Chiratidzo Chiwese is a designer based in Harare, Zimbabwe. She shares with us her passions and why she creativity to her is a form of expression and a way to communicate, a tool in that she uses to transform and affect the world around her.
Please tell us about yourself?
Iâm a middle child, third born in a family of four kids, the second girl. I really believe this has shaped my world view to a large extent; I am an observer of people and life in all its shapes and have chosen my own way to interact with it. I am a writer, an illustrator, a great reader and a very outspoken person when I choose to be. I am in the process of setting up a design studio with my husband and younger brother, a dream of mine for many years, and one through which I hope I will be able to pursue my many passions and projects that have been on hold for many years. I am a person of faith: I strongly believe in God and the Bible as His word, and I attempt to express that faith through how I live, rather than through mere words;
âHe has shown you O mortal what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.â [Micah 6v8]
I always pray I can live by that. I am also passionate about being a positive influence to those around me and leaving the kind of legacy my kids and others would want to be a part of. So I am very conscious that the decisions I make today will affect my tomorrows. I am married to a wonderful man, Musa Saruro, who is also a creative person, though in the realm of performing arts, he is primarily a theater performer. We are both a little crazy and weird, but I think thatâs why it works!
When you were growing up, was creativity part of your life and how did you decide to be a designer?
Creativity was definitely a part of my life growing up. I remember my Dad as a great storyteller, which he still is, making things up or crazily exaggerating stories about events or relatives at the dinner table. My mother was crazy creative with a needle and thread, and in the kitchen? Wow! So each of their kids inherited that creative gene so I can safely and confidently say I have been an artist all my life. I was born to it. I have always loved drawing; writing, reading, performing, singing, and it just became an outlet of self-expression and making myself heard. And, all though my parents didnât always understand our form of creative expression, especially until we were much older, they never stifled us or tried to smother the energy, and it just grew and grew as we grew.
Did you go to school to study graphic design?
I studied art all through high school, O and A level, and then I spent 3 years at Harare Polytechnic, first year was a general certificate covering all the foundational elements of art in all its forms. The next 2 years were for specialization, either in graphic design or fine arts. I chose to further my studies in graphic design. However having said that, I donât believe I so much studied graphic design as much as I continued my pursuit for self-expression, and found graphic design to be my preferred outlet.
Did you always know you wanted to study/do something creative?
I think I always knew deep down that I would do something creative, but I donât believe I ever consciously thought about until I was finishing high school. Honestly, I just loved drawing, watching animated shows, reading and writing stories. I just did these things because I could do them and loved to do them and, as it turns out, I was pretty good at them too.
In retrospect what do you know now that you wish you knew before you pursued your graphic design education?
Honestly, there is nothing I wish I knew before. I know it may sound arrogant, but I feel truly blessed because I feel the truth about my chosen profession was revealed to me even before I started. What truth? Well, some people view âgraphic designâ as an end in itself â doing graphic design for its own sake, doing better than others, creating better designs, or carving a niche for oneself, or even simply just for the money. But for me it was never an end but a means to an end: as a form of expression and a way to communicate, a tool in my hand that I could use to transform and affect the world around me and maybe just maybe be of some use while I am here.
How would you describe your style?
Structured, purposeful and bold. I am all about balance and rightness which only comes from having a clear vision of what I want the final outcome to be.
What are some favourite projects youâve worked on and why?
Goodness, there are so many! But 3 of my favourites are: A. We The People Illustration project from last year. I hadn't done any illustration work for a long time and I was really keen to get back into and this project came along. Itâs always exciting to do something youâre passionate about. B. This year I had the chance to work on a new look for CV People Africa newsletters and company profile. I love laying out large documents and creating a visual story from start to finish! I had a great time [and a lot of freedom] to layout different articles each month for about 5 months. It was like working on a a magazine again without dealing with loads of people and loads of stress! And I was really chuffed with how they came out. C. Youth Cultural Arts Festival [YOCAF] 2014 theme and marketing materials designs. This was so much fun, coming up with something grungy and in-your-face. Ive always loved working on projects like this where I can create the look and feel for a whole project and elevate it visually they way I believe it should be done. I only got to about 20% of what I had wanted to do for this project due to budgetary constraints, but it still looked great, and just to know I'm not doing some bland advertisement was a real thrill.
