Socially Aware by Design: Matters Journal

Matters Journal

Editor's note: Tomorrow night (Friday, 16th March), Creative Women's Circle are holding a sold-out Melbourne Design Week event titled "Socially Aware by Design: Building successful values-led small businesses", featuring female creative industry leaders and Certified B.Corp companies.

We hope to post an audio recording for members further afield and those who can't make it soon, but in the meantime, we wanted to share some insight from another Certified B.Corp female leader (and CWC Member!), Nikki Stefanoff, editor of Matters Journal.

Why we chose to publish responsibly

I’m writing this on International Women’s Day, which makes pondering the ways we, as women, can make a difference to the world through our work seem so wonderfully connected.

For me, both personally and professionally, it all starts with connections. Whether that’s through connected voices giving individuals the confidence to show others how they see and experience the world or simply a personal connection with ourselves to ask the question: ‘what do I want?’, ‘what do I care about?’, ‘what do I stand for?’ and ‘what really matters to me?’

Discovering what matters, and why we choose to do what we do, is just as important in business as it is to personal lives. Simon Sinek famously talks about starting with the why. ‘Why do you get up in the morning? Why does your organisation exist? Your Why is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to do what you do,’ he says. ‘When you think, act and communicate starting with Why, you can inspire others.’

Asking ‘why’ is what spawned the very existence of Matters Journal because our ‘why’ was, to us, very clear. We wanted to connect good people with people doing good things. It was to tell stories that came from a place of sustainability, impact and business while connecting two or more of our chosen topics: health, art, design, technology, environment and food. It was a way to build human-to-human connection. The kicker being that we wanted to do all this while making responsible decisions along the way. We wanted to remain connected to our planet while producing a magazine that left very little footprint.

Matters Journal is published through Local Peoples, a B Corp design studio in Collingwood, Melbourne. And so, as a B Corp, it was always part of our DNA to be advocates for sustainable design. This included our own carbon neutrality, something that would go on to drive every decision the design team made when getting issue #1 ready for print. It resulted in a process that created a print title that’s as small in its carbon footprint as it is in size and as friendly to the planet as to the humans who read it.

Mini Matters: a 'teaser’ mini print publication

Turns out it’s not so hard to publish responsibly and while there are only a few printers and vendors out there printing sustainably, once you get into it the process isn’t that difficult. Ergo, in case you might want to do the same, these are the 10 responsible and sustainable design decisions we made for Matters Journal.

1. We used two types of paper supplied by Ball & Doggett - cyclus offset 100% recycled paper for our mini issue and ecostar 100% recycled for issue #1.

2. Our paper is post-consumer, which means that the paper (and carbon) has already been through a life-cycle. Pre-consumer paper is usually an offcut of someone else’s printing process and so the carbon hasn’t yet had a lifespan, making it less sustainable.   

3. We chose not to use toxic finishes.

4. We paid a lot of attention to our carbon neutrality, which started when we realised that our paper had to be imported as Australia doesn’t have a local source. This meant that the nearest thing we could do was to carbon offset by planting trees. From that point our distributor covered the offset to the printer and as we used carbon neutral printer Finsbury Green, their carbon was already offset.

5. We chose not to use thick paper as we believe that our value lies in our stories and not our paper. So our paper is just thin enough that you can’t see through to the next page and thick enough that it holds up and doesn’t perforate too easily or degrade quickly.

6. The size of our page was informed by the greater size of the mill paper, with trimmings taken into account. If you can be aware of the mill pack (parent sheet) size, then you can design a page that minimises waste and maximises efficiency.

7. In terms of colour most printers already print with water-based ink, that’s just the way the market is going, which is a good thing, environmentally.

8. Saddle stitching is more environmentally friendly, so we used it for our mini issue, however, the adhesive that we used on issue #1 was more toxic and needs to be noted, for transparency.  

9. The sleeve design that characterises Matters Journal is a design embellishment that didn’t involve compromising our environmental footprint. The fold was a great way to provide the reader with something different and interactive whilst not demanding that we sacrifice our carbon neutrality.

