Announcing Anomaly 2016
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
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.
Describe yourself in five words:
Colorful passionate experimental
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.
Project planning 101
By Jes Egan
Being organised is a skill. It’s something that you can learn and refine but it doesn’t always come naturally. I have always been an organiser since a very young age. Today in my day job, that is exactly what I do. I plan and manage projects from start to finish and all that stuff in between. You may be lucky enough to have a specialist around you who will do this, or like many small creative businesses have to become a bit of a jack of all trades and apply this skill to what you are doing. Here are a few of my tips to help plan away.
Project planning
Planning a project at the very beginning before you start the job/work can save a great deal of time, stress and unneeded work being done. It’s one of those things that you can put at the bottom of the list as there are so many more interesting or fun things to get your teeth stuck into. For many people it isn’t the most enjoyable part but is definitely something that I would recommend doing for most projects, not just the larger ones.
Plan the entire project
Define the scope of the project clearly and precisely, make sure you have set the parameters of what you agree to do before you start. Try and define this at the beginning so you don’t have what we call scope creep, doing things for free that you didn’t originally agree or quote for, unless they’re prepared to allow you to charge more for it. Knowing what you are doing at each stage is a massive time saver as you move through the project. This can make you more efficient and make your project more cost effective and possibly more profitable.
Don’t know where to start? Sit down and think about what you need to do. This may be by starting at whatever the end result needs to be and working backwards. Work out what you need to get done and in what order you need to do it in. Start by writing this down as a task list.
Gantt chart milestone plan
Creating a timing plan or gantt chart is common practice and is really helpful. It allows you to plan what order everything needs to happen, factor in supplier deliveries, client approvals and reviews if required. There are many programs that can make this easier for you such as MS Project and Merlin Project or some great free online ones such as TeamGantt. Take the above task list and start to add dates to it, if you have a deadline start from there and work backwards. A good tip that I learnt many years ago is to put any key dates or milestones into a diary/calendar as an additional reminder.
It is helpful to group tasks together under headings in a clear and logical order. Some tasks will be dependent on another task being completed, find these dependencies and pin point them out. Know when if one task is delayed where the knock on effect will hit.
When changes happen such as delays in approval or from suppliers, make sure you map the changes as they happen so you can see the knock-on effect. It’s not always possible to complete a project on the agreed deadline. If there are delays throughout, sometimes you can make up time elsewhere. This isn’t always the case so make sure you update the plan when they happen so it is a realistic completion date and doesn’t leave you stressed trying to do a million things right at the end.
Daily todo lists
A big part of project planning is not just mapping it out at the beginning, it’s following it. I’m a massive list person - I write a new one at least once a day. It keeps me on track with what needs to happen that day and it also gives me clarity and allows me to prioritise what to do when I am overwhelmed. Handwriting lists, using apps or your calendar are all good ways to do this. Start the day by writing one todo list, bringing items over from the previous day that didn’t get completed and add to it. Prioritise it and tick off the items as they are done. The satisfaction of each tick can motivate you to get working on ticking the next one off.
Status meetings
If you are working with a team, suppliers or clients, regular status meetings is a good way to keep progress of how the job is tracking. These don’t have to be too long - simply review your timing plan and check that all items for that day/week are on track. If not, find out why and try to address it or make a plan to tackle it. Make sure any task delays or early completion dates are applied to your timings so that you are keeping as up to date as possible. If it helps, apply a traffic light tracking system to each task, where green = on track, orange = at risk of causing delays and red = delayed / needs attention.
Be realistic
Thinking ahead can save you loads of time in the future. Understanding this and putting the time into this can be boring but it is worth it in the long run. Just remember to be realistic and allow yourself the time to do what you want to do as best as you can do it.
Jes is a ‘practical creative’ and a very busy lady, doing the business in a digital agency, being an artist and an university lecturer, who can creatively be found cutting up a storm at paperchap.com. Follow Jes on Instagram.
Interview: Phoebe Everill, woodworker
Females in creative trades are few and far between, and talented woodworker Phoebe Everill is no exception. Phoebe is breaking down barriers as a third generation woodworker. Phoebe had her own renovation business before focussing her attention on handmaking fine furniture. She also teaches classes and makes custom furniture at her workshop in Drummond, Victoria.
