2 Minutes With … Kika Douglas, CCO of 180 Global

Kika has 17 years of international industry experience. She has worked for numerous agencies, including JWT Delvico Spain, AKQA, David & Goliath and Dentsu Creative Amsterdam. She is currently chief creative officer at 180 Global in Amsterdam.

We spent two minutes with Kika to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Kika, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

I was born in San Antonio, Texas, but I grew up in Galicia in northern Spain. I’ve been living in Amsterdam for the past five years.

How you first realized you were creative. 

I began theater lessons when I was 10. At first I wanted to be an actress, then a playwright. That was when I realized I was happiest creating anything and everything.

A person you idolized creatively early on. 

Oscar Wilde for his mordacity and Dostoevsky for his understanding of human nature.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life. 

I had an incredible literature teacher called Emilio. I will forever be grateful to him for teaching us critical thinking, craft and a deep passion for the art of writing and storytelling. He was really grumpy and dry, but he transformed into a different person when he talked about his passion. I hope my kids have a teacher like him in their learning journey.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire. 

Michele Lamy. She is a visual artist, fashion designer and experience creator. She went from being a lawyer to joining a circus to becoming the life and creative partner of Rick Owens. She’s magical and disturbing at the same time, extremely intelligent and provocative. 

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring. 

The podcast Meditative Story. There’s one episode in particular, where astronomer Michelle Thaller explains how we are all made of stars—literally. 

Your favorite fictional character. 

Willy Wonka. 

Someone or something worth following in social media. 

I quit Instagram and the only account I have left is Linkedin, which I barely use. But if I did use social media, I would say Michelle Obama.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

“Road Tales”—”Snelweg Sprookjes” in Dutch. I’m a mom and I believe our kids’ imagination is a treasure we must protect. 

A recent project you’re proud of. 

“Adobe x Bowie,” for so many reasons! But especially because it was such a beautiful collaborative process with Adobe and RZO. 

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

Mary Wells Lawrence. Some of the world’s most iconic brand work was created under her direction.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

I profoundly admire and respect people like director James Reed for creating stories that help people understand animals. Both My Octopus Teacher and Chimp Empire are fascinating forms of entertainment that make us reflect about our place on the planet. 

Your main strength as a creative person. 

Being a good listener. 

Your biggest weakness. 

Impatience. 

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising. 

I studied psychology and I sometimes dream of opening a rehab center to help teens with social media addiction. And I will probably grow avocados trees in Spain in the future.