Chrissy Levett
Founder & Creative Director, Creative Conscience
Chrissy Levett, Founder & Creative Director, Creative Conscience
“It’s going to take a lot more brave, creative people, to say no to working with companies that actively destroy our future.”
Chrissy Levett worked as a Lead Creative at a branding agency before starting Creative Conscience as a side hustle in 2012. This not-for-profit organisation empowers the creative industry to use their skills for positive social and environmental impact. “We are a community-built organisation. It’s not about me or any one individual. It’s about a community of people who believe in putting purpose at the heart of everything we do,” she says.
In recalling their origins, Chrissy remembers that no one in the industry was interested. Not because they were against sustainability, their lack of interest was rooted in fear of change.
“People don’t know anything else because this is all we’ve been taught. I realised that we needed to get people to see it’s possible to serve organisations that do the right thing. What stops us is not understanding the real meaning of abundance.”
In the same way that environmental and social justice are intrinsically linked, Chrissy also highlights the deep connection between these social causes and creativity. “Creativity allows us to think differently and imagine new systems. We need this kind of thinking to regenerate our culture and rebuild the natural systems we have allowed to degrade.”
Another critical element in this process is education. “If we can marry creativity and purpose, what we found with the research and data we’ve done, is that people work with a greater sense of mental wellbeing. If we can do this, we will end up with a society and a planet that will thrive. Some businesses and individuals are putting people and planet first, and they are prosperous.”
One of the ways Creative Conscience achieves this, in reality, is through its awards programme. She explains: “Due to the response when we started, we thought let’s get to the next generation of creative thinkers because they’re much more open. In its first few years, submissions were free and open to any social and environmental justice project. It was built with no media budget, no plan, no money, just love, we had to be fearless - now its global submissions come in from all over the world.”
“We’ve always been about impact. That’s why we’re unique. Whether you win an award or you don’t, we connect people and try to get their projects made real in the world. What’s important is getting the next generation to understand how they can instigate change as part of a new wave of social entrepreneurs and innovators in emerging fields like Green Tech. Also, as brave new voices advocating for change within the current system. Our students have created things that have actively changed their lives and the lives of people around them.”
She adds: “The vision I have for the future is a big one. It extends beyond a creative conscience to something more global in ways that embed people and planet into everything we do, from our behaviours to our businesses and institutions. It’s a bit like the wisdom of indigenous communities who would only make a decision if it was beneficial for seven generations to come. Imagine that!”
Interview by: Tega Okiti / Photography by: Kersti Niglas