10. We choose to use less pages to tell a story.  

Those 10 points may not seem like much but to us they are everything. They are our ‘why’ and by stopping and taking the time to connect with that ‘why’ it helped guide our entire process.

We also understood that the stories we told were our greatest asset and that by connecting readers to themselves and the world around them we could begin to make small changes. We wanted to tell people that small changes can make a big difference to someone. So, use a keepcup for your coffee, buy your clothes from HoMie, your toilet paper from who gives a crap, use Thankyou for your bathroom and baby products and make a greater effort to choose B Corps over other businesses. We’ve all got to start somewhere.

My personal ‘why’ goes back to this concept of connections and stories. I believe that each and every one of us is connected and if we all took even a minute to slow down and listen to ourselves and the people around us, we might be surprised to find out what matters the most. To us and to them. And then, we can act on it. Then we can really try to make a difference.  

Nikki Stefanoff is editor of Matters Journal. After spending 13 years editing and writing for newspapers and magazines in London, Nikki now uses her journalism background and love of a good chat to find powerful and meaningful stories to tell.

How to collaborate: The Design Co-op pop up

The Design Co-op cast of designers. Photo: Elizabeth Bull.

The Design Co-Op, spearheaded by photographer Elizabeth Bull of One Fine Print and furniture designer Anne-Claire Petre of Anaca Studio, unites 14 local Melbourne design businesses - including many CWC Members - to create an exciting bespoke event over three days in Melbourne. 

We spoke to Liz and Anne to get their hot tips for a successful pop-up event and creative collaboration.

What can people expect from visiting The Design Co-op?

In selecting a variety of local brands and business, we aim to inspire our visitors with products they may not have had the chance to experience in a home situation before. We’d like people to feel like they’ve been welcomed into a friend’s place. 

We wanted to take out the showroom vibes and create a space that is open and non-competitive. The showcase has been designed by our three interior guest designers who have blended products from the 15 local Melbourne design businesses. 

The Design Co-op is about strengthening the existing design community, encourage the growth of new networks, promote boutique local design brands, and offer interactive learning opportunities for both industry professionals and the design-savvy public.  

In creating this event we are also bringing together a pool of knowledge and information that we felt should be shared and create a diverse and interesting event. We will feature 5 panel events with a total of 20 speakers from the interior design, architecture and design magazine industry.

Anne-Claire Petre and Elizabeth Bull. Photo: Elizabeth Bull.

The Co-Op has a unique link to Creative Women’s Circle. Tell us about that.

Anne-Claire Petre and I originally met through CWC many years ago at a morning tea. We then collaborated on a temporary pop up retail space last year. 

When designing and organising this event we naturally started thinking about our networks and people we knew that we could contact to come on board. It made sense to reach out to other CWC members. We couldn’t believe how many CWC connections we already both had! It made organising the event that much easier and fun working with other like minded CWC members. 

The Design Co-Op has now utilised the services of Jo Hoban for press and pr writing, Fiona Brand for graphic design, Camilla Molders is a speaker on one of our educational speaker panels and Hannah Fox’s beautiful artwork will be showcased throughout the event. We were fortunate to meet all of these lovely ladies through CWC. 

One Fine Print and Anaca Studio have collaborated on a pop-up before. What did you both learn from your first pop-up that influenced your plans this time around?

Three months was a bit long, so do the same in three days?! 

In all seriousness, we really enjoyed the experience of collaborating and found that it was really powerful way to work. We were curious to see what would happen if we collaborated with more people and were eager to share the positive experience we’d had and involve more creatives. We really took that idea and ran with it as we realised the other day there are 35 people taking part in the Design Co-Op! 

There’s real power in collaborations. Although it sounds a bit cliche, we were amazed by the positive response we’ve had from everyone we put the idea forward. Small businesses and brands are keen to get together to not only increase their visibility but to also share, connect and engage.  

There’s a rich program of talks and panel discussions during the The Design Co-op. What do you hope to achieve in this outlet?

We hope to have open and engaging discussions about the design industry and about how design affects us all in all walks of life. We want our audience to feel like they can share, learn and ask questions.

