Organise me: 7 fun ways to get organised for 2018

Can you believe it’s already February? If you’re in planning mode for the new(ish) year, you’re not alone. Here are my fun ways for getting organised to make 2018 your best year yet:

1. Write down the crazy big goals you’d like to achieve in 2018. 
They can be business or personal. Use coloured pens and make it look fun to look at. You could draw little pictures next to them, too.

2. Buy a big desk calendar and add monthly goals that will get you closer to your big goals. Make deadlines for the big goals you identified. 
Having goals on a calendar helps make you accountable and can keep you on track. You could colour code your goals and deadlines for personal, business, skills or travel. Pick colours that make you happy to look at.

3. Sketch up how you would like your workspace to look and think about what you could add (or remove) to make it flow better and help you be more efficient. 
Whether it’s a whole room or just your desk, it is so much nicer when everything has a place and you don’t constantly feel buried under mess or can’t find anything.

4. Make a mood board or a Pinterest board for your workspace or desk and treat yourself to something that will help make it a happier place. 
This might mean adding artwork or new in-trays, or hoisting up a peg board or some shelves so you have somewhere to hang all your equipment and can leave your desk top free.

5. Read a book on a topic that interests you. 
This might not seem like an organisational tool, but it might just uncover another goal for the year, or help you learn something that relates to one of your goals. If your goal is to hike in South America, then a book on how to prepare for hiking in those climates could be perfect!

6. Get outdoors and have some fun. 
What does this have to do with getting organised? It helps you to relax and have time to think about what you do and don’t want for the year ahead. It’s hard to get organised and be excited when you’re feeling frazzled, so allow yourself some downtime before you jump deeper into the new year.

7. If you’re feeling particularly crafty, make a vision board with images that represent your goals for 2018 and put it up somewhere to remind you what you’re working toward. 
Grab some cardboard and some old magazines and have fun organising and gluing your vision for the year.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to work out what we’d like our future to look like and to take baby steps that will set us on the right path. Some goals will be longer term, but it can be fun to think of the things we can start now to get us there.

Have a wonderful 2018!

This post was originally written by Dannielle Cresp in 2014. 

Photo by Kaboompics.com

Interview: Jett Street, Top End photographer

Coming from a creative family, and being surrounded by artists most of her life, Jett Street was destined to follow a creative path. Her career in the arts and community industry has meant she has worked with designers, models and musicians in a range of guises.

These days the Darwin-based photographer takes images of her clients through her wedding and family photography work, and shares everyday adventures through her Instagram page Little Karama Gangsters.

Living in a generous artistic town like Darwin has meant Jett has regular contact and collaboration with like-minded creatives. As she puts it, "In Darwin, you don't have to reach out to anyone - you have to try not to bump into them when you are ducking into the shop to buy milk."

You started exploring photography a few years ago - what drew you to it?

After my first daughter was born, I wanted better quality photos than I could get on my iPhone. So I piled all my birthday money together - along with a generous top up from my husband - and bought an Olympus mirrorless camera.

I didn't realise what I was getting myself into. I have categorically lost more sleep to photography than having two children.

In my early years, I played the clarinet, saxophone and drums. After uni I completed a degree in animation and in fine form. While at uni I procrastinated with jewellery making and silversmithing, along with some bad acrylic paintings which are sadly still hanging in our house.

I come from a really creative family. I was always the straighty-180 growing up, but I couldn't fight my genetic lineage forever. My mum had three kids, drove a white BMW and was a photographer. I am basically tracing her footsteps. 

What do you love about taking photos?

My focus is to try to capture all the detail and magic to trigger and preserve those memories and in doing so document the story of our life or those parts of other people’s lives that I’m invited into.

Photography has enriched my life in so many ways: through the interest and observation in our story, of people, light and environment, and to experience and capture new adventures. It is a passion I can pursue whilst being present with my children, and it adds a layer of intent to my days. The photos of our life are the icing on the cake of a pretty fascinating craft. The more you learn, the more you realise you know nothing.

The word “photography” comes from the Greek words “phos” meaning “light” and “graphe” which means “to write.” Photography is the art of writing or drawing with light. I have spent a lot of time observing and studying light, which is a large influence for my work and also a part of my every day. It’s an enchanting thing to notice and one which I would have otherwise ignored. I love light, and sometimes that is all I care about in a photo. But the other 70% of the time, I am also intrigued with capturing the character and the story.

Can you describe your style of taking photos?

I love to capture the antics and character that define our daily life. I adore well-crafted images of ordinary things like eating cereal, brushing teeth, making cubbies and climbing stairs. I usually make mental notes of things the kids are doing, or how they are doing it, which speak to their character. And when possible, I try to catch this on camera. 

