Ask Jo Malone: Stimulate your imagination and you can find inspiration in a Pop-Tart

Dear Jo

Could you tell me the some of the most inspiring moments of your career?

I am a freelance product designer, and am a bit of a slave to my muse. Sometimes, I can go months without a great idea and then they just hit me.

Have you ever suffered blocks?

How do you make the creative process more regimented?

First, yes, I do have moments of creative block and this usually happens when I am looking inwards, not outwards. However, I am unsure if trying to regiment creativity is the right way to go about developing ideas. Discipline, on the other hand, is an important ingredient in stimulating the imagination, which is something we all need.

This can come in many different shapes and forms. For me it can be from food to travelling, experiencing different cultures or simply people-watching. It’s about being open to life and new ideas and understanding your creative triggers. My triggers are colour, food, art, lifestyle and also other entrepreneurs’ journeys that inspire me, and I often find my mind in overdrive with endless possibilities.

Some of my best ideas have come from the most ordinary situations, such as coming up with the idea of Shot Candles during a visit to the Pop-Tart Studio in New York City, as I watched the process of creating a bespoke Pop-Tart. “Not very luxury,” I hear you say, but very artistic. I found myself asking the question, “What if I could take a candle and do the same?”

After many trials and long hours in the laboratory, we finally launched the Candle Cocktail Bar, the first of its kind.

Another moment was when I was sitting at a tapas bar enjoying the social interaction and I found myself thinking, “What if I created tapas for the nose?” From that trigger, my Fragrance Tapas Experience was created.

I love those moments as it’s so exciting and gives me the opportunity to become the storyteller and relate the tale through fragrance. It just takes one simple idea that can revolutionise the way we think.

Once you have this idea in your hands, you need to develop and nurture it. Stay true to the evolution of your concept and see it through to fulfilment. Creativity will mimic our emotions, knowledge and imagination and the key is to always keep it moving forward and not be afraid to wander off the path, as that is where the real ideas can come to life and change the world.