The panels are about getting conversations going around subjects that affects us all in some way or other whether we are in the design industry or not. 

Design is around us at all time. In furniture, objects, architecture, interiors and art, but do we really understand the impact it has on us? How do we chose what goes into our homes? What’s the definition of a home these days? These are questions we hope to have answered in many ways over the week-end.    

The Co-Op showcases majority female designers and creatives. What have you learned from or about observing other women in business that has helped you in your own ventures?

Women are doers. When they have something in mind, they just get on to it and give it a go. 

However we have noticed there can also be a lot of self doubt and insecurity at times. That’s where the beauty of collaborating comes in. When either of us is feeling a bit doubtful or lack confidence we just tell each other it’s not a thing and to press on. 

A great thing about women in business is that the element of pride is relatively non existent. In a way it’s really empowering. It means women do really try anything as we’re not scared of losing face. Basically “Dust yourself off and try again” kind of attitude. 

Your top tips for collaboration in creative industries?

• Look for creatives that have a similar vision and values that are aligned with your own.

• Split tasks between collaborators to lighten the load and be clear on who is doing what so you don’t end up doubling up.

• Work out who is best at what task, sometimes it just falls into place but if not make sure you define everyone's roles clearly.

• Meet regularly to help you stay on track.

• Use cloud based documents and calendars that are easily accessible by everyone.

• Trust your instincts. If somewhere along the line something doesn't feel right, it might be best to draw a line.

The Design Co-op runs for three days, 23-25 March 2018 at 19 Ireland St North Melbourne, Vic. See more on Instagram via @thedesignco_op.

Should you trademark your business name?: Brand protection tips for creatives

This week we’re introducing a new regular column for 2018, focused on legal issues for creatives. To kick things off, let's take a look at trademarks.

Why trademark your business name?

Trademarking your business name can help ensure your customers identify your product or service as unique, and ensure your business is – and remains – distinguishable from all others. You can trademark your business name on a national and/or international level, after considering whether your business will operate locally, nationally or globally.

The pros

The benefits of registering your business name as a trademark include:

• Protection of your name against imposters and copycats

• A secure brand on social media. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and other social media venues have policies in place to protect you against abuse.

• Trademarks are easy to renew.

• Trademarks build brand loyalty and may even evoke pride in employees.

• Trademarks can safeguard against cybersquatting (domain names that are identical or similar to your trademarked name).

A business name alone does not give you exclusive trading rights or ownership over that name. A trademarked business name can be extremely useful as a marketing tool; it gives your business an identity, or brand. You will have ownership and exclusive rights to the commercial use, license or sale of your business name as a trademark. No one else in Australia will be able to commercially use your business name within the class of goods and services it is registered under. It will carry intellectual property protection and you may use the trademark symbol (a capital R enclosed in a circle) following your business name, alerting others that your business name is a registered trademark. This can help build the value of your business, and the trademark may hold value in itself. If another trader tries to pass off her own product or service using your trademark, it will be an offence under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

It’s possible to protect your business name as a trademark without registering it, if your business has been using it for a sufficient period of time and has built up a significant reputation. However, in the long run, protecting a trademark without the benefit of registration is likely to be much more difficult and expensive.

New businesses registering their business names will be alerted to your trademark when they use IP Australia’s TM Check to ensure they do not infringe on an existing registered trademark.

The cons

The negative aspects of registering your business name as a trademark include the hassle of dealing with government agencies, the time it takes to jump through legislative hoops and the cost—which is not large, but not insignificant either.

How to register

To register your business name as a trademark, use the Australian Government IP Australia online services. You’ll be offered different cost structures depending on whether you use the TM Headstart service or the Standard filing service; application costs range from $130 to $480 per ‘class’. The ‘class’ refers to the category of goods and services, which are divided into forty-five classes. To discern which class/es you need to register your trademark under, think about the exact nature of your business and consider the following:

• Where do you derive your business income?

• What is the nature of your business?

• What are you known for by your customers/clients?

• What products or services does your business provide?

Once your trademark application is approved, there is no further cost to register the trademark.