What inspired your passion for art and who has been supporting you from the beginning?
I believe it has always been in me, a natural part of who I am. I picked up a pencil and it was merely an extension of me. I used to cut up picture books and create collages. I couldnât go outside without becoming fascinated by the beauty of different colours around me, textures and more. Being a reader and lover of stories also fueled my imagination; I loved reading everything from fantastical stories like C.S.Lewisâs Chronicles of Narnia, to thrillers and dramatic novels. All took me to places I could not go in real life, and being able to pick up a pencil and create those worlds myself â well, what else could be expected? Who has supported me from the beginning? My creative landscape would be incomplete without my younger brother who is now of course much taller than I am! We would literally bury ourselves in paper, and for years we tag-teamed drawing together, comic books especially. If one of us couldnât quite picture something we were trying to draw correctly, we would do poses for each other so we could get it right. My brother is a genius and even I had to takes tips from him! Nothing much has changed on that end I can tell you! But we love each other and our art and continue to challenge and encourage each other to this day.
What gives you ideas and inspires you to create awesome work?
Wow. For me there are probably 3 top things that inspire me and enable me to deliver great work. First one is prayer. This is madness to anyone who doesnât understand, but not to me because I have seen the results time and time again, especially when I am completely dry and feel I have nothing to give, God always makes a way. Second, having a love or passion for people. When you want to make a difference, help someone to physically see and even touch something they only used to imagine in their dreams â thatâs a great feeling. Even more so is to surpass anything they could have envisioned for themselves. I am a warrior with a pencil or computer, fighting for their cause! Third, viewing the great works of others and remembering that I am not the only creative out there. This helps me to stay grounded - so that I donât get a big head and think Im the beginning and end of all design - and also to stay inspired â looking at another artistâs work and being left speechless â wow, thatâs what true art is really all about â bringing back that awe and being reminded that there are still goals to be worked towards, and different ways to do things â donât get stuck in one.
How do you educate yourself to take better designs?
I try to fuel my imagination. I surf a lot on the internet looking at other peopleâs work, especially illustration and comics. I LOOOOOOVE looking at illustratorsâ websites and seeing their work. Itâs always refreshing and stirs the passion and energy in me again. I also try to read up on other people in my field, not necessarily very famous people, but artistsâ blogs, where they talk about how they run their companies, how they approach clients and client relations, what has helped them do better than other agencies, their portfolios. Another key thing that has greatly influenced and challenged my work is being mentored. I have been blessed enough to have been mentored by a few great creatives â in ideas and skill â and my work shows it. There is always something you can learn, and having someone you respect and admire, but who also has that keen eye, look at, critique and esteem your work is invaluable to oneâs development as an artist. This kind of feedback can also and should also come from your peers.
Whatâs been the biggest singular influence on your work?
God. My desire to do well in my work is strongly founded in this tenet: the desire for a life well-lived. I want to use the gifts God blessed me with, develop them as far as I can, and use them in a manner that positively influences, transforms and blesses those around me. To know that I had it in my power to do something great and life-changing and to not have done it â that would be my greatest regret.
What is your favourite piece of work you did recently? Can you describe its creation as well as your thoughts when creating the work and what it means to you?
In the last three/four months of 2013, I was asked to assist on a book project where they were originally going to use photographs to visually tell their stories. The book was made up of stories from various people about last yearâs July elections. The photo idea was not going to work as they did not have enough images, so they thought of using drawings. I was very keen as I had been on the lookout for the chance to work on some illustrative work as it had been a while and this was also a chance to create something unique and challenging. So over the course of a few months I created a series of about 37 illustrations, give or take, to complement the collection of stories in the book.
For me the illustrations were very personal, I would read through the story to get pictures playing in my head, then jot down the gist of story to use as reference. It was challenging in that I cannot say I completely shared some of the views expressed in the stories and at the same time, I did not want my own views or personal feelings to colour, distort or re-interpret the words and experiences expressed by each person who contributed. I wanted to enhance their project and create a visual lens for others to see their stories and the story of our country. So I came up with an idea of creating a kind of - collage of layers: to tell each story visually on a single page, so that even without reading the story, you could know what it was about just by looking at the images.
