Isabella Rider
As a millennial, Isabella understands the power of social media marketing, self promotion and most importantly, beautifully engaging content. Since graduating from UAL in Spatial Design, Isabella Rider has worked as a social media manager and content creator for leading consumer brands and taught herself photo and video skills that allowed her to go freelance two and a half years ago. Her creative input bridges powerful aesthetic design through her photography and short form video with a deep understanding of how to translate that onto multimedia digital platforms. Since becoming a freelancer she has directed, shot and edited content for brands such as Jo Malone, HURR, Selfridges, West Elm and Refinery29.
Isabella Rider
Interviewed by: THOMASINA R. LEGEND
Photography: EDVINAS BRUZAS
Why do you refer to yourself as ‘a considered freelance creative’? I literally only changed my freelance title to that a few months ago. I did it to be different from everyone else because a ‘freelance content creator’ doesn’t sound very original. So many people are content creators these days so I just wanted to change it up a little. I really like the word ‘considered’ because I do take a lot into consideration when it comes to my work and who I want to work with. I believe you should try and be as selective as possible with whom you work for and the work you put into the world, always. A lot of my life choices revolve around sustainability, being mindful of others, making sure that the life we are leaving behind for the next generation is the best that it can be, and in that circumstance I really enjoy working with brands that are helping to shape our future for the better. My clients range from a fashion rental platform, a B-corp nutrition brand, carbon emissions app to an interior design and architecture studio. Even though they’re all very different, they all share similar missions to improve and innovate ideas for a better planet.
Why creativity as a form of expression for you? The only word that I could describe myself as, is ‘creative’. I’ve been creative from day one; my Mum and Dad are both retired fashion academics as they were both fashion and textile designers, and I’m an only child, so their creative juices have always just poured into me. I’ve also been really fortunate to have experienced several cultures from a young age, from Australia, South Africa, Malaysia & China. Spending prolonged times in different countries naturally broadens your visual and artistic horizons. I remember from a very young age listening to some of my parent's lectures - soaking up their knowledge, being taken to art galleries, encouraged to draw, paint and make with my hands - one of my favourite things to do would be to walk around futuristic and innovative architecture anywhere in the world - I think the amalgamation of all those experiences together can only make a ‘creative person’.
What do you love about your chosen mediums of expression (photography and video)? What is it about these mediums that set your creative soul on fire? Great question! I love photography because it’s a moment in time and a photo can speak a thousand words. I thoroughly enjoy styling a photo, curating the visual and art direction just sets my soul on fire.
Video is still fairly new to me, but I find it really exciting! I’ve been doing it for about two years professionally, and I’m always learning and constantly improving my work. There are so many layers to video - audio, music, light, props, location, editing, actors and/or product - you have to love each part equally because as a director you’re bringing all of those parts together to create a piece of work, it’s challenging but really rewarding in the end. My partner, Stephan Knight is a DOP so also having him right there to ask questions and bounce ideas off has definitely eased my journey into videography for sure. He sets my soul on fire too!
You studied at UAL! Which branch and what was your degree on? Yes, I went to University of the Arts London: Chelsea School of Art and I did a BA Hons in Interior Spatial Design which is kind of two subjects in one, so it’s a bit of interior design and a bit of architecture, more of an abstract architecture course. I really enjoyed my degree, and time has definitely flown by since I graduated six years ago - that’s crazy! As I mentioned before, from a super young age architecture was the one thing that I was drawn to most. I remember the incredible buildings and structures in Singapore, Melbourne and Hong Kong and saying to my Dad, “I think I want to be an architect”.
As I grew up, I aspired to be like Zaha Hadid, a renowned designer who pushed the conventional boundaries of architecture. She was known to stand her ground as a powerful, creative woman of colour - in a very ‘white man architectural world’ and I found that so inspiring and motivating.
What did you love about your course and how has what you studied translated into what you do now? I did really enjoy my course, the teachers were great, and I met some great friends too. We all had a lot of fun. When you study a course like spatial architecture, you have to be open to learn such a wide range of interdisciplinary skills, such as drawing, making, problem-solving, material sourcing, art direction, styling, photography, videography, graphic design, public speaking even… you have to look at things differently, whether you’re making a building, or designing the interior, choosing the furniture or capturing the space once it’s finished - there are so many career paths leading off a course like that - I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to hone my craft on such a great course.