What drew you to become a woodworker?
My father originally, and then just a feeling of it being a part of who I am. I get enormous satisfaction in making things, seeing things evolve from my hands. I love everything about wood. It’s a living material and unforgiving, you can’t enforce your design upon it, and then it rewards you with wonderful texture, colour and figure. I could pass on the splinters and the dust!
How would you describe your work?
I have a design style that pays tribute to the Japanese, Scandinavians and Shakers. I want to make pieces that will last, are functional and still beautiful. Clean, great joinery, not too decorative.
What has been your experience being a female tradesperson in a historically male field?
It was tough early on as a builder, less so now. People come to me already committed to learning so my gender is largely irrelevant. I have always believed that my work would speak and this crosses barriers.
What does a typical day involve for you?
Gym and office until 8am, then in the workshop either making or teaching till 6pm, followed by more office work until 7pm. In reality, it is a joy to work long hours and to be self-employed. I wouldn’t change a thing except the admin!
What have been some favourite recent projects or commissions?
My most significant work this year has been Collaboration 1. This piece has been a year in the planning, designing and making. It has been a privilege to work with two of Australia’s finest tool makers to pull off a very unique piece.
What part of the making process do you enjoy the most?
The problem solving, bringing the 3D image in my head to life, and then letting the design evolve without overthinking it!
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
“Go wrong slowly” - David Upfill-Brown (my mentor). It refers to the making process and the care you need to take to bring a piece to completion.
You can see more of Phoebe's work at her website.
The Resolution Project
Hands up who makes new year's resolutions every year, then ditches them by February? Yep, us too. Well, achieving our creative and business goals just got a lot easier, with CWC’s The Resolution Project. It’s an affordable and supportive goal-setting program that keeps you accountable and motivated throughout the year. The best part? Along with workshops and online tools, you get heaps of resources, including a tailor-made TRP workbook to keep you on track. Our private facilitated Facebook group is up and running and participants are sharing stories, tips and resolutions. They have described the workbook as "a truly valuable tool for reflection" and "a great way to gain clarity and perspective". It's already clear this is a special community of ambitious and inspired women.
The Online program is open to anyone, anywhere, and includes all the valuable resources and materials that the Workshop program offers, including access to the private Facebook group and opportunities to ‘ask the experts’ and connect with a wide community of creative women.
Our Workshop program includes all of the above, plus three workshops and follow-up materials throughout the year along themes including Connect and Clarify, Recap and Reset, and an end of year Wrap Party (open to all participants!) to celebrate our successes. Each workshop includes hands-on coaching sessions and discussions with renowned experts to set you firmly on the path to achieving your creative goals.
Numbers are strictly limited. It’s not too late to join - check out The Resolution Project for more information.
Meet the CWC Board!
If you've been following CWC in 2015, you may have heard we've made a few big, exciting changes behind the scenes. In July, Creative Women's Circle became an official non-profit national association, complete with a governing Board and committee of over a dozen ladies representing a multitude of creative industries and professional passions. These women all volunteer their time, effort and expertise to make CWC an organisation that supports, champions and connects women in creative industries across Australia.
The first year of any association is one of laying the groundwork (read: getting all the administration side of the setup sorted... a long and arduous process!) ahead of our first Annual General Meeting (AGM) in mid-2016. But alongside the boring paperwork stuff, we're also busy identifying the Board's roles and processes, and developing an overarching mission statement and strategy for CWC that will make it as impactful as it can be for you as Members, and the wider community in general.
But who are the hardworking ladies dedicating their time and brains to the cause? Well, today I'd like to introduce the first Board of Creative Women's Circle to you all...
First row, L-R Tess McCabe, President Martina Gemmola, Vice-President Yasmin Naghavi, Secretary Shannon Rowe, Treasurer
Second row L-R Phoebe Miller, Membership Manager Julia May, Marketing, Strategy and Ideas Manager Rachel Bucknall, Events Host Manager Zelda Tupicoff, Website Manager
Third row L-R Annette Wagner, Social Media Manager Bec Mackey, Partnerships Manager Emma Clark Gratton, Blog Editor Madeleine Dore, Melbourne Events Manager
Fourth Row L-R Diana Scully, Melbourne events team Yvonne Meng, Melbourne events team Felicia Semple, Melbourne events team
Visit our Board page to read more about each of their roles and the professional backgrounds of these excellent women! And why not say hi at our next Melbourne event, or via their social media pages? We'd love to hear from you so CWC can be THE organisation that supports, champions and connects creative women across the country now and well into the future.
