The Art of Creation

February 13, 2026

Savannah a city of creatives. In this series we explore how to bring out the most in our creative selves.

We sat down with Hannah Equinazi.

Hannah Esquenazi is a senior student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. You can find her work at hannahesquenazi.com or on Instagram @hannahesquenaziart.

When do you create your best work?

I’m a night owl. Late at night, when everyone’s asleep and no one’s watching or listening, that’s when I can really create. My space has to be messy, full of elements I can add or subtract. I like to be surrounded by materials. It’s very manual.

What’s the latest you’ve ever stayed up working on a piece?

If I’m really going at it, I can stay up until six in the morning. I just get excited when the ideas start flowing. But for my screen prints, more physical work. I prefer mornings. My photography always happens at night.

What drives you to keep creating?

It’s the feeling of authenticity. Art is where I feel most myself. Even when it’s hard, it’s worth it, because it’s the one place I can be completely honest.

Walk me through your creative process. How does a piece come to life?

It starts with a concept or story. I keep a list of ideas I want to explore. For example, my latest project was about the idea of “home.” I’ve lived in Colombia, Israel, Mexico, and now here, so I wanted to explore what home really means. I work with a small team, a production designer and a stylist and we build sets, cast models, and bring the concept to life.

How Do you balance creating for yourself with creating for an Audience?

I think art starts as something for yourself. Then you share it. But if you start with what you think people want, you lose interest. I never want my work to live just on Instagram. I want it in magazines, galleries, museums, places that feel more permanent.

Do you plan everything, or do you leave room for discovery during the shoot?

I always come without expectations. What you imagine is never exactly what you get with people. The shoot becomes a collaboration between what I planned and what naturally happens in front of me.

You’ve said your editing process feels like writing letters to yourself. Can you explain that?

Every photo I make includes handwriting from my journals. They’re literally letters to myself. I write them in Spanish, my first language, because that’s how I think and feel. Most people don’t realize the writing is personal, but that’s what keeps the work authentic.

You mentioned failure earlier. What role does that play in your process?

It took failure to get here. It took not being where I wanted to be. That’s how I learned patience with myself, with others. I’m stubborn in the best way. If someone says no, I just keep going. Dedication and passion are everything.