Announcing Anomaly 2016

February 10, 2016 Emma Clark

Have you got a burning question on running a creative business? Ever wondered what happens behind the Instagram feeds of your favourite creative ladies? Well, here's your chance to talk to four creative business owners from different corners of the industry about how they really do it. CWC's upcoming panel event Run a Successful Creative Business is part of the Anomaly 2016 conference, on Saturday 20 February at Billy Blue College of Design in Melbourne. The event will be moderated by designer and author Tess McCabe, founder of Creative Minds Publishing and president of Creative Women's Circle, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge in running a creative business.

Here's a sneak peek of our fabulous panellists...

Anika Cook, fashion designer and illustrator

Anika is the designer behind The Gently Unfurling Sneak, a small Melbourne label producing printed clothing, artworks and cards. All products are based around Anika’s surrealistic illustrations, and must be strange, beautiful or amusing (or a combination of all three) to make it out of the studio. The Gently Unfurling Sneak's designs are sold through local boutiques, online and in a new bricks-and-mortar shop in North Melbourne.

Facebook - Instagram - Website

Describe yourself in five words: Drawer, maker, determined, occasionally discombobulated Best business tip you've heard: "Get an employee. Just get one. And then figure it out". (from a fellow design market carney, after listening to me babble on about how I had too much work and didn't know what to outsource.) How do you keep your creative fire burning: I'd like to say "I love it, so it's easy". It's true but it's only part of the picture. There's always mountains of admin and other tasks, so when I get to sit down and just design stuff it's really exciting. And something I haven't managed to get rid of yet - the fear of it all falling apart and me having to go get a real job.

Proudest moment: Opening my little studio shop in North Melbourne in October last year. It was a huge amount of work to get the shop renovated and open in a small amount of time, and I couldn't pay anyone to do it. It was mostly me, my assistant Josie and my dad, and some lovely volunteer friends. Now when I'm in the shop I feel very proud that we built it all together.

Monique Woodward, architect

Monique Woodward is co-founder of award-winning Architecture and Interior Design practice WoodWoodWard Architecture, Lecturer at Monash & RMIT University, designer of WOWOWA's Monroe 'Rough Night' & 'Glamour' pendant lights and an advocate for apartment amenity guidelines and the compulsory use of architects on multi-residential development.

Website - Twitter - Instagram

Describe yourself in five words: Colorful passionate experimental residential architect

Best business tip you've heard: If your brand is talking to everybody, you're talking to nobody.

How do you keep your creative fire burning: Architectural pilgrimages...... aka holidays!!

Proudest moment: The day our big gold WOWOWA letters went up on our new shopfront studio window.

Camilla Molders, interior designer

Camilla Molders has been designing and creating beautiful interiors for over 20 years. She is known for clean lines and fuss free spaces, with a pop of something extra special. Camilla’s hallmark is bold, original designs that balance creativity with practicality and her work has featured in a host of Australian and international publications, websites and blogs.

Website - Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

Describe yourself in five words: Creatively adventurous, curious, passionate: all which describe me - but also could be used to describe my work! And then something not many think of me as - introverted. And what many who know me would agree with- opinionated!

Best business tip you've heard: Nothing particularly comes to mind that has had me really holding tightly onto. But I'm always listening. Everyone, no matter how experienced they are, has an interesting story or advice to offer that I can take on board. This is why I love speaker events - CWC events especially! Listening to someone talk who is passionate about what they do is awe-inspiring and never fails to leave me with an inspiration hit.

How do you keep your creative fire burning: Often a lot of the creative ideas happen on site with my clients when we are workshopping ideas. I take the time to really try and understand what the clients want and get a clear picture of their vision. This is why each project I work on is different to any other. I don't want to be known for doing the same thing or having a "look" - that just doesn't interest me creatively at all. I aim for each project to be a representation of the people who live in the space and that does justice to the architecture and surrounds. Sure, I might push my client's comfort levels a little (which is fun!), but that's my job. That's what makes it exciting and really keeps the creative fires burning!

Proudest moment: Seeing anything that I have designed from scratch is so exciting! But seeing the first sculptured rug that I designed was a total life moment. It was a concept that I had been brewing up for a while and discussed with a very open minded client. It turned out to be a success and the start of my bespoke rug collection.

Run a Successful Creative Business

1.00-2.30pm, Saturday 20 February, Billy Blue College of Design 595 Little Collins St, Melbourne

Tickets can be purchased via the AGDA website.