Networking while abroad
By Di Scully
Whether it's a permanent move or an extended vacation, it is a thrilling moment when you make the decision to head overseas. The opportunity to start over, find an exciting new direction, explore a new city and divulge into a new culture creates an unyielding level of excitement and anticipation within. However, it’s not uncommon to subsequently feel the pull of doubt and possibly fear when you contemplate how this move will impact your existing business or prospect of finding new work.
To get you started, your first step is all about finding new friends and making new connections. Here are some ways you can build your own network in a new city.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE
If you have the time to plan your relocation overseas, there are things you can do to ensure your transition is as smooth as possible.
Maximise your existing contacts. Now is the time to reach out, be fearlessly friendly and make the connection with those you know. Do you have a friend, acquaintance or distant family member who currently lives in your new city? And don’t forget to exhaust your contacts on social media. Are you friends with people on Facebook who may currently live overseas or who have lived in your new city? Is there anyone you follow on Instagram who has inspired you on this journey that your could reach out to? Another great place to explore your network of contacts is from university. Attend an Alumni night to connect with people in your industry who may know someone aboard they could introduce you to. The more people and connections you have before departure, the more comfortable the leap to your new country will be.
Connect online. The internet is an amazing tool to connect with people overseas. Is there an Australian group or society who currently live in your new city that have a website or Facebook page to connect? For example, in New York City, there is a fabulous community called Australian Women in New York. This group of women are so diverse in age, demographic, life experiences and skills that you are bound to connect with someone who can help you get started! In the early stages of setting up your home and finding your feet, a familiar accent who speaks your language and understands the 'Australian' way, will help you feel more at home. If you are seeking out connections in your area of work, LinkedIn is a great resource to utilise. If you haven’t already set up your own profile page, then do this before you leave and try to make connections with people in your industry prior to your departure.
IN YOUR NEW CITY
When you touch base in your new town, don’t let a month or two pass you by without achieving the goals you set out to do. Here’s a few things you can start immediately to get you connected with the locals.
Volunteer work or an internship are a great way to devote your time to something you are passionate about in your new city, while you have time available to you. Both fields of work will lead you to like-minded people, new connections and potential job opportunities that will no doubt help you feel more settled and in touch with the community around you.
Enrol in a class. There is so much to learn from a new city and the way your field of work operates there. So make sure you enrol in a whole host of events, classes, courses and conferences in your area of expertise or interest. These spaces will allow to you immediately connect with people who share a similar passion and skill, but at the same time, allow you to gain a better understanding of how things operate in your new city.
Be social. To find work overseas, you not only have to network in your area of expertise, but participate in social activities outside of work-related events to make friends too. Consider this, how many people do you know who have found work from contacts in the industry, word of mouth or friends? So if the offer for a coffee catch up, dinner or friday night drinks presents itself to you, embrace it! You never know who you may meet and the next opportunity waiting on the horizon for you.
Networking is all about building your community and the more people you know, the more you can reach out to when you need a favour.
Interior designer Diana Scully owns and operates her own interior design firm Spaces by Diana that’s all about designing beautiful, personalised homes to reflect the people who live in it. Diana also has her own lifestyle blog, Spaces + Places, where she regularly writes about inspiring spaces to see and visit from around the world and shares her recent travel adventures. Follow Diana on Facebook,
By Di Scully
Whether it's a permanent move or an extended vacation, it is a thrilling moment when you make the decision to head overseas. The opportunity to start over, find an exciting new direction, explore a new city and divulge into a new culture creates an unyielding level of excitement and anticipation within. However, it’s not uncommon to subsequently feel the pull of doubt and possibly fear when you contemplate how this move will impact your existing business or prospect of finding new work.
To get you started, your first step is all about finding new friends and making new connections. Here are FIVE ways you can build your own network in a new city.