It takes three to four months for IP Australia to examine your trademark application and ensure that it meets legislative requirements, is under the correct class and so on. Refunds are not given for errors, so it is important to get the application perfect the first time around. You might save time, energy and money by engaging a lawyer to do the application on your behalf; if you are moving your business to a global platform, a lawyer’s advice on trademarking overseas will be indispensible.

Once your trademark application meets all requirements, it will be registered and you will be notified in writing.

Maintaining your trademark

If you do decide to trademark your business name, you must actively use it in the course of trade. If you do not use it, the trademark can be removed on the grounds of non-use. (Trademarks are not allowed to be registered to simply stop other traders from using them.)

Once registered, your trademark remains for ten years from the filing date. You can renew your trademark from twelve months before the renewal is due, or up to six months after. Current on-time online renewal fees are $400 per class, however there will be extra fees if you renew after the due date.

Weighing up the pros and cons

Overall, trademarking your business name is usually worth the time, effort and cost. It ensures the business you have built will remain solid and hold its reputation for the long term, and you won’t need to change your name or branding down the track.

Jessica Kerr is the director of Sinclair + May, a female-led, boutique commercial law firm that works extensively with the creative industry. Jessica set up Sinclair + May with a view to do law differently and make legal services accessible for small businesses. You can follow Jessica on Instagram for useful legal tips or visit Sinclair + May at sinclairmay.com.au.

Photo by pixabay.com

Five lessons learnt from working from home with children

When I grew up, I wanted to be an artist, complete with the romantic notion of living in a loft full of canvases, drinking red wine with poets and writers. Alas, my foray into painting at university was less than satisfactory and my creativity took a different path when I discovered gold- and silver-smithing. Tools, gold, gemstones! After becoming a jeweller and working in the industry for several years, my journey took another turn when I decided to become a stay-at-home mum.

For three delightful years, I cooked, cleaned and cared for my son and husband, filling in my spare time with creative hobbies. I began playing with my tools again, and after much urging from family and friends, I started my own business. Over time, I taught myself everything I needed to know as I needed it. While I researched how to run a business, I learnt many lessons on how to run that business with a child, then two children, and now three children...

Five years, and many nappies and sales later, here are five of the lessons I have learnt.

1. Make time instead of finding time

This was a huge mindset shift for me. When I was trying to ‘find’ time, I could only find the odd block of free time. But somehow when I had an appointment booked, it was non-negotiable. When I changed my mindset from hobby to business, I realised I needed to ‘schedule’ in work. If I don’t schedule time to go to the gym, I don’t go. If I schedule in work time, I say no to playdates, ignore the laundry and get to work.

I was told early on that if you give your child ten focused minutes of your time, he or she will give you an hour to yourself. This depends a little on the age and temperament of the child, but I have found that even as toddlers, getting down to my children's level and joining in with them, or simply listening to them fills their cup and they are less likely to even notice that I am now doing my own thing.

Naptimes, nighttime, weekends are all great times to get to work. Depending on the type of work you do, you may be able to work at your laptop while your children play beside you. Think about when you work best. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I know I am fresher in the morning for tasks like writing, while I can do repetitive tasks at night. Schedule time for chores, too. Embrace the flexibility of working from home to create a routine that works for your whole family.

2. Enlist help

I am blessed to have a father-in-law who comes to our house and babysits one day a week. That is my bench day. I have tried working with my children in my workshop, and while it is sweet at first, it almost always ends in disaster. There was the time my toddler dropped a steel block on his toe, which resulted in a trip to emergency to stitch it back together. Or the time another of my little ones drew beautiful pictures all over my professionally printed postcards. Or the time my daughter was playing with my metal ring size gauge, which does make a lovely rattling sound, and which has never been seen again.

If you don’t have the convenience of grandparents, enlist friends for babysitting swaps: you take her child one day, she takes yours the next. The kids get two playdates and you get a whole day of work. Think creatively about other blocks of time you could use to work. My gym offers two-hour crèche sessions, which means I can work out and then write on my laptop in the coffee room before collecting my treasures.

