Industry insights: Women behind the scenes
By Annette Wagner
I love the visual pleasure and the escapism of a good film, TV or Netflix program. In my mind, people who produce film or TV work long, insane hours, at random locations, but it’s OK because they have amazing catering trucks! All those logistics behind the scenes are a mystery to me: putting productions together so I can watch at the cinema or from the luxury of my cosy couch.
Recently after speaking with Stephanie Lim, an emerging Melbourne screen producer, I gained some insights into the Australian film and TV industry. I learned that getting the concept to screen was a challenge, and one that I hadn’t even considered, well before the long filming hours, random locations and catering on wheels (budget pending).
Stephanie fell in love with film when she was eight. She remembers how transporting and transformative film seemed at that young age. The defining influence for her to pursue a life behind the scenes was when her family was living in Birdsville (QLD) and she and her brother use to help set up the makeshift cinema in front of the hospital where the whole town came together to watch a film, usually Storm Boy. There, in the middle of nowhere, they were collectively having this experience that spoke to them individually.
She pursued her passion by doing a short photography course then a media course in South Australia. Originally wanting to be a cinematographer, she began lighting and camera assisting mostly, and some other roles to get an idea of her own place in the industry. She did work experience with gaffers and then got a job in the lighting department in a South Australian television station. When life dynamics changed, Stephanie moved into production management, then producing.
Knowing the right people is critical in most industries and Stephanie agrees- it's really important in the film industry. Probably more important than ever. "When I started in 1996 it was like a secret society as it was pre-internet, pre-email, and pre-mobile phones so there weren’t as many resources around to connect you with others. Now, social media plays a big part in creating and sustaining professional networks and communicating with peers, as well as a way of identifying potential audience bases. Essentially your networks become both your best employment opportunity and your best chance to engage with your audience.”
Getting started and being able to keep going in film Stephanie explains "…is difficult because you need the funds to hire the people you need for the project to be realised, but you need some of those people before you can go through the financing process."
On low-budget/no-budget productions essential production crew will generally consist of the producer, director, cinematographer, production designer, first assistant director, sound, and lighting. Preferably you’d also have continuity, art direction, costume design, location manager, unit manager, hair and make-up, second assistant director, and any other crew members necessary to meet the needs of the production, within budgetary parameters.
It was clearly a case of either fully committing to a career in film, or a destiny of binge-watching episodes from the comfort of her couch, and I agree with Stephanie- there is so much content being created, it's often quite difficult to keep up with. For Stephanie, committing was the only option, as she realised the only time she really loved her job and industry was when she was working in film.
Many female award acceptance speeches highlight the inequality in film, and in the bigger picture (excuse the pun) getting funding is a fraction of the challenge. As a female in the Australian film industry Stephanie thinks one of the main issues is getting across that women make up 50% of the audience, therefore they should be represented on and off-screen. Behind the scenes, women should have access to the same opportunities that men do, and with the same pay scale, but they don’t.
In Australia, the gender imbalance is acknowledged by government funding initiatives and professional development opportunities being created exclusively for women. It recently became public that not one single female camera operator or sound recordist has been identified working in the reality and unscripted genres within Australian TV.
Stephanie explains she was lucky to have been taught film lighting by a really decent male gaffer when she first started in the late 90’s, however noted television was then a very misogynist, sexist, intimidating and discriminating workplace for women. Today, she can see that it is harder to get mentorships and move into key creative positions, commenting that women tend to work harder, longer hours, and with less acknowledgement. The Gender Matters initiative indicated that the gender imbalance is predominantly in film where women account for 32 percent of producers, 23 per cent of writers and only 16 per cent of directors.
Aside from those depressing facts for females in film, Stephanie is currently producing a comedy mockumentary-style TV series with screenwriter Sophie Bean and Co-producer Maria Alibrando. The team are waiting for news to see if their project will be shortlisted for an initiative that will help them develop it into an eight-part series, and pitch to the ABC. Fingers crossed!
Staying optimistic and motivated, Stephanie loves researching for whatever projects and opportunities that are around. Inspired by people and what’s going on in the world, the best advice she says she has ever been given was to ‘take one day at a time, and, you can only do what you can do’.
