French creative Garance Doré was working as an illustrator in Paris before launching her eponymous blog We Are Dore in 2006. Fifteen years on, Doré remains an influential touchstone for digital style and culture. In an exclusive interview, the photographer, illustrator and author reflects on the nature of change and navigating the invisible road to self-actualisation in an uncertain pandemic landscape.
One thing that's really important, is to be an accomplished person. Not only in terms of success, but somebody that is adaptable to change.
Garance Doré
Q: Has the pandemic influenced your relationship with digital media?
Garance: At the beginning of the pandemic, I didn't post much because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what was going on, and I allowed myself to take the time. And I think that way, I didn't make the crazy mistakes that some celebrities did. Sometimes it's important to shut up and think, “who do I want to lead through this? It's going to be serious. It's a very important time?”. So yeah, I think big personal and professional questions are being asked. It's not really about what happens, it is how you add to what happens. So I'm trying to navigate that. My boyfriend's daughter was saying that she thinks this dynamic and this lockdown is a journey. And I really feel like she's right.
Q: How do you negotiate preserving your own sense of self and creative authenticity in these days of fast content?
G: I struggle. I think if you want to get into the game of social media, you're going to have to know that sometimes you're going to struggle with it. It's going to bring you incredible joy sometimes, and sometimes terribly shitty moments. I think the secret to it is really accepting that. You know, the way I feel is almost like, I am in a river. Sometimes it's very still and I'm not moving and nothing's happening, and I don't know what to say, and sometimes it is rapid, and it's hard. Sometimes I go through a nice stream where I feel like I know the content I want to put out and people respond to it well,
I think if you're wanting to be happier as a creative and any artist, consider that your creativity will go through moments of doubt and accept that it's not always going to be fun and easy. But sometimes, it’s good.