Visual merchandising for markets
By Monica Ng
First impressions count - whether on your website, bricks and mortar store, or a market stall. Presenting a cohesive look is part of your overall branding, so try to consider every detail, from signage and marketing collateral to packaging and receipts. For a market stall, you will need displays and props to present your items, and these can be sourced from surprising places. As a jewellery maker myself, when I first started doing markets, I couldn’t find anything that matched the aesthetic of my shop’s brand, so I decided to build everything from scratch. It was surprisingly not that difficult, fun to do and if you have a partner or a friend who is DIY-inclined, why not partner up to complete this project together?
First thing is to do some research, gather some inspiration and draw up your plans. Rather than sit in front of your computer for research, do it the old-fashioned way and visit markets in person. Check out The Finders Keepers, The Big Design Market,Handmade Canberra or even local craft markets. You can also browse your favourite retail shops and boutiques for visual merchandising inspiration too.
Building a cohesive, organised and themed display will help attract attention – especially when it’s busy. With only limited time to attract a customer’s attention, the design also gives them a taste of what you and your products are like. A market may be the first time a customer sees your work, so make sure your first impression is positive and memorable! Ask yourself the following questions:
- What overall colour scheme would you like?
- How do these colours fit with the overall branding of your business?
- What do these colours represent?
It could be helpful to look into colour psychology and research what different colours represent. Would these colours appeal to your target customer?
Display table
It’s important to consider the height and the size. Most market stall sizes are at least 2m x 2m or bigger, so perhaps you’d like to consider maximising this area. Will you have one long rectangular table? 2 smaller square tables? A mixture of these and some shorter or taller stands?
What sort of materials will you make your table from? Wood? Plastic? Metal? A mixture? How will you be able to assemble and disassemble your display table(s)? Will this require the use of power drills or slots?
What type of finish will you have on your table? Leave things as per the natural material? A wooden stain?
Build upwards
Displaying your goods on levels or tiers enables people’s eyes to scan around your entire space, and not just skim across and to the next stall. Building upwards, allows you to place your products at different heights and lets people to see different things from different distances without needing to hunch or stand on tippy toes! Shelves, A-frames and T-racks also maximises your display area and adds visual interest.
Stall environment
Building a back wall, sidewalls or even a stall frame gives you more creative opportunities to display your goods. Don’t forget about the ceiling and floor too! Will this be easily transportable in a car or will you need a truck or multiple cars? Will you need a crew to help you set up?
Draw people in
Often having an unusual or aspirational piece can attract the eye of people in the market and draw them into your stall for a closer look. Although it may be a higher end piece that may not necessarily sell, nevertheless if attracts people to your stall, it’s doing it’s job!
Price your work clearly
Whether they’re tags, stickers or blocks, sometimes customers may not want to ask how much an item is and that could potentially be a lost sale! Make sure the aesthetic matches the overall theme of your brand and if you have messy handwriting, consider getting them printed and laminated.
Security
Thinking about the security of your products is important, especially when the market is busy and there’s lots of customers browsing and wanting to make a purchase. How can you package your goods and display them in a way that would deter theft?
Accessibility
Customers usually like to hold items or try things on before buying, so keep this in mind when you’re designing your stall layout. Do you want customers to be able to easily access all your goods? Consider placing your lower price point items closer to the front and your more expensive items in elevated and more secure locations.
Branding
It’s important to have a banner, signboard or something similar to display your shop’s logo so that it’s easy for people to remember your shop’s name. Having your shop’s name and logo on display also helps strengthen your brand and helps people who may have come especially to visit your stall, to easily identify your stall in the entire market. Banners or signboards don’t necessarily need to be professionally printed, these can look a bit corporate and not fit with your branding. As you’re a crafty maker – bust out your creativity! With a bit of fabric, paint, sewing skills or even chalk you could create an artistic alternative.
Make sure you have plenty of business cards with your shop’s name, your name, email address, website and social media! Sometimes people who don’t buy on the actual day buy later through your website – so don’t miss these opportunities!
To calm your pre-market nerves, I like practising laying out my entire stall display, so I can test where things look best. Once I’m satisfied with the layout, I take pictures, so on the actual market day, I can easily replicate my chosen layout.
Good luck!
Monica Ng left her accounting career at the end of 2013 to run Geometric Skies, her Etsy jewellery business, alongside her jewellery and object design studies at the Design Centre in Sydney. Find Monica at her blog or on Instagram @geometric_skies.