Meet Lizzie Archer, Creative Director at The Elsewhere Co.
This is Lizzie, the designer and founder behind sustainable accessories brand, The Elsewhere Co. - a luxury label inspiring freedom seekers around the world to escape the every day through a design philosophy that rejects all that’s ordinary, lacklustre and thoughtlessly produced.
“I have collected jewellery from all over the world and this is part of the reason I created wallets with space specifically to store jewellery! I’m passionate about sustainable fashion and believe that designers have a responsibility to understand the materials they work with—how they were made, who made them, their performance, longevity, environmental and social impact and end of life.”
Tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a country girl at heart. I grew up on a beautiful sheep farm in central west NSW. I always knew I wanted to do something creative. I studied a BA Media (Hons) at Macquarie University, Sydney, majoring in Film and Television production—I originally wanted to be a film director!
I’m based in Melbourne and am a full-time business owner plus full-time mum to two boys. I love to travel (looking forward to being able to do this again one day) and I believe in living an adventurous life—always learning, exploring and living joyfully. I’m always on the look-out for my next adventure!
I have collected jewellery from all over the world and this is part of the reason I created wallets with space specifically to store jewellery! I’m passionate about sustainable fashion and believe that designers have a responsibility to understand the materials they work with—how they were made, who made them, their performance, longevity, environmental and social impact and end of life. This takes time, energy and in most instances is more expensive than mainstream alternatives but it’s really rewarding to see that my designs offer a significant step change towards a more sustainable fashion industry.
What is your current business?
I’m the designer and founder behind sustainable accessories brand, The Elsewhere Co. - a luxury label inspiring freedom seekers around the world to escape the every day through a design philosophy that rejects all that’s ordinary, lacklustre and thoughtlessly produced.
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
My career has been a journey! I’ve done lots of different things and have learnt a lot along the way! At university, I studied Media majoring in film and television production but landed a career in product management and marketing where I worked for several consumer goods brands within Australia and the UK. I also studied interior design whilst living and working in London. My corporate roles gave me experience in developing and launching large scale product ranges, however, I always knew I wanted to be working more creatively in an environment where I didn’t have to compromise on my design vision and values.
I left my job in London to take a year off travelling through Europe and South East Asia back to Australia. I collected jewellery throughout my travels but was having trouble storing it safely in my backpack. Whilst in Cambodia, I fell in love with the beauty of artisan hand-loomed silk and upon returning to Melbourne, I enrolled in a short textile design course at RMIT and developed my very first collection of luxury silk jewellery rolls. From there I’ve developed the brand and collections you see today.
What does a typical workday look like for you?
I’m constantly juggling my roles as a mum and business owner, so every day is different! I work between 7-9 am in the morning whilst my husband gets my eldest son ready for school—this is when I get my priority things done. Throughout the day I look after my 4-year-old and do bits and pieces when he’s happy playing— things like packing orders, preparing stock for retailers, designing and visiting retailers. We do a daily scooter ride to deliver orders to the post office! Then it’s school pick-up, chores and dinner prep. I sit down again at 6 pm to do my social media for the day, then after everyone’s in bed I’ll do another hour of work before relaxing at the end of the evening. I complete any big projects on a Saturday when my husband looks after our boys!
What has been your favourite product created to date?
Definitely my up-cycled leather wallet – it’s a world-first design which took almost 2 years to develop. It’s an entrant in this year’s Victorian Premier’s Design Awards!
“This is NO ordinary wallet. We set out to design the wallet of your dreams; a single wallet to keep you organised from work to play, trips away and everything in between –without destroying the planet. The Elsewhere Co. upcycled leather wallet is thoughtfully designed for living an adventurous life. It can be used at home or away and features an innovative concealed jewellery storage compartment, making it one of the most versatile accessories around. Crafted from upcycled leather, it imaginatively transforms waste into luxury fashion, with initial production saving approximately 100kg of leather offcuts from reaching landfill.”
It is my hope that our wallets will keep you organised for many years to come, saving you time, making your every day easier and helping you steal more moments of freedom to pursue an adventurous life – a life less ordinary.
What are some of the things which inspires you?
