Debbie Millman has an ongoing project at PRINT titled “What Matters.” This is an effort to understand the interior life of artists, designers, and creative thinkers. This facet of the project is a request of each invited respondent to answer ten identical questions and submit a nonprofessional photograph.
Archie Bell, II is a freelance creative executive who is passionate about helping others unlock their growth potential through idea, story and craft. This may (or may not) include art directing his kids’ shenanigans.
What is the thing you like doing most in the world?
Browsing in shops or boutiques. It’s one of the few activities where inspiration, personalization and being alone with my thoughts align perfectly. Swimming in a pool or driving around the city with my son in the backseat are close seconds.
What is the first memory you have of being creative?
I don’t remember the exact beats of the story, nor the specifics of conversations that might’ve taken place. But I do remember what I did and how I felt.
I remember being five or six years old sitting with my aunt on the edge of my grandparent’s bed as we colored in a book; bringing stark, silhouetted bunny rabbits to life with each stroke of our crayons. And I distinctly remember coloring one rabbit blue.
According to my aunt, my mother (who was her older sister) came in and questioned my color choice; asking why I had not made the rabbit white, brown or black. My aunt, a life-long elementary school teacher (now retired), immediately replied that I had done a great job of being creative and using my imagination. And that it was okay for me to have made that decision.
Again, I don’t recall that exchange. However, the lasting imprint of my aunt’s sentiment in that moment stays with me and is arguably the anchor to my vast and rippled creative journey. The ‘blue rabbit’ is my first memory of being creative. It’s also the first memory I have of a loved one reinforcing my intuitive belief in creativity’s ability to push expectations––an act that perfectly reflects Maya Angelou’s quote about people never forgetting how you make them feel.
Interestingly enough, my aunt and I still talk about that blue rabbit.
What is your biggest regret?
My mother traveled internationally quite often when I was a teenager. She’d invite me along. I’d decline. After a while, she stopped asking. From that time to the time of her passing in 2017, we vacationed together no more than twice. My biggest regret is not accepting her invites and temporarily living that jet set-type of life with her.
How have you gotten over heartbreak?
I try to be very intentional about making space for myself when the pain of heartbreak creeps in. That usually starts with sitting in silence and listening to my body.
What makes you cry?
A perfectly scored moment in film or video when someone I genuinely relate to in the story triumphs over seemingly impossible odds.
How long does the pride and joy of accomplishing something last for you?
Ha. Not long (as any respectable, self-proclaimed perfectionist would agree). Perhaps a day. Maybe two if it’s a weekend.
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, what does that look like to you?
This is a tricky one. But it’s been on my mind a lot lately. Currently my position is as follows:
Yes, I believe in an afterlife. But in a way that centers human existence as energy. And, per the first law of thermodynamics, the way in which that contained energy has the ability to change form. I also believe two additional factors are in play: 1. those changed forms can exist across space and time, and 2. the transference or conversion of that energy is, in some way, informed by the frequency and/or temperature of one’s existence upon taking their dying breath.
What does this look like? Well, perhaps it’s less of what it looks like and more of what it feels like. And those feelings or sensations could very well be infinite.
Perhaps it materializes as a replica of the human form I exited. Or maybe it shows up in something humans are unable to comprehend, taking up space in a fourth dimension. Or is the dispersed energy magnetically drawn to things I focused my human energy on within this lifetime, and it then manifests as sound particles, wind, or another life force?
I’m not exactly sure. And I may actually be scientifically inaccurate with some of the thinking. But when it’s all said and done, I simply hope the best parts of ‘me’ get passed along to my kids; making their experiences a significant part of my afterlife…and me knowing this because I can feel (and see) it in their smile.
What do you hate most about yourself?
My tendency to agonize over every small detail.
What do you love most about yourself?
How thoughtful I am.
What is your absolute favorite meal?
Greek salad. Dinner rolls. Crawfish etouffee (proper roux). Sweet potato pie and coffee.