She/her | #design #creativeboom #womenindesign
Hey Katy, first of all, how are you?
I'm great, thanks. How are you? (Im great thanks!) I've just had a lovely Easter weekend seeing family and friends and eating too much chocolate. It's been lovely sitting outside in the sunshine, too.
For those that do not know, who is Katy Cowan?
I'm a journalist and the founding editor of Creative Boom, a platform I launched in 2009 to support the creative community. It's a venture that today attracts over seven million readers worldwide from America to Australia. I just recently started a podcast, too, which takes me back to my radio days, working as a newsreader and broadcast journalist.
Other than that? I'm a bit daft, don't take life too seriously, don't overthink things too much and absolutely love people and life. I'm kind and (hopefully) funny. Adventurous and definitely not afraid of taking risks. Love to travel. Love the outdoors. I grew up in a small town and now live in the city, amongst a wonderful community. I'm very lucky.
Leading on from this give us 5 interesting facts about yourself.
Gosh, that's hard. I'm really not that interesting.
That's not me being self-deprecating. I'm just very normal. I'm six foot tall with size nine wide feet, can't eat spicy food and have a passion for art and design, Japan and computer games. Cuban music makes me happy. And I'm a keen baker. I'm also trying to learn how to play the piano.
Being outdoors is where I'm happiest. I love gardening as much as I love walking in the hills. And I'm mad about cycling. As a kid, I climbed trees, built dens and played out in the surrounding fields until my Dad would call us for dinner.
Last year, I helped to film a music video for a famous neighbour (socially distanced, of course).
Have you always wanted to become a journalist?
I think so. My grandfather and great grandfather were journalists. It runs in the family, I suppose. But I was always writing stories and reading books, so I guess it was where I was heading. I've always been curious about people, too.
Creative Boom is massive, how did it begin?
It began very quietly and simply with no major ambition other than to support others.
It was after the global recession of 2007-08. I noticed my creative friends weren't getting the publicity they needed to raise their profile and attract work, so I put my journalism hat on and started a platform to give them a voice. Probably sounds a tad arrogant, thinking I could make a difference but I felt I had to do something and believed I could.
Creative Boom is 12 years old this July. It's had ups and downs and wasn't my main venture for many years. It's grown up and is in a great place but it will probably continue to evolve.
You have recently launched season two of your podcast with guests, what’s the best thing about doing these?
The chance to walk in someone else's shoes. To learn and grow. To enjoy some broadcast journalism again. To laugh. To share stories. The connections I make too – that can't be beaten.
You recently left Boomerang of which you were co-founder. Why was this?
It's been on the cards for some years. Boomerang is a company I co-founded with my husband, Tom in 2009. He's still running it successfully. I've been naturally gravitating towards Creative Boom over the last four or five years. It's where I'm happiest.
For my final question, what's next for Katy Cowan?
I'm not sure if I'm honest. There are plans with Creative Boom, definitely. And there are a few ideas swimming around in my head. After the year we've had, with non-stop hard work, I'm not making too many plans. Other than seeing family and friends as much as possible.
Once we've had a chance to reset the balance a little, I'm sure things will become clearer.
