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In 2011 we heard from creative makers, managers, movers and shakers. Here's a ‘Creative Cracker’ full of inspiring quotes and insights from TBI QnAs.

We look forward to bringing you more interviews in 2012.

* Gallery View: Click an image to scroll through the Creative Cracker 2011 gallery

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During what hours of the day do you feel most inspired?

Artist and Designer, Kereama Taepa
All hours – I keep my eyes open as you never know where the next concept can come from. Everything inspires me from tv to movies to the trip home from work listening to the radio. Mostly though I just love good ideas. I use StumbleUpon to search the internet and there are some amazing people in the world… amazing.

Filmmaker, Florian Habicht
2:24am

Author and educator, Dr Ian Hunter
Good question! I think more than the particular time, you need to be alert to yourself, and what is needed internally to give inspiration room to occur. So, I try to be more conscious these days to what impedes inspiration, and for me that is two things: lack of knowledge, and busyness – and the latter is more destructive to inspiration than anything else I know of.

Musician Andrew Keoghan
I usually write music at night and if it’s going well, into the early hours of the morning. Perhaps it’s that false sense of being the only person in New Zealand still awake. There’s that feeling of isolation, which I find a good starting point and one not easy to attain living in the city. By midnight I’m so exhausted that any distractions or anxieties have temporarily faded. It’s bizarre how fast the clock races through the dead of the night though.

How would a good friend describe your aesthetic or style?

Experimental French Choreographer, Rachid Ouramdane
Trying to search poetic ways to explore contemporary identities and the traumas of history without resorting to the brutality of a shout.

Show Me Shorts Film Festival Director, Gina Dellabarca
A whirlwind of organization with creative sparks flying that sometimes ignite into fruitful collaborative partnerships.

Writer, Nick Ward
A sloth on a four-day red bull and bargain book bin bender. 

What aspect of your creative practice gives you the biggest thrill?

Artist and Designer, Kereama Taepa
There’s different parts that thrill me. I like designing and doing the grunt work – but I also like to think and give my brain a good workout. Ultimately though the biggest thrill is seeing something tangible that previously existed only within my noggin.

Mezzo Soprano, Anna Pierard
I think it’s living in the moment. When you do what we do, onstage, in front of an audience, if you’re able to fully focus and enjoy the moment without worrying about a strap pulling or forgetting your words, it can be absolutely heavenly. I really know I’m alive in those moments. And there’s a kind of simple happiness available to you if you let yourself feel it. Hard to define but very real feelings all the same.

Author and Educator, Dr Ian Hunter
When someone is helped in their personal journey, by something we have developed or created, or when a story or a teaching or something I write, gives someone a breakthrough in an area of their lives – that, to me, is the greatest satisfaction.

Comic Actor, Peter Rowley
Good audience response to material that has to be delivered right!

How does your environment affect your work?

Choreographer, Ann Dewey
I work a lot from the patterns and forms in nature, so therefore I live in the country, surrounded by nature. I find creating in cities difficult.

Comic Actor, Peter Rowley
The right “room” helps a lot in comedy.

Digital artist Rafael Rozendaal
I need a big variety, that’s why I travel all the time. I need time alone, I need dinners with friends, museums, video games, beaches, walks in nature, watching cartoons, sketching, and most of all I need confrontations with people which is not always pleasant.

Author and Educator, Dr Ian Hunter
You need to learn what sort of creative you are: do you spark surrounded by people, walking the beach, or deep in the silence of the small studio – knowing that is the first step to constructing a great creative environment for yourself and the right sort of creative disciplines. Stage two, is being able to move beyond that, so you can work creatively unchained from your best environment.

Designer, Margaret Lewis
I live a life surrounded by textile - in particular wool. Its in my room, in my car, on my desk at work...It gives a place to rest my mind and refocus. So long as I have that around, my environment doesn’t matter too much.

Do you like to look at the big picture or focus on the details?

