What is the best thing that I love about my work?

I’m a graphic designer and the best thing about my work is that I can express my creativity in many fields. With my designs I can satisfy the client and at the same time communicate to others in the most appealing way. I love the research work I have to do in the project phase and studying the work of other designers.

What is my idea of happiness?

Happiness is doing my job with satisfaction, working on stimulating and interesting projects. Coming home knowing I’ve done my best and spending the evening with my husband and my cats. Travelling on holiday and visiting museums.

What is my greatest fear?

My biggest fear is losing the people I love or getting into toxic relationships. In general, I try to rely on some Buddhist concepts, they help me to overcome moments of fear and uncertainty.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself?

I think I’m a good person. Sometimes I’m a little lazy, sometimes I trust people too much… but I always try to do my best and there are no particular traits of me that I hate.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire?

There are internationally renowned designers whose lives and work I admire, such as Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher and Susan Kare. I hold in high esteem the teachers who have trained me in my profession and in particular my current Art Director.

What is my greatest extravagance?

I keep postcards, stickers, brochures, flyers, tickets and all the paper material of all the museums I have visited in my life.

On what occasion would I lie?

I would lie for someone’s sake or for my own safety. I’m not a good liar, but I have great improvisational skills.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work?

Sometimes I have to work with clients who think they know better what I should do. Sometimes the projects I face are not very interesting or close to what I like. Sometimes there are works of what I call “brute graphics”, without creativity or imagination.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work?

The happiest moment happens once a year when I work at the exhibitions of Lucca Comics & Games, the third world fair of comics, video games and cinema. I spend a month in the beautiful city of Lucca living with my colleagues and working hard to set up more than 10 exhibitions of illustrators, cartoonists and concept artists.

If I could, what would I change about myself?

I’d like to be more confident, to be able to see the positive side of things when it’s possible and have the ability to accept what I can’t change.

What is my greatest achievement in work?

I would like to become an art director or specialize in exhibition design. I would also like to have the economic security of being able to refuse a job or a client I don’t like.

Where would I most like to live?

Right now I live in Spain, Màlaga, Costa del Sol. I moved here for my husband’s work, but I fell in love with this city. I do not exclude going back to Italy, to my beloved Tuscany, because it is the place I identify as home.

What is my most treasured possession?

My computer!

I don’t know if I can call them “possession”, but for sure my cats are the most precious thing I have.

What is my most marked characteristic?

Empathy is my superpower. I can feel how people around me feel and try to make them comfortable, to avoid conflict.

Everyone tells me I’m very sweet, because of my little voice, I guess.

What is my most inspirational location, in my city?

Malaga is a city full of museums (about 40) and visiting them makes me feel inspired and in love with my work. I love the Picasso museum, not only for its permanent collection, but also for the temporary exhibitions that often closely relate to my studies. After each visit I feel ready to create and full of new ideas.

What is my favorite place to eat and drink, in my city?

I love Japanese cuisine and here we discovered a small restaurant that cooks mostly udon. We go there whenever we want to celebrate something.

What books influenced my life and how?

“Confessions of a Mask” by Yukio Mishima is a book that I loved deeply and red many times. It analyzes the human soul with surgical precision, giving great dignity to every nuance of thought. He taught me to analyze mine and give them a key. I also read a lot of comics and I think that Go Nagai’s ones have largely forged my imagination.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day?

“The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovskiy.

It would accompany me gently towards the end.

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction?

I have many fictional heroines. A special place is for Ellen Ripley in the first two Alien movies and of course Princess Leia in Star Wars, along with Luke Skywalker.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life?

A hero of our times is Gino Strada, the doctor who founded Emergency: a network of free hospitals in the zones most affected by war.

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime?

My favorite movie is “Dolls” by Takeshi Kitano. A film of great poetry, about the fragility of men, the power of bonds and love and with a powerful use of colors.

What role plays art in my life and work?

As I always teach my students, you can’t be a graphic designer without knowing what has happened in art history. Graphic design is inextricably linked to artistic movements and major artists, from the invention of printing to now.

Not surprisingly, we talk about “decorative and industrial arts”. Art and design are an integral part of my background and my daily studies.

What do the words ‘You are the storyteller of your own life’ to me?

I believe that in order to be happy and live without regrets it is necessary to get rid of the expectations of others from an early age. Family, school, partners can project on you their plans, their dreams, even if with the best intentions. It is necessary to know how to clean up the others in our heads and understand where we want to go and what we want to do on our own, without being influenced by anyone but our own dreams.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime?

My family, of course, and my husband. They believe so much in my potential and encourage me to always give my best in every situation.

Which people or companies would I like to work with in 2020? 

There are some very interesting communication agencies in Malaga, such as Narita Estudio, to which I will certainly propose my portfolio in the near future.

I would like to work on design of important museums, exhibitions and cultural events as I did for a few years in Florence, but I have been here for too little time to find out which channels I should send my candidacy to.

Which people in my profession who can make a real difference in my creative career would i love to meet in 2020?

As I was saying, I’m still in a discovery phase here in Spain. I would like to know art directors and agencies that deal with the communication of the city’s museums and as soon as I finish the work I’m facing now I’ll be looking for contacts and opportunities.

What project, in 2020, am I looking forward to work on?

2020 is a very difficult year because of the pandemic. Fortunately, I was able to continue working with my clients and teaching online. I hope to work at Lucca Comics & Games exhibitions again this year (there is a risk of cancellation due to the pandemic). In June, if all goes well, I’ll be working on a very important magazine, but I don’t want to say anything, I’m superstitious!

Where can you see me or my work in 2020?

I think I will live between Italy and Spain, as I have done over the last year. I still have Italian clients who are looking for me for the brand identity of their companies, or communication agencies with whom I actively collaborate. I hope it will be possible to see some posters I designed around the streets!

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me?

In creative works like mine, the brain is constantly busy and stimulated, it is impossible not to take inspiration from the world around us, from films, books, comics, exhibitions, etc.. If you love graphic design, you never stop thinking about it and observe it around you, from cereal packaging to posters in the street. It’s a habit I will carry around with me for the rest of my life!

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?

There are some illustrators that I love very much: Chiara di Vivona and Chiara Meloni (aka Chiaralascura). Ludovica Ceregatti is an exceptional cartoonist and Valentina Sturli is a fine writer and intellectual. Chiara Aurora Gagliano is a wonderful singer.

How can you contact me?
My email is: lucreline@gmail.com

Some of my works are on https://www.twine.fm/Lucreline

Here follows a message of Peter de Kuster, founder of The Heroine’s Journey