This resulted in a unique set of illustrations: layers of text, parchment-y paper, silhouettes and images and colour, each telling their own story and all together showing you different layers of the story. It was me blending the stories with things I myself had also seen in this country we love, and of which they spoke. These illustrations actually became my story in the book, a story of pictures and not words and a way to say this is how our nation has been seen and what we have experienced and all though our views, experiences and feelings on certain things may differ on one thing we are all on the same page â our love and hope for our nation. The last illustration in the book is my favourite, it has a view of the horizon and a sun in the shape of Zimbabwe glowing and shining and rising into the sky. I called it that â âZimbabwe Risingâ, my hope and my prayer for my life and my country is in that illustration.
The book was published early this year and is called âWe The Peopleâ. I am glad to say that I have had positive feedback local and international on the artwork and Iâm grateful to have helped them take the project to another level.
What do you feel is the most challenging thing about design?
Design is a multifaceted thing. You have to stay fresh, stay interested and interesting, but also grow and develop yourself. It must be practiced constantly, and its boundaries pushed so that it does not stagnate. But its foundational truths must not be forgotten or taken for granted â like balance, order in chaos, understanding of space and many more, these principles must be respected âand then also ignored at times â to create âtruthâ-defying work that changes and challenges the creative landscape. Design and art are like life in that they are always changing, predictable only in their unpredictably. The challenge is to learn how to surf and swim in the creative ocean, and also to sometimes let yourself drown in it.
If not a creative nuisance, I would have liked to be a lawyer. You are a designer, writer and illustrator. What did you want to be growing up?
Actually for the longest time I too nursed the greatest desire to be a lawyer. I think it was fueled by a strong desire to help people and a healthy diet of John Grisham novels! I had a flare for the dramatic and a courtroom seemed the perfect place to perform â but for the greater good. However after I finished my Aâ levels, I realized that I loved reading â but not that kind of reading! And law might be a box for me, instead of an outlet. My older brother who was based in Harare then called me up while I was waiting for my results and told me about this course I could take in âGraphic Designâ, something I honestly had never heard of. I thought well let me give it a go. I moved to Harare from Bulawayo and started my design journey!
Most designers have a penchant/love for designing a particular subject. I would love to have you talk about and share whatever examples of work you have and feel are appropriate representation of your private obsession [if we may call it that] with design?
I love space. My favorite thing in the world is a blank sheet because I can do whatever I want with it. I used to literally go into art supply stores and stare with crazy love at the thick sketch pads, drooling at the potential! You may laugh but nowadays my husband, my brother and my mentors called me the queen of layout! It is not a title I take lightly, and I mention it tentatively â I only know that I am very passionate about re-arranging the way a brand or a thing is envisioned or perceived. Sometimes it is about big text and lots of white space, and other times about filling the space till itâs all practically pouring off the page [visually mind you!] but definitely it is about using the space right. It gives me a thrill, I kid you not! And I know it looks right by the reactions I get when I show it to someone else. Itâs one of the reasons I love branding as opposed to design for press and things like that.
Is there anyone you would love to collaborate or work with?
To be honest, no one person jumps to mind. I really feel at the moment I have the privilege of being in consistent contact with some of the most amazing creatives â Baynham Goredema taught me for a season while I was at Harare Polytechnic and he is someone I still look up to and whose work I continue to look upon and greatly admire; Masimba Hwati, an amazing artist and big brother to me, I love his work and have often enjoyed great conversations with him in the past and hope to do so again in the future. There are so many great artistic people I could list that I have the privilege of knowing and have been in contact with, some who are not necessarily even graphic artists, but also performing and more, I wouldnât know where to begin. The world is a campus.
What advice would you give to somebody who wants to pursue graphic design as a profession?
Learn the basics â even if you cant draw, there are basic principles which govern all design and creative processes.
Respect the profession â money is not a good enough reason to pursue this field, neither is the pursuit of fame. If you are diligent, responsible with your gift and dedicate yourself to doing good honest work, you can do really well for yourself and hopefully make a name for yourself along the way. Your work speaks for you, so you have to hone your skills.
Relationships are important âbuild decent relationships with your peers and clients. Your network is what will help you and support you. Success in the design business is not just about being exceptionally talented, but about how you handle yourself so know your strengths and use those to your benefit.
Each of us has someone or something which inspires our life and work. Can you please tell us the true basis of your inspiration?