Free up your time in other ways by enlisting help. You may not be ready to hand the reins over to an employee, but perhaps you could hire an intern, get a cleaner, hire a courier to pick up your parcels rather than going to the post office, have your stationary orders delivered instead of picking them up at the store and indulging your paper addiction… Think about your rate of pay as a business owner. Is it worth driving half an hour to pick up that item yourself, or would you be better off paying a ten-dollar delivery fee? Can you hire a bookkeeper, invest in a product photographer or ask for guest articles for your blog to free up your time to do the things that only you can do?

3. Batch your days

When I was working full-time (before there were small humans dependent on me), I answered emails, ordered supplies, posted to social media, did paperwork, did bench work and went to the post office each day. Now, I have themes for each day. It stops me from multitasking and is the best use for my time.

One day might be for emails and ordering, another day is my bench day, another is for scheduling social media and another day for packaging and posting orders. Even if I am interrupted a million times, I know exactly what I am up to that day and there is no time wasted getting out the packing supplies five times a week, or making five trips to the post office.

4. Set boundaries

This applies to both yourself and others. It’s easy to get lost in your workday and forget to make time for your children, too. When your scheduled work time is up, resist the temptation to do just a little bit more and focus on your children instead. Go to the park, take a walk, paint a picture, read them a book, bake with them or do your chores with them. These are the things they will remember. These opportunities are the reason you are working from home.

At first, I felt ‘mama guilt’ whenever I was working, feeling like I should be with my children instead, while with my children I felt guilty that I should be attending to my business. I couldn’t win! Over time, I have realised I need to be where I am in the moment. By scheduling my time I can be present with my children while I am with them and forget about work, and while I am working, I need not feel guilty about expressing my creativity and contributing to our finances.

Setting boundaries for others can be more difficult. I am a people pleaser and try to oblige whatever is requested of me. Oh, you need that tomorrow? Sure, not a problem! Argh! It is your business. You make the rules. Learn to say no. Ask for what you need: the time you need, the money you need, even the help you need from your partner.

 5. Take Sundays off

Your business won’t love you back, but your children will. Early on, I treated my business like a newborn, attending to its every need immediately. Now I realise it is more like a tween. It needs my help, but can exist independently for longer periods of time without my undivided attention. The separation between home life and work life are blurred when you work from home. There is always so much to do on both fronts that it is easy to become overwhelmed.

Several cycles of overachieving followed by burnout have taught me that much of the pressure is of my own design. Everything doesn’t need to be done at once. Give yourself at least one day off a week when you don’t think about work and focus on your family and yourself instead. Reconnect, do self-care, ignore your emails, work on projects for fun with no pressure or financial goals attached to them.

It's not always easy, and I am often asked how I do it all. I think all business owners have a streak of crazy! But the satisfaction of having my children home with me and being able to build a business and watch it grow as they grow has been the best decision I have ever made.

Christina Lowry is a designer and jeweller who creates fine jewellery for creatives. Her work is featured in several Australian galleries, as well as in her online store. Christina fell in love with jewellery making while studying a Bachelor of Fine Art/Visual Art. Each piece is lovingly made by hand in her Brisbane workshop, incorporating precious metals and gemstones and using traditional metalworking techniques. To see more of her work, visit her website, Facebook page, and follow her on Instagram (@christinalowrydesigns).

Photos by Trudi Le Brese Photography

The courage to be creative: Q&A with Jamila Rizvi

Courage is something creatives grapple with on a daily basis. Taking a leap, putting yourself out there, choosing the path less traveled: no one said it was easy! How can we worry less—and leap more?

Jamila Rizvi is someone who knows how to leap. In 2017, Jamila was one of the Weekly Review’s top ten young rising stars in Melbourne. And no wonder: she’s a columnist for News Limited; a radio host; a commentator on such shows as Today, ABC News Breakfast and Q&A; a published author (of Not Just Lucky, published by Penguin, and an anthology of letters called The Motherhood to be released this year); even an ambassador for CARE Australia. And that’s just the short version.

We asked Jamila for her thoughts and advice about being courageous. Here’s what she had to say.