I am starting to notice that it’s the challenges and rewards of photography that have me hook, line and sinker. It’s like gambling, but without the imminent bankruptcy.

For the record, I have burnt the porridge while waiting patiently for a moment to happen in that magical morning light. Many of my images come with their fair share of sacrifice.

How does where you live influence your work?

I grew up in Darwin and Karama was the suburb that the KGB came from (the Karama Ghetto Boys that is). So it endearingly became 'the bad part of town.' I reflect some of that gangster-ness in my stories and images.

Some of my first favourite images were taken in the swamp over the road, which I joked was our local park. Because I spend time in the neighbourhood with my kids, we stumble across some great graffiti, behaviour and characters. Living here has given me a creative license and lens through which to view the general rough and tumble of my two girls.

How do you work with your clients to tell an authentic story through photography?

This is something that I am still working on. Many of my first wedding bookings were from people who "didn't want wedding photos."

I developed an approach which is 90% documentary and 10% posed. You need some classic shots in there too, but this doesn't have to come with a side of cheese. I love weddings because there is so much activity, love and magic.

I also do in-home documentary for families and newborns. I encourage families to leave all their daily rituals until I arrive. This way, they are usually so busy doing, and not faking it, that they relax and I get some amazing moments.

You tell stories of your family through words and images. Why is this creative act important to you and how does it complement your professional photography work?

This is one of my favourite rituals and it’s a barometer for how busy and happy I am. If I can pull together some thoughts at the end of the day to share a story and a favourite photo, it means I have some mental space to do that, and it also reflects a presence I have shared with the kids through time and observation.

I started out doing this to share anecdotes with family and friends.  It has become a really valued network with other "mamarazzi" from around the world, many who have played a role in my development as a photographer. I love to record all the details and parts of life that are so fleeting. It is basically, my diary, and a future gallery and love letter to my kids, to reflect our life and what I loved and noticed about them. They will never know me as a 33 year old mum when they are older, but hopefully when they read all those tangents, they will get a feel for my character as a Mum of young kids and how much I loved and adored our life.

I feel like I need to post regularly to keep some of my family and friends up to date on what the girls are doing. I also pledged to put my favourite posts into a book at the end of each year, but I still have to do 2016 and 2017. So the public accountability is a good thing.

You’ve recently branched out into sharing your knowledge through workshops – how important is creating connections with other creative people in your community, and how do you reach out to other creatives?

The reason I get so many good photos of my own kids is because I am living the same life, in all the nooks and crannies and for the best light of the day in any room or place we visit. If I teach other people to use their camera, observe light and develop a style of storytelling, then they can too. There is no one better positioned to document your days than you. You know the people, their character and the story and you have a unique perspective on it all.

Photography has helped me to focus on the beauty in our everyday life. Sometimes as a mother at home with kids (before I was working part time) being able to see and capture the humour in the chaos and mess was an absolute saviour. Even if you don't have kids, it injects a creative and interesting perspective into your daily ritual or travels. I hope that others can fall in love with it too.

I am fortunate to have been a part of the arts sector I was very young. I was able to hit up local artists to make animations with their images, use musicians work for soundtracks and collaborate with designers, models and other innovators.

In Darwin, you don't have to reach out to anyone, you have to try not to bump into them when you are ducking into the shop quickly for milk.

I have made some amazing friendships with local photographers who provide a reciprocated love of the craft, are collaborative with skills and ideas, and give my husband’s eardrums a break.

Could you share some other creative women who you are being inspired by at the moment?

My mother Linda Joy is an incredible NT landscape artist. If I keep tracing her footsteps, maybe I will become one in 20 more years.

My sister Matilda Algeria is a brilliant fashion designer. My other amazing sister Imogen is killing it in the recruitment and technology industry, while bringing Make-a-Wish dreams to life in her spare time.

In the NT, Yo Bell, Jess Ong and the rest of the team are doing some incredible work with Spun, their storytelling nights. They are bringing all the best characters and stories to life through their events and podcast. Amazing listening.

In the photography world my top five would be:

• Helen Whittle from NSW, for her beautiful portraits.

• Niki Boon from NZ for the most incredible documentary photographs of her life.

• Twyla Jones for her emotional storytelling.

• Meg Loeks from the USA for her incredible style of classic and magic, environmental portraits of her children.

• Elizabeth Wood from the UK for her storytelling, self-portraits, and general feeling.

Kate Shannon is a freelance writer based in Brisbane after many years living in Darwin. She spends much of her time in the garden with her two little girls, and loves writing and learning about creative people, flowers, and plants.

