As a child, Sandra wanted to be a detective. Until – like almost all millennials – she fell for the promise that »something to do with media« was the answer to all questions of meaning. It sounded like a creative free-for-all, guest list spots and access to places that remain off-limits to most people. So she became a music journalist, founded a city magazine and realised: At least sometimes, that’s actually true.
Because she rarely does things by halves, she tried her hand at every media format: print, web, television, radio, podcasts, photography. She wrote as a freelance journalist about travel, culture and social injustices, set up a website and social media channels for the Salzburg branch of the world’s oldest NGO, and most recently headed a department at a daily newspaper.
And somehow, she ended up becoming a detective after all. Only she isn’t looking for suspects, but for what drives people and makes them unique. She now puts this instinct to use at Solid & Bold as a brand storyteller: she listens closely, recognises connections and thus brings to light what is already at the heart of every brand: a good story. Without a trench coat. Most of the time, at least.
My creative career began in urban planning. Using cardboard, Lego and paper, I designed whole worlds for surprise soap figurines. My first client – and also the first person to shamelessly exploit my creativity – was my mother: she made me craft greeting cards for the entire family. Ironically, I regularly went on strike when it came to writing the little messages to go with them. When it comes to writing, my creativity ends there and logic takes over: you just need to know the criteria that make it work.
I reckon spending too much time in front of a screen is deadly – for your mood as well as for your creativity. When I’m faced with a blank sheet of paper, my mind simply goes into overdrive more than it does when I’m looking at a blank document. The only catch is that I can usually only make sense of the thoughts and to-do lists I’ve scribbled down there for a few hours at most.
I’m not drawn to the sleek and polished. A touch of asymmetry, an irregularity, identities and stories buried behind façades, on the other hand, certainly do. What could sum this up better than Brutalism? With its exposed concrete, its massive, functional aesthetic and zero interest in trying to please anyone, it is not a delicate architectural style. Yet it is so raw and full of lived experience. Simply beautiful!