I’m inspired by travel, art and nature. I love bold colour and you’ll notice that colour palettes play an integral role in my designs. I’m also inspired by fabrics and materials – each material has its own beauty, texture, unique properties and story of how it was made. I love working with interesting materials and finding new ways to reimagine them into luxury items.
How do you stay organised in life and business?
Work-life balance has been quite difficult as you can see from my daily routine above! It’s been particularly hard to manage this year as I was homeschooling my 6-year-old, whilst also looking after my 4-year-old. This meant that during these times I had to put my work largely on pause. Over the years of running my own business, I’ve learnt to stress less about what I can’t do and be happy with achieving my best in the time that I have available. I work hard but make sure we plan lots of holidays and fun things to do as a family!
What has 2020 taught you about yourself?
I’ve learnt the value of community this year – I’ve actually worked more collaboratively with others than in a normal year which I’ve really enjoyed.
This year people have been really collaborative and more open to connecting and supporting others. Whilst it’s been a tough sales year there have also been more opportunities and initiatives to support small businesses as well as opportunities to up-skill and be involved in the community which has been invaluable.
Just like the amazing community at Creative Women’s Circle, I’ve also had the opportunity to work with a mentor this year! I’ve found this really useful in clarifying my ideas and helping me move forward with initiatives at a much faster pace. So this is something I’ll probably continue to do going forward.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Being a creative at heart; throughout my corporate career, I always found it difficult to be constantly compromising my creative vision and personal values. This meant that while I enjoyed this part of my career and learnt a lot about business, I felt frustrated much of the time. Once I got the courage to start my own business built on my personal values, I felt such a great sense of freedom. I’ve never looked back!
What do you get up to when not working?
I have family in South Coast NSW so we spend a lot of time there at the beach, swimming, bushwalking and enjoying time as a family.
How do you plan for a new year? And do you have any tips for new year goal-setting?
I like to reflect on the past year’s achievements and take time to really congratulate myself before moving onto new goals. Then I assess what worked and what didn’t!
I find the last quarter of the year is so busy and it’s often quite reactive so I like to begin the year by revisiting my core brand values and vision to see if everything is still relevant or if some areas have evolved etc. I like to bring everything back to the brand vision and values, then I start working on plans for the new year with this vision clearly in place.
I also do a sustainability roadmap for the year ahead to ensure that each year we’re moving forward with our sustainability goals as a business. Sustainability is a constant journey!
Shop local this Christmas
The Elsewhere Co collection is available at Design A Space Retail Gallery.
Shop in-store at either of the Design A Space stores below and receive 20% off the upcycled leather collection.
Offer is available until 24/12/2020.
Melbourne City Store
20 Manchester Lane,
Melbourne VIC 3000
+61 3 9663 8991
Windsor Store
142 Chapel Street,
Windsor VIC 3181
+61 3 9510 0144
Say hi to Christie Brewster
Over the past 16 years, Christie Brewster has been very busy. She has worked in Sydney, London and New York, providing creative solutions for brands such as Qantas, BBC, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Pinchgut Opera, Open Data Institute, Hitachi Vantara, and TEDx London. We chat with Christie about her career, and how she gets to do what she does.
Over the past 16 years, Christie Brewster has been very busy. She has worked in Sydney, London and New York, providing creative solutions for brands such as Qantas, BBC, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Pinchgut Opera, Open Data Institute, Hitachi Vantara, and TEDx London. We chat with Christie about her career, and how she gets to do what she does.
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m currently Senior Graphic Designer for Medium Rare Content Agency working with brands such as Qantas magazine, Coles magazine, Bunning, Officeworks and David Jones. I’m responsible for digital graphic design presence, and also work closely with our Art Director on storyboarding, illustration and mock-ups, to on-location shoots and social media executions – I love seeing a creative project come to life from concept to completion.
Having studied Photography a few years ago, and choosing to work with a ‘somewhat’ controversial mirrorless camera – I’ve enjoyed approaching photography with consideration between image and typography and partnering the two to generate a meaningful and engaging piece of content.
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I’m specifically inspired by travel, hospitality, the arts and fashion with my short-term goal to be Art Director for a magazine brand. My bigger picture of goal is to own my own creative agency one day.