Photography: Jett Street

Interview and studio visit with Jess Racklyeft

Jess Racklyeft is a freelance illustrator who works from her home studio in North Fitzroy, Melbourne. It’s a two-story building across her courtyard garden that wears many hats. The ground floor serves as a music studio for her husband while the upper floor is Jess’s studio, a granny flat for visiting parents and in-laws and Winston the dog’s day bed.

Filled with books, papers, artwork and craft-market inventory, Jess’s studio is undeniably, gloriously chaotic. Jess is a whirlwind of activity who clearly adores her job—but she didn’t set out to be an illustrator. As she describes it, ‘I always wanted to work for myself, and I always drew, but I hadn’t been brave enough to put them together.’

A vocation lost and found

When Jess was twelve years old and attending a family friends’ wedding, the photographer asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. Jess told him that she wanted to illustrate books. It just so happened that this photographer had written a picture book manuscript, which he sent to her afterwards. Jess remembers drawing pictures for it. ‘I did the whole book, but I never sent it back to him. I was too shy,’ she recalled. After that, she forgot about wanting to illustrate books.

‘I had really arty friends at Uni,’ Jess explained, ‘so I didn’t think of myself as arty [by comparison].’ She did a degree in communications in Perth, travelled overseas, then moved to Melbourne and took a job in customer service at Lonely Planet. From there, she was invited to work in a sales role in children’s publishing. That job was a turning point. She attended industry book fairs in Frankfurt and Bologna, saw what it might look like to work as an illustrator and got valuable insight into the business side of selling books.

She used her maternity leave as a window to try working as a self-employed illustrator. ‘I went into a frenzy. Every nap, every spare minute, I was going at it,’ she said. Jess got her big break when a publisher at Omnibus, to whom she’d been submitting her folio on a yearly basis (‘because she sent me an encouraging letter’), offered her a book. That first contract gave Jess the belief she could make a go of it as an illustrator and she’s been doing it ever since.

There’s an urgency to the way Jess works that seems to spring from gratitude and delight at finally doing what she loves. Interestingly, for someone who was once too afraid to show her work, a hallmark of her practice has become posting and sharing illustrations online.

Now working on her ninth picture book, due out in 2018 and tentatively titled Dreaming A to Z, Jess also runs an Etsy store, sells originals on Instagram and has her charming illustrations turned into pins, wall decals, cards and gift wrap. Yes, Jess crams a lot into those two days a week her kids are at childcare. How does she juggle it all?

Jess's artwork next to the printed book.

Jess at work in her studio.

The list

After dropping off her kids, Jess grabs a coffee on her way home and is at her desk by 9 a.m. She starts every workday by making a list. It’s a democratic, back-of-the-envelope affair: a combination of illustration work, business admin and household chores. Jess numbers the items, putting the jobs she least wants to do first. She starts at number one and moves through the list, spending twenty minutes on each item. Anything that can’t be finished in twenty minutes gets revisited later in the day (for another twenty minutes) or goes back onto the list tomorrow.

Jess has been using this system to structure her days for the last couple years. ‘By the end of the day, I know I’ve touched each thing I need to do at least once,’ she said.

Process

Jess has experimented with a bunch of mediums and techniques but watercolour is her favourite. Her approach has evolved from doing illustrations entirely in watercolour to using a combination of watercolour and digital. She often paints the background separately from the foreground elements, then puts them together in Photoshop. This gives her the flexibility to move elements around, lighten or darken them, and have more than one go at people’s faces, which she does digitally. ‘The eyes make such a difference to a picture,’ she explained. ‘With watercolour, you only get one go. If you get it wrong, you’ve killed the picture.’ On her current book—the first one she’s writing as well as illustrating—Jess has digitised her kids’ artwork and is using it to create background textures. ‘Hopefully they won’t sue me when they grow up!’ she said.

Jess considers practicing your craft daily to be the most valuable thing an illustrator can do. Like the small birds she loves to paint, Jess skips lightly over her busy schedule, in constant motion. ‘I chip away at a tiny bit of everything each day,’ she said.

For more about Jess visit jessesmess.com or follow her on Instagram (@jessesmess).

 Jo Watson is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and artist. Visit her on Instagram (@diary_of_a_picture_book_maker).

Tips for surviving the holiday season in a creative business

The silly season is here! This time of year can be a busy and stressful time in a creative business. Here are some useful tips on what you can do to survive the season and come out the other side feeling healthy, refreshed and energised, from Sally Cumming, director at Engage Health, a provider of mental health, resilience and injury prevention programs.

Plan ahead

Being organised in the busiest of times can make you more efficient and less stressed. Planning and organising the tasks in advance will leave you time to concentrate on what you need to complete at that time.

