This week, we’re training with Umps Machaka, a freelance creative producer specialising in experiential and influencer mailer print production. Umps also has a background in fashion styling and event curation.
1. What’s your fuelling strategy?
*Where do you get your creative inspiration — what do you read, watch, or consume to stay at your creative best?
I have always found most of my inspiration draws from travelling and exploring new or old cities. I’ve recently relocated back to Johannesburg after 21 years in the UK and the culture here is so fresh and inspiring, I also love cinema (anything A24 produced), just great cinematography and lighting in general. A lover of DMC’s - Deep Meaningful Conversations with people, mainly strangers I meet at the coffee shop.
2. What’s your training philosophy?
*How do you approach your creative work — do you follow a particular method, principle, or mindset that guides you?
I wouldn’t say it’s a particular method, with most of my projects/clients I like to have a long conversation with them and find out a little more about them and their personality. From that I am usually able to pick up things - trends, style cues etc that they like and try to include that in their work. Also approaching my work from a consumer standpoint and asking myself why I would love their product, what would make me return to them or become invested in their brand in the long run. Working in the print industry, a lot of my work is tactile so I try to create using memorable materials or a finish that is unusual yet still speaks to the brand’s ethos/client’s personality.
3. What’s your recovery routine?
*When things get intense or exhausting, how do you step back, recharge, or reset to stay on track?
As someone who has suffered from burn out it’s a non-negotiable that I go for my daily walks with the dog without my phone and tune back in with the sounds around me. I love cooking too so cooking up a meal I’m craving is another way for me to just remember that work is work and life still has many other things in it that can make me happy. Love randomly having fresh oysters as a treat lol.
4.What’s your least favourite climb?
*What’s a significant challenge or obstacle you believe your field or industry needs to overcome right now?
For me I think because with the rise of technology and people screaming “print is dead” a lot of people and brands don’t take into consideration how beautiful and important paper, print and finishings are. I believe that printed collateral can be such a great extension of a project and if done right, can become a keepsake item in people's homes. A lot of people only consider the packaging at the very end with extremely tight budgets that sometimes it’s hard for me to give them the best quality work that would allow their brand/product to have that special touch. I have also found that a lot of people just don’t understand how print works and think it’s like an at home printer and you just press “print”, there’s honestly so much that goes into it and so many ways to be creative like bitmap foiling, hydrochromic (water activated ink) effects etc.
5. What’s your next all-out effort?
*What’s the next creative goal or milestone you’re aiming for—what’s a project you’re excited about right now or looking forward to working on in the future?
I’ve wrapped up a gig producing creative mailers for a renowned artist and their hair products, excited to see the final results once it goes live. I’m also excited to get back to work with one of my old clients, New Currency Magazine, producing their special next issue. I’m hoping to get more retainer clients this year and get back into the swing of things but I am also aware that being a freelancer can take a while for things to move forward without the stressful gaps in between projects. The great thing about being cross-continental is that I get to build client relationships in two cities I love.