Meet Georgina Kreutzer, The Lifey Brand's May 2024 Featured Lifer. Georgina is a visionary architect and artist whose exceptional talent has garnered a wide following and led her to collaborate with numerous household brands. Her journey in architecture and art has taken her to Rome, Milan, and the Netherlands, where she refined her skills and expanded her worldview.
Georgina's impressive credentials include:
Master of Architecture from the University of Sydney
Bachelor of Environmental Design from Griffith University
Winner of the University of Sydney Edmund Barton Medal
Recipient of the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence and the Griffith School of Environment Commendation for High Achievement
Her career is defined by a unique blend of patience, confidence, and an unwavering dedication to her craft. Georgina is a wise sage, and we could not be more excited for you to get to know her in this Featured Lifer piece!
What's one habit, routine, or way of being that helps you live the life that you are living?
"Honestly, I think a state of patience and confidence during the ‘slow burn’ that is inherent to the creative process. This is my state of being as I work. The process arc of both architecture and realism illustration follow this common trajectory where an incredible amount of invisible prep and slow early work is required for the bulk of the project, before you get any glimpse of the exciting, finished outcome.
I’m sure the same could be said across all creative disciplines. So often my artworks will take a considerable amount to finish, and I’ve received many variations of ‘I could never have the patience for that!’ in response.
If we take a moment to consider those words, I don’t think people realise what they’re actually revealing about their attitude towards gradually produced, meaningful work. I’d hazard a guess most people abandon projects with great potential before they meet that tipping point, which is a tragedy, and I’m sure the world has been robbed of many incredible things because of impatience or lack of confidence.
Leaning into the seemingly banal process of your work before the magic appears is an approach I’ve had from the start. My trick is having a good playlist to block distractions (I’ve curated one on Spotify for artists!), enjoying the slow reveal by documenting as you work, and every so often, putting your mind on the completed vision like a long distance runner would on the finish line."
What's a recent goal you've achieved that you are proud of?
"For the first time, I’m drawing up architectural plans that aren’t for someone else’s family! We bought an old farmhouse with an olive grove. Australia (much like the rest of the western world) is suffering a pretty critical rental and housing crisis, and as we’re millennials without a ‘bank of mum and dad,’ we decided to pursue an unusual path to home ownership.
Masterplanning a large piece of land sensibly and sensitively within its ecological context, and project managing a future build is really gratifying. I’m also curious about how I’ll grow in my empathy as an architect.
Architects see and work with our clients at a pretty vulnerable phase: we’re often dealing with their life savings, they rely on us for mediation between many consultants and putting out many fires, and the lines we sketch will translate to real walls that will literally impact the way they and their family live and move. Sensitively navigating these things are a big responsibility, so I hope that navigating the process myself will be invaluable for my future clients."
What's a significant obstacle or challenge you've faced in life and how did you overcome it?
"It’s possible I’m facing my largest roadblock (maybe better described as a pivotal moment?) right now. My capacity to keep up with my creative pursuits has slowed big time because I’m now a mum - this is both expected and welcome but challenging and taxing in equal measure. It’s an internal conflict between keeping the flame of your creative career burning while being a present, engaged parent. Naturally, creative people need to keep feeding their creative self, naturally parents have an instinctive inclination to be engaged. Turns out if you try compromising one for the sake of the other, you still bring down the quality of your efforts with both. When your focus is diverted in two places you can feel overwhelming guilt and stress — an awful (but commonly silent) experience.
Betty Friedan articulated something in such an eloquently simple way that resonated with me and I hope it reaches others who need to hear it: You really can have it all, just not at the same time.
This has become something of a mantra for me as these two versions of myself collide. Fortunately, I’m in a position where I can choose to compromise — being my own business owner means I can be selective with which clients and campaigns I want to engage with and when. And Billy [the Director of EVER Architecture] is a true leader in every sense of the word, checking in with each of his architects to ensure our personal, family, and spiritual lives are being met. His servant -heartedness to his architects, his clients, and his own family are admirable, and rare.
For now I’m taking things one day at a time, and relishing in the fleeting days with my little boy while he needs me most."
Could you share one tool or resource that's significantly impacted your personal growth journey?
And, do you have a book that's had a profound impact on your life?
"I’m blending my answers to these two questions as my lifechanging tool and book are so interconnected! I’ll share my book first. In artists’ circles this has become a cliché response, but deservedly so - The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. If you’re working in any creative space this one is worthwhile, it’s one of those rare, timeless books where you can tell the author is speaking from both objective wisdom, along with something more transcendental. When I’m in a creative rut I find I can dive into any random page and find something motivating, or instrumentally useful to take away.
Julia’s conviction in the power of Morning Pages (three written stream-of-consciousness pages every morning) is super valuable. For someone with a lot on my mind, the opportunity to surrender everything to paper before you begin your day is truly transformative.
This is also where the Lifey Planner comes in for me. I’ll preface this that this is in no way a sponsored response! So I’ve been gratitude journaling for my Morning Pages for five years, and until Johnny formulated this planner, I felt the rest of my thoughts had felt unstructured and trapped. I really love how Lifey meets you where you’re at, then sinks right into the crux of what’s important in your day with a wonderfully straightforward gameplan (My favourites - What is today’s one important thing? and Who you’d like to connect with?).
And this seems like a minor detail but I commend the use of the fineline box around the answer sections - those helped me keep my answers nice and concise! It only took a handful of weeks before considering these questions become a structured habit in my mind.
Johnny, I’m thankful. What a wonderful resource."
Thank you, Georgina Kreutzer. It is a true honor to feature you, and we could not be more thankful for the wisdom and insight you have shared with us. You are a true friend of The Lifey Brand and we look forward to seeing you continue to inspire and create beautiful things.
Follow Georgina Kreutzer on Instagram and visit her website for all things Georgina.
Comments