Be mindful

Mindfulness meditation is very effective in reducing stress levels and changing pathways to improve thought patterns. It also activates the right side of the brain, which enhances creativity—something that can benefit you all year round.

You can learn how to do this by listening to guided mindfulness recordings. (We love the free Smiling Mind guided meditation app.) Try practicing mindfulness meditation during everyday routine activities, such as cleaning, cooking, shopping, brushing your teeth and showering. Notice when your mind wanders away from what you are doing and gently bring it back. Over time, this will create new neural pathways in the brain, enabling you to remain more focused, calmer and less likely to react when the tension rises.

Recognise stress

With practice, you can learn to recognise and identify your stress triggers, helping you stay in control when the pressure builds. Like any skill, mindfulness takes self-exploration, discipline and regular practice. We all have the ability to remain calm and to avoid burnout if we learn how to recognise the early signs of stress and how it affects us.

The first step is becoming aware of our triggers. How does stress manifest itself in your body? Do your neck and shoulders appear tighter? Does your mind race, your heart beat faster or your stomach feel like it is in knots? These are all common physical sensations associated with the stress response and are different for each person. Paying close attention to these early signs of stress will allow you to stamp it out early.

Come to your senses

It is important to recognise that the body’s ‘fight, flight, freeze’ state is a hard-wired physiological response to a perceived threat. The body can also overreact to stressors that are not life-threatening, such as work pressures, traffic jams, and so on. The good news is you can outsmart this overactive physiological stress response by engaging the five senses. The practice of using your senses immediately sends a signal to the brain’s limbic system to let the body know it is safe from harm and danger. This rapidly stabilises your emotions and will calm and ground you in the present moment.

Learn to relax

We all need to find balance. It is not always easy to remember that taking the time for relaxation and/or exercise is just as important as getting work done. Each morning when you wake up, try staying in bed for five minutes and doing gentle breathing to allow the mind to become still. This will elicit the relaxation response, lower your blood pressure and release any muscle tension.

To de-stress at any time, try this simple relaxation exercise: breathe in through your nose for a slow count of three, allowing your belly to fully expand with air. Breathe out through your mouth for a slow count of five. Continue for five minutes. Follow the breath as it comes into and leaves the body. Be mindful of any unhelpful thoughts and let them pass through the mind.

Be active

Try to do some exercise every day. A brisk walk, light jog, bike ride or swim will do wonders for your mind and body. Being active will also relieve stress, improve sleep and increase your energy levels. Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five times a week. If you are already doing this, increase it to 45 minutes. If you exercise three times a week, move it up to five times a week. Studies have proven aerobic exercise suppresses the stress hormone cortisol, which has also been linked to excessive weight storage around the midsection, so suppressing it could benefit you both ways.

Be safe

Slowing down and being mindful will also protect your body from harm. If you are at markets packing boxes for delivery or lifting heavy objects, always ensure your spine and body are in the correct position. Before lifting, make sure there is an obvious ‘S’ shape in the spine and avoid undesirable ‘C’ shaped curvatures. Maintaining a lumbar curve is extremely important to ensure the lower back does not take unnecessary load or strain. To do this, widen your stance and stick out your bottom (similar to sitting down onto a chair or a weightlifter’s squat). Always brace your abdominal muscles and use your glutes and leg muscles to lift the load. Regular stretching and flexibility exercises will ensure your spine stays in a healthy position.

Remember to laugh

Laughter is one of the best ways to reduce stress, so don’t forget your sense of humour. The times when we start to lose it are the times we need it most! Try to enjoy this busy season and plan effective strategies to help you stay in control and stay safe.

Happy Festive Season!

Sally Cumming is the director and lead corporate wellness consultant for Engage Health. She is a certified mindfulness practitioner with the Mindfulness Training Institute of Australia as well as an ESSA-accredited exercise physiologist. Follow Sally on Instagram (@engage_health) or LinkedIn.

Jes Egan is a ‘practical creative,’ doing the business in a digital agency, being an artist and an university lecturer. Follow Jes on Instagram (@paper_chap). 

Interview: Jane Connory, a champion for women in graphic design

In spring, tourists drive down Jane Connory’s street in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs to see the cherry blossoms bloom.

Inside her home, the walls are covered in art, including Guerrilla Girls' manifestos—an indication of Jane’s determination to increase visibility for women in Australian graphic design. On Jane’s desk sit treasured books about women in art and design such as Paula Sher and Guerrilla Girl Donna Kaz. From Jane’s uncluttered workspace she has views over tree-lined streets and neat rooftops.

