Marina DeBris

INTUITION/IMAGINATION

How does intuition present itself to you – in form of a suspicious impression, a spontaneous visualisation or whatever - maybe in dreams?

All of the above! Mainly ‘spontaneous visualisation’, where something appears in my head. It doesn’t always come out the way I see it though!

Will any ideas be written down immediately and archived?

Occasionally, I will draw my vision, but I don’t really archive it.

Are great ideas based on intuition and do they reveal themselves in a kind of clear as well complete version that just has to be realized? Or is it endless trials and errors (after the first spark) that result in constant developments up until the final result?

Exactly the latter! I couldn’t have said it any better.

What if there is a deadline, but no intuition? Does the first fuel the latter maybe?

That is often the case. I just keep reworking it until I come up with something I like. On a few occasions, I don’t succeed, but I always make the deadline.

INSPIRATION

What inspires you and how do you stimulate this special form of imaginativeness?

Simply the desire to create, and the desire to start a meaningful dialogue. If a piece is meaningless, I feel like it’s a failure.

How do you separate the good from the bad and which ideas are worthwhile to be explored further or whether one idea has the potential of being outstanding really?

I guess it is by intuition only. Sometimes, I’ll also reach out to friends to see if they see what I see, often they will offer suggestions, which can get me over a hump.

Has it to appeal to you primarily or is its commercial potential an essential factor?

I have no interest is commercial value, in the sense of making a ‘saleable piece’. If it is for a ‘client’ however, I definitely want them to be happy, as well as myself.

Do you revisit old ideas or check what colleagues/competitors are up to at times?

I do revisit old ideas, but I like to create a new take on them. I try very hard to not be influenced by others as far as doing something similar. That can happen by accident, but I like to be as original as possible.

CREATIVITY

Which time/place/environment suits your creative work process the best (tranquillity or pressure) and which path do you take from theory/idea to creation?

Generally ideas come to me ‘out of the blue’, mainly in a quiet spot, before bed, while I am collecting rubbish. I’ll concentrate on the message I want the piece to convey, and hopefully the visual comes with it.

What is better in the realization process: speed and force creativity i.e. grasp the magic of the moment, or a slow, ripening process for implementation/elaboration?

It can come in either way. Often I’ll visualize something and once I start physically working with the material, it will transform into something totally different. A few wearables I started 4 or 5 times before it was a direction I liked.

If problems occur during creativity or one’s stuck even, how can these be solved?

They aren’t always solved but either by giving it time & space or reaching out to a friend for advice!

How important are self-doubt and criticism (by others) during such a process i.e. is it better to be creative on your own, only trust your own instincts, or in a team? 

I generally trust myself but when I’m stuck, I reach out to others. Often they have great advice that just gets me to think outside a narrow vision I might have. Sometimes, I totally ignore the advice.

Should a creative always remain true to him-/herself including taking risks & going against the flow or must one, for reasons of (commercial) survival, make concessions to the demands of the market, the wishes of clients and the audience’s expectations?

For me, the first, taking risks. I feel very lucky that I haven’t had to compromise or ‘tone it down’ as the first thing I explain (for commissions) is that I want to show the issue in the most realistic way I can (ie, that it’s problematic, not pretty).

How is innovation still possible if one has established a distinctive style and, just in case, is it good to be ahead of one’s time even one hazards not being understood?

Interesting question! I don’t know that I challenge myself enough. Because I’m not trained as a sculptor or in fashion, I tend to resort to techniques I know I am capable of. If not, I will commission a fabricator, but I need to learn techniques so I am not so dependent on that.

When does the time come to end the creative process, to be content and set the final result free - or is it work-in-progress with an endless possibility of improvement?

Because of the nature of the materials (especially outfits that are worn) I constantly need to repair them. I use that time to alter them, and hopefully improve them.

In case of failure or - worse - a creativity crisis how do you get out of such a hole?

As I mentioned, if I have the luxury of time, I will revisit it when I can see it in a different light. Sometime however, a piece will never work.

SUCCESS

Should/can one resist the temptation to recycle a ‘formula’ one’s successful with?

One should resist it, but do I? Probably not!

Is it desirable to create the ultimate/timeless work, but doesn’t “top of the ladder” bring up the question of “what’s next?” i.e. isn’t such a personal peak “the end”?

I love the quote ‘you’re only as good as your last creation’! In all honesty, I do often feel I’m not challenging myself enough. I’ve just enrolled in a millenary course, so hopefully that will kickstart something.

MY FAVORITE WORK:

The "Inconvenience Store" is one of the most successful pieces I have created - - mainly because it seems to resonate with the general public. It is set up like a regular convenience store, only the items have been collected from the beach and repackaged using found materials. 

Because it uses humor, the audience is drawn to it. It is also pretty obvious in meaning. People know exactly where the 'merchandise' came from. The one disconnect though, is that most don't connect how the items got into the ocean to begin with (certainly not always by intentional littering) and that we need to stop using these items to begin with, or find alternatives.