For anyone passionate and brave enough to pursue their screen dream, or give the industry gender imbalance a good nudge, Stephanie suggests one of the best resources is Open Channel. “…One of the best screen organisations supporting early and mid-level career practitioners. They have really filled the gap in supporting emerging filmmakers and are an invaluable resource. Their conferences are inspiring and well-researched, and they are accessible to everyone.”
Having a little insight into getting work funded and produced, and an overview of the industry here in Australia is both inspiring and depressing to be honest. But for those amazing women currently working in the industry to bring stories alive, I will pay greater attention to the females listed in the credits, and will, now more than ever, appreciate the passion in every picture.
My next question is, what am I going to watch next?!
For more on the gender divide in the Australian film and TV industry, see here, here and here.
Annette Wagner is a designer, marketer, creative consultant, artist and writer. She is also on the board of the Creative Women’s Circle. Obsessively passionate about the arts and the creative process, she is determined to not talk art-speak and instead focus on supporting and sharing concepts and insights most creative types crave to know.
Branding basics: Communicate your brand
By Mirella Marie
This is Part Two of designer Mirella Marie’s series Branding Basics.
Once you define your brand, you need to communicate it. This is done through a brand identity. An identity supports your brand to convey its values, products and services, and the overall experience you provide your clients and customers. It is one of the most important investments you can make for your business.
What does a brand identity do?
- Communicates to your audience on your behalf
- Differentiates your business from competitors
- Establishes consistency
- Influences perceptions
- Attracts the right audience
- Inspires people to take action
What does it lead to?
- Brand trust and loyalty
- Increased and improved brand awareness
- Stronger credibility
- Higher profitability
- Motivated employees
- Positioning as an industry leader or expert
What does it involve?
Effective brand identity is achieved through the consistent use of strong visual elements to create distinction and differentiation. These are the five fundamentals of a brand identity:
Logo
At the core of every identity is a logo. A logo is used to identify a company, product or service with the use of a graphical mark, symbol or words. It should not literally describe what your business does, but, rather, identify it in a way that’s recognisable and memorable. In order to do this, it must communicate in its simplest form. Ensure that your logo is not complicated or cluttered — it must be legible and readable at 25% of its original size, without loss of detail. Do not include your tagline or any other text in your logo.
Consider the following:
- What kind of message do you want to convey?
- Can your logo be simplified even further?
- Does it differentiate from your competitors?
- Is it legible and readable?
- What makes your logo memorable?
Typography
Typography is the art and arrangement of type that makes written communication readable, legible and aesthetically pleasing. Typography adds tone, subtlety and even context to a message. For example, using a heavy, bold font may be suitable for a builder, but may not be suitable for an architect.
Consider the following:
- What type of message do you want to express?
- Which fonts will best achieve this?
- Are those fonts overused in your industry?
- Does they suitably portray your business?
- Are they legible and readable?
Colour
Colour is one of the most important considerations of a brand identity. It conveys messaging and emotion, and has a fundamental impact on readability, legibility, attracting people’s attention and maintaining engagement. The colours in your identity must have a purpose — if you want to use your favourite colour, ask yourself if it is the right one for your brand. For example, bright red may not be suitable for a masseuse. Warm colours (reds, oranges, yellows) evoke different psychological and emotional responses to cool colours (greens, blues).
Consider the following:
- What kind of message do you want to communicate?
- Which colour(s) will best achieve this?
- Are those colours overused in your industry?
- Are they legible and readable?
- Are they suitable for your brand?
- Are they eye-catching?
Tone of voice
A brand’s tone of voice provides an overall narrative for the brand to speak to its audience. It must complement and communicate your brand’s personality. If your voice is direct, your writing, content and engagement should be brief, clear and succinct. If your voice is outgoing, your writing, content and engagement should demonstrate a responsive attitude to your audience. You must use the same voice across all of your brand’s touchpoints to achieve consistency. If you are outgoing on social media but direct on your website, it will cause confusion.
Consider the following:
- What tone of voice will speak directly to your audience?
- How will you use it to maintain engagement?
- Are you speaking in a language they will understand?
- Are you able to incorporate some of your own personality?
- How do the tone of voice of your favourite brands resonate with you?
Imagery
Humans are highly visual — we first learned to communicate through pictures before words (hence “a picture is worth a thousand words”). Images such as photos, illustrations, and icons are used to visually describe your brand, products and services to your audience, so it is crucial they are clean, clear and easy to recognise.