Graphic design heroes

In addition to her role as the head of communications at the Design Institute of Australia (DIA), Jane interviews women in design for the program Broad Designs, broadcast on Joy FM, and is currently undertaking a Ph.D. at Monash University entitled, ‘Invisible: Women of Australian Graphic Design.’

In May 2017, at the Women in Design conference in Launceston, Jane launched the AfFEMation website to make her research available online. The website’s tag line—‘Making heroes of women in Australian graphic design’—states her intention to document the stories of women in design and highlight their contributions to the industry.

‘I am defining my conversation around not success, but significant contributions,’ said Jane. This means being recognised by industry peers but not necessarily having a large profile. Included in her research are interviews with designers including Jessie Stanley, Sue Allnutt, Kat Macleod and Chloe Quigley. Of particular note, Sue Allnutt has shown that women can run successful design businesses, have families and work nine to five. Fittingly, Sue is about to retire and hand the business over to her daughter.

Jane’s research highlights not only the work of women in design but also the importance of networking to sustain a thriving design practice within Australia. As shown on her website, all of the interviewees are in some way connected to one another. In such a small pool as Australia, the benefits of supporting one another instead of competing are evident.

A career in design

In the mid 1990s, Jane completed a graphic design degree at Monash and went straight into art direction in an ad agency. ‘The legacy of the “Madmen” era was still there,’ said Jane. With her strong belief in achieving success through merit and hard work, Jane was surprised to see that barriers still existed for women in advertising. ‘It was like hitting a brick wall,’ she said.

After working in agencies here in Australia, Jane worked in London and was frustrated to find a similar culture there. She found the expectations of long work hours incompatible with having a family, so she chose to redirect her career path. ‘I left and went into education as a career because I could schedule my time around pick ups and drop offs,’ she said.

Equipped with skills ranging from illustration to graphic design and branding, Jane worked in TAFE and higher education for nearly fifteen years. ‘It’s still a majority of women doing these design degrees and they still look to the industry and they still don’t see female mentors or role models. It was starting to weigh on my conscience,’ she said. Jane decided that she could contribute to changing the design industry culture and began her Ph.D. ‘I can do something about this and this is really important. These histories can’t just disappear,’ she said.

Jane has left her career in design education for the moment to focus on her role at the Design Institute of Australia whilst completing her PhD.

Jane Connory

Creating a legacy

Jane’s motivation in her work is to, as she explained, ‘Provide some sort of resource as a legacy for this next generation of women flooding the industry so they can figure out how they want to do it.’

With in-house design studios making a resurgence, Jane sees the value of design not purely for design itself, but as a way of thinking that can be applied across organisations to solve problems and innovate.

‘I think we have to be careful about how we define what a designer does because it shouldn’t be narrowed,’ said Jane. ‘Broadening that scope for women, especially, can leave those options a little bit more open about how you want to do it.’

In her previous role as a senior lecturer at Billy Blue College of Design, Jane would begin the first lecture by playing a recording of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘You Can Go Your Own Way,’ reminding new students that there are options within the design industry. ‘I always say to students, “What are your other passions in life? Is it music? Is it theatre? Look for in-house studios within those businesses.”’

Identifying mentors for young designers

Throughout Jane’s twenty-year career within design and education she has seen the importance of developing a framework to write inclusive history. She hopes that her research will help young designers find mentors and create networks to build their careers.

Jane’s advice to young women wanting to pursue a career in design is, 'Be resilient and stick at it if that’s what you want to do. It’s not easy. There are a lot of people doing it. Look for mentors; they’re out there. Find one and help them to help you up.’

For more about Jane’s work, visit affemation.com or follow her on Instagram (@invisibleinaus/)

Jenni Mazaraki is an artist, designer, writer and podcaster who helps women tell their stories. She is currently working on her first novel, which was shortlisted for the 2017 Deborah Cass Prize. You can see more of Jenni’s work at localstoryspace.com or on Instagram (@localstoryspace) or Facebook.

Photos by Jenni Mazaraki

Meet the Makers: Melbourne Ceramics Market

The pottery wheel scene in Ghost has officially been confirmed as a very common reference that Tina Thorburn and Daisy Cooper, the creators, curators and coordinators of Melbourne Ceramic Market (MCM) get tired of hearing. In fact, we're confident that everyone at Melbourne’s newest independent ceramics market has heard it before, too.

Knowing that, don’t ask about it at the upcoming MCM summer event, which is on again at the end of the month, Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November, in Collingwood.

After a bustling and successful turnout of more than two thousand people for their launch event in August, MCM is back bigger and better, showcasing over fifty emerging and established ceramic makers under one roof and aiming to create a vibrant marketplace that highlights and reflects the work of Melbourne’s finest ceramic talent.

