Lydia Pang, a creative director and co-founder of the strategic studio MØRNING, shares her vibrant journey from rural Wales to collaborating with brands like Refinery29 and Nike. She discusses how her unique upbringing and family influenced her creative vision. Lydia emphasizes the power of embracing misfit identities in entrepreneurship and the challenges faced by young women of color in the industry. She also explores the role of side hustles in fostering innovation and how food can serve as a lens for identity and culture.
Lydia Pang emphasizes the importance of embracing individuality and leveraging unique perspectives as a superpower in creative industries.
Her entrepreneurial journey with MØRNING reflects a commitment to value-driven storytelling and fostering social responsibility within the advertising landscape.
Deep dives
Embracing Uniqueness and Confidence
Lydia Pang reflects on her upbringing in rural Wales, where her creatively eccentric family fostered a strong sense of individuality. Growing up in a small town with limited diversity, she often faced challenges, including bullying due to being one of the few Asian students. However, her family's celebration of differences empowered her to embrace her oddity and feel confident in her identity. This foundation of self-acceptance and creativity shaped her unique personal style and fueled her confidence throughout her life and career.
Career Path and Finding Purpose in Creativity
Lydia's career journey was influenced by her early passion for visual culture and a desire to engage with it. After studying history of art, she initially entered the advertising industry, motivated by practicality rather than inspiration. Her diverse background often positioned her as a misfit in various roles, yet it became her superpower, allowing her to express unique perspectives and gain visibility in the industry. Ultimately, her side projects and freelance work helped her to bridge her passion for culture with her professional endeavors.
Transition to Entrepreneurship and Starting Morning
After years in the advertising landscape, Lydia recognized the need for a shift in the creative industry, leading her to co-found Morning, a creative strategy studio. The studio was born out of disdain for traditional ad agencies, aiming instead to create a value-driven approach to storytelling. Morning emphasizes the importance of leaving the world better than it was found, promoting incremental changes in the industry. Lydia's commitment to a better work environment showcases that agencies can achieve financial success while being socially responsible and employee-friendly.
Innovating in Web3 and Environmental Responsibility
Lydia's entrepreneurial spirit also extends to her involvement with Steward, a project aimed at exploring the possibilities of Web3 for environmental causes. This initiative creates a digital art collection, enabling acquisition of climate-focused portfolios through purchasing artwork. With each piece representing various ecosystems, the project is designed to foster emotional connections to nature and promote meaningful discussions around environmental sustainability. Lydia's commitment to challenging narratives and experimenting with new technologies underlines her belief that progress can emerge from creative thought.
Today I’m joined by Lydia Pang, creative director, entrepreneur and founder of a creative strategy studio MØRNING. Lydia is easily one of the talented individuals I’ve been fortunate enough to meet. She is remarkably intelligent, mission-driven, a creative visionary and exceptionally chic. In this episode we dive into her upbringing in rural Wales with her beautifully eccentric and accomplished family, her international career as Creative Director for REFINERY29 and Nike and a unique take on entrepreneurship. We discuss everything from creativity to culture, our difference being our super power, the feminist perspective in brand building and embracing your weird. I hope you enjoy listening!