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
My role has varied over my career, starting out as a junior designer operating digital print presses, to working as an in-house designer for marketing departments in art organisations such as The Sydney Symphony, BBC Proms, and Australian Chamber Orchestra. These roles contributed to several career highlights, including attending the Last Night of the Proms after-party at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and meeting Ita Buttrose to work on the Sydney Symphony concert brochures, to photographing Lang Lang at the Sydney Opera House and traveling as the resident photographer for the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s tour to Tokyo, Japan. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that graphic design has opened my world to travel and experiences that I could never have imagined when I graduated from Western Sydney TAFE 16 years ago.
Last year, I chose to broaden my experience and skills in an agency environment, where I see long-term progression to Art/ Creative Direction. Medium Rare Content Agency delivers high quality, best-in-class creative digital, social, and print native content across a diverse range of clients which I have been fortunate to work with on many levels. I enjoy collaborating and coordinating with internal and external members.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
At the moment our office is working remotely and the team starts every day with a work-in-progress Zoom call at 9am sharp where current and ongoing work is reviewed and divided amongst the team. Each workday is varied for me – from working on advertorials for brands such as Armani, Destination NSW, or Rockpool Restaurant who advertise in Qantas magazine, to designing HTML 5 webtiles for Amex or Red Energy or storyboarding Officeworks’ latest ‘Geeks to You’ video – each day is diverse and deadline-driven which keeps me engaged and on my toes!
What is the most important aspect of your job/ creative pursuit?
Creating honest output and contributing quality work that is an asset to my team.
Researching insights and trends that are occurring in Australia and abroad and applying findings to relevant campaign pitches.
Sharing knowledge, being helpful and kind to others.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Professionally, making the switch from being an in-house designer to agency designer, when so many others were transitioning the other way. In hindsight, I probably had a lot of anxiety around it because I’d heard many horror stories about agency work. I’m fortunate that my current place of work value work-life balance and are a great team of creatives who genuinely care about creating quality work.
Personally, I’ve really benefitted from having some guidance in defining my career direction, specifically related to how I make the next step to Art Direction. In addition to engaging a career coach, I recently completed the CWC Member Mentoring Program, a great initiative that provided me with support to connect and develop my skills. I’ve found both experiences incredibly valuable - providing me with a framework for my career, a timeline for my goals and a new way of thinking about the way I can adapt, evolve and transform in my journey.
What are some of the things which inspires you?
Beautifully designed publications that have gorgeous paper, finishing, typefaces or clean font styling, some titles I love are:
Qantas magazine
Numéro magazine
Vogue magazine
Gritty Pritty digital magazine
Best creative memory?
Managing the editorial design for the BBC Proms Guide in London and designing the first Proms Guide Ebook – an exciting digital development that gained promotion from Apple and met sales target within two weeks.
What would you tell your younger self?
Listen to your instinct – if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t.
Make that move overseas you’ve been thinking about – you won’t regret it!
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Bring something someone else can’t. I’ve wanted to work in magazines for most of my career, the reason I was got to where I am today was that I could bring a different way of thinking.
When working on creative projects aim to bring a holistic approach to your design method – look at the end result first and assess how the content will be utilised, whether that be in print or online, then work backward and divide the creative process into manageable tasks to deliver your vision.
Meet Cindee Smith, owner and creative behind VIOLET HARTLEY
My business is VIOLET HARTLEY, I create hand screen printed textiles, predominantly scarves. Hand etched (onto a zinc plate) and hand printed etchings, often hand coloured with water colour pencils.
BOWDO SCARF....ORANGE TASSLES....SWALLOW PRINT IN ORANGE
4 min read
My business is VIOLET HARTLEY, I create hand screen printed textiles, predominantly scarves. Hand etched (onto a zinc plate) and hand printed etchings, often hand coloured with water colour pencils.
I initially studied screen printing in WA (many years ago) and more recently completed a Diploma in Visual Arts in Melbourne. I have worked in the fashion industry most of my career in some way shape or form.
I feel very lucky to have a grown son and daughter and two fantastic grandchildren (who love to help me with drawing and creating).
I have a love of nature & colour and am particularly inspired by birds, trees, animals and my love of textiles and embellishment, which is reflected in my work.
