An Interview With Themotherapy's Freya

As I said in an earlier post, to commemorate the new layout/relaunch of Critiqulous, I lined up a few interviews with various people. The hope is that it will be some interesting reading for those that visit the blog.

Here now is the very first interview and I couldn't think of a better way to start than to interview the person responsible for the new look of Critiqulous, Themotherapy's Freya. Read about out how she became a site designer, a good quote from Sylvia Plath and why she is sour on Shakira after the jump.

CRITIQULOUS: What inspired you to become a site designer?

FREYA: Designing just happened. I have to say that before I found blogging and the wonders of internet, I was quite confused when it came to taking decisions regarding career. I started blogging in March 2008 and found that Blogger has very little to offer when it comes to blog design and with the help of so many tutorial sites, I started exploring CSS and HTML. I found it very enjoyable. Now after one year, I have launched my own small company with big dreams tied to it :) Now I am inspired develop myself more in the field of fashion design which I have learnt, cartooning and illustrations.

Your specialty right now is in Blogger-powered designs. Are you planning on taking it to the next level and working with other blogging services like Wordpress or even general site designs from scratch?

Oh yes, I want to expand. I am in the process of learning to work on scripts like PHP. There are so many things to learn and that thought actually both intimidates and excites me. I have plans to improve my services, but I wouldn't like to reveal anything unless something has materialized.

Even though 2009 is far from over, what are your favorite albums and movies so far? Any surprises for you in that you did not expect that you would enjoy it so much? And on the flipside of that question, was there something in movies or music that you were looking forward to but wound up being disappointed?

I am not really a movie buff, though I never say no to an idea of watching a movie. I watched "The Ugly Truth" this year, which I immensely enjoyed and other movies I watched were Bollywood ones. As for music, I love almost all genres and I tend to explore indie music through sites like Myspace and Virb. However this year, I have been so busy with my work and studies so I didn't really get to hear newly released albums. I have been constantly listening to Arabic music, which is really beautiful I must say (though I don't understand a word), Imogen Heap and also some Bollywood pop. Shakira's "She Wolf" was a great disappointment because she's one of my favourite singers and her Spanish pop and Latin music is really unique compared to others. I found the song to be too Britney-ish pop and the video trashy.

When you are working on a design, other than studying the client and whatever vision they have, do you have any motivators to help inspire you? An example would be someone who is about to start a painting, but before they do, they must listen to a song by Beethoven to get the brush moving. Do you listen to a certain song/musician/band or look at a certain website for design ideas? Do you go for a walk and get inspiration from the colors and architecture around you? Any sort of motivators like that?

Inspiration is the principle thing you need for any kind of work. Because without it, you start doubting yourself and "self-doubt is the greatest enemy to creativity"*. I listen to music constantly and to keep myself inspired, I always browse image galleries or read great blogs. Nature also motivates me a lot and I love taking pictures of plants and flowers. Though I have to confess that when I realise that I am addicted to the internet, it kind of disturbs me. I would like to veer away from the web, sometimes.

* = Quote by Slyvia Plath

Anything you would like the readers to know about you? Upcoming projects that we should keep an eye for? Special talents?

I have recently launched a design blog called Design Virgin (www.designvirgin.com), which covers everything that comes under digital art and design, design application, blog improvement and CMS. Also, I am pleased to announce that Designpensary (www.designpensary.com) is moving over to a new domain and I will be rolling out a new design and some new services by the end of the year.

Thank you so much Freya for participating in the interview and being the very first person Critiqulous has interviewed!

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