"If You Want To Be Successful You Need To Work Hard" - Angela Lysytsya
Angela Lysytsya, from Ukraine, is one of these people. She has a wonderful creative mind and a big passion for her craft: design. Angela invited me to her home where she, over a coffee, told me about her favorite type of design, how she gets inspired and that being a designer is not as glamourous as people think.
- The teacher asked the kids what they wanted to be, and I said I wanted to make up ideas or be a flight attendant, and she said; "Why a flight attendant? You are so talented in drawing!" So I was like; "Ok, I'm an artist then." (haha)
Angela studied at Kiev State Institute of Arts and Crafts and Kiev National University of Technologies and Design. Then she and a group of students got a very good opportunity; they were proposed to showcase their work in an international design magazine. After that, it took off very quickly, and together they made their own brand.
But after couple years Angela decided to start a private business with another girl. However, after some time and some problems, the relationship was broken. So Angela decided to found her own private design company.
- But what I love and I am crazy about, more than design, is making movie costumes. It is more creative, so many different ideas, you don't think about usability, you just think about ideas. It started when a singer asked me to make a costume for a video. And then I started working for a famous director, he asked me to work on a movie as costume director. I wasn't sure at first, but in the end it was very successful!
When the company Angela's husband worked for offered him a higher position in China they decided to take the proposition and have now been here for two years.
- We decided it would be a nice challenge, a nice change of scenery.
At the time Angela and her husband were getting married she looked into some companies to help her, but she realized they didn’t understand her vision. Having all the contacts she needed, photographs, makeup artist, she decided to do it by herself. So from the tiniest flower, to the main event like her dress, she designed everything herself.
- It was so fun, I was very happy with the result! It’s all about working with good people; it is the most important thing. I don't want to sit and control you, I prefer to give you freedom, this style of relationship is the best.
- If it is for a movie, first I try to look up information; author, script, time they live in etc., and collect material for this epoch and style. Then I think about how I can put my ideas into this epoch. Sometimes I do sketches that I finish and I’m happy about, but sometimes I feel they are not enough. So then I can be driving or sleeping, and suddenly “poof”, and idea! And I have to quickly draw it. When I’m finished with a design, I should smile, and then I know for sure it is good.
What inspires you?
- Everything, seems the same with any artist. Sometimes you need to look at books or pictures to get inspired, and sometimes ideas just suddenly come. I love travel, musicals, the theatre atmosphere, this seems to be very good inspiration for me. Sometimes you have to wait for inspiration, you just think so long at something so you have to stop and think of something else, change the activities, and then suddenly it will come to you.
Hardest thing about designing?
- Finding a team that understands you, because you are the mind but they are your hands. The level of quality I acquire is very important to me. And you need to be fair with yourself, because if you like what you do you will succeed, but if you don’t like it, it won’t work.
Best thing about it?
- Looking into another world! To challenge your mind, when you do a new design you need to look into to it, learn new things, that is very interesting and challenging. Big variety of your creativity.
How do you find ambition?
- Nothing, because it’s not about me. I never tell people "I’m this, I’m special". Every time you work with someone new it is a new step, you need to prove you are talented again. But when I finish something I’m like; "Yes, I did it!" I'm so happy. And when you can sit and see the finished product, and see how close this is to the image you had from the beginning,that makes me so happy.
What do you do outside of designing?
- Seems for any designer, design is life. For any artist really, because your ideas come from everywhere. I don't know how much I work, 24 hours or 2 hours per day, sometimes I don't work for 2 days, and then sometimes they can’t stop me from working. It can be difficult to live with someone like this.
How do you find a balance in life?
- It is easier now, but it was quite difficult. I would work so hard, I made money but I didn't have any time to spend it, to travel or anything. It was a difficult time, but I understood it had to stop. But slowly, with age, I learn how to do this better.
- I have a lot of ideas. Of course the situation in Ukraine has to change so I can connect with my old team and do business with them. Another part is Australia, eventually me and my husband will go there. I will probably do some interior design, some kind of renovation. I will also try to find contacts with theaters and movies in Sidney, I would love to work with that.
Any tips for women wanting to become a designer?
- Most important is that many people think it is so glamorous to be a designer, but it is hard work. Wherever you turn there is work, with your team, with costumers... And you should always be challenged, with new projects, new movie, new collections, never stop, because it will open new topics in your mind, that is very important. If you want to be successful you need to work hard.
"Five Fast" with Angela Lysytsya
Coffee or tea?
Coffee, of course, some kind of caramel.
Heels or handbags?
Heels, any kind is good.
Designing for yourself or others?
For others, because I love people, I love to change people. And when I want to do something for me, I never know what to do. (haha)
Night out or night in?
Night in, with age you don't have a lot of time, and you don't have a lot of energy, so you should choose wisely who you want to spend your time with.
Design something now that will be incredibly popular now or design something that will live on after you are gone?
Design something now. Because first of all, I want to see what it is, and also see people use it. But it is not about the "fame" that I did this, it is for the fun of it.