I think you are who you are. I cannot help but be creative. From flowery speech to a vivid crazy imagination, I really believe and know that I am just being who I was created to be, and I am expressing myself in a way that just seems natural to me â words and images. I believe many people have physical sight but they cannot really see. I am blessed because I get to see â I can see the beauty in a shadow; a face in the lines on a rough wall; I am fascinated by lines and form; inspired by the Godâs canvas â the world, and to think I get to create or envision something too? Itâs just amazing. You shall know a man by his fruits â you produce what you are, and I was born to this.
What types of challenges have you had as a creative person and what did you learn from them?
One of the supreme struggles has to be being able to earn properly as an artist. People understand seeing a shirt they like, finding out how much it costs and paying for it, but when it comes to this creative gift it can a bit of a trial. Iâve worked hard for many years to get to a place of confidence in my ability as an artist and to be able to say to people, this is what itâs worth, take it or leave it but I will not compromise my standards and my worth just so you can go cheap. I'm not saying the war has been won, but I'm trying to take it battle by battle. Each of us has a responsibility to raise the level of the arts in our sphere of influence â to teach people and to stand for certain principles. We may not always gain the victory, but it is always worth the fight. I donât just work for fun, I would also like to make a living from it, and I would appreciate not having to explain and justify that every time I make a logo or re-brand someoneâs company.
A creative who inspires you?
Bjorn Cornish has been my design mentor for the past 3 years. I am still awed by his work, the elegance and the diligence with which he pursues excellence in his work. He is a genius when it comes to packaging design and all his work and his approach to work has influenced mine greatly. He and his business partner, Andre Carter, who is a copy writer, run Cornish & Carter advertising where I worked the past few years and both have mentored me in the business and its art forms in a direct and profound way.
A website/blog you visit often?
Clients from Hell â It makes me laugh and reminds me Iâm not alone, they also give great advice and offer a few other resources.
Whatâs your idea of misery?
Living a life without purpose. And also a life not knowing that God exists, and is there to save, help and heal you. Actually let me rephrase that â a lot of people accept that God exists, but many are miserable and angry because they donât believe He WILL help them when they call. Misery for me would be to not have that faith and knowledge that He hears me when I call and will help me.
What is your greatest fear?
What I cannot control, what I have no power over, liking losing someone close to me. It is a fear, but it also reminds me to trust in God and not lean on myself or my own understanding, because life can be bigger than us sometimes and what do you do when you are drowning in it? I have to trust in God to overcome my fears.
How do you decide which of your ideas are worth pursuing?
When Iâm on the right track and the idea is a good one, I get this â vibe. Itâs like this buzz of energy and I feel good and excited, and it all just starts to flow.
What talent would you most like to have?
Keen business acumen and grit. I want to learn how to build and run a good strong business for myself and also so that I can empower other creatives to do the same, so that they wonât be at the mercy of other people all the time.
What is the one thing you are still learning?
To distance myself. I am like one intense person and I tend to over-give in some situations. I always believe in giving 100% to something I'm involved in, and itâs not a bad thing in itself, but sometimes I may end up giving 150% to something or someone who is only giving 20%, even to their own project, so I have to be careful not to over invest in something thatâs not worth it.
We have learned a lot from Google. Youâve learned the most from?
My parents. Watching their lives, what they have each had to deal with, just growing up in their house, through everything, they have fought to stay together, to protect their children, to stay in faith. They are diligent in prayer in the face of overwhelming adversity, they have lost much but still everyday they keep on trying. How can I being decades younger than them, with more strength, and a better chance at life because of the platform they have given us â how can I give up if each day, no matter what they keep on going? I must carry the flag to the next mountain and continue to build a legacy. My dad often says âcommon sense is not common.â Many people read books and get great degrees but true wisdom is not found there.
What is the one thing that you think is overrated?
Technology and software. I believe it is the master who makes the tools â if you think you will create great designs because of software or a techie tool, you are mistaken. I donât care whether it is Adobe Illustrator or Corel Draw, a mouse or stylus, a pencil or paintbrush. Great design starts with a great or even simple idea - executed excellently. If you donât respect the art, the principles, or hard work â even if you have the best tools and software, your work will still suck. Iâm not saying they donât help â but they are not the be-all and end-all.
Are you creativity satisfied?
