Business

LONDON CREATIVE: Dominic Livingston

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We caught up with Dominic Livingston, Founder of Creative Agency Austieng.

1. YOU ARE A MAN OF MANY CREATIVE TALENTS. WHAT LAUNCHED YOU INTO YOUR CAREER AS A CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR?

Well it’s funny because I didn’t know the creative sector actually existed haha! I became aware of it when meeting a now friend of mine Joe from Canoe and I eventually went to intern with them which opened my eyes to the importance of a creative agency to consumers, their clients, the media and market. When I learned about the importance of a creative agency and the various roles within them, I knew that this industry was for me. The creative outlook that everyone is able to contribute provides a lot of value to the work and client. But what makes you truly unique as a creative is not just considering your perspective but all parties involved.

It came natural to me being aware of the creative methods of how to communicate to an audience. I made it my job to understand them by implementing actions and behaviours to understand them – so it would influence and direct our work. I love it and I’ve stuck with it for the past 5 year.

2. YOU’VE WORKED ON A PLETHROA OF AMAZING CAMPAIGNS, ARE THERE ANY CAMPAIGNS THAT HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY MEMORABLE?

Every campaign has been a joy to work on and be apart of. They’re all unique in their own right and have had different teams behind them, which mixes up the dynamic of creative output. But I love being able to collaborate with new creative professionals.
We all had fun on every project, which many don’t believe is possible as stressful periods occur which is natural. But in order to produce a great campaign, you must establish trust with every person who’s involved and are contributing to the cause. Understanding them, what motivates them, what they care about and what ideas they have for the project. This way they know you believe in them and their capability to deliver, which provides them with the capacity and confidence to flourish and demonstrate what they can do. It’s important.

3. YOU COVER A HUGE RANGE OF SERVICES, FROM PR TO FILM AND ADD PRODUCTIONS. WHICH AREA WOULD YOU SAY WAS YOUR FAVOURITE AND WHY?

My services are more creative focused for the time being but are broad in a sense that they can be delivered to any business type across various industries. Witnessing how creative agencies have clients in an industry you wouldn’t believe creative is even considered, opened my eyes as I was once naive to this too.
I don’t have a particular favourite. I love being able to implement anyone of my services to a client. My favourite thing is being able to use my creative skill set, outlook and experience to provide value and improve people’s lives.

4. WHAT IS YOUR BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR AN INSPIRING ENTREPRENEUR STARTING OUT IN LONDON?

Self-awareness is very important and will always be to me personally. Many people say that being yourself is truly important but don’t go into much detail as to why. Being aware of who you are and learning more about you as a person establishes clarity of who you are now and the person you aim to become.

When you understand who you are and who you want to become, you also establish what you need to do in order to become that person. You clarify what route you must take, the risks and the work you must create. We all want something different from our lives. It’s unique to us as individuals, can never be compared and shouldn’t. Focus on who you are, what you want from your life and how you get it.

5. WHICH HANG OUT SPOTS IN LONDON WOULD YOU GO TO IF YOU NEEDED TO GET THE CREATIVE JUICES FLOWING?

Home. I work from home mostly when I’m not working with agencies, so I get to be comfortable at my desk with my music playing with a great cup of coffee. But as I do work across London with a range of clients and agencies, I always explore various areas to establish an understanding of the surroundings, what places to visit and build my bearings. As I could be working in that in or around that area and it’s always good to have a great understanding of the area to be resourceful to either your client or your team.

6. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PERFECT LAZY SUNDAY?

Sundays I usually spend with my other half Scarlett. We tend to wake up, go for breakfast either Granger & Co or Allpress Dalston or somewhere new to try. Go for a walk around London, usually around Angel/Islington, Victoria Park, Primrose Hill/Regents Park or Marylebone for a snack lunch then towards the evening I prepare my accounts and plan out my week ahead.

Website: https://austieng.com