When it comes to creating an inspiring environment, Jake draws vision from everything around him. His workspace is filled with moments and memories from his past; travels across the globe, meanderings at quaint markets up the coast, trinkets and treasures he's collected along the way. This freelance photographer and director's style is anything but boring.

words from jake weisz

Each artifact comes with it an anthology of stories and memories, that in turn divulge inspiring ideas and concepts. Books and artworks from artists who have inspired me, a mixture of natural and man-designed pieces that envelope a sense of narrative and influence for me. I feel its important to surround yourself with possessions that you hold close and captivated by.

My workspace says that I live in an organised chaos. Remnants of different countries and cultures say that I’m well travelled, and the sheer volume of my collections would describe me as a hoarder. I don’t feel I fall into any respective faction of creatives; there are elements of concise organisation, and those of perfect pandemonium. I have found the consolidation of the two is where my strength lies.

I cannot live without an element of nature surrounding me; whether that be fresh flowers, branches collected by the eastern beaches shoreline, feathers, pinecones, etc. The intriguing qualities of our natural surroundings are what truly inspire me and my work, and so to not have even a shred of life or something that has once lived infront of me would be quite detrimental haha.

When people come to visit my workspace, they can expect a true sensory experience. I pride myself on designing a space that although might be quite anarchic in magnitude, it is a space that when wandering thru, each individual picks out their own identifiable motifs, and can almost get lost in the creative jungle around them.

My theory of place in regards to a creative workspace is one should let the creative voice run rampant. I find creatives these days are even more fixated on fulfilling these expectations that have been defined by social medias like Instagram and tumblr to work in the standard, minimalist creative setting, but might not necessarily reflect the creative’s true identity. I say forget about judgement or expectation. Create a space that inspires you, and inspires the work you love to do. Whether it be sitting with an old leather-bound notebook under a tree in your local park, or by a white ikea-produced desk in minimalistic solitude, the creative mind functions when it is amongst a familiar and encouraging environment. There can be no judgement or “norm” for what that environment might be for each person.