Interview with Josephine de Ruiter from the Netherlands

Since I was young, I’ve always wanted to work in the creative field as I've always been captivated by the power of visual arts and storytelling in impacting people's lives and changing perspectives. For me, being a creative is the perfect combination of telling compelling stories and reaching young people like myself.

My journey with VICE Media Group has been nothing short of incredible. VICE has given me the freedom to explore my talents and passion points, dig deep into stories that matter, and ultimately be my true self.

At VICE Media Group we enlighten, entertain and empower young people, telling stories that are underreported, human-centric and thought-provoking. Being a creative, I get to brainstorm, conceptualize and bring these ideas to life. Working at VICE gives me the opportunity to explore my creative talents to expose untold stories and create compelling narratives.

Creativity to me is about making people feel something, sparking conversations, and opening minds.

For me, a creative idea should be unexpected and at the same time empowering a certain group or community.

Obviously, the process depends on the project but most commonly it starts with research and diving deep into the topic. Then, it's all about brainstorming with the whole team and making our ideas visual. Finally, we translate the essence of the concept into a compelling campaign.

Brainstorming with the team is by far my favourite part! I love it when you collectively come up with many ideas that over time melt into this one outstanding concept that you’re all so excited about.

Raw and unfiltered, but with a light-hearted feel!

Winning the award is a recognition of the importance of getting this story heard and of the hard work of the entire team. It motivates us all to keep making impactful content that resonates with our audience.

In partnership with the European Commission’s department for EU humanitarian Aid, we’ve created a film competition for aspiring filmmakers, Education In Motion that highlights the critical need for access to education during humanitarian crises.

The winning documentary is an incredibly powerful and moving film pitched by Varvara Mozhaieva which tells the story of Zosya, an 18-year-old visual artist who is rebuilding her life as an Art student in Dusseldorf after leaving war-torn Ukraine. We entered this award because this is one of many Ukrainian stories that deserves to be told and garner positive attention.

Tackling the sensitive and ongoing topic of war demanded utmost sensitivity but Zosya's openness granted us a unique insight into her life.

As I’m young myself and still feel like a student that just entered this industry, I would advise to follow your intuition. Your gut always knows if an idea is good or not and if a job or company is the right one for you. Also, believe in yourself, your talent and go after what you want!