We recently sat down and interviewed our new board members to give you a chance to get to know them better, and we’ll be featuring one of these Q+As each week on the blog. Today we introduce you to Samantha Jayaweera, the new President of the CWC board!

What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?

I work as a Graphic & Digital Designer at Intrepid Group with the APAC Marketing Team. Outside of work I really enjoy pursing craft based projects like quilting, screen printing and collage.

Can you outline the journey that got you here? What previous work/creative pursuits/life decisions brought you to this place?

At uni, I studied a Bachelor of Multimedia (Media Studies) and shortly after completed a Master of Design (Graphic Communication). After graduating, I worked at a small boutique medical publisher that publishes guidelines that recommend medical dosages and therapies. This gave me a priceless foundation in typesetting and layout design which directly led to my role at Penguin Random House (PRH) as a specialised typesetter and layout designer. I worked at PRH for nearly five years where I worked on over 400 works of fiction and non-fiction across the Adult and Young Readers lists. Last year, I opted for a new challenge by moving out of publishing design and joined Intrepid Group as a marketing designer. I am really enjoying my position working with a multi-disciplinary team, learning more about digital marketing and getting the opportunity to creatively lead marketing campaigns.

When did you first come across Creative Women’s Circle?

I was working in a previous job where I wasn't getting any professional development or access to industry mentors. I decided I needed to look for opportunities outside of work, preferably in a volunteer position. I found Creative Women's Circle through some research, read about the amazing ladies on the board on the CWC website and volunteered shortly after. 

What has your experience been being a part of the CWC community?

I joined CWC because I wanted to surround myself with creative, intelligent, kick-arse women that could empathise with and advise me about my professional path. I found this and so much more! Among the group of incredibly talented women on the board, I found some of the most supportive mentors who epitomise the open, kind and generous spirit of the CWC community. 

How would you describe the value of membership with CWC?

In my mind, the value of CWC is best described by the creative community you are enveloped by. It is a really open, kind and generous community of women that want to support each other through connection, collaboration and championing each other's successes.

Which creative person, living or dead, do you most admire and why?

I really admire Bjork for her avant-garde approach to everything she creates. She is a classically trained musician that has pushed the boundaries of music, art, fashion and even dabbled in acting. She is constantly evolving and doesn't let her success or failure dictate where or what she should do. 

How do you challenge yourself creatively?

I see myself as a creative problem solver and over the years I have come to realise that I work best when navigating around constraints. I have often found that some of my proudest results were born from extremely constrained circumstances where I didn't settle for an average option.

What would you be doing if you weren’t in your current career? What is your ‘other’ dream job/business?

I have always really loved patterns and screen printing so I think I would pursue textile design or surface pattern design.  

Where do you see Creative Women’s Circle heading over the next two years? Why is this a great time to renew/sign up or volunteer to join the CWC community?

Creative Women's Circle is a rare combination of creative community, friendship and professional development. We are so proud of each of our creative community and want to tell the world about each one of them. At present, we are in the midst of reimagining member benefits, events and resources we offer to better suit the needs of our dynamic member base. So be sure to sign up or renew your membership to take advantage of these new changes. Now is also a great time to volunteer with us and develop skill-sets with a bunch of super friendly ladies. Plus there are always snacks! 

Sam is a graphic designer with experience in editorial layout design, typesetting, marketing digital design and production. As an avid learner of all things, Sam has embarked on further study in user experience design, surface pattern design and digital design. She is endlessly inspired by beautiful, thoughtful, innovative human-centred design across all creative industries and strives to imbue her work with the same love, devotion and meticulous attention to detail. Connect with Sam via her Instagram or LinkedIn.