What inspired your path into photography and storytelling? Getting to know different people and their stories, for sure. I love speaking to people, no matter who they are. I’ve also always been encouraged to document my creativity by my parents, capturing moments, writing journals, painting, making and I guess that’s just led onto photography and film making. Furthermore, I love being around people and capturing their true selves, to which I’ve been told I ‘make people feel very comfortable and at ease’, even when I’m sticking a camera in their face! I wouldn’t say there was a specific profound moment that made me say “oh I would love to be a photographer, or I would love to be a director”, it just happened so naturally, I’m just rolling with it to be honest…
Why freelancing and how has the journey been for you so far? Honestly, it’s been the best decision of my life going freelance. I say that to everyone I meet, and I understand that it has its challenges and some people don’t get on with it very well, and they don’t like the pressures - not knowing when the next pay cheque is going to come, but it’s been the best decision for me. I found working in a full-time role a little repetitive at times, I wanted to spread my wings and felt I couldn’t as easily. While working full time, I did freelance projects on the weekends and in the evenings to get my name out there before taking the leap. But after a few months of really hustling, my boyfriend and my parents encouraged me to go freelance.
I had massive waves of anxiety leading up to my last day at my work and not knowing whether it was the best decision for me, but the day I handed in my notice, I knew this was going to be a good move. In my first week of being a freelancer I made sure my website, social media and portfolio were all well put together, and honestly it wasn’t long until I got my first client.
Social media is such a powerful channel to use too. Sending messages via DM, reaching out to potential clients, not being afraid to reach out, asking about collaboration projects. When you’re starting out sometimes you have to give a little and also create content that builds your portfolio. If you get paying clients straight away that’s brilliant, keep going, but sometimes you have to collaborate to build skills and also make great connections within the industry, but be assertive and know when a collaboration will be of benefit and when it wouldn’t. It’s all about balance. So far, it’s been good for me meeting new people and being able to tailor my own client base. You have full control of your day, it’s usually long hours, and it’s really challenging at times but it’s that desire to want to improve, it’s that excitement when somebody emails you and says hey I’d love to work with you, that’s what makes it special.
What are some of the challenges of being a creative freelancer and how have you overcome them? There are definitely a few that we can tap into, one being the work-life balance. I am a perfectionist and would do anything to make sure that whatever my name is on, it’s the best quality. My parents instilled that in me from a very young age that if you want to do something, you have to do it to the very best of your abilities. So my work-life balance over the past few years has been quite challenging to schedule and stick to. I think you go through phases where it’s perfect, and you’re shutting down your laptop at six in the evening, making sure you do things that are not work related especially with a partner who is also freelance and works extremely long hours too, it’s tough. The past few years (2020-2021) has made me realise how important wellness is and how something like yoga, meditation and even reading - which I don’t do enough of (my Mum always tells me to read more, haha), I think wellness is so important for mental stability and creativity. You have to take a step back from your work to be able to come back to it with fresh eyes. If you’re staring at the same project on a screen for ten hours, which I have done and still do to this day, how are you supposed to improve your work, how are you supposed to see the mistakes in the areas that you make them and overcome those if you don’t rest and balance it all out? So yes, work-life balance has been a huge challenge, but it does go in waves.
Another challenge is knowing your worth, and this is a big one for me. Having the confidence that you are capable and knowing your worth regarding your rates can be extremely difficult when you begin this journey.