Annette Wagner caught up with Tina and Daisy and asked them some questions about being ceramicists.

Tina Thorburn (L) and Daisy Cooper (R), the creators, curators and coordinators of Melbourne Ceramic Market. Photo: Annette Wagner.

Tell us your insights about the Melbourne ceramic movement.

DC: It’s here and it needs to be celebrated! There are so many amazing artists creating really interesting work across all the fields of ceramics that it’s hard not to be immersed in it.

TT: The appreciation for ceramics has grown in this movement and it seems pottery schools can’t keep up with demand of people wanting to try ceramics!

Did this prompt the ceramic focused market?

DC: Yes, we felt that there were so many makers going unseen and there wasn’t a specific market outlet for them. There was a niche that needed filling.

TT: Not everyone who tries ceramics will enjoy the process, and not everyone is good at it. Why not connect people who love and appreciate ceramics with local ceramicists who make beautiful work? 

Is the ceramic market competitive or community orientated?  

DC: Completely community orientated! We want to create a space that allows new makers to the market scene feel supported and welcomed. Of course there is a competitive element in the selling, but in a welcoming and knowledgeable way.

Tina Thorburn, at August 2017 Melbourne Ceramic Market. Photo: Annette Wagner

TT: We are intentionally doing specific things to make this more than a market. For example, we raised thirteen hundred dollars for SisterWorks by collecting gold coin donations at our last market, and we have lots of fun things planned for midsummer events that bring the community of ceramicists in contact with the general community. We are about more than selling ceramics. We also believe we are responsible to help educate people about the craft and share our insights as full-time potters with other makers.

What customer insights have you been able to observe from the recent market? 

TT: We’ve had lots of feedback. Everyone loved it but some found it too crowded. We have taken steps to make the November market bigger and control the crowds better. It’s all a big learning curve!

What is the response from your consumers?

TT: Many customers asked us to do monthly markets, but we want to stay fresh and keep our markets boutique in feel. 

Is there a demand from the more conscious consumer for more thoughtful pieces?

TT: Yes! And this is linked to the whole handmade movement that is giving pottery its big presence. In our experience, people are craving things that are thoughtfully made and with purpose in mind. Ceramics is functional art and there is big demand for that now!

What and where are your top tips, from where to fire work to how to use a wheel?

DC: There are so many amazing ceramics schools around Melbourne and across Australia. Get yourself booked into a class and have a go at as many things as you can. Don’t be afraid of the wheel (like me)—go for it!

TT: My top tip, and the thing I tell people in my workshops, is to be kind to yourself. If you give kids a piece of clay they’ll dive straight in and make weird and wonderful things without self criticism. Give adults a piece of clay and they’ll automatically say they aren’t creative, or panic about what they ‘should’ make. In my experience, no one is good at ceramics from the start. It takes time, practice, patience and kindness to oneself to get good.

When did you first start working with ceramics, and for how long? 

DC: I started an evening class in London at Turning Earth Ceramics Studio in May 2014 and have never looked back. From there, it has all been self-taught and having amazing ceramic maker friends to call upon when I get stuck with something technical or tricky. The wealth of knowledge of other makers is invaluable to a creative.

TT: I took it up in October 2014, so coming up to three years. I took it up as an evening filler because the hockey season had finished and I wanted to keep busy. It was an eight-week course at the Carlton Arts Centre. By March 2015, I’d quit my job and became a full time potter.

Where did your interest in ceramics come from?

DC: I was travelling around Australia and China in 2013 and fell in love with the colours, textures and variety of ceramic work out there. I thought to myself, I want to try my hands at this! I found my medium!

TT: I had an inkling I would enjoy ceramics because my dad had done a lot of ceramics through his life. His pieces litter his house, and I grew up with handmade ceramics all over my childhood home.

Can you remember the first piece you ever made? Was it a coil pot?!

DC: It was indeed a coil pot! I am truly useless at the wheel, so my first pieces were some bowls (not great) and a set of cups (a bit better). I still have the cups and my mum has the bowls. I get them out now and then to remind myself how far I’ve come in three years! It’s always a laugh for my family and partner.

TT: I learned on the wheel and we threw away our first two weeks attempts in an effort to loosen up our expectations. The first batch of pieces from that course were given to friends and family for Christmas. I regret this as every once in a while my mother-in-law will pull out a cup made in that first batch to show off, only making me cringe and want to break in when no one is home and smash those early pieces! They are so different and primitive to what I make now.

What appealed to you about working with ceramics, as opposed to other forms of art?

