Hidayat Jamalolail
Let’s get to know the team behind our independently owned collective creative studio. We prepared a set of questions for them to answer, but it’s not compulsory to follow. They can write whatever they want, just be creative and interesting about it. So, here’s the man behind the name, Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Hidayat Jamalolail.
“I believe in the road not (usually) taken ⎯ bluerghh, well the best way to describe the kind of creative that I am is by looking at what people have said about me; crazy, unhinged, weird, madness ⎯ to list a few.”
Describe what you do in the form of job designation
Creative Designer, Graphic Designer, Brand Designer, DTP Artist, Photographer, Video Editor ⎯ well, it’s going to be quite a long list if I’m to list everything that I’ve ever done. To summarize everything, I would consider myself a Creative (like how people describe themselves as Artists).
Would you please elaborate ⎯ on Creative?
I see creative (or creativity) as like a knife, everyone has one or can have one if they want to. The more you learn how to “yield” a knife, the chef-er you’ll become. And you always need to get it sharpened so it makes your work cutting through meat or whatever, easier and cleaner. So as a Creative, as long as you have the basics right, like someone once said, if you can design one thing, you can design anything. And I truly believe that to be true.
Salam & hello, my name is Hidayat and I’m the founder of Studio HDJ. I studied Advertising Design (previously Media Innovation) at Multimedia University, Cyberjaya. For 15 years, I’ve been dwelling my professional career in various campaigns, events, and brandings through multiple industries.
MY STORY
My career started at a small local design agency located in Putra Heights. There, I was exposed to the entertainment industry (specifically theatre production) where my first theatre production was the Cuci The Musical 2. It then led to seven more productions where I ended the stage journey with Supermokh the Musical Restaging in 2014. I decided it was time to move on and do something else.
That was when my career in politics began. Well, not exactly as a politician whatsoever, but I worked as a Creative for a back then prominent opposition Member of Parliament, RR (and AN). He is now (2022 ⎯ ) the Economic Minister of the current unity government, while AN is the Deputy Minister for PETRA. My tenure with RR led me to become the Chief Creative Officer for what started as a social enterprise that then transitioned to become a tech startup, INVOKE that was founded by him. My time in the organization lasted for more than 10 years where I had the opportunity to lead a cumulative total of more than 25 creatives. About 1/3 of them came from architecture, culinary, and law backgrounds.
What’s the leading force that guides you and how does it came about?
I’ll answer the how first. For those who knows me personally, this answer might surprise them because of the nature of my character as a person ⎯ read and ask a lot of questions. By doing just these, you’ll get the clarity of how the world works and see things at a bigger picture. And I would like to believe that I’m the kind that see things in an eagle-eyed view (in my own unhinged ways).
From there, you’ll get to see, know and believe what’s right & what’s wrong deep down in your heart which it will eventually build your core principles (in life and career). My version is to always stay true to yourself and defy convention, try something new, don’t do boring, that kind of shits. Hence, since the past 7 to 10 years of my two decades career, stuffs that I did was not exactly the conventional-est of ways. I guess that’s my leading force that guides me.
When it’s not work, what do you do?
Ahah! That’s the thing, I do not see the work that I do as work at all or at least I do not feel like that it’s work. Every single design or creative projects that I did, I enjoyed it very much (except for that moment where you need to get them involve, if you know what I mean). As corny as it may sound, design and creative is my life. Outside of the (let’s call it) conventional working period, I still see design in everything that I cross path with. Everything inspires me even when it seems unlikely, I do see things in the smallest of details.
But, for the sake of answering the question, I enjoy quite time either alone or with my small family of wife and kid. I would always imagine myself sitting in nature for hours doing nothing and getting lost in thoughts. Travelling is something that I cherish, not just the travel, travel but as simple as commuting in MRT or driving around. I binge a lot (in my standard) of Korean, Tamil, Hollywood, European (ie. Irelandish, Polish, Norweigian, German) series and movies.
Sometimes I also do my own Youtube vlogs.
Two words ⎯ your work style. Choose wisely,
Defying & fast-paced.
Why here? What’s the motivation?
The vision of igniting the engine and going into the next gear for Studio HDJ is to actually be enough. There will be no plans whatsoever to grew it bigger. Growth and expansion is not in our dictionary. Here’s a place where we can make a living that’s comfortable. But, the most important part of it all is that we enjoy doing what we will be doing and have a lot of fun.
You see, the way I see how we live our lives today is so complex and to some extend, it seems fake. At least that’s how I see it. We talk a lot about solving the problems, doing this and that, but seriously what’s the actual truth? Hence, I’m wanting to just get back to the basic of things. Don’t go overboard, let’s just be enough. That’s probably the only problem we ever had.
“Take a walk, breathe, and feel the air. Do the simplest things. Spent a bit of time to clear your mind because then you’ll see how one story at a time can change the world.”