Creative Minds: The fearless adventures of Chelsea King

Name: Chelsea King

Origin: Nottingham, United Kingdom

Places lived or worked: Nottingham and London, UK and Bangkok, Thailand 

Pronouns: She/her 

CV:

Editorial and copywriting director, Midas PR, Bangkok, 2022-current
Senior account manager, The Academy, London, 2021-2022
Senior account manager, Ketchum, London, 2019-2022
Consultant, Kin&Co, London, 2018-2019
Marketing and communications officer, MPQC, Nottingham, 2018
Senior account executive, Champions UK Plc, Nottingham, 2015-2018

1. How did you end up being a creative?

I always knew I wanted to be a writer, and one thing all writers understand is that a love of writing stems from a love of reading. I was very fortunate to have parents who taught me to read from a young age, and I was still just a slip of a thing when I realised words were my passion and my gift. At school, I spent my time in maths class writing short stories when I should have been learning algebra. In the end, the writing has served me far better than algebra ever has, despite what my despairing teachers said. In truth, I was a wayward student, but my ability to write persuasive and compelling essays with minimal research on the subject matter earned me high marks and good grades.

Initially, I wanted to study creative writing at university, but my mum felt a writing degree wouldn’t offer enough adaptability for promising career options, so I chose broadcast journalism instead. After graduating and spending almost a year travelling the world, armed only with the questionable sense of a young twenty-something, I went into PR, starting at the bottom as an account assistant. I did well in PR and steadily climbed the ladder in Nottingham, and later in London, where I sought to join the major leagues of the industry. Nonetheless, it was always the writing I loved best—whether it was press releases, thought leadership articles, advertorials, taglines, or anything else that allowed me to flex my creative muscles and bring messages and stories to life with words. When I decided to make a life change and move to Bangkok, I knew it was time to focus on what I loved most: Copywriting.

2. What's your favourite piece of work in your portfolio?

In 2019, I worked on an article with Metro, where I shared my experiences of growing up mixed-race. It was a topic I’d never discussed openly before, and I was genuinely terrified when it was published. I’m pleased to say my family, friends, and colleagues were very supportive, and I even received some lovely messages from strangers about how the article resonated with them.

3. What's the one piece of work you most wish you’d done?

I’m a writer, so I’d be remiss not to mention some of my favourite literary works of art! I love the classics, but Wuthering Heights is one of my favourites, and I have no shame in confessing that I can quote large chunks from memory. I also love Dracula because I’m a massive horror fan, and Bram Stoker is arguably the OG horror content creator. Stephen King is also a wonderful storyteller—what he does with words is pure magic. From a non-literary perspective, Medusa with the Head of Perseus by Luciano Garbati is one of the most powerful creative works I’ve ever seen. It flips the classic Greek story on its head, making you question what you know, what you think, and how you view the world—which is the hallmark of great creativity.

4. What's the craziest thing you've ever done?

I’ve done many things that some might consider crazy, both big and small. I’ve travelled the world on my own, appeared on a game show and won money that allowed me to start a home of my own, moved to London, and later to Bangkok. My commute to work is on the back of a motorbike. One of my earliest bosses described me as fearless, and I think that’s true because none of these things seem crazy to me—I just do what I want to do.

5. What's on your bucket list?

I want to see more of the world. Specifically, I’d like to do a road trip across North America to visit New Orleans, see the Rocky Mountains, and experience the vastness of the national parks. I also want to publish a book one day. Once I’ve done that, everything else would be a bonus. I have a few stories in me; I just need the time and space to tell them.

6. Who's on your dream dinner list (dead or alive)?

Most of the people on my dream dinner guest list are bad-ass women who subverted the norms of their time, like Cleopatra or Queen Elizabeth I. Who wouldn’t want to pick their brains on leadership and challenging the status quo?

7. Do you have any secret or odd talents?

I’ve been reading tarot cards since I was eleven or twelve, all self-taught. You’d never guess it unless you knew me well, as I’m a very pragmatic and practical person—I’m not the 'woo-woo' spiritual type at all. Tarot cards can be used in many ways, though. For me, they're just another channel for storytelling; you take the symbols and translate the messages into a cohesive story with a call to action at the end. They’re a fantastic tool for mindfulness, but they can be great fun with friends after a few glasses of wine too.

8. Do you have a recurring dream?

Yes. This is incredibly dark, but I often dream about the end of the world. I’m sure (and sincerely hope!) that this is just the result of an overactive mind and not in any way prophetic…

9. What makes you angry?

Disingenuousness and hypocrisy. We all have our own reasons for thinking the way we do, but you should always stand up for what you believe in. Otherwise, it’s hard to command respect from yourself, let alone others. Be who you are, and do it with conviction, or not at all. At the same time, you should have the humility to be open-minded when your beliefs are challenged. If they are true, you won’t be moved from them, and if they aren’t, you might discover a new perspective that will serve you better.

10. Tell us about your tattoos?

I have five tattoos, and most of them have personal yet convoluted meanings, but I’ll give it a go. I have an ace of spades on the back of my neck to remind me that life is a game of chance. You can’t pick your cards, but you can choose how you play them. Even with a bad hand, you can still come out on top if you’re smart and have guts. I have an ancient Egyptian ankh on the inside of one wrist to remind me that life is eternal and goes on, no matter what happens. The compass on my right middle finger reminds me to make good choices. The skull with a flower crown on my left ring finger (yes, my wedding ring finger) represents the idea that love and death are intertwined—you can’t truly love someone or something without sacrificing a part of yourself. There’s also a French phrase, la petite mort, which translates to ‘the little death’ and is a euphemism for... well, the peak of physical expression of love.

Lastly, on the inside of my left bicep, I have a quote by Michelangelo in Latin—"I saw the angel in the marble, and I carved until I set him free." For me, it speaks of perseverance and of seeing the potential in the inconsequential, the celestial in the ordinary.

11. Any regrets?

None at all. Everything I’ve done and every decision I’ve made has brought me to where I am now and shaped the person I’ve become. I’m a big believer in taking every opportunity, because it’s better to end up wishing you hadn’t than wishing you had.