Wencke van Amstel was born in Nijmegen and graduated at the Maastricht Academy of Artes Liberales in painting, sculpture and photography. After having lived as an artist for a while, Wencke studied Cognitive Psychology at the University of Maastricht. Then she started working in advertising as art director at FHV/BBDO – combing her arty side with her interest in cognitive psychological processes. Four years later she switched to TBWA/Neboko, where she  worked on – among other brands – Heineken. After having worked for two of the best agencies in Amsterdam and giving birth to her first child, it was time to found her own businesses; Umsjatka (photosudio) and Pink and Poodle.

As a kid, what were your most creative moments?
As a kid I loved to draw beautiful and extremely slim women wearing all kinds of haute couture. Every fashion creation was put in a specific setting and scenery. When I look at those drawings now it seems that I was recreating fashion photography. When I grew older I started sewing the garments to wear them myself.

Which creative effort has given you the most satisfaction?
The birth of my children.

What fascinates you?
My greatest source of inspiration in general is life itself. I just love people and their weird ways of surviving all kinds of battles. Psychological ones, sociological, sexual, economical and cultural ones. Relationships and interactions between people, especially between men and women, really fascinate me. I can spend hours analyzing and trying to understand why they behave like that and why they made the choices they made. I’m convinced that if you are able to understand a person on micro psychological level you are able to understand the world on macro sociological level. Those insights exceed all cultural differences.

Who is your favourite creator?
I admire certain creations, because the work inspired me, moved me and even changed me. To name a view: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Banality by Jeff Koons, Bitter Moon by Roman Polanski, Blauwzuur by Gerrit Achterberg, Carmen by Maria Callas, ‘Ik Herhaal Je’ by Ingrid Jonker, ‘First Fashion Statements’ by Stella McCartney, ‘Festen’ by Thomas Vinterberg, ‘Get Rich or Die Tryin’’ by 50 Cent, ‘Natural Born Killers’ by Oliver Stone, ‘The Pink Nude’ by Henri Matisse, ‘Punch Drunk Love’ by Paul Thomas Anderson, ‘Upsidedown Boutique’ in Milan by Viktor and Rolf etc.

When did you decide, I want to work in advertising?
It was never a rational decision really, I never planned to be in advertising, it just came naturally along the way. When I graduated from the art academy as an artist I started to work in a car factory. Although I had a great time being a true factory girl it was very difficult to combine working in shifts with creating pieces of art. I then booked a one way ticket to Greece where for several months I worked as a waitress in the coolest cocktail bar on the island and tried to sell my paintings and sculptures to tourists. After a while my rational self told me that dancing on bars, drinking shots and being the star of the evening every night was a tempting but not a very ambitious life goal. I signed up for cognitive psychology at the University of Amsterdam, where I got very interested in information processing, propaganda and communication in general. At the strategy department of FHV/BBDO I did my graduation research. While writing my thesis about communication and (neuro)cognition, I once joined a creative review with Niels Shoe Meulman and Michael Schaeffer. From that moment on I wanted to become an art director.

What’s your most important lesson in advertising?
Follow the money and the truth will appear (Donald Trump).
Don’t get bitter, get better (Scientology Church).
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee (Muhammad Ali).
Kill them with kindness (The Jealous Sound).
Never underestimate the destructive power of a crushed ego (Wencke van Amstel).

What’s the most exciting ad project you ever worked on?
I can’t name one of my projects to be the most exciting one. You fall in love with each new project and from that moment on, it’s the one you were always waiting for, you can’t get enough of it and every project from the past seems suddenly less important.

What’s your favourite place in Amsterdam?
Every place in Amsterdam where I’m surrounded by people I love.

What would you like to change in Amsterdam?
Amsterdam can really be Aso [egocentric/ non social, AAB] City. It would be nice to have less angry and annoyed people in the streets. Especially the ones on bikes.