The PS Lady; Denise Tan
Photographed and interviewed by Audris Adabella
Denise is the lady behind the camera who winged amazing shots for THE LONG BLACK! We fell in love with her aesthetics and was impressed with her eye for detail. In this month's edition of the PS Lady, we are having a chat with her about creativity, inspirations, and values.
Hi De! Tell us a little bit about yourself!
D: Hello! My name’s Denise but all my friends call me De, for convenience or affection’s sake. I enjoy being creative (so that’s what I do for a living), but I love traveling just as much. I especially love being near the ocean – it reminds me of how small, yet liberated and free we are.
What was a defining moment in your life when you decided you wanted to be in the creative field?
D: I would have to say it all started at church, where I couldn’t help but marvel at how captivating the lyric videos and its animations are. I knew then that I want to become somebody who could produce works like those too, so I delved into Mass Communications during my polytechnic days. We worked a lot in teams, and that further propelled my career track in creative, and particularly graphic design, because we had a lot of opportunities to discover and unravel our own strengths.
What is the best thing about a creative vocation, and what is the most stressful thing about it?
D: I love a good challenge, so I appreciate it that no two days are the same! A creative process can be arduous, and when it comes to the outcomes, the sky’s truly the limit. But art and creativity is subjective, so the stress that I believe a lot of my peers in this industry face too is meeting expectations; different individuals can have different interpretations and sentiments about your work, and what you think is great may not be perceived the same in the eyes of others.
D: Hello! My name’s Denise but all my friends call me De, for convenience or affection’s sake. I enjoy being creative (so that’s what I do for a living), but I love traveling just as much. I especially love being near the ocean – it reminds me of how small, yet liberated and free we are.
What was a defining moment in your life when you decided you wanted to be in the creative field?
D: I would have to say it all started at church, where I couldn’t help but marvel at how captivating the lyric videos and its animations are. I knew then that I want to become somebody who could produce works like those too, so I delved into Mass Communications during my polytechnic days. We worked a lot in teams, and that further propelled my career track in creative, and particularly graphic design, because we had a lot of opportunities to discover and unravel our own strengths.
What is the best thing about a creative vocation, and what is the most stressful thing about it?
D: I love a good challenge, so I appreciate it that no two days are the same! A creative process can be arduous, and when it comes to the outcomes, the sky’s truly the limit. But art and creativity is subjective, so the stress that I believe a lot of my peers in this industry face too is meeting expectations; different individuals can have different interpretations and sentiments about your work, and what you think is great may not be perceived the same in the eyes of others.
Describe your aesthetic.
D: Clean, organised and mostly muted hues.
Where do you get your inspirations from?
D: Travelling keeps me going and is also where I draw a lot of my inspirations from! Being able to immerse myself in a foreign culture and atmosphere allows me to see things from a different light. I love scrolling through visuals from travel content as well, but not so much from local content.
If you have to choose between dance and photography, which one will you pick and why?
D: Ooh this is such a tough one. I really can’t decide on one because both of those are such big parts of my life. Photography gives me the ability to capture a moment that I want to remember, and I like it that I can always look back to the photos I’ve taken when I need a good reminiscent fix. Dance, on the other hand, gives me feelings I can never experience from anything else. You know the amalgamation of nerves, excitement and satisfaction when you perform on stage? There’s no feeling like it, you know what I mean?!
No sorry.. I don't. *laughs*
D: Aha! There is no feeling like it! For the lack of a better word, I think it’s joy. It’s just pure enjoyment. So I really can’t choose! Both dance and photography make me very happy in their own ways.
What do you think of this statement, ”Work smart, not hard.”
D: I feel that if you are passionate about something, you’ll work your best at it, no matter how hard it is. I think it really goes both ways, and it’s equally important to work hard and work smart, especially in this creative world where deadlines and timelines are just the nature of the job. Almost any time at work is crunch time so we really have to work hard and smart in terms of how we manage our time.
What would your advice be to people with no creative background and wants to step into the field?
D: Try different forms and types of creative outlets. Don’t restrict yourself to what you think you can or cannot do. Often times, it may not be it. Creativity can be expressed in so many different ways, so try it!
What would your advice be to people with no creative background and wants to step into the field?
D: Try different forms and types of creative outlets. Don’t restrict yourself to what you think you can or cannot do. Often times, it may not be it. Creativity can be expressed in so many different ways, so try it!
The PS Lady is clothed with strength and dignity. She breaks social norms, carries powerful influence and evokes positive change. Can you identify with being one?
D: Yes.. but I feel it’s who I want to be, not who I am now. It’s always a journey, to be a better version of yourself. It is who I aim to be.
Which characteristic do you relate with the most?
D: I think it would have to be “evokes positive change." It sounds so cliche, but I’m a people-person and I find joy listening to people, understanding how they feel, and giving advice (as much as it’s hard to take my own advice, which is kind of ironic.)
Which characteristic do you relate with the most?
D: I think it would have to be “evokes positive change." It sounds so cliche, but I’m a people-person and I find joy listening to people, understanding how they feel, and giving advice (as much as it’s hard to take my own advice, which is kind of ironic.)
Knowing you for 10 years, I feel like “giving your best” and being discipline is a huge part of you. How were these values instilled in you?
D: A lot of people think I am very disciplined and motivated... the sort to push myself. I think it actually came from ballet. In ballet, we have to repeat the same thing until we nail it. We are taught to be diligent, patient and hardworking. A lot of my dance friends share the same values, and we take pride in what we do! I think the values have always guided me ever since I was doing ballet, but it only became apparent to me that those are some shared, common values amongst dancers these days that I’m hanging out with more dancer friends.
Great values and hard truth we millennials need to hear— To work hard and work smart. Thanks, De!
Denise favorite part about THE LONG BLACK is it's material. Join the waitlist here!