In this episode of Creative women, leading change, hosts Mirjana Arlaud and Shea Karssing sit down with Marina Willer, partner at Pentagram, filmmaker, and one of the most influential creative voices of our time.
From designing global brand identities to directing deeply personal films, Marina shares what it means to stay creatively alive in a world increasingly shaped by speed, pressure, and AI.
Together, we explore how creativity is not driven by tools, but by a mindset rooted in curiosity, presence, and the courage to embrace the unknown. Marina reflects on the importance of staying “childlike,” finding inspiration in the everyday, and resisting the pull toward imitation in a hyper-digital world.
Through personal stories about motherhood and making her first feature film, she reveals how vulnerability, discipline, and creative instinct come together to shape meaningful work.
This is a conversation about protecting what makes us human — and why that matters more than ever.
Episode highlights
- Why human insight is still the foundation of meaningful creative work
- The power of staying childlike in a world that pushes us to be polished and predictable
- How Marina turned a deeply personal story into a feature film
- Why originality comes from experimentation, accidents, and the real world
- How motherhood reshaped her creativity, empathy, and perspective
- The growing tension between speed, shortcuts, and depth in the creative industry
Quotes from Marina
“Creativity is an act that is compelling. I have to do it.”
“If you can keep a child’s heart, you can always create things that are authentic and new.”
“It’s human insight, not AI, not effects or digital tools that can create.”
“The way to differentiate is to create work that is more unique… where accidents happen.”
“Don’t let fear freeze you.”
“I’d love to do something that can make a difference in such a broken world today.”
“Being present and being able to absorb what’s around you… that leads to creativity.”
Resources and actions from this episode
- Follow Marina on LinkedIn and Instagram
- Read The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
- Reflect → Where are you consuming instead of creating?
- Try → Make something with your hands this week
- Observe → What inspiration exists in your everyday environment that you’ve been overlooking?
