Creative Minds by USM: Conversations on Creativity
How do you come up with a great idea? In our Creative Minds series, we talk to designers, artists, architects and the like about creativity and the moments that thrill them most.
Creativity rarely follows a straight path. It begins with curiosity and often takes its creators by surprise. We spoke to three people who experience the creative process every day: Pascale, one half of the artist duo Wiedemann Mettler, industrial designer Simon Busse, and product designer Luisa Kahlfeldt.
We asked them how they understand creativity, what inspires their process, and how a distinctive design language, such as that of USM, influences their own thinking.
Luisa Kahlfeldt
Berlin-based product designer Luisa Kahlfeldt is known for her brand Rayas Collective, designing colourful, hand-woven bags made by local artisans in El Salvador from recycled materials. For her, an idea can start anywhere. "When I was a child,” she recalls, “I was always interested in how things are made and where they're from. It's almost like an urge driving me to explore something further." That curiosity took her across borders too. "Living in different countries and being exposed to different cultures has left an imprint on the way I work and think."
Luisa needs both physical and mental space to be creative, and once that's in place, she finds joy in the middle of the process. "You already have a clear direction, but there are so many possibilities. You can still play, and it's incredibly joyful." USM furniture, which she grew up with, reflects that same flexibility for her. "The modular furniture adapts to the way you live, and not the other way around," she says. "It moves with you and fits in all kinds of surroundings."
Wiedemann Mettler
Pascale Wiedemann is part of the artist couple Wiedemann Mettler and works alongside her husband Daniel Mettler in a small, historic factory space in Zurich, where they transform everyday objects into art. For Pascale, the studio itself is the place where creativity thrives: “This is my sacred space.” Sometimes, she and Daniel spend more than 16 hours there a day, working with a wide variety of materials and using their artistic instinct to discover the unexpected in ordinary objects. Asked what creativity means to her, she doesn't hesitate: "Creativity is everything. You can find it everywhere." For Wiedemann Mettler, it's also a necessity. "We have to be creative to survive," she says. "It's like too much creativity in our bodies and it has to come out. It's like a volcano."
The modular furniture USM Haller has long been part of their world, both at home and as material for their art. "We live in USM furniture," Pascale says. She also sees a personal resonance in it: “So it's very fun for us because the furniture is like the combination of Daniel and me. Daniel is an architect, always very precise, and USM is the same. But it's also colourful, like me, and you can change it whenever you like.” Fittingly, her favourite stage in the creative process is always the start. "In the beginning, everything is possible," Pascale explains. "You can create a new world.”
Simon Busse
Simon Busse runs his industrial design studio in the western part of Stuttgart, an area known for its creative energy and home to architects, graphic designers, and other creative professionals. "Having influences from different fields inspires me a lot in general," he says. When Simon looks at the USM furniture in his office, it reminds him of the importance of simplicity in good design. "I'm always astonished how simple an object can be built," he says. "In a very complex world, it's good to have elements that are super simple to understand."
For Simon, creativity works like a muscle. "It needs to be trained," he explains. "It's an input-output thing, a kind of power management. You put in energy, and at some unknown time, you get it back." The moment he finds most revealing in the creative process is the presentation to a client. "For me, it's essential to get to know the client and understand his needs," he says. "So, in the end, what matters to me is to see how the client reacts. He has something in mind, and we have something in mind. Do these two parts fit together?”
As individual as the people behind it
Many thanks to Pascale, Simon and Luisa for these inspiring conversations!
Maybe creativity will always resist a clear definition, and that's exactly what makes it so fascinating to talk about. Every creative mind seems to carry their own answer, shaped by their own process and their own way of working. This also means that there are still many answers to be discovered in the creative world. And who knows, perhaps this is just the beginning of further discussions of this kind.
If you want to purchase a USM Haller piece yourself design it now in our online configurator or find your local sales partner.
