A conversation With Milou Neelen & Anna Pihan
Milou Neelen & Anna Pihan the creators behind new title, The Pleasure of Leisure discuss daydreaming, the pandemic and their collaboration.
Photo: Anna Pihan
How did the relationship between you both start?
“It began with a mutual admiration for each others work. Milou wanted to buy one of Anna’s prints and Anna wanted to buy a Hôtel Magique print so it began with a swap. Anna began photographing for Hôtel Magique and it continued from there.”
Tell us about the idea to do a book...
“Milou and Anna both wanted to make a book forever. Milou was endlessly inspired by Anna’s photography to create more illustrations.”
What did you learn from each other during the process of creating the book?
"We had never met in person and this was our first experience in making a book! Learning to work together from a distance and as we were both so used to working by ourselves, we learnt to make decisions and bring the book together in a collaborative way.”
Can you tell us about the process from start to finish...What did you enjoy most?
“Once we decided that we were going to make a book, Anna shared all her imagery with Milou (there were a lot to choose from). Selecting images, narrowing it down to 3 locations (Samoa, Australia, Italy) that flowed with the blue/green colour palette and shared a similar aesthetic and coastal features. Anna gathered inspiration for all those three locations with words to continue to inspire Milou to create the illustrations. After talking to printers and book binders in Australia and Europe, we found a company in the Netherlands who understood our ideas and quality, to create what we had dreamed of. With Anna living in Sydney and Milou in Bali, we were so lucky to have close friends oversee each step of the production in the Netherlands and keep a close eye on quality and colour. The best part — creating a world together which naturally aligned in our vision for the book.”
How was the name of the book "The Pleasure of Leisure" chosen?
The Pleasure of Leisure name came after a long hot summer in Italy, personal a manifesto for living. It was late in the book making that we wondered what we should call our book. With each photograph and illustration evoking the pleasure of leisure — the name couldn’t have been more perfect for what were were creating.
Let's talk about leisure, there is a feeling that it equates to laziness or is considered a "waste of time", however I think now more than ever people are evaluating leisure and its value, what are your thoughts on leisure and how important do you think it is?
“For the both of us leisure is a big part of our lives — leisure clears the mind to create, rejuvenates the body and being. As creatives it’s part of our practise, and with the book we hope it brings leisure to everyone and their lives.”
You mention in the book's description that its intention is to "evoke limitless daydreaming", how important do you think daydreaming is during the creative process and in life?
“Limitless daydreaming is freedom, and that is so important in being creative. We want to create a world for other people to enjoy - with transportive illustrations, photography and words as poetry. Milou’s personal mantra - I was once told that I should not dream, and that’s why I make all my dreams come true. Living without fear, do the things you want, and daydream.”
Has the pandemic changed your view of leisure and daydreaming?
“During the pandemic, Milou was stuck in Holland and Anna in Australia without the ability to freely travel internationally. Being where you want to be for your leisure time is important.”
Has this collaboration allowed you to move towards new ideas for your own projects?
“It has fueled more energy and ideas into projects we want to continue to do together, as we would love to create more together. We are already working on new projects.
Outside of travel, what inspires you creatively?
Photo: Milou Neelen
Leisure time to clear the mind for fresh ideas, always inspired by nature, the ocean, music helps us get into the creative flow (we also made a The Pleasure of Leisure playlist with Batik Boy Radio) and getting lost in books.
What are 3 things you always travel with?
Anna - “film cameras, rolls of film, and a pen to write postcards to friends and family”
Milou - “a hat, my phone, The Sun Came Up beach towel”
Thinking about books and their importance during the creative process...what role do books play when you are working on a project and how important are they in your life?
“One of the reasons creating a book has always been on our bucket list is because they are small pieces of art and are a huge source of inspiration. Especially when they have the perfect combination of all the right ingredients, something we aimed for with The Pleasure of Leisure. The choice of paper, printing technique, the right type of linen, the perfect sunny yellow for the first and final pages. Books are our favorite souvenirs when traveling, wherever we go, we always visit bookstores and bring back as many art and beautifully designed books as possible.”