What do you have on your work space at the moment?
At the moment I’m working on a new shipment of large silk/cotton scarves adorned with gorgeous coloured tassels. I am hand printing five new hand drawn designs onto these.
I also have samples and prototypes of art work on large canvas carry bags and silk velvet jackets with artwork on the back.
BOWDO SCARF....CIRCLE OF TREES PRINT IN KHAKI ...GREEN TASSLES
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
My career/business as an artist is really just blooming in the last decade as I have had the time to dedicate to it seriously.
I feel like I have been all my life practicing for it and experimenting with different products (clothing, cushions, etchings and painting) and different avenues of selling from to shops to selected artisan markets. When my daughter was very young I wanted to get out of the house for a few hours a week and learn something new (and talk to adults). Having always loved art in many forms and textiles, when I found something that combined the two…Screen Printing, I enrolled immediately and fell in love with the technique and process instantly.
What are some of the most important/ topical issues you tackle in your work?
It is extremely important to me to keep centuries old artisan skills alive and acknowledged for the skill they are.
I’d like people to understand and appreciate the work, time, experience and dedication that is involved with HAND MADE.
Mass produced, machine generated products don’t require skill and have no uniqueness. Tens of thousands of people can have exactly the same item when it is factory produced from a production line. I think it would be wonderful if people bought one beautiful unique item that has been made with love and with time honoured techniques and to know that no-one else has exactly the same item.
RED, NATURAL, GREEN, COTTON CHECK WITH WHITE FOLKBIRD PRINT
What are some things you learnt on your job that you didn’t expect to learn?
I was surprised to learn that if you give people too much choice with a product such as different styles, colours, fabrics, prints and size it will often cause confusion and because they can’t decide…they buy nothing!
Because I am very decisive and instantly like something, I thought people that loved handmade beautiful items would be the same.
Do you have a typical workday?
Normally…(not at the moment because of the Coronavirus) I rise early and travel to my daughters house to take my fabulous grandchildren to school. I love doing this because it makes me start the day early and by 9.15 I am up dressed, feeling fresh, happy at starting the day with a laugh with my grandchildren and back in my studio ready and eager to go.
From there, it could be designing new scarves or prints or actually printing, drying and heat pressing scarves.
I often have loud music on when I work, it makes me relaxed and happy and content.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
I always have a million things I want to do and create — so sticking to and concentrating on even a couple of projects is hard for me.
Money! Always a challenge as you need to invest in fabric, inks, screens etc. and it's all very expensive and it might be several months before any return on your investment.
Computer stuff…anything to do with a computer! It doesn’t come naturally and I prefer to use my hands and make something than spend the time to work it out.
BOWDO SCARF…BLUE TASSLES…
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
I love what I do so my “down time” is often doing the same things.
I read books, I’ve just read and loved Phosphorescence by Julia Baird.
Visiting art galleries and fabric stores.
Sitting on the verandah with my husband in late afternoon/evening and drinking Negronis.
What are some of the things which inspire you?
Nature - trees, birds, animals and flowers.
Colour - can be in nature or in a fabric store or what someone is wearing.
Music - puts me in a relaxed mood to create.
How do you balance work/ life?
As my studio/workspace is at home my husband usually makes me balance work/life. When he comes home from work tired, hungry and wanting to talk, I know that this is the end of my working day. When he is away l'll often work late into the evening, then I get tired and hungry and start making mistakes.
Best creative memory?
I often travel to India to work with weavers and textile artisans to create my scarves and when my first delivery of scarves arrived from India I was so excited I couldn't even wait to take the boxes inside to open them. I stood on my verandah tearing open the boxes. The smell of the natural freshly woven silk and cotton, the vision of hundreds of colourful tassels and the feel of the natural fabric against my skin was overwhelmingly euphoric.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
LOVE WHAT YOU DO! If you love what you do you will find a way to make it happen.
Find your tribe - the people/customers that understand, appreciate and also love what you do.
Have a little chuckle to yourself if anyone ever says “ I can do that, it's easy”. They probably won’t!
Find the people that give you energy, support, belief in yourself and love and surround yourself with them.
