Celebrating The Women Of Traffic
Amy Swift, Copywriter/Creative Director/Entrepeneur
"For Women’s History Month, I took a beat to think about what makes women – and feminine energy – such a worthwhile celebration. As a writer, I’ve observed that my work is informed by listening to the range and depth of emotion I experience in my everyday life. I make a practice of tuning into my own feelings, or an empathetic reaction to someone else’s experience, to literally “feel” the message I need to write. Women are particularly good at this. All creative people have to feel something before words, pictures, colors or lines meet a page. It’s just that women do this naturally. Maybe we have always led the dance when it comes to creative expression powered by the emotional world. I suspect it’s not because we’re aiming for a destination, but because the process itself is what tells us where we are – and eventually, where we need to go." —Amy Swift
Enjoy this Q and A with Traffic women. I am proud to be part of this women-led team.
Penelope Rolland, artist, muralist, and Traffic illustrator, shares a bit of self-reflection when asked what would she would tell her younger self...
Believe in yourself because you can.
Trust in all the beauty and creative force that you are.
Trust in your ability to express yourself fully.
Love and creativity are your superpowers.
Now go! leap!
be who you were meant to be
fearlessly!
Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from being you.
Margaret Gockel, Fashion Illustrator
Inspired by her love of fashion and design, Margaret brings a diverse aesthetic that has driven her rich career. Here she shares her insight on female empowerment and encouragement.
What three things have impacted you most to be a successful woman in your field?
A creative childhood, great love for my work, and discipline.
Who is your most important female influence and why?
All women who are at peace with themselves because they live like they really wish to spend their life meaningfully, and really fight for that.
What advice would you give to young women today?
Spend your life doing something you burn for.
Cecilia Lundgren, Illustrator
Is there one woman who has made the hugest impact in your life? It is without a doubt my brave grandmother who taught me to love traveling and adventures and stand up for my rights!
What was your greatest moment as a woman? Giving birth to my two children.
How does being a woman in your field impacted your career path? I have never thought about the gender perspective, which is good, I guess? Lol
What do you wish for women of the future? Equal rights all over the globe and long equal parental leave everywhere.
What makes you the proudest? I am fulfilling my dreams!
How do you balance raising children, family life and work? My husband and I share everything equally, all from work, time with kids, etc..
Who is the most important female influence on you today? Greta Thunberg!
What are you teaching your sons and daughters? Respect and empathy.
Mia Marie Overgaard, Illustrator
Mia’s artistry is all about connecting to life in it’s most natural and organic way. Here she shares how the connection to her daughter and their womanhood will be sure to strengthen their bond and empower them both…
“When I think about my daughter and what I wish for her in the future, this is what I would say to her:
1. Keep your willful personality – it will take you where you want to go.
2. Keep saying “no” and remember to listen to the little voice inside, because the little voice is always right.
3. Be generous with your love. But, don’t waste it on anyone that doesn’t understand why you are so wonderful, or who needs to be told, or who doesn’t tell you at regular intervals when you yourself might forget.
4. Looks matters less than you think.
5. Don’t be afraid of taking up space.
6. Don’t be afraid of asking the hard questions.
7. Be kind.
8. Keep singing – it will keep you happy.
I feel so grateful for being born a female. In my opinion, women are the stronger of the two sexes. We have some pretty cool abilities… like carrying, giving birth and nurturing another human being.”
Sophie Griotto, Fine Artist and Illustrator
Sophie shares her perspective as a Frenchwoman in the industry.
“In France, we still have inequalities between women and men in many fields. But I have to confess that the job of illustrator has a different logic with no boundaries—whatever sex you are, it doesn’t matter! Art comes first and foremost! In the illustration field, people can fall in love with your work without knowing who you are. So gender becomes somewhat irrelevant.”
“When I was young, I observed women a lot. My mother used to take me to her Tupperware meetings, there were only women, who I would draw. It was in the 80’s so they wore a lot of color and floral patterns. I have never stopped drawing women and I observe them from the perspective of a woman.”
“Personally, I don’t like the “barbie,” sexy girl representations. I focus on the depth in the eyes, the charisma and the elegance in a gesture. I think about Emma Watson or Charlotte Gainsbourg, who inspire me. I often hear that my “stroke” is feminine and soft, and generally, people recognize that it’s created by a woman. Even if it’s a cliché to say that, it has had a positive impact on my career because this has led me to beautiful projects in beauty and fashion.”
Wendy Plovmand, Multi-Media Artist and Illustrator
As a mother of three kids with an active art and commercial illustration career, Wendy is the definition of the super-woman. Often working on very large scale work, some so large it might even cover the face of an entire building, she shares her strong Danish perspective on the equal playing field of womanhood.
What do you tell young women today? I would give the same advice to a boy and a girl. Believe in yourself, you are unique, you can never compare yourself 100% to others as they had a different starting point than you. If being a girl disrupts your big dreams – then imagine you are a guy – what would you do?
What makes you the proudest? My kids! How can they not be the most ambitious thing I have ever been part of creating?! With that said, I am quite proud and satisfied with my work as an artist too.
What would you tell your younger self? Go for it! Trust your integrity.
How do you balance raising children, family life and work? I try to balance everyday life as things happen, kind of in a flowing and not always coordinated way. I think perhaps when I look back at my life when I’m an old lady – I’ll see the overall balance in my life as a whole. Perhaps we should dedicate years for each aspect of life—10 years for kids, 10 years for work, etc…
Who is the most important female influence on you today, and why? I have a handful of influential women I follow and keep on reading and get inspired by – its a mix of living women I know personally and historical figures and mostly of course artists.
Michelle Edelman, CEO and Founder of Traffic
“For some final thoughts on the subject… I have always created my own path, even in my early 20’s when just entering the workforce. I have come to a conclusion—it is only when we truly feel intellectually, emotionally, and even spiritually aligned with our own value can we then command the respect, opportunity and equal compensation for our work. We are in essence responsible for our own value. I’m going to stand by that! I feel for me personally that it’s time to be less gender-focused. The playing field has been leveled (some might not agree, and that’s ok)—being a woman sometimes even works in our favor, because everyone knows how hard women work, and how good we are at our work. ME TOO has been extremely productive—and I’m grateful that young women will not have to go through what I personally went through. Finally, I want to thank my mother for being my biggest inspiration. When I was 11 she shaped my life through her words. She told me to always make my own living; to never need to rely on anyone but myself, and always keep my power so I can make my own decisions in life. She also told me I could do anything I dreamed of and that there are no limits to our own ability to manifest the life we want. God Bless!” —Michelle Edelman
