Inspiration can strike at any time. Recognising this, Steelcase has initiated a new talk series that offers creative inspiration from people outside of traditional creative roles. And the latest one in Hong Kong was a smash hit, with multi-disciplinary talent Rueben Wu taking to the stage.

Pushing the design scene in Asia and beyond, Steelcase’s latest initiative ‘In The Creative Chair’ is all about fostering inspiration within the design community.

The latest iteration of the event took place in Hong Kong in late November, bringing in a crowd of over 400 creatives eager to be inspired.

The creative talent chosen to hit the stage are selected for their diverse backgrounds, unconventional work or approaches and outstanding creative vision – proving that not working in a silo is an incredible way to build on a design career.

For the Hong Kong event, the crowd was not disappointed. Sitting up in the chair for this session was the multi-talented Reuben Wu. Wu’s CV reads like a true patchwork of success – award-winning photographer, film-maker, music producer, even co-founder of an electro-pop band – Wu is the true definition of an inspirational creative person.

When asked about where his inspiration comes from, Wu shares, “whether it’s inspiration for art, music or photography, for me it all comes back to one source and that’s travel. I find creative connections between everything. Even if it feels like a diverse pool to dip into.”

What about Wu’s advice to designers out there lacking inspiration? He says “be open to chance encounters, they could lead to new ideas. For me, I’m always in a state of learning. There’s just so much out there that you just don’t know about but by having an open mind and a keen personal interest you can make things happen.”

‘Lux Noctis’ by Reuben Wu.

On the night itself, Wu spoke about some of his recent award-winning photography work, “Lux Noctis”. “I had a well-formed idea about how I wanted the series to look, a vision for it. But to get to the finished product I had to craft the landscape using artificial lighting, which required drones to carry the lights above these breathtaking landscapes,” shares Wu.

Wu’s last words of advice are to have a wide range of interests but diving deep at the same time. And to have hobbies!

For those interested in watching the full talk, check out the Facebook Live recording here.

‘In The Creative Chair’ by Steelcase is a series of invite-only talks bringing like-minded people together for a galvanizing night of inspiration and collaboration. Following the success in Beijing and Hong Kong, ‘In The Creative Chair’ will tour Australia, Japan, Singapore and India in the coming months.