Where possible, always hire a professional to create your brand's imagery and avoid using photos taken on a smartphone.
Consider the following:
- What do you want to express with your imagery?
- How will you use it to reach the right audience?
- Is it memorable?
- Is it clear?
- Is it of a high standard?
- How do you feel when you see other businesses using low quality images for their brand?
These five fundamentals must be consistent across all your brand communications, including your website, social media, print materials, templates, ads, newsletters, apps, etc. It is this consistency that what will help make your brand memorable.
Remember, your audience is overwhelmed with choice. Presenting your brand with a cluttered logo, unsuitable typography, inappropriate colours, conflicting tone of voice, or low quality images may see your audience turning to your competitors.
Your brand identity is the very first thing people see before even engaging with you, therefore you have one chance to make a lasting impression. The way something is presented will define the way people react to it.
Mirella Marie is the owner and creative director of Vertigo, a Melbourne based graphic design studio specialising in brand identity and design. She is also a contributor for Women of Graphic Design, a project examining the work of female designers around the world. Join her on Instagram @studiovertigo.
Regional creative: Tracy Lefroy, Cranmore Home
By Jasmine Mansbridge
For my guest blog this year I wanted to look specifically at women who are running a creative business from a regional location. One lady who is doing this, and with great success is Tracy Lefroy from Cranmore Home. I knew of her business even before I began looking for prospective interviewees and I was blown away to discover that she is based on a farm in Western Australia.
So, just as I was, I am sure you will be inspired by Tracy’s story.
Where are you based and what business are you in?
Cranmore Home is a curated collection of Australian-designed and ethically-sourced homewares, art and fashion. The online store is complimented by a brick and mortar store located in my hometown of Moora, Western Australia, 180km (a beautiful two-hour drive) north of Perth.
Have you always lived in a regional/rural area?
I have spent the majority of my life living in WA’s beautiful Wheatbelt and Midwest region. I grew up in a very small place called ‘Irwin’ which is near the coastal town of Dongara, 350km north of Perth, just 10 minutes from the beach and with three sisters to keep me on my toes…. It was a pretty ideal childhood.
Like many country kids, I headed off to the city for high school and stayed on for Uni, where I completed my Honours in Agricultural Science at the University of WA. I greatly enjoyed some ‘obligatory’ overseas travel before moving to Northam in the Wheatbelt for work.
In 2005, I was the youngest recipient to be awarded a prestigious Nuffield Scholarship, which took me to some amazing places around the world. Since then, I have been farming with my husband, Kristin and his parents at our property ‘Cranmore Park’ near Moora.
How long have you been in business? Has it become easier, or harder as time has gone on?
The seed for Cranmore Home was planted in 2010 shortly after my husband and I moved into our beautiful old farmhouse. Three babies, three years and a once-off pop-up shop later I launched my website and in 2014 opened a retail space in Moora.
I started this business because I am passionate about Australian food and fibre and the manner in which it is produced, AND I saw a massive gap in the homewares market for a retail outlet that championed our amazing home-grown designers and artists.
I had passion, a great premise and a strong business background but absolutely ZERO retail experience! So I always knew it was going to be a steep learning curve and a lot of hard yakka (I am a self-confessed workaholic). What I didn’t expect was the amazing array of opportunities for me to grow my business- I am currently developing a trade/commercial arm of Cranmore Home, which is super exciting for my little business.
So to get back to your question…. It’s definitely not easier, but it is not necessarily harder either. Cranmore Home is this amazing vehicle for pursuing my passion and the more I put into it the more rewards, challenges and crazy experiences it throws at me.
What has been/is your biggest challenge?
With three young kids, I juggle Cranmore Home around family, farm, friends and other life commitments. Like any working parent and partner, the work-life balance situation is constantly being tweaked but I am getting better at taking a breath, stepping back and knowing that while I cannot "do it all" right now, I can do my best at each facet of my life.
Business-wise, freight is the biggest cost challenge as I offer free Australia-wide shipping. It is just not cost-effective to freight stock across the Nullarbor to my showroom in Moora only to send it back to customers on the East Coast. As a result, I now have warehouse space in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth where stock is sent direct to my customers.
What are you most proud of?
My three gorgeous kids! I’m also incredibly proud to be a farmer and business owner that champions Australian design. Having the honour to represent incredible designers + makers whilst living and breathing farming, has been such an honour and something of which I am very proud.
