Interview With Jade Tomlin On Her Creative Adventur.es

Jade Tomlin is the Creative Director of Creative Adventur.es which is a journal series that celebrates creative modern founders - it’s a source of inspiration for those seeking creativity. 

I got to talk to Jade about the journal and what we can expect in the next issue. 

MR: What inspired you to create Creative Adventur.es?

JT: In 2015 I looked up from my desk job in Shoreditch and thought I'm being as creative as I can be, but the bigger brands I was working on at the time didn't seem to want to implement the pure creative ideas - they had the budget, but most were unable to see an idea through. I realised the advertising business model was broken - more so for creatives than the people able to financially gain from our time. 

I decided to investigate further and at that time I was inspired by all the small independent shops and products appearing around the city. I decided to host a series of workshops based on everything I'd learnt from working in the creative industry for more than 10 years. I ran these workshops at places like Shoreditch House, WeWork and YCN - by doing this, I heard the stories from incredible founders. 

They'd tell me about their passion projects and products at the end of each workshop or contact me after. I found their journeys so incredible that I started the Journal Series to inspire others who wanted to do the same. 

MR: How would you describe Creative Adventur.es?

JT: It's a lifestyle series of Journals & Workshops, the Journals tell some of the greatest modern founder stories of our time from Elon Musk with his Solar City to Marjan Van Aubel of Caventou - a dutch designer who looks at solar democracy in the home. The Journals are there to inspire those who are creatively-minded and to inspire those toying with the idea of setting up a new venture.

MR: What can new readers expect from one of your journals?

JT: Each Journal is beautifully crafted, from its written story to its matching illustrations which express what each founder does for a living. There's a mixture of long form editorial with shorter overviews, we have two core sections Locally Loved and The Creators Are Here.

MR: During the course of creating Creative Adventur.es, what have been some of the ups and downs that you have encountered? 

JT: Good question, where do I start! 

Pulling the content together is no easy graft, the first issue was the hardest - as you overthink every aspect as a creative. 

I remember getting content together for the first issue but there was one illustrator who stopped responding to my emails and I didn't want to push too much because I wanted this to be a fun and creative process, they eventually sent me their illustrations in October after being briefed in February. It was a bit of a mad juggle but it all depends on your vision and how long you're willing to wait.

A week before launch I remember picking the Pantone colour for the cover and I stupidly asked a co-worker at the time which swatch they thought matched the web files out of the four colours I had narrowed it down to. I was so nervous about picking a colour for the final print - instead of taking ownership I gave the decision away. 

The Journals finally arrived and I remember opening the boxes to find the cover was this horrid orange instead of yellow - I was so upset. I’m grateful the printers were kind enough to reprint them.

On these occasions I learnt to never assume and when you're starting out people really do their best to support you. 

MR: What have been some of your favourite features in your journal?

JT: Oh, there are so many! 

In Issue 1 there was a story about the creation of Rude Health where Camillia Bernard discussed how with her husband they created their first batch of muesli in their kitchen. She wanted it to be the perfect balance of health and taste for her customers. I loved hearing this level of pure care for their product. 

I also loved learning about Line-Us, a small hand-drawing robot and for Line-Us' editorial piece we asked the founders if Line-Us could do a self-portrait and that was the featured illustration in the end.

So we live in a very special time where we can truly make things better and put them to market.

MR: What companies or artists would you love to work with in the future?

JT: There are so many wonderful entrepreneurs out there in the world - we really only source a talent pool from the UK. I'd love to discover more lifestyle businesses and creators of IOT products from neighbouring countries and countries afar.

MR: What do readers have to look forward to in your next issue? 

JT: Our next Issue is themed on NATURE which looks to cover environmentally friendly brands or those who have interesting stories of sustainability. We'll also look to those who are outdoor seekers and nature enthusiasts to see the entrepreneurial spirit from a different lens.

MR: Where can our readers find Creative Adventur.es?

JT: During lockdown probably the easiest place is our website. Our site also lists our boutique and landmark stockists, from Somerset House to Charlotte Street Newsagents to The EverySpace gift store.

MR: Before Covid you also provided bespoke workshops are you looking forward to running them again? 

JT: Yes, I do enjoy the Workshops particularly with young creative folk, I tend to do D&AD Academy and New Blood Shift students each year. There's a certain energy and passion with young people which is truly wonderful. Also, so many young creatives will be set back from Covid-19 and I hope the Workshops like Business Acumen for Creatives helps them with more options to find their right path.

MR: What advice would you give to someone balancing working full time with their side hustle? 

JT: Two things to try and remember which really helped me:

1. Be kind to yourself. What you are trying to achieve is over indexing on your personal time. Have breaks when you need them, eat & sleep well and still make time for your friends and family.

2. Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years. - Bill Gates. 

This is one of my favourite quotes as it puts everything into perspective. Sometimes you have to really consider if things need to be done now to scale fast, or can you spread your vision over time and have the same fulfilment and success.

MR: Where do you see Creative Adventur.es going in the next 5 years?

JT: It would be amazing to produce a book of all the best stories from founders and perhaps check in with a few of them who have really made it or those who had an interesting pivot and see where they all are in 2026.

MR: Tell me something you wish you knew before you started Creative Adventur.es? 

JT: Keeping afloat can be one of the hardest things. I see a lot of benefits of duo founders/Co-Founders. I'm less interested in the details of cash flow but have built a system that works for CA. But if starting out again I think I would have considered working with a partner more. Equally it has been amazing having full creative control and being able to make decisions to better the creative output rather than make better numbers. I have a few friends who are able to support me with the business or financial questions that arise.

MR: Name three things you can’t do without? 

JT: My wife, she gave birth to my son last year and I love spending time with them both. Also, the team... without the CA team contributing none of the Journals would have happened. I also can’t work without a pencil - when it comes to editorial planning I like to go old school and draw out layouts. 

You can follow Creative Adventur.es here