DC: I studied fine art, so have tried my hand at many art forms, from painting to screen printing and now ceramics. I love anything that is hands-on and where you really get into the raw materials, so clay was the ultimate medium for me. I’ve even worked with clay that I have dug straight from the earth near home in Scotland. You don’t get much closer to the raw material than that.

TT: I love clay. It's the only thing in the world that slows me down. I'm not naturally a patient person but I have to be with clay and that quality is slowly creeping into the rest of my life. Ceramics has also helped nurture a stillness in me that is helping with my self esteem and giving me to time and space to figure out where I belong in the world. Sounds very profound, and to be honest, it is.

What other artist/s do you admire that were represented at the market?

DC: That’s a hard one. The quality of work was so amazing from all the makers, but obviously Tina’s work and work ethic inspires me greatly, along with Melanie Channel and Dasa Ceramics for their enthusiasm and love of the craft.

TT: I love Daisy's work along with Ghostwares, alhora and Georgina Proud.

Do you ever get the equivalent of ‘writers block’?

DC: Sometimes, and it’s usually when I’ve got loads of orders to fulfil and I just want to create something of my own that’s a bit different but when I come to create this piece I get stuck. It’s usually overcome by telling myself to look around at what you’ve achieved! Just try something new. What’s the worst that can happen?

TT: Yeah, I guess so. But when that happens I give myself a day of play in the studio where I follow the clay and make whatever I want rather than fill orders.

What do you value most: the process of creating a piece or the achievement of having made it?

DC: The process of making the work is the most valuable to me. I get to come to work every day and make! For myself! It doesn’t get better than that. Once my pieces are out in the world, they are their own thing, but it’s the pleasure of making that makes this the best job in the world.

TT: The process. I adore glazing. I think that is where all the magic happens. And that process will make or break a piece. I get so nervous about bringing my pieces into the world for sale. This is getting easier for me, but I find each piece has a bit of my soul in it. I have crafted the clay into what it is, and to put it on a table and ask people for money is scary. Sometimes people scoff and say it’s too much, sometimes people say hurtful things, like they could make that. I find that part of the process very taxing.

What do you least enjoy about ceramics? References to the scene from Ghost?!

DC: Ha ha, yep, lots of Ghost references—which have no relevance to me as I don’t throw! I think the hardest thing is putting yourself out there. There are major highs and major lows with creating and running your own business, but the highs usually outweigh the lows.

TT: I get this all the time. And I just smile and nod.

What qualities make a great ceramic piece?

DC: Timelessness. A piece that can sit in a house or a gallery and always bring you back to it is a great ceramic piece.

TT: For me, the mindset and ethos of the person who made it. I also like bright colours and unique takes on old techniques.

What do regard as more important: a piece that is aesthetically pleasing, or one that has practical function? 

DC: That’s a hard one to answer. It’s a combination of both for me. I would never use or buy something that I didn’t find aesthetically pleasing but I also love a functional piece that I can get pleasure out of using every day.

TT: For me, functionality is paramount. I don't make anything that doesn't have a use. I think ceramics is the perfect balance of function and art.

If you weren’t working in ceramics, what other field would you work in?

DC: I’ve worked a lot as an arts facilitator in the disabilities sector. I love working with groups of individuals who are so talented but either don’t get the representation they deserve or don’t believe themselves to be the artists they are. Working to help people realise this is so rewarding and something I recommend anyone to try volunteering in. There are so many amazing organizations out there like Arts Project Australia that need support and recognition for the work they do.

TT: I will probably go back and study nursing/midwifery in the next five years. I care a lot about rural health and think balancing ceramics with a health career will allow me to live the life I wants in my later thirties.

The MCM will be held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 November 2017 at Fiveasy Upstairs, 5 Easy St, Collingwood, 3066. Opening hours are Saturday 10am–6pm and Sunday 10am–4pm.

For more about the MCM, visit their website at melbourneceramicsmarket.com or follow them on Facebook (melbourneceramicsmarket) and Instagram (@melbourne.ceramics.market).

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.

Want to write a book? 7 questions to ask before putting your passion into print

At some point, many creatives ponder the same question: is it time to turn my business or passion project into a book? Whether you’re hoping to grow your brand, yearn to share your knowledge with the world, or simply dream of seeing your name in print, writing and publishing a nonfiction book is a goal shared by many of us. Here are a few reasons to take the publishing plunge:

• To share your knowledge and ideas

• To build your business, brand, or platform

• To help others by shedding light on a larger issue

• As a creative outlet

• As a portfolio to share your work

• To reach a larger audience and connect with like-minded people

• To establish yourself as an authority in a given area

• As a path toward licensing partnerships, speaking engagements, and more

• As a “giveaway” or incentive for clients, customers, or students

I have worked in publishing for nearly two decades, first in New York and now in Sydney, and have helped hundreds of authors create publishable books. I have also met many aspiring authors who wasted time and effort on murky book concepts that led to rejection and frustration. What are the magic elements to a publishable book proposal? Why are some proposals snapped up by agents and publishers, and others left in the rejection pile?

