Creativity Squared: How Margot Bienvenu’s Mardi Gras Shoes Feed Her Constant Creativity

Margot Bienvenu is a senior art director living in New Orleans, Louisiana where she was born and raised. She is always using the city she loves as a jumping off point for creativity both in her role at PETERMAYER, as well as in her personal projects. That includes glittering and decorating shoes, making polymer clay earrings and bolos, and any other projects she can get her hands on.

Person

I have always considered myself to be 'creative,' and most things I did were geared toward something artistic, going back as far as I can remember. I went to art camp instead of sports camp, I dressed up as a photographer for career day, and I was always trying to turn school projects into art projects. I knew I wanted to do something with art when I got older but didn’t really know what that looked like. By high school I was designing t-shirts in Microsoft paint. I didn’t realise it at the time, but my career into graphic design had begun. 

While I was getting my BA in Graphic Design, I really embraced that balance between digital design and tactile projects. I loved package design and experimental print pieces because I was able to build something with my hands. Once I started my professional career, I found most of my time was on the computer, and the opportunity to get tactile did not come around very often. I needed an outlet for those skills and that passion I had for physically making things. 

This is when I started making shoes for Muses, which is an all-women's New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe, or parading organisation. Their glittered and bedazzled heels have become one of the most sought-after throws during the whole Carnival season. I knew I had to become a member so that I could start making those shoes. 

In fact, as a crossover from my work and play, I created a Muses shoe for clients at Zatarain’s to post on their social feeds around Mardi Gras. A few days later, I threw it off a float to a lucky person in the crowd. That’s the thing about creativity here in New Orleans - it’s everywhere, and it’s a shared experience. The culture here influences me, and I take all of that energy and throw it right back out there, literally.

Product 

My criteria for whether something is creative has changed over the years. It used to be based on the visual execution. “How did they make it? How did they construct that?” My time in advertising has opened my eyes to the process and thinking behind the work. Now I find myself asking questions like “How did they come up with that?” Over time, I have found that the value is really in the idea behind the work. 

When you’re so immersed in this day-to-day, you can recognise when someone took their work to another level. Skittles and Starburst commercials will always be some of my favourites. And the questions start immediately. Who said yes to this? I’m impressed when I’m asking how this got through, but in a good way. 

In my own work, PETERMAYER’s recent campaign for Hancock Whitney, 'No Is a Beautiful Thing' pushed all of these buttons. The message here, that hearing “no” from a bank can actually be good, is not something you typically see in the category. It took a leap to get there, and some great strategy work, but it also took trust from our clients to see the value in such a different approach. When you can see that process play out in your work, or just in general, it’s very rewarding. 

Process

When I’m able to get creative and make things in my spare time, it benefits my creative output at work. When I started making shoes for Muses, I came up with a personal brand called Lil Buggy. Now I make earrings and bolos for art markets; I’ve been doing that for about a year. This keeps my creative gears turning 24/7/365. I’m always working on something, and it keeps me always creating. 

But when it comes to process, 'work' work is completely different than my personal stuff, the shoes and jewellery.

When I get a brief in for my daily art directing role, I know I’m not going to inject much of my personal self into it. I empathise with the audience and their needs. But when I’m making something outside of work, you see me for who I am, and I take that seriously. I’ll be honest, when I’m creating a Muses shoe, I don’t want people to touch it. I’ll get opinions, but these are ultimately a personal statement of my own thoughts and creativity. 

But the funny thing is, I’m never alone in the room decorating one. Selfishly, this helps me push through my perfectionist streak. I’ll be sitting there with a row of un-glittered shoes, trying to decide on a theme, and a friend will just tell me to start. It’s passion-driven, and I take risk. I can be hard on myself when it doesn’t work out, but I can also look back on the experience of making something that doesn’t work and take away positives there.

When I’m at work, the pendulum swings the other way. I love to regroup with my CD and copywriter. I always want to brainstorm and concept or 'jam' as I like to call it. I thrive when I'm collaborating with my team at work. 

Press

New Orleans is just a creative place in general, but Mardi Gras is an explosion of colour and a visual feast. We were those people growing up who didn’t miss a parade. I really absorbed all of it. It’s probably the reason I needed to join a Mardi Gras krewe; I had a hankering to get in on this massive creative event that happens every year. 

In New Orleans, creativity is such a shared experience. So many people put so much time and money into the floats, costumes, music, and decorations, and it’s all for the benefit of one another. When you’re a creative in New Orleans, you’re in constant competition with the best. Friendly competition, but competition.

That New Orleans spirit within our agency inspires me every day. Almost everyone here does something really interesting outside of work - our proof reader is in a band, an account executive does stand-up - and we’re encouraged to share these talents in fun ways. For instance, every year people donate services or creations to our charity auction. We raise a lot of money because we value each other for our creative pursuits OUTSIDE of work. It’s a really neat tradition, but it also speaks to an important piece of our culture. When we share our whole selves, there’s a freer flow of ideas. It keeps the creativity going. Again, it’s personal creativity driving great work, and vice versa.