What would you do differently in business if you had your time again?
Eeek, I am an eternal optimist so my sights are firmly set forward, I am not great at hindsight. But I have learnt a few expensive lessons in my first few years of Cranmore Home. One of the areas I am trying to improve upon is really targeting and refining my advertising spend.
Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
Wow, in 10 years my kids will all be at high school, which is scary and makes me a little teary! Life will be so different but, there is nothing like three sets of boarding school fees to keep you motivated in your business.
What are you looking forward to most in the next twelve months?
We have an amazing ‘Winter Workshop’ planned for July. Now in its third year, the Winter Workshop is a dynamic event, with the format changing yearly. This year I have such huge ideas… now to get them to happen!
I learn so much from collaborating with the Cranmore Home designers and it is such a rewarding experience being part of their creative process. The Winter Workshops is an opportunity for my clients to be able to experience this same creative excitement and fulfilment plus be exposed to the beauty and heritage of ‘Cranmore country’, the WA wheatbelt.
Can you offer anything special to CWC readers?
I sure can! I would love to extend a special CWC offer of 15% store-wide here at Cranmore Home (only excluding Heatherly Beds). Just enter CWC15off at checkout to redeem.
Have you got anything you'd like to plug?!
I have just started a fortnightly newsletter to bring my customers behind the scenes of Cranmore Home. It features sneak peeks of new products, subscriber-only discounts, first dibs on advanced orders and takes clients ‘behind the brand’ to get to know the amazing designers and artists that I proudly represent.
To sign up just fill in the pop-up window when visiting www.cranmorehome.com.au
What is your favourite social media platform for your business?
I am an Instagram addict!!! @cranmorehome and @cranmorehomesale allow me to converse directly and instantly with clients, designers, journalists, bloggers, etc.
I am a very visual person and a firm believer in the phrase ‘a picture says a thousand words’. Instagram allows me to express the motivations and inspirations behind Cranmore Home.
Interview: Allison Smith, architect
By Emma Clark
Allison Smith is the woman behind Studio 15b, a boutique architecture studio based in Brisbane. With over 20 years experience in architecture, Allison branched out and began her own practice in 2013. You can follow her work on Instagram and Facebook.
What drew you to becoming an architect, and to doing what you’re doing today?
Architecture was the main idea that stuck in my mind as a possible career path during high school. It’s a profession where every day is different, every project is different and as an Architect we are required to continue to learn and adapt to changes in the world. The variety is what keeps me going and motivated in this challenging industry.
I’ve worked in small, medium and large firms in Brisbane and London, which has seen me work on a large variety of projects from small alterations and additions, new large homes, multi-residential developments, heritage buildings, community, commercial, train stations and education projects. Seeing a project from the very initial client meeting through to the finished constructed project can take years but it makes it all worthwhile when you see the final product.
I have most recently established my own small practice - Studio 15b. In two and a half years I have built a small team but would like to expand this team in the future. Having my own practice is an enjoyable challenge and I’m glad I took the plunge. I feel that Studio 15b is able to provide a personalised service as a small practice that is backed by big practice experience.
Can you give us a little insight into your creative process?
One of my design strengths is being able to take the disorder and sometimes confusion of a client’s brief, along with all the other constraints that comes with building and then reorganise to give it purpose and reason. Whether those constraints are budget related, to do with the site or council, I enjoy testing the options to produce one clear concept that fits the brief and the constraints best.
Creating interest and flair while fulfilling the brief is key. We continually test ideas with form until we are happy with the results, before we present to the client what we feel is the best solution for a project. I’m a very considered designer and prefer simple, refined solutions. The simplest solutions are often the hardest to achieve but I prefer not to take the easy road. I like designing the most efficient solutions that are not necessarily what the client imaged but end up fulfilling the brief even better than they could have anticipated. This clearly demonstrates the value of our service to them.
Who is your typical customer/client?
Our clients could roughly be allocated into three types each with totally different needs. We have a good understanding of each of their different needs and what they require from a project perspective. We enjoy the variety that each client brings.
Typically our residential clients have generally never been involved in a building project. For these clients we spend a great deal of time educating them in the process. This helps them better understand and gives some reassurance to what can be a stressful process for them. It is our job to guide them through. We are given a lot of trust, with in most cases their biggest investment - we value and respect this. Design decisions are very personal choices and we aim to guide as well as collaborate with our clients.
