Justina Blakeney: Director of Branding & Marketing
Full-disclosure: Justina is really awesome. I know this because I was lucky enough to work with her way-back-when, but nowadays she’s part of the creative energy behind Woolly Pocket, the creative director of her own design studio, Compai Creative, and somehow she finds time to guest-blog at Design for Mankind. Yeah. Exactly. So now you get to learn why Justina is awesome too, in case you don’t already follow her gorgeous boards.
First, what would you say are the basic facts about yourself?
Obsessed with color, creative reuse, the jungle and thrifting; I am a design maniac with a bohemian heart. After 7 years in Italy, where my sister and I co-owned a boutique for upcycled clothing, design objects and furniture, I moved back to the States to develop my book series and to transform the Compai boutique into a boutique design studio called Compai Creative.
By day I’m a creative-director and consultant for a handful of lifestyle and fashion brands; I design brand identities, catalogs, products, books, packaging, environments and innovative ideas. By night, I’m a blogger, an upcycler, a painter and a songstress with a crazy wardrobe and a weakness for design that makes a difference.
You have 31 boards that all show off your style in different ways; have you found any kindred spirits on Pinterest or people whose boards you really admire?
Oh my goodness yes. I love Pinterest so much, I honestly think I was a kinda-bad blogger before Pinterest came along! There are a ton of inspirational pinners, but I really jive with Ideas to Steal, Megan Pinkerton, I’m Revolting, Enid (it’s true, you really are one of my faves), and Will of Bright Bazaar.
In particular, you’ve got a great board dedicated to upcycling. Have you made anything neat lately?
Thanks! I’m an avid upcycler, I have been ever since I was five years-old and I started making scrunchies for my afro using the elastic from worn-out panties. I’m not kidding.Right now, I am going through a phase of using all kinds of stuff as planters; pretty much anything I can get my hands on, really, I fill with dirt, sunlight, love and a succulent. I love putting plants in unexpected places.
And lastly, you’re settling into a new place and you’re also a very creative person - how does Pinterest fit into your life?
Pinterest in the first place I go when I get online. It’s like my nucleus for organizing ideas for everything, especially my blog! If I have a new book idea, I create a pinboard for it. When I found my new home, I created a pinboard to collect inspiring ideas for that. I have pinboards that are geared toward specific clients. I have a pinboard that I use to collect ideas for my column on Design for Mankind, I have another for Afro hairdos. Pinterest helps me flesh ideas out, a great tool for brainstorming and discovering a common thread in images, for example my signature style, “jungalow” was really developed through my “Welcome to the Jungalow” pinboard.
Thanks so much Justina, it’s always lovely chatting and cruising through your pins.