I get a few people a month sliding into my DM’s who are thinking of going freelance, asking what I charge. I’m completely open and do advise people, but I remind them that it’s not about what somebody else is charging, it’s about what you’re happy with. I’ve been there, having anxiety and thinking I’m undercharging, or overcharging. But I’ve learnt that if the client really wants to work with you, they’ll come back to you and say ‘can we meet in the middle’ or ‘I’ve actually got this amount as a budget, what can you do for that budget?’ and then you alter the brief. I even turn to my partner sometimes and ask if a quote is ok for a particular job, and he always asks me ‘Would you be happy with that amount?” to which I might say ‘Yeah’ or ‘not really…’ then you can judge the amount of work to the quote and make the decision of going forward or not. You have to be happy with what you’re getting paid, you have the power. Remember as you grow, your invoices should also grow and that is something that I have learnt over the years; every year you grow, learn new skills, invest in better equipment, your rates should increase too, just as it would on a full-time salary.
What draws you to a project brief that makes you pick not only the client but also the brief? It’s quite interesting being a shooter-director in the video and photography world - the brands I’ve worked with definitely come to me with a written brief, with ideas, creative direction and who they are planning for the talent, however, brands tend to come to me for my direction and my ideas too which is really nice. We usually build the brief together which I love - lots of Zoom call meetings, phone calls, mood boards, and then we get to the final stage; I love the process. I love briefs that are related to my interests, so either interior design, architecture, fashion (sustainable fashion) ceramics, artists, makers, designers, obviously traveling is a bonus too, even just around the UK, it’s fun packing your camera kit for an adventure out of London.
What advice would you give both graduates and creative talents wanting to take the freelance route? I would say be prepared to work hard, be consistent and persistent, don’t be afraid to tell people and show people what you do, be a wonderful human being, be somebody that people want to work with and don’t be afraid to take risks.
Also, when working with brands, try not to be too precious about your ideas, brands come to you to help elevate and execute their concepts, so if your idea changes or develops - don’t take it personally, it’s all part of the process.
What are some of the mental and emotional aspects of being a creative person that is challenging? I definitely put other people before me most of the time, but I’m on a journey right now of learning to put myself first, it’s one of the greatest gifts that you can give yourself.
In terms of mental challenges, I think the pressure of social media, constantly comparing to others, imposter syndrome, eco-anxiety - these are all things that can stop one's creative flow and make the world seem off balance and a little overwhelming.
I try to remember that I can only do so much, and that when the world seems too much, just do things for you, do things that you enjoy and that will reignite joy and happiness back into your everyday life. Over the past few years I’ve also found myself questioning my ‘role in the creative industry’ - finding my ‘one true passion’ but I’ve realised that if you have a multidisciplinary set of skills, that’s a blessing and something you should channel and offer. Things always fall into place, even where you’re constantly questioning everything and nothing is aligning, just keep going.
What are some of your go to remedies for making sure you are mentally and emotionally healthy when going through challenging projects? Recently, I have loved making myself a matcha every morning, it’s the little things. I was a complete coffee addict for like a decade, and now have turned to matcha for a more herbal and mindful approach to caffeine. I love making it with a Japanese whisk and having a kind of ceremony on my kitchen counter. It really sets me up for the day and calms any nerves I have if I’m going on set or have a big project coming up. Exercise too even though I am not an avid exerciser at all but I do HIIT classes two to three times a week and I really feel charged and ready for the day after a session. Everyone has their own way of having or experiencing wellness and I always say to people, do something every day that makes you happy whether that is a matcha, a coffee or going for a run or having a bit of chocolate or whether that is drawing, photography or walking your dog, seeing a friend, every day, just do something for you, no matter at what time of day.
What is the most important message you try to communicate through your creativity? That’s a tough question. All throughout one's life you have different important messages that resonate with you in that moment. Now, I guess it really is about the environment, and promoting brands, products and services that can help make our planet a better place. Within my personal work, I would like people to look at my work and feel inspired, either from what the content it is about, or who I’m filming, being inspired is really important.
What would you say are some of your favourite quotes that have helped you on your journey so far? I do have a few - I love quotes. There’s one quote by Eckhart Tolle who is a German philosopher from his book ‘A New Earth’ “if you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place”, I just love that. There’s another one by Mary Heglar, who is a very well known sustainability advocate, activist, and she says, “do what you’re good at, and do your best”.
Amazing, thank you so much for your time and for this amazing interview. I really appreciate it. Of course and thank you too. I really appreciate your time and reaching out to me. Thank you.