In your upcoming event ‘Tea with Jam and Clare’, you and Clare Bowditch will celebrate creativity and courage. Why did you decide to focus on these themes?

Creativity is at the heart of what both Clare and I do. While many of us foolishly associate creativity only with the arts, the truth is creativity lies at the center of all that is beautiful and all that is innovative. And yet, as powerful and glorious as creativity is, many of us fear we’re not made for it, that we can’t do it, that it’s not for us. It takes courage to be creative, but if we’re able to find and harness that courage? That’s where brilliance begins.

Clare Bowditch (left) and Jamila (center) welcome Zoë Foster Blake as a special guest at their upcoming event, Tea with Jam and Clare.

You have pursued many creative ventures, from writing to television. Which venture has taken the most courage?

Both Clare and I have pursued creativity in many ventures: Clare in the more classical realms of music, performance, and more recently in writing, and myself in journalism, business and yes, government policy. The truth is that creativity is important and relevant to every sphere of work and human endeavour. For me, the venture that required the most courage was leaving the safety and financial security of full-time work for the independence of freelancing.

Have you ever taken a creative risk that failed?

Oh so many times! Creativity requires risks and also requires of us the courage to get it disastrously wrong and begin again. This sounds rather roundabout, but for me the biggest failures have come from not taking creative risks. They’ve come from being afraid to take the leap and trust my instincts and let creativity take its course. Creativity is stifled by a fear of ‘what others may think’ and that’s where my failures tend to eventuate.

How do you gear yourself up to take a creative risk?

I am not an impulsive person; I am a natural planner. However, I tend to spend a long time thinking about a creative risk or a new endeavour before I begin. I think, and think, and think and think again—and often appear disastrously unproductive. But when I do take action at the end of it I am decisive and fast.

In her book Big Magic, Elizabeth Gilbert says that although fear is something all creatives must learn to live with—that it will always be ‘in the backseat’ of our car—the important thing is to not let it drive (or touch the road maps, suggest detours, fiddle with the temperature or touch the radio). Do you find this a helpful way to think about dealing with fear?

I found Elizabeth Gilbert’s book tremendously helpful in this regard. Sometimes we can get so caught up in our own heads that it inhibits the purity of a creative idea. It stifles it, suffocates it and eventually, it kills it. The key is to just ‘do the thing’. There always comes a point when the planning or thinking or worrying comes to an end and you Get. On. With. It. Never let the fear of being less-than-perfect stop you from doing what’s important.

How can you tell if fear is simply ‘fear of failure’ versus a gut instinct that should be listened to?

I write about fear of failure in my book, Not Just Lucky. I think it’s always important to determine the genuine cause of fear because for most of us, fear of failure is actually fear of public failure; we fear failing in the eyes of others. If we were allowed to fail quietly and privately then we probably wouldn’t be fussed. Ultimately you have to ask yourself: is the opinion of others more important than the creative work you want to do? Probably not…

Do you have people you rely on for support when considering a creative risk?

Clare and I certainly rely on one another because we’re close friends as well as professional collaborators. I always use my husband as the commonsense check and my father as the strategic check. They reign in my freewheeling creativity and excitement when necessary. They also know me better than anyone else, so I trust their judgment implicitly. Often they help create a framework I can use to analyse a decision, or point out the flaws in my logic or plan.

What is the next big creative risk you have planned for 2018?

We launch Tea with Jam and Clare in March and I have high hopes that this won’t be a one-off event but the start of something extremely special.

Is there something you would love to do but haven’t quite got the courage?

I would love to write fiction. I’ll let you know when—or if—I ever tackle that fear.

Any final words of advice for readers struggling with fear about taking a creative leap?

Stop worrying about what other people might think. Nobody is paying as close attention to you as you are, so do what makes you happy.

Jamila Rizvi’s new event series with Clare Bowditch—Tea with Jam and Clare—launches on Tuesday 20 March at the Melbourne Town Hall, with special guest Zoë Foster Blake. Tickets are available at trybooking.com. For your chance to win a double pass, pop over to the CWC Instagram and/or Facebook accounts!