Our multi-residential clients are generally developers with a range of experience. We tailor the service to their needs. Personal considerations are not usually a factor with these cost driven projects, however factors such as; designing to the current market, maximising the development in terms of saleable area and number of units plus aligning with the budget that is driven from sale prices all come into play. We enjoy working with experienced and new developers to help them achieve the most from their development.
Our commercial clients also have different project requirements. We have worked with a number of businesses to improve their fitouts. Every business is different and I enjoy finding out how each of them tick. Then we question whether there is a better way of operating from a business perspective as well as in the available space. A well designed fitout can improve staff productivity which generally leads to increased sales or revenue. We enjoy working with businesses big and small.
What does a typical day involve for you?
A typical day starts with getting on top of any urgent emails and quickly flicking through a couple of construction or architecture blogs such as The Urban Developer and ArchitectureAU. It keeps me on top of the industry as a whole and also sets the tone for the day.
I’m big on writing lists, so weekly I put together a ‘to do’ list but I also have daily ‘to do’ notes which I often leave as reminders of urgent things to do. Because I am the sole director, it’s important that I spend my time on the most pressing things first and prioritise well. This list is constantly changing so it’s important to revisit it daily. It serves as a good reminder to focus and help with my productivity. I try to roughly plan out the week ahead for meetings at appropriate times, but also plan time for project work.
I usually arrange a coffee with an industry colleague or potential client every week or so. Networking serves multiple purposes. As a small practice it is important to seek communication with what is going on in the industry outside your own world.
Once I’m organised with a list of priorities, then a typical day could involve a mix of writing a fee proposal for a potential client, reviewing my staff’s project work as well as completing my own project work. Depending on the stage of the project this could be some initial design sketches or design development, through to coordinating with consultants or visiting a project under construction.
What has been your proudest career achievement to date?
There have been many proud moments throughout my career and it’s hard to pinpoint just one. The most recent being the start of Studio 15b and winning a HIA Interior Design Award with our first project. It was totally unexpected but important to recognise and celebrate these achievements. It certainly gives you motivation to continue what you are doing.
What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
A direct piece of advice doesn’t come to mind, but I’ve watched and learnt from many other architects that I’ve worked with. I’ve tried to model myself on a little of all the things I admire about others but with my spin on it. Things such as being proactive in sorting out any issues that arise, not worrying about things that are out of your control and keeping a good work/life balance most of the time. These are all things I aim for.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue building Studio 15b. I would like to grow our small team and create a culture of friendly and dedicated people who use their strengths to provide Architecture & Interior Design solutions to those that see the value in our service. I encourage anyone to approach us for networking or project opportunities. We are always available for a chat.
Five tips on working from home
By Jes Egan
Working from home seems like a great idea in theory. Ever tried it? All of a sudden you look at the clock and it’s 3pm, you’re still in your PJ’s and you’ve not actually done anything that actually classifies as work. Here are a few of my tips to get you started working from home.
Shower
Shower, get dressed and get ready for work. It may be a bonus working from home that you don’t need to make the effort as you’re not leaving the house. Think again: if you take advantage of this it can keep you in the wrong mindset. You want to try and position yourself that you are actually at work. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to have your face made up or your good clothes on, but set your day up like you are going into work. Start in your normal routine, shower, get dressed, have breakfast and your morning coffee. Then take a seat and get ready to work.
Sit down
You need a place to work - seems obvious, right? It is, but allocating a specified space for you to sit down and work can help to make you focussed and keep you in the right mindset. While you are in that space, focus on making it where you do your work. If you have a separate office or desk that is great, however not everyone will have this option in the house, so making do with a kitchen table or the couch are often the compromise that needs to be made. If you can try and have one space that you do your work, instead of moving around from seat to seat, this will help you train yourself that when in this space it is work time. You need to be comfortable so pick a seat that you are comfortable in. You don’t want to keep getting up (and getting distracted) but don't get too comfortable, otherwise you may be like me and be tempted to have a little nap on the couch.