Graphic Designer and Typographer, Catherine Griffiths
I've been told I’m a details person, but I do go for the big picture on occasion. Wide-ranging. TypeSHED11, an international typography symposium that I organised in 2009 with Typevents, Italy, would be a stark example of this affliction, or ability, to straddle the two.

Filmmaker, Florian Habicht
I’m a bit obsessive and I love the details… My friends and collaborators help me focus on the big picture! I’m a huge fan of Ed Wood, and remember him saying to his cast and crew on the set of Bride of the Monster “Don’t worry about it, the details aren’t important, it’s the B-I-G picture!’

What's your number one business tip for surviving (and thriving) in the creative industries?

Architectural Photographer, Patrick Reynolds
To thine own self be true, as the man said.

Director, Dan Salmon
Learn to juggle, tread water and muddle through.

Cultural Practitioner, Hinurewa te Hau
Know yourself; know your product understand the cultural environment in which you operate.

Writer, Nick Ward
Develop a thick skin. When someone critics your work never, ever take it personally.

Musician, Andrew Keoghan
It is an ongoing challenge to make ends meet as a musician in New Zealand, no matter how busy you are. The best advice I’ve been given is to keep persevering and turn any set backs and criticism into increased motivation and to ensure you don’t undervalue what you’ve spent a long time improving.

Which of your projects to date has given you the most satisfaction?

Senior Curator, Kate Montgomery
Poor-Racer (Thomas Hirschhorn’s commission for the One Day Sculpture series 2009) and the realisation that an open and sincere invitation is all most things ever need to get themselves started.

Filmmaker, Florian Habicht
Making Love Story, especially the breakfast scene. And Woodenhead, where we pre-recorded the entire sound track first, and then shot the visuals (to match and not match) in the far North.

Documenatry Filmmaker, Annie Goldson
I have to say I love working with soundtracks and music but a great thing about documentary is how varied the innumerable tasks are. Always stretching and learning.

Who or what has inspired you recently?

Filmmaker, Brendan Donovan
Music inspires me, especially a lot of the new NZ bands coming through. Growing vegetables inspires me – no idea why, I think it’s the nurture then consume part. My friends inspire me. In general I’m a sponge, I soak up everything around me and filter it into the next project

Choreographer, Jennifer Nikolai
This changes daily, really. I’d say that the recent release of the Wim Wenders documentary on Pina Bausch, Pina was an incredible insight into an artist I have admired for so long, the film itself is an outstanding portrayal not only of her but her company and how they work.

Author and Educator, Dr Ian Hunter
The Student Army in Christchurch, following the earthquake. I saw in that heart-felt act the spirit that epitomises New Zealand. We have seen that selfless resolve and action before in our history - often in times of conflict or depression. We need more of that, a nation-wide call to action

If you could go back and choose a completely different career path to the one you’ve chosen, what would it be?

Architectural photographer, Patrick Reynolds
Do you choose your career? That’s a bit of a fantasy isn’t it? chocolatier? Vintner? Wildly successful actor who only plays villains?

Writer, Nick Ward
Crime-solving rock star.

What place is always with you, wherever you go?

Curator, Kate Montgomery
Memories of the homes and buildings I grew up in and around in Christchurch and Canterbury.

Choreographer, Jennifer Nikolai
I have lived in many places, I tend to be where I am at the time.

Filmmaker, Costa Botes
The back of my head.

What's the best way to listen to music, and why?

Show Me Shorts Film Festival Director, Gina Dellabarca
Up so loud you can’t hear yourself singing out of tune.

Mezzo Soprano, Anna Pierard
When I was first getting to know my husband, you know, that time when you read each other your favourite poems over the phone, and when you go to a restaurant and need to order, you say to the waitress, ‘I really don’t mind, what do you suggest?’ That time when nothing else really matters. Well, he played me a piece of Bach, I forget which, but his excitement was absolutely mesmerising. On his feet, bouncing with energy, he gave me a detailed analysis of what was happening, something I’d normally never be able to take in. Actually, I can’t quite recall what he said, I just knew I wanted that excitement in my life. So I think, sharing music, your understanding of it, and enjoying it together is the most satisfying for me.

