Humans of TMA: Julia Vanderput
Humans of TMA is a content series in partnership with Discover_TMA that showcases the diverse, interesting, and creative people that make up The Marketing Arm.
Let’s get to know Julia…
How do you bring your full self into your work? What unique perspectives do you bring? I’m a proud Brazilian. We’re a resilient, resourceful people who do life with passion and fun, or not at all. Living abroad opens up your paradigm in ways that I’m still learning to articulate.
Where do you find inspiration? Poetry and prose. Ferlinghetti’s Poetry As Insurgent Art and DeLillo’s White Noise never disappoint. Most recently Bronwen Parker-Rhodes’s shorts have been on my mind.
What causes are you supportive of and why? Ultimately, all oppression is interconnected, so I am invested in dismantling all oppressive structures. Decolonization is now more pertinent and urgent to me.
What has been your favorite cultural moment of the last few years? Bernie with the mittens! So poetically subversive.
What is one thing you wish more people knew about you? I don’t have an accent, but I promise I’m a born and bred Brazilian! I’ll sometimes mix up expressions and it confuses people quite a bit.
What’s the best advice you were ever given? Who was it from? I think of my whole trajectory living abroad at a young age and I wouldn’t have accomplished half the things I did, in my own way, if I had taken peoples’ advice. People can only advise based on their own experiences, so I don’t believe in taking anyone’s advice.
What’s your hobby or passion project outside of TMA? I’ve been a published poet since I was sixteen, performed spoken word and published a chapbook in 2019. Last year my photography was represented by a gallery.
What three words would your closest friends use to describe you? Insatiable, principled, kaleidoscopic.
What led you to this career/industry? When I graduated, the industry was dominated by all these punk indie shops in second-tier markets talking about disruption for disruption’s sake. Young Julia was very into that attitude.
Quick Hits…
What are you watching? Lupin, a French mystery thriller TV show based on the Arsène Lupin story series. It’s Sherlock Holmes but make it Paris.
What are you listening to? Idles. Their sloganism has really resonated in the last year. I didn’t know how much I needed to hear five punk guys yelling CONSENT over and over again until I did.
What are you reading? I’m toggling between The Birth Partner (because I’m a doula now), Mark Pollard’s new book (strategy, duh) and Nicholson Baker’s Vox – I’ve asked my boyfriend, who just got his PhD in Literature and Creative Writing, to curate my 2021 reading list.
Who are you following? @JezzChung, who has spoken at TMA twice now on how to be better allies. Her compassion is laudable. @joannatalksfeelings is a Bozeman-based therapist and her posts have been a real balm for the past year.
What are you ignoring? Vacation posts.
Julia Vanderput is a Strategy Director based in the TMA LA office. Her trade is to uncover the disobedient truth, from strategic planning to prose. With over 10 years in advertising, Julia has developed award-winning strategies for brands including Lay’s, Harley-Davidson, Intel, Armani, Disney, WNBA, and Coleman.