There are many layers to book publishing. Large trade publishers, which are often accessible only through literary agents, focus on commercial projects and authors with track records and ‘platforms.’ Smaller presses are open to newer authors and niche topics. There is also academic and educational publishing, not to mention self-publishing. Finally, there is the new world of ‘partnership publishers,’ which provide editorial, design, printing, distribution, and publicity services for a fee.

Whichever type of publishing you pursue (unless you are self-publishing a book strictly for friends and family, or a monograph), it’s worthwhile stepping back and asking yourself a few questions before diving in. Note: these are for nonfiction books only.

1. What is your book about?

Can you describe your book in one sentence? Be sure to include the genre, main idea, audience, and what makes it special. Avoid generalities in favor of specifics that make us want to learn more.

• Too general: A book about collage

• Better: A beginner’s guide to upcycling discarded materials into stunning, multi-layered collage by an award-winning collage artist and instructor

• Too general: A memoir about my ex-husband

• Better: A harrowing memoir of how I discovered my ex-husband’s shattering secret - and why I kept it for twenty-five years

• Too general: A book about leadership for women

• Better: A soccer-mum-turned-CEO’s laugh-out-loud manifesto for rejecting the ‘mummy track’ and leaning in without sacrificing your sanity

 2. Is it a good book idea—or just a good idea?

Is your topic meaty enough for an entire book, or could you do it justice in a blog post or magazine article? When you share the idea with others, are they intrigued? Are there many layers to explore? Does it telescope out to a larger issue?

Most adult books have, at a minimum, 60,000 - 80,000 words (excluding heavily illustrated books and gift books). Is there that much to say about your topic?

 3. Are you a credible author?

What makes you an authority on your topic? Do you teach courses? Have practical work experience? Have you won awards? Perhaps you write about the topic for a popular blog, newspaper, or magazine, or have a relevant social media platform.

If your only connection is personal interest, it’s time to gain external credibility. Pitch an article on your topic to a small local blog and then use that post to pitch larger publications. Teach a class in a local community organisation and/or apply for speaking opportunities. For a publisher to take you seriously, you’ll need more than just raves from family and friends.

 4. Is it doable?

Will you need to travel? Conduct hundreds of interviews? Pay for permission to include famous artworks? Think about the logistics of researching and writing your book and make sure you can handle them with your schedule and financial situation. These days, it’s rare to find a publisher that will pay for expenses and most advances are small and paid in installments over time.

5. What is already in the market?

Go to the bookstore or hop online and find out what other books are already out there on your topic. For each, write down the title, author, page count, price, and publisher. Note how the scope and tone differs from yours. If you’re doing research online, look for reviews to see how each book was received. Does your book offer a fresh approach and/or fill a gap? Bookstore owners have limited shelf-space, so think about it from their point of view: what does your book offer that justifies taking the spot of another book already on their shelves?

Many authors think it’s a selling point to say that theirs is the ‘first’ book on a given topic or that there’s ‘nothing else out there,’ but if you’re hoping to attract an agent or publisher, this may work against you. Trade publishers tend to prefer books that tap into reliably popular (though not glutted) categories.

6. Who is your target reader?

Who are you writing for? If you are solving a problem, whose problem is it? If you’re sharing a story, who will be interested? Is your market women who own small businesses? Dog owners? Mums searching for healthy, kid-friendly recipes? Readers who loved Fight Like a Girl? Are there enough of these people to create a healthy market for your book?

7. What is your book’s extra-special ‘something’?

While your book should have a tight, concise concept, it should also tap into a larger idea, goal, or emotional need. For example, does it offer insight on a current trend or world event? Does it offer hope during troubled times? Inspiration? Tools for making a dream come true? Will it help your reader feel part of something larger, or give her something to share at the next office meeting or school pickup? Hone in on your book’s particular magic ingredient.

If you’ve answered all of the above and still feel good about your project, great! The next step is to write a proposal to pitch literary agents and publishers. Or if not, it may be time to rethink your idea or explore another angle. Either way, you’ll have made your process that much more efficient as you unearth the best book within you.

Good luck, and happy writing!

Julie Mazur Tribe is an editor and publishing consultant who loves working with authors, books, and creative ideas. She can be found at BrooklynBookStudio.com or on Instagram at @brooklynbookstudio.

Image from Pexels.com.