Goodness no. There is so much I still want to experience. I haven't been to any art exhibitions of late or had a decent conversation about art for a while and I need to get back into rhythm. I also miss drawing again and am sorely out of practice, so I am starting with a few sketches a day and will hopefully be back to drawing full comic books again soon!
What music are you listening to?
John Legend Love in the Future Album. Iâve listened to that too much. A mix of modern Christian songs I have, with songs by Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, Brooke Fraser, Kutlass and Jeremy Camp. Michael W Smithâs Wonder album and Sovereign album as well. A smattering of Lira and Zahara. I also listen to a lot of old school, like 80s going backwards.
What book[s] are you reading at the moment?
Iâve just started reading A Voice in the Wind, the first book of a Francine Riversâ Trilogy â the Mark of the Lion Series, really uplifting and thought-provoking. Also been trying to get through Communication, Sex and Money by Edwin Louis Cole, but havenât been setting aside enough time for it!
If you could have lunch with someone famous or dead, who would it be?
Shonda Rhimes. She is the creator and writer of series Greyâs Anatomy and Scandal. She is a genius writer; I want to know how she does it.
Which five words would your friends use to describe you?
Passionate. Funny. Crazy. Loyal. Loving.
Are there any Zimbabwean creatives that excite you at the moment?
Baynham Goredema, Masimba Hwati, Nqobizitha âEnqoreâ Mlilo.
What do you find exciting about being a creative from Zimbabwe now?
All the untapped potential and the undiscovered talent. We are coming upon the world like ninja assassins! Lol. We have so much to give and in spite of the many challenges we have faced and still face, I really believe we are starting to flex our muscles and strut our stuff.
What impact do you think Zimbabwean creatives are making abroad? In your opinion, how does the rest of the world view the Zimbabwean creative industries?
Zimbabwean  creatives abroad? Well I think they are having a lot of impact depending on where they are, especially if they have access to the right network and right tools. I think by our kind of work ethic â diligence and hard work, and that hunger to start sharing the unique ideas and humor we have in this country with the world, they are definitely making an impact. And making a home away from home. Making their presence felt online especially, which is out meeting place, a place to share ideas. I think the world views Zimbabwean creative as something perhaps untried, youthful definitely, but itâs also wide open, full of untapped potential. Thatâs also what makes us marketable, our ideas are new and a different way of thinking.
What do you think about the current state of the Zimbabwean creative industries?
Itâs a sad thing to say that all though charity should begin at home, Zimbabwe has not been kind to its creatives [of course this is not limited to people in the creative industry]. The arts are not given their due, artists still struggle to make a living, and milked for everything they have but cheated out of the profits. That is how it has been for years. People also struggle with the idea of paying for intellectual property; they donât understand what that is. But I truly believe that things are changing, however slowly. Or perhaps I should rather say we are changing; I am changing â the way I think, the way I want to live, the way I want my work to be viewed. I think itâs time the arts took their rightful place and challenged what others have begun to view as the norm â like creatives have no say or no transformative input to give. But how misguided is that thinking â artists change the world and create the lens through which everyone sees. Artists even speak the mind of the people. Itâs time we were empowered to really do so, or if no one else will, we must empower ourselves, financially and in everything else.
Is there anything that you are currently working on, that you would like to share with us?
I have a couple of new projects I am putting together, which I will share in due time, but for now, Iâm just keeping them on the down low.
What kind of legacy do you hope to leave?
A legacy of faith, hope and love. To know that I positively influenced and inspired someone else to make a better choice and live a better life because of something I said or did, or something they saw in me. That others may know that even the weakest, littlest vessel can be used to transform a community or a nation â every one of us can make a difference, but only if we are willing.
Do you feel a responsibility to contribute something bigger than yourself?
Definitely. I am here to fight certain battles so that maybe the next generation doesnât have to fight them, so that their battles will be new ones, ones that will better humanity, better Zimbabwe.
If someone said, âhow can I be the next Chiratidzo Chiweshe?â what would you say to them?
You canât be! Because Iâm not done with it yet â and I wonât ever be done! :-) Be yourself to the max and find out what your unique contribution is supposed to be. The world will always want you to aim to be someone else, or to conform â even better â for the world, not for you. If you find you can learn anything from me or my life, then learn it and use it to become a Great You. â âBe no longer conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed through the renewing of your mind.â
