#WFH Diaries: Jeffrey Da Silva of Sid Lee Toronto

As confinement continues in most parts of the world, we’re checking in with creative people to see how they’re faring. Here’s a chat with Jeffrey Da Silva of Sid Lee Toronto.

Give us a one-line bio of yourself.

Jeffrey Da Silva, father, executive creative director of Sid Lee Toronto, “runner.”

Where are you living right now, and who’s with you?

I am in my home in Brampton, Ontario, with my girlfriend and our 4-year-old son.

What’s your work situation like at the moment?

The agency has been closed since March 16. It took a few days to get used to working from a spare bedroom, but using Slack and Zoom exclusively just seems normal now. In some ways, the distance has brought us closer together.

Describe your socializing strategy.

I play a lot of Guess Who?, Mouse Trap and Tee Ball in our backyard. We also try to get on a video chat nightly with my family. My mother and middle sister are close by, but my youngest sister lives in the U.K. My mother has been texting with random pictures of us all as kids. It’s been funny.

How are you dealing with childcare?

My girlfriend is a grade-school teacher, and with the schools shut down she’s channeled all of her energy into keeping up a scholarly routine with our little guy. I’m very lucky.

What are you reading?

Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman.

What are you watching?

Peppa Pig Season 6.

What are you listening to?

Right now, The Loves of Your Life by Hamilton Leithauser, a little Thundercat, and Igor by Tyler the Creator.

How are you staying fit?

Trying to run just enough every morning so I can honestly tell people, “I run.”

Have you taken up a hobby?

I played in bands as a teenager, but was never a really great instrumentalist, so I’ve taken up guitar between Zoom calls. You can learn a lot in five-minute chunks.

Any tips for getting necessities?

Get the wine delivered.

An awkward moment since all this started.

A client might have joined a Zoom call after changing their Zoom name to something dirty. I won’t tell you who, or what it was.

Best work email you got since all this started.

We’re getting a lot of emails from clients going out of their way to thank us for all the work. We have the best clients.

An aha! moment since all this started.

Creativity knows no bounds.

What’s your theory on how this is going to play out?

The world will never be the same, it will be better.

See the full #WFH Diaries series here.