Behind the Scenes at Imprint: With Visuals Editor, Tim Wat

1. Name

Tim Wat

2. What’s your day job?

I work as an architect designing houses. 

3. How long have you attended Grace Toronto? 

I’ve been attending since 2015. 

4. What do you do for Imprint?

I help with art direction, which first involves brainstorming ideas with the Visuals Team to create visual projects that strive to bring deeper meaning and understanding to the print pieces they are paired with. We try to make these clear and concise projects that we can pitch to artists in our community for them to execute over the summer, after most of the editorial process is finished with our writers. We then provide feedback for the artists to help push the visuals and make something that will feel cohesive with the written piece and graphically within the print issue. 

5. What initially inspired you to join the Imprint team?

I believe the subjective voice has the potential to speak to someone on a personal level, whether through visuals or writing. I’m especially interested in visuals, which speak without speaking. Tone, timing, medium— they all come together as pure communication directly to the heart. Every issue is another opportunity to deliver a choice message to a person in a quiet moment of their day.  

6. What’s your favourite piece for the upcoming print issue and why?

I have many favourite pieces, but the one that touched me most deeply was the mother-daughter series of letters, which is entitled Family Letters. The three authors are either writing to their own mother or daughter and are powerfully honest and brave in their communication. They display for us what it means to communicate the words that we don’t say but wish we would to the people closest to us. Like the author, I have so much I’d like to say to my mom, but there just never seems to be the opportunity. These letters show me that I must be brave in order to say what I really want or need to say. 

7. Tell us something surprising about Imprint behind the scenes!

It feels like people are all on their creative journey together, and it really is a vibrant space of creativity! The ideas that are discussed are artistically serious, and everyone is also a joy to work with.