Amy Chen of Siegel+Gale on Momentary Bursts of Creativity

And integrating tech to advance the user experience

Amy is experience director at Siegel+Gale.

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

Amy, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

Eventually, I realized that I was a New Yorker who happened to be born and raised in Los Angeles. So here I am in NYC.

How you first realized you were creative.

Charles Bukowski said: “If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it.” From a young age, I sketched and wrote, then designed and coded. I’m always bursting with creativity, but I spring a leak regularly.

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I’m a huge fan of Jenny Holzer. She’s an incredible writer, feminist and experiential artist. Her words are striking and powerful. And the mediums in which she delivers them—print, etchings, projections, animations, AI—augment the total experience. She’s an inspiration.

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

The Artist’s Way, a creative self-help book for imperfect creators—those of us who feel blocked, frustrated with our progression, overly critical. So far, I’ve found it to be helpful. If you bring it to a coffee shop, it’s bound to generate conversation, as the book telegraphs on your behalf, “I’m a creative!”

Your biggest weakness.

My occasional imposter syndrome. One of the drawbacks of having a high standard for excellence is that you often feel as if you’re not hitting your personal mark. And when you miss it, you may feel as though you’ve lost your footing. Your accomplishments may momentarily go “poof!”—putting you back at zero.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

In 2024, I was part of a team that helped Solventum, a new healthcare company, spin off from 3M. One of the biggest pieces was the website, which needed to support a global audience at launch. I led the team in developing an approach that focused the experience on empowering the healthcare practitioners who use Solventum’s products to help people get better.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

Creative director Eric Hu, who led design at Nike and SSENSE. He regularly achieves minor miracles that push the boundaries of what a brand can be, and his aesthetic incorporates references to music and rave culture. Eric just started a gig at Cohere, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does working with a tech company on the cutting edge of AI. 

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

Writer and a poet. Which, in fact, I already am. You can find more of what I have to say on my Substack.