Time
Do your best work in the morning? Or not quite a morning person? Part of the bonus of working from home is picking your hours. Ideally if you can set work hours, give yourself a certain amount of time to do what you need to. It can easily be the case that you’ll still be working long after you planned to stop because you haven’t had to leave the ‘office’ to get dinner etc. Having a work / life balance is desired, however this is a difficult balance to find when your work and life are in the same place. I find setting hours that you are going to be doing what you need can help with this as it can make you focus on completing the job and hopefully stop you from getting too distracted.
Lists
Being a huge fan of lists I can’t recommend this more. I write at least one a day. When working from home set yourself a list of tasks to do in the time frame you have set. This can help set a focus for the day and stops you from finding something else to do when you get up to get a coffee. It also stops you from looking at the clock at 6pm then realising that you haven’t really achieved what you wanted throughout the day and wondering where the day went. Put the items that you least want to do at the top of that list, tick them off first so it’s not as tempting to procrastinate. If there is one large task for the day, break it down into smaller tasks in the order that you need to do them and work through them systematically. Tick the items on your list off as you go so you can see how you are progressing.
Minimise the distractions
Distractions can be one of the hardest things to mitigate. Do you know what you get most easily distracted by? If you’re on the computer, is it surfing the internet or email? Close all of your browser windows and only have visible the page / program that you need to work in. Same goes with your phone. Put it just out of reach, so if a call comes through you can hear it but you’re not tempted to pick it up to check Instagram or to send a message. Any other things that easily distract you, try and keep them out of your line of sight or hearing range where you can.
Jes is a ‘practical creative’ and a very busy lady, doing the business in a digital agency, being an artist, a university lecturer, and small business owner who can creatively be found cutting up a storm at paperchap.com. Follow Jes on Instagram and Facebook.
Painting your first mural
By Júlia Palazzo
Melbourne has a thriving culture of art on walls. Just last weekend, streets on the CBD were taken over by hundreds of graffiti writers and street artists decorating dozens of walls and laneways for the Meeting of Styles festival. Many other capital cities in Australia are also being enlivened by similar events. As the general population and councils all over the country are starting to embrace and support street art and graffiti, there has been a growing interest in commissioning artists to create murals in facades and interiors.
Murals are also an incredibly effective way for emerging artists to promote their work and create new opportunities for themselves. However, I often hear from visual artists that creating in such a large scale, often in public, seems really daunting. Painting walls is very different from creating a piece of art in your studio. They bring unique challenges that need to be managed well. However if you are a painter or illustrator, you already have most of the skills that’ll help you do so, and following these tips will help your first experiences run smoothly.
Get familiar with the wall and its surroundings
If possible visit the wall you’ll paint in person before you paint it. Site visits will reveal unforeseen challenges and help you plan how to approach the project. It will also help you understand how the public will interact with your mural piece. If you cannot see the wall in person, try to get someone to send you plenty of photos of the surrounding, or even take a video.
Sketch before you paint
A detailed sketch will save you a lot of time on the painting day and help you make good design decisions. It will help you plan your timeline, what materials you’ll need, and get feedback from your client if it is a commission. Transferring the sketch to the wall can be challenging if you are not used to the scale, but it will get easier with practice. When painting the sketch, remember to regularly stand back and check if things are in the right proportion.
Choose the right paint for you
Pick materials that are durable and suit your artistic style, your level of skill and the surface you are painting on. Look beyond the art shop: hardware stores or graffiti shops offer great options. The artist I work with uses spray paint. Spray paint can quickly be applied to most surfaces and creates very beautiful effects, so it is no surprise that it is adopted by a lot of mural artists. However it takes a lot of practice to create good results and you need to plan your colour palette carefully as it’ll be impossible to mix the colours on site. Also, it can be expensive, and getting a cheap brand will sacrifice the durability of your art since the lower end products fade quickly. The paint fumes are strong, so you’ll need to wear a respirator to protect your lungs. I personally use outdoor, UV resistant acrylic paint I get from a hardware store. Although it is not as fast to apply as spray paint, it is a lot cheaper, easy to mix colours and a lot more suitable to my personal style, as well as removing the issue with fumes. I suggest you try a few different things and practice getting good at whatever is more suitable for your art.
