Creative Minds: Meyvi Wedelia Geeska sold a painting in 9th grade

In Creative Minds, we ask APAC creatives a long list of questions, from serious to silly, and ask them to pick 11 to answer. (Why 11? Just because.) Want to be featured?

Name: Meyvi Wedelia Geeska

Origin: Jakarta, Indonesia

Places lived/worked: Singapore

Pronouns: She/her

CV:

• Creative director, Toaster, Singapore, 2021-2022
• Associate creative director, Toaster, Singapore, 2019-2021
• Creative group head, Toaster, Singapore, 2018-2019
• Creative group head, DDB, Singapore, 2017-2018
• Senior art director, DDB, Singapore, 2015-2017
• Art director, DDB, Singapore, 2012-2015
• Art director, BBDO, Singapore, 2011-2012
• Designer, BBDO, Singapore, 2010-2011

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I remembered painting in 9th grade art class and my teacher said I drew well. He got me to sell the painting at the school's art fair and so I did. The painting got sold and that’s when I started to take art class seriously. My confidence was through the roof after the fair, and that subject always looks good in my report card. In the end I decided to major in art which was probably around the same time I found out it was my dad who bought the painting in 9th grade.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio? 

This is a tough one because I like different work for different reasons. I like being a part of Asian Games by hijacking the host with Google Translate AI. 

I like our team’s work for Google’s International Women’s Day because it’s from an insight that’s close to heart.

But recently my favourite is a film about a giant K-drama loving orc for Google Play Points. 

3. What's your favourite piece of work created by someone else? 

Macmillan Cancer Support: Whatever It Takes. It’s amazing how something with hardly any words can be so powerful and say so much. It provokes such strong emotions for people who haven't shared the same experience; I just can’t imagine the impact to the ones who did.

4. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

Getting my tongue pierced with a friend when we were 13 at a dodgy night market next to Dunkin’ Donuts. I don’t know if this is the craziest, but it is crazy unhygienic.

5. What career did you think you'd have when you were a kid?

A vet or a criminal investigator.

6. What’s your favourite music / film / TV show / book / other of the past year, and why?

Severance. I think this is genuinely the most well-crafted show. The premise, the script, the unsettling aesthetic and the choice of cast (Adam Scott, wow). The fact that Ben Stiller directed this is also an additional surprise.

7. Tell us about an artist that we've never probably heard of. 

Chang Kiha. Is it art, is it music, is it poetry, is it a rant? It’s confusing and I am currently addicted.

8. What's your favourite GIF/meme, and why? 

Snow white drinking coffee and a shocked pug. I’d say these definitely come in handy during the production period.

9. What food can you not live without? What food would you be happy to never taste again? 

Martabak. Happy to skip bamboo clams after a really bad case of food poisoning.

10. Tell us about your tattoo(s).

Got myself a Dragon Ball’s Nimbus cloud that a friend said looks like a gust of wind. Got a finger gun tattoo that a friend said looks like a shark. A pattern tattoo called Alkhan Khee that a friend said looks like a waffle. I don’t know if I should choose better tattoos or better friends ?

11. Cat person or dog person?

Early this year, without a doubt I’d say dog person. But I started to occasionally pet-sit and pretty sure I’m slowly turning into a part time catwoman.