. And it was all a ridiculous thing. And I applied, you know, to everyone's, amusement and amazement. I think I managed to get in and it was, it was in the days when the UK we we got free kind of education. You didn't have to pay for it.

Chrissy Levett
It was it, you know, we had a kind of more of a socialist model I suppose. But as long as you worked hard and you were good enough, you could go to university for nothing. And so it's a very different experience now for young people. So I do feel incredibly privileged and, and basically that's why I went there because of this, this little old man.

Chrissy Levett
And, and I'm really that old. But when you're young, you know, I suppose you think people are older than they actually are. Anyway, he was, he was an illustrator called Quentin Blake, who is a kind of, very famous illustrator in the UK with his, Quentin Blake. And he used to do all the illustrations for rolled out of books.

Chrissy Levett
And he's, he was just a really kind of famous illustrator. but he was the one who spoke to me, and the only person that spoke to me through this sort of horizon just experienced at the Royal Academy that I've since wrote to him a number of years ago and told him that that conversation changed the course of my life.

Megan Luedke
In the wake of Christie's academic pursuits and amid the evolving landscape of her creative journey, a pivotal conversation transpired, one that resonates as a testament to the transformative power of dialog.

Chrissy Levett
It's quite telling, really, that you can just like you guys, you know, you're putting yourself out there, you're having conversations with people, and those conversations can change your ideas in the course of your career. You know, for me, leaving art school and there weren't any kind of jobs there, what people were the people just weren't taking on junior designers.

Chrissy Levett
And so I was kind of forced into a position where I would I was working for about three different people as a kind of an assistant, I would say to independent designers. So one of them was an amazing female, both in two female designers, called Chrissie Charlton, who trained with a really famous typographer called Herbert Spencer, who'd written, like, typography books in the 50s and stuff.

Chrissy Levett
An was an amazing mentor to me. And as I sort of being more of an illustrator and a mark maker, she taught me a lot about typography.

Megan Luedke
Leaving school at a time when the design industry was hesitant to embrace emerging talents. Chrissie face the challenge of securing a foothold in the professional realm. Forced into a position of working for multiple mentors, including the remarkable Chrissie Charlton, a female designer with a rich typographic heritage, the experience became a turning point. Chris's mentors not only transitioned her as an illustrator and marker, but also instilled a deep understanding of typography, marking a significant evolution in her design journey.

Megan Luedke
The convergence of these narratives underscores the profound influence of conversations and the resilience required to navigate and thrive in the ever changing landscape of the creative world.

Chrissy Levett
Yeah, not such great people. I mean, I did end up with lots of big agents. You know, when you're freelance, a great thing about freelance is you never get bored. You know, loads and loads of people in the industry. You get to go to loads. You know, when things picked up, you know, I was going into agencies all over London, big, small working on, you know, crazy projects, really diverse work and stuff like that.

Megan Luedke
And one of those really diverse, crazy projects led Chrissie to Cambodia. This project, which was for an NGO representing the local area, underscored the power of visual communication through infographics, but also highlighted the importance of addressing critical issues such as landmine awareness to safeguard the wellbeing of communities.

Chrissy Levett
So there were lots of people coming back into Cambodia, because they were trying to have fair elections and they didn't. They were refugees from Thailand and they didn't know about the landmines and explosives.

Megan Luedke
And while Chrissie thoroughly enjoyed these projects and working freelance for all these clients, a dark chapter arose in her life.

Chrissy Levett
For a number of years. I just got really, really depressed. And, I had a kind of midlife crisis, I suppose some sort of breakdown in the frustration of working on stuff which was beautiful and lovely and looked gorgeous and was, you know, got into luxury brands and that sort of thing. I was just miserable.

Megan Luedke
But it was during her midlife crisis that she began to get a clear perspective on how she could leverage her design knowledge and skill set to make change in the world, both socially and environmentally. And it was with this idea the beginnings of a community working together on her vision took hold.

Chrissy Levett
This idea of, trying to get creatives to focus on social environmental impact and the course that was a three month course, a landmark course that was all about building a community project. And out of that course, it was called the Self-expression and Leadership Course. Out of that course came this idea of creative connections. And it was a side hustle, you know, of working for, you know, a branding agency.

Chrissy Levett
And I was like the lead creative one on the board and all of this nonsense. And the creative conference was, this is this thing that I did on the side. And, you know, to be fair, it's a community built organization. So people in the agency got behind their friends, got behind it. lots of famous designers said, yeah, we'll join in.

Chrissy Levett
And it was more, okay, right. How does this work? How do it for the kids and pay the bills and run this? And so it was kind of, you know, it was a side hustle that slowly took over, as a, as a gently let go of a kind of my own life, if you like. And so it was built by a community.

Chrissy Levett
It that's with ten years old now. So it's, you know, we've been going for quite some time and we're the charity now, so we've got charity status. and then it changed from being a side hustle to being, you know, kind of what I do.

Megan Luedke
With the goal of combining creativity and impact. A digital platform emerged, a community designed to train, reward and empower the minds of creative thinkers, urging them to channel their talents towards social and environmental good. A decade ago, when this idea unfurled its wings into the world, the landscape was starkly different. Conversations about harnessing creative prowess for social and environmental impact were scarce.

Megan Luedke
Undeterred, the pioneers behind the initiative of creative conscience pressed on building the foundation for what would become a transformative force in the realms of design, creativity and positive change. The journey began with the inception of a competition, an invitation to the creative community to join forces in wielding their design skills for numerous causes greater than themselves.

Chrissy Levett
So ten years ago, no one was talking about Asian plastic or the climate. It's frightening or just a bunch of nutters. So really and it kind of came about, you know, I told you that story about entering the competition, and then that competition led to a big change in my life. So that thought, why don't we set up a competition?

Chrissy Levett
Because that way we can we can get people engaged through that. We can use that as a funnel. And if our industry isn't involved, let's get the next generation involved. So over the years, I've been a part time, you know, visiting lecturer at the various colleges and stuff like that at Unis. So I had a bit of experience around that.

Chrissy Levett
So I thought, well, let's, let's get universities, let's set up a competition and then let's go and talk to universities. And then we can infiltrate the creative industries through the next generation. And then they'll go into industry and then they'll create change from the bottom up. Because the people at the top were comfy and they don't get what we want about.

Chrissy Levett
And so it was like stealth, you know, like a stealth army of brilliant, mischievous game changers. So we set up this competition and we just sort of built a kind of really clunky old website. And the agency I was at at the time, very kindly, sort of supported that. And so people did, but we built it by downtime and stuff, and we just set up the out there.

Chrissy Levett
We didn't have any kind of marketing plan or strategy or anything like that. We just built it and it's blown away that people just sent the stuff and it was all free. It's free to answer any fees or anything like that. So we had started getting these amazing projects and not from the UK. They were coming in from all over the world and it literally it just took off.

Chrissy Levett
and so that was ten years ago. So we still run that global competition.

Jens Bringsjord
The creative, conscious community embraces individuals at any age and discipline. Whether you are an architect, a fashion designer, a typographer or a product enthusiast, the doors are wide open. Categories blur and diversity thrives. It's not confined to a singular path, but a celebration of creative diversity. In this realm, the scope of projects extends beyond the conventional reaching into the realms of architecture, fashion, typography and product design.

Jens Bringsjord
Anything that sparks curiosity and aligns with the community's overarching goals of fostering social and environmental impact. The parameters are intentionally broad reject within the confines of a narrow perspective.

Megan Luedke
The creative conscious model is one of collaboration and shared purpose. They are not merely seeking funds. Their goal is to build a collective narrative, inviting young minds to contribute their creativity towards causes that resonate with their mission. It's a departure from the norm, a deviation from the well-trodden path, and to venture into a realm where creative expression converges with a commitment to positive change.

Megan Luedke
It's a space for boundaries dissolve, and creativity finds its purpose.

Chrissy Levett
What happens with that is you get someone whose parent or mother was abused, or whose father was an alcoholic, or someone who suffered from racism, or someone who's seen the direct effects of the climate crisis or, you know, geopolitical refugee ism or, you know, so it's led by our community.

Jens Bringsjord
Not only do they run this competition, but they also work on other initiatives sparking inspiration and creativity around the world.

Chrissy Levett
So, yeah, it's the most amazing, inspiring and humbling kind of thing. And then outside of that, we also do other things. So we run events. so we've got one coming up actually around creativity in mental health. And we just try and inspire people to say, look, you can make a difference. And you can build a world which isn't currently working for us.

Chrissy Levett
You can change society through design and through systems and arts and activism. so that's kind of basically what we do.

Megan Luedke
In our conversation with Chrissie about the submissions to the competition, she enthusiastic. She described the work as not just brilliant, but profoundly powerful, bold and captivating. According to her, these designs have the remarkable ability to compel individuals to perceive issues in a fresh and unique light. Chrissie emphasized the abundance of exceptionally skilled designers proficient in effectively communicating intricate and challenging topics.

Chrissy Levett
Which is brilliant bits of work that are really, really powerful. And yet they're coming from people who are starting out, you know, they're not all coming from like some big fancy ad agency, and they're really powerful. I think it's celebrating that and showcasing that work and sharing it and getting it out into the world and making impact, you know, that, that's really important, I think, for what humanity needs right now, we really need to sort of hold hands and come together.

Chrissy Levett
The climate crisis is is now a communication issue. What we as designers and communicators, we've not done the right. We haven't done the right job, a good job in communicating to people what's happening now coming at us. So how can we let people know? And not in a sort of scary hides under the duvet, you know, anxiety, right?

Chrissy Levett
How can we get people to celebrate and rejoice what's possible and take part in movements that are going to change the world in a positive way? Because I think a lot of people want to create change, but they don't know how like that they might have a brilliant side hustle, but, they don't have the community or the network around them, and they don't know how to find that network, or they're not sure what that looks like or how you go about it.

Megan Luedke
In reflecting on the Creative Conscience program. Chrissy acknowledges that its true strength lies in the sense of community. It cultivates a sanctuary where individuals find a secure and supportive space within the shared journey. There's a palpable camaraderie as participants wholeheartedly cheer on their peers, concurrently navigating the course. What adds a unique dimension to this program is its commitment to a virtuous cycle.

Megan Luedke
Every penny from the fees invested by participants funnels directly back into the program's work as a charitable endeavor. It's not merely about constructing something worthwhile, it's about actively contributing to a positive impact in this symbiotic relationship, ship participants not only build something good for themselves, but also play a role in a larger narrative about doing something genuinely good for others.

Chrissy Levett
When we are held accountable against the things that we say we going to do, we are more likely to succeed in the tasks that we set ourselves.

Jens Bringsjord
As we draw the curtain of our exploration of the Creative conscience program, one cannot overlook the profound impact of its community centric approach. Chrissy's insights have revealed that the true strength of the program lies not just in its curriculum, but in the establishment of a sanctuary, a space where individuals are embraced by a secure and supportive community. In the echoes of Chrissy's words, we find the essence of the Creative Conscience program a beacon illuminating the path where creativity converges with compassion.

Jens Bringsjord
Forging a narrative for doing good for oneself seamlessly intertwines with doing something genuinely good for others. In a world that so desperately needs kind and good hearted actions, Chrissy Lovett is an example to follow not only through her commitment to the community she has helped create, but as a force for good by achieving her dreams and empowering others to do the same.