Published by Leonardo Calcagno
Who are you :
Julie Wilkinson & Joyanne Horscroft, aka Makerie Studio
Your current job :
Paper Artists & Set Designers
In which city are you located?
Julie is in New York, Joy is in London
A word to define what kind of worker you are :
Workaholics.
What tools are essential to your life (app, software, etc..)
Adobe Illustrator, a scalpel, a metal ruler, a cutting mat and Uhu glue.
What does your office space look like?
This varies a *lot* depending on the stages of a project. I’m a neat freak, so before starting or finishing a project my studio is pristine, with everything aligned at right angles 🙂 Then it gets messier and messier as projects progress (this is in the space of 2-3 days), usually ending in thousands of paper scraps strewn around amongst scalpels, glue tubes, and boxes. This is inevitable due to the very tight deadlines we work with – there’s simply no time to keep tidying up. But as soon as a project is over, I tidy everything up again – even if it means I stay on until 11pm doing it!
What kind of music do you listen when you are working ?
Anything from classical to drum’n’bass, depending on the time of day. Woodkid, Die Antwoord and Andrea Ratti are all pretty good bets!
Do you have a way to organize your day to maximize your work ?
We try to start early, by being at our respective studios by 8.30-9am. We also try to cut off at 7-8pm, and giving ourselves that deadline means we work much faster, rather than letting things drag on into the night. But of course there are always those projects that you need to stay up until 2am for… The satisfaction of a crazy job well done is usually a good payoff for those!
What tips would you give to improve productivity ?
Wake up as early as possible – 6am if you can. That gives you a full 3 hours before regular offices / agencies / studios are operative, so you can plan your day and start things up, which will help you feel ahead of the game for the day. It’s also a great way to make the most of the morning too, when you’re most productive and fresh.
You’re better than your colleagues at :
There are so many really talented paper artists out there… I guess what we do differently is
What is the best advice anyone has given you ?
Be passionate, respectful, and love your work. If that’s not happening, change job.
What is your best tip for saving time ?
Turn off the internet!
What is your routine start and end of the day ?
Julie: Drink coffee, catch up on emails from Europe (I’m always 5 hours behind on these!), call Joy on Skype, and bike to the studio.
Joy: Have a cup of tea, some breakfast, and start cutting.
Aside from your computer and your phone, what gadget can you not you go without?
Our plotters!