Prepare to stress out
Your mural art will usually be on display for a lot of people while you are painting it, as well as for a long time after you finish it. People will watch as you go through your process and make mistakes, and it’ll be hard to hide the result if you are not satisfied with it. It is no surprise then that most of the mural artists I know to go through a lot of stressful emotional experiences when they’re painting. If you are working on a mural and you start feeling embarrassed or ashamed of what you are doing, take a deep breath, and remember that you might just be experiencing a very normal “wall-low”. If you are truly concerned about your piece, ask for the opinion of someone you trust, as the stress can skew your judgement and make things seem worst than they are. Plan ways to manage your emotions while you are painting, and maybe even go home and get back into it after a good night of sleep.
Manage your interaction with the public
Meeting new people is one of the highlights of painting in public spaces. You will meet many people that will stop by and tell you how beautiful your work is. You will meet people that are curious and full of admiration, and sometimes people that can help you in your career. However, you will inevitably have negative experiences as well. You will meet people that do not like your work and are very vocal about it, or that think you are a vandal because you are painting a wall. At the end of a full day of painting, all the different interactions can be very draining and leave you feeling demotivated, as well as stopping you from focussing and making progress. It is important to make the community that will interact with your art to feel engaged and excited, but that does not mean that you must spend all day talking to people. Be friendly and approachable, but do not hesitate to politely tell people that you need to keep painting. Do not give negative people your time or attention. If you are painting in an area that is a bit deserted or feels unsafe, it is a good idea to have friends keep you company during the day.
Get help
Murals can take a long time, and are usually much easier (and fun) if you have help, so don’t be shy to ask to collaborate with other artists or get a helping hand from your friends.
Image source: Maribyrnong City Council / Photographer: Brent Edwards
Júlia Palazzo is a visual artist from Brazil. Since moving to Melbourne in 2013 she has been running a partnership, Mayfield Palace, creating mural art for businesses and organisations all over Australia. She shares her art daily on Instagram: @julia.palazzo
Interview: Louise Seymour, paper engineer
Louise Seymour (aka Paperlou) has been fascinated with all things paper since she first encountered coloured squares and Clag at the age of five. After pursuing a career in medical science, she was drawn back to her papery passion and now shares her well-honed paper engineering skills at workshops and classes through her business Paperlab.
What drew you to becoming a paper crafter?
Can you give us a little insight into your creative process?My process always has a particular end in mind and I have a vision of what the outcome will look like in my head. From there I try to interpret it via loose sketches and collage using a colour palette similar to what I envision. I need to "see it" all laid out in small scale first and then I just start making. Through the making and creating, the actual forms come to life and I work pretty organically, always adjusting and changing as needed throughout the process. So far I've been able to produce work that's been pretty close to the ideas in my head so that's been a bonus!Who is your typical customer?
I'm not sure I have a typical customer as i work with a variety of industries spanning retail, design, architecture and community groups. Most times my customers want to execute an idea or project in an innovative way and so we sit and chat about how creating something physical through paper will help bring their message to life.
What does a typical day involve for you? A typical day for me is morning breakfast with my little girl followed by story time and a bit of play. Sometimes she comes with me to catch up with a client over coffee to discuss an idea or collaboration. If it is just us we might go for a stroll around the city or to the local park before she settles down for a nap after lunch. I then dedicate a few hours to my creative pursuits with Paperlab and respond to any pending emails. I try to create synergy and balance between home life and business life as much as possible and I find by doing this neither of them end up feeling like work (*most of the time!)
What has been your proudest career achievement to date?
Most recently I worked closely with the marketing team at Westfield Fountain Gate to create close to 200 paper flowers for their Autumn/Winter campaign. I filled three separate Visual Merchandising cabinets located within the shopping centre with a variety of paper flowers in a gorgeous colour palette of dusty pink, burgundy and black and I suspended two giant paper flowers in there as well. This project was the result of months of planning, prototyping and hand-cut paper crafting into the wee hours in the lead up to the install. I'm really happy with the finished result and the project pushed me creatively and allowed me to take on a challenge that was fulfilling both artistically and personally.
What's the best piece of advice you've been given?
Just start. If you wait for conditions to be just perfect you'll never get anything done.
What are your plans for the future?
Future plans include to keep pushing myself in my creative pursuits and continue to find new ways to innovate with paper design. I'd love to be able to create larger scale interactive work and have some things in the pipeline to hopefully bring this to light.
What do you see as a benefit of being a CWC member?
I love to be inspired by other creative and empowering women and I think CWC offers the perfect forum to connect and engage with strong females who support each other's businesses.