You are given a piece of string, a stick and some fabric. What do you make?

Experimental French Choreographer, Rachid Ouramdane
A hammock, because my two last pieces were psychologically hard to make, due to the subjects they are dealing with, and I think I need a bit of rest.

Whitespace Director, Deborah White
A puppet.

Filmmaker, Costa Botes
A donation to the local land fill. I’m not fond of trivial conceptual art.

What's the best stress relief advice you've ever been given?

Countertenor, William Purefoy
Help someone else.

Writer, Nick Ward
My Dad said this to me when I was a kid - “If you can’t fight then wear a big hat”.

Comic Actor, Peter Rowley
Count to 10 and Buddha has a few tips.

Show Me Shorts Film Festival director, Gina Dellabarca
“Relax. You work in the entertainment industry. No one will die if you don’t get that done in time.”

What's great about today?

UK designer Morag Myerscough
The sun is out and I am doing what I want to do.

What’s your big idea for 2012?

Choreographer, Ann Dewey
To hijack sporting events with guerrilla art and try to start a campaign to make the London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony work in a $0 (or £0) budget and use the money saved on changing the lives of UK children.

Mezzo Soprano, Anna Pierard
I’d maybe like to sit down with my husband and show him how to really appreciate my hip hop collection.

Catalyst and Entrepreneur, Nick Gerritsen
For New Zealand to really rise up to its potential as one of the leading and most innovative sexy little countries in the World.

* * * NZ Music Month * * *

During NZ Music Month we heard from some of the people behind the music magic in NZ. Here are some highlights.

What do you do - paint a picture of your typical day.

Rhythmethod Distribution managing director Peter Baker
Each day is different, depending on what releases we currently have in the marketplace, what releases are due out soon and what is ahead of us in the coming weeks. We’re a small company, so we all answer the phone, talk to customers, pack boxes, have fun etc etc.

How has your role evolved?

Music Manager Teresa Patterson
The role of the manager has evolved enormously over the last nine years....you really do a bit of everything – manage, book tours, PR, record company, run the artists business, (babysitter, councillor ha ha!)

Why is your work an important part of the music industry?

Tech and roadie Gavin Downie
As bands grow in popularity their production needs usually grow as they play bigger shows and more dates and they usually start to require people like myself to travel on the road (roadies) and maintain their gear night after night and keep the machine well-oiled and rolling smoothly. Once you get to a large arena sized band the list of people on the road with them is extensive and covers all the day to day needs.

What advice would you give to others pursuing music as a career?

Richard Setford, music manager for Digital Rights Management NZ and Amplifier.co.nz
If you’re a musician like me you need to be able to dictate your hours. I think it’s important to keep the industry at arms length and not get roped into any political stuff. Scraps and grudges can last forever in such a small country. Be nice kids. Lastly I try to maintain the illusion that this is NOT my job – that seems to help.

What are the current challenges and opportunities in the industry - NZ and international?

Peter Baker
Like all industries, the recent global recession has had an incredible effect, let alone recent localised natural disasters, as for the music industry, there are many hurdles ahead of artists, retailers and us as distributors, out of difficult times people do tend to come up with new ways of doing things and this period of time is generally great for creating or inspiring new styles or genres of expression.

What’s the future of music? What’s the future of your role?

Tour manager Lance Cathro
Music will always be around – of that much I am sure. What form(at) it will take is anyone’s guess… As far as the future of my role – I think there will always be demand for physical touring no matter what advances in technology there are…just like I think people will still go to supermarkets or to a great sports match and for the same reason…the tangible experience of being there.

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But wait there's more..

Read more TBI Q&As and Interviews.

* * * Special thanks to Dawn Nugent for selecting inspiring quotes from 2011 TBI QnAs   * * *