Meet Isabel Bagsik | Multidisciplinary Art Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Isabel Bagsik and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Isabel, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I’m still experimenting with what that balance looks and feels like, but it’s been a major shift from “hustle and grind culture” to creating more space and ease. From one of my creative mentors, Midori, I’ve been integrating the lesson that “rest is not extra, but rather the start of the creative process”. My other teacher, Aly, guided me to learn how to integrate pleasure into my daily life, from the food I eat to how to ground myself through breathwork and deepen the quality of rest when a busy day may not allow a longer break. I’ve been gradually merging work and life, in the sense that I don’t always have to be “on”, but rather, how do I retain my authentic self throughout my day? How do I bring my disciplined work ethic into my meditation practice after I close my laptop? It’s been a fluid journey, but one where I’ve moved from a rigid structure to a place of play.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Fiery curiosity guided me to expansive, fulfilling experiences, such as becoming a multidisciplinary art director. In high school I never considered a creative career possible, but when I reflected on what I could imagine doing for free, it was always something creative. My intuition was my guiding light, despite opposing perspectives telling me to go one direction, I couldn’t ignore what my body was telling me. Curiosity and intuition led me to explore a variety of experiences in college, allowing me to indulge in my interests and hobbies, from digital media to film to fashion and design. It also led me through leadership and event organizing opportunities through the Filipinx American community at my university. Learning more about myself was learning about my cultural identity, my family history. The lessons and friendships from that time became the foundation of my creative projects today. How can I create spaces that encourage folks to feel safe and brave to be vulnerable and learn more about their identities and creativity in community? How do I challenge harmful notions of outdated, rigid beauty structures from past generations through photoshoots and interviews? How can I use my multifaceted creative toolkit to tell diverse stories and amplify important messages that can heal generations forward and back?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Bay Area is such a culturally rich and diverse place to explore, that one week is definitely not enough to visit. But for a rundown, I would suggest a few places that feel like home to me, with a bit of key spots to check off a tourist’s bucket list:

A burrito specifically from the Mission District in San Francisco is a must, and while you’re eating it, find a spot at any park or hill or roof building overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge for a Bay Area tourist experience.

Telegraph Ave in Berkeley and Oakland is great to walk along for great food, and can have a picnic with your takeout at the university campus or Lake Merritt, respectively.

Exploring a book store at every major city you go to is a must for me. I feel like that gives me an insight to the culture of a place, especially a local hole in the wall shop. For SF, City Lights Book Store. Berkeley would be Pegasus or Moe’s Books.

Down in the South Bay, for a free chill excursion, I would suggest the Municipal Rose Garden in San Jose to have a picnic, do a mini photoshoot with your friends, or get some sun while reading. From there, so many great food spots are in your reach: The Breakfast Club, Japantown, or Falafel’s Drive In.

As for sights, plenty of art museums and nature trails/parks are abundant to explore!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
LEAD Filipino was instrumental in my creative journey after graduating college. I was yearning for a community space and thanks to the power of social media, I came across their inaugural Fly Pinays Leadership Summit. This mentorship program was created for Filipinas who recently graduated college and were looking to be paired with a Filipina mentor in an industry they were hoping to enter. It was the first time I was in a space in a room of over a hundred Filipina women just loving on each other, and it was so empowering to witness Filipina professionals across a variety of industries. The connections I made here led me to join their organizing committee the next few years and guided me to creative friendships that developed the foundation for my own passion projects.

You can support them at https://leadfilipino.org/

Website: https://brownpapaya.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownpapaya/

Image Credits
Isabel Bagsik, Mikhael Oreiro, Vianca Natividad