Website www.violethartley.com
Instagram www.instagram.com/violethartley
Meet Trudy Rice, artist and textile designer
Hi I’m Trudy Rice, I am an artist and I live in Port Melbourne, Victoria. I also frequent the coastal town of Lorne on the iconic Great Ocean Road where much of my inspiration comes from. I work primarily with works on paper and enjoy depicting our native flora and fauna. I also dabble in abstract painting.
Trudy in her Studio. Photography Annette O'Brien and Styling Alana Langan
3 min read
Hi I’m Trudy Rice, I am an artist and I live in Port Melbourne, Victoria. I also frequent the coastal town of Lorne on the iconic Great Ocean Road where much of my inspiration comes from. I work primarily with works on paper and enjoy depicting our native flora and fauna. I also dabble in abstract painting.
My range of textile designs on 100% linen are a transference of my work from paper to fabric. I hope my work brings a sense of peace, calmness and connectivity with the natural world we live in.
What do you have on your work space at the moment?
It has been in my sites for some time to create an online workshop and our current global situation has given me a push to make it happen. I have been filming my second online workshop. The first one is up and running! Here is an introduction to the first workshop https://youtu.be/SVQv6LddXaU
I have also set up a small painting studio at home so I feel I’m being creative whilst helping my son to be motivated about online learning.
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
I’ve always been creative in some way, working with fashion designers as a model in my younger years, making jewellery, I tried my hand at being a makeup artist, going back to study art and falling in love with printmaking. I was told very early on that my work looked like it was printed on fabric so it was almost a natural progression from my works on paper.
I am now also working on some larger projects like murals and wallpaper design.
What are some of the most important/ topical issues you tackle in your work?
I am all about preserving our environment. Showing it’s beauty in my drawings and artworks, using all non-toxic materials in my studio and manufacturing locally in Australia as much as possible.
What are some things you learnt on your job that you didn’t expect to learn?
I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to technology but I never thought I’d be setting up my own website and running social media campaigns. You become a bit of a jack of all trades running your own arts business. I have slowly outsourced and this has been really important for me to keep being creative.
Last year I hired my sister who is a talented photographer and is now taking images of my homewares and writing for my social media outlets.
I have also engaged a PR agency. Once I started having more of a flow of incoming work, I really needed the help.
Do you have a typical workday?
I am much more in my creative zone in the afternoons, so I know that I’m better doing paperwork in the morning and then making art in the afternoon.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Working out how to manage working with galleries, pricing my work, pricing larger projects and the biggest challenge has been how to pivot my business to manage through our current global situation.
Trudy drawing in the studio with some of her homewares. Photography Annette O'Brien and Styling Alana Langan
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
My down-time is generally staying at home with my family, cuddled up on the couch and drinking a glass of good red wine with some stinky cheese! I am Dutch after all.
What are some of the things which inspire you?
Getting out into nature is definitely inspiring. Whether that’s in my local park or hiking in the bush.
How do you balance work/ life?
I try to keep a good diary and finish working, especially on the computer by 5pm. I like to be home to cook the dinner, have that glass of red and spend time with my family.
Best creative memory?
Gosh… there have been so many highlights, from features in a magazine, large projects coming to fruition. I love seeing my art go to a good home. Its like sending off one of your children.
I do love when I have an ah ha moment in the studio. When you hand pull a print from the printing press and you are pleasantly surprised at what has come out.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Find what makes you passionate and keep making decisions whether business or pleasure that help to fuel that passion.
Meet Lilian Tran of ISĒ
Lilian Tran is the founder of ISĒ, and organic Belgian linen company which crafts timeless pieces that are crisp, luxurious and sustainable. Read about how Lilian got to do what she does, what makes her tick, and how she has cultivated her creative career.
Image: ISĒ
5 min read
Lilian Tran is the founder of ISĒ, and organic Belgian linen company which crafts timeless pieces that are crisp, luxurious and sustainable. Read about how Lilian got to do what she does, what makes her tick, and how she has cultivated her creative career.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a fashion designer because I loved making my own clothes. I eventually studied at the Whitehouse Institute of Design and went on to work in fashion. My career was spent working in Australia for the majority of my early years, and later working in fashion capitals like London and New York, which have been some of the best years of my life career-wise and in terms of personal development.
With a busy lifestyle, I try to maintain a comfortable balance in my life. For my mental and physical health, I take pilates reformer sessions through the week, which I thoroughly enjoy. I see my family every Sunday for dinner and I make sure I have time for my partner and my friends. My weeks are busy but I stay organised and make it work.
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I started ISĒ, in 2019 with the hope to create an honest business, built on an uncompromising quality standard with ethics and sustainability at the forefront.
I had been feeling disillusioned by the fashion industry since the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse and it made me question the ethics and sustainability of the fashion world I was so drawn to. This was a big part of my why. I chose to make products for the home because I came to realise how important sleep is for your well-being.
My life is pretty demanding so I place importance on maintaining a balance, recharging and sleeping well to stay healthy.
Image: ISĒ
How would you describe your career so far and how did you get into this industry?
I feel fortunate to have the opportunities I have had. Though, I also believe that it doesn’t come handed to you but is received through hard work, and maybe a little bit of luck.
My career in fashion gave me the expertise to understand the manufacturing industry well. I have been able to gain experience in small businesses, where I was able to get hands on with a lot of different areas, and larger businesses, to specialise in what I did.
When I landed my job in London, I was given the luxury of travel to meet with suppliers, go on sourcing and inspiration trips around the world on a regular basis to make my designs come to life. The skills I gained in London allowed me to specialise in what I did and gave me creative freedom.
Once my time was up in London, I made my way to Berlin to work on my portfolio and then headed to New York and landed a job there. New York was a different kind of beast that really challenged me in many ways. Upon my return to Sydney, I decided I was ready for my next challenge, to create a story of my own grounded in values I felt strongly about.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I typically arrange my week in advance, in order of tasks of importance. I’ve learnt too well in the past that I am not productive when I have too many little things to do in the day as I lose focus. My week consists of emails, meetings, marketing, liaising with our suppliers, and admin for the most part.
Image: ISĒ linen
Image: ISĒ leather throw
What is the most important aspect of your job/ creative pursuit?
I have a responsibility to maintain the health of the business and the planet. My vision is to uphold the company’s vision and values at a high level. Every partner we take on and every employee we hire believes in our vision and values.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Presentations were probably my biggest fear in my early days. I am more comfortable with it now, but I won’t lie, it still makes me nervous to present my work. Its definitely a great skill to have and a skill worth mastering as it’s an important part of showcasing the work you have been working on and sharing it with the people in front of you. It’s exciting but at the same time a little daunting.
Understanding how to organise your time is also very important. I find it’s great to sit down on a Sunday evening and plan for the week ahead so you know exactly what needs to be accomplished. Things don’t always go as planned, but at least you have a framework to start with.
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
I enjoy my self care routine. It’s something that I have placed a focus on over the last 5 years. I have a weakness for Thai massages. It always leaves me feeling de-stressed and refreshed.
Image: ISĒ
What are some of the things which inspires you?
I am a big believer that you can be inspired by absolutely anything around you. I take inspiration from talks that I attend, galleries, travel, magazines and people.
Patti Smith continues to inspire me with her prose and her authenticity. My mentor, Gabrielle, inspires me everyday with the knowledge she shares on absolutely everything. My copywriter, Rossella, is quite possibly the kindest, most generous and humble human I know. Melinda Tually and Clare Press were the main people I turned to in the early days to learn about sustainability when it was all very new to the world many years ago. Instagram is a great source of inspiration also. Our suppliers persistence and dedication to sustainability inspires me to work with them to make a change for the world.
Best creative memory?
I was in year 5 working on a project on the planet Saturn. It was an exciting project because I was able to work on a large piece of black cardboard, write my findings in metallic coloured pens and create a work of art with silver and gold glitter. It was probably my proudest work.
What would you tell your younger self?
There is no such thing as a negative experience. Everything in life happens for a reason, so find the positive in the every bad situation and learn from this.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Do your research and make sure you enter it with a lot of persistence, passion and drive. It’s the only thing that I believe will make you successful, because you’ll realise that it may take a little bit longer than you think to get to where you want to be and there’s probably not going to be a lot of money coming your way for a little while. The only way is to be realistic with your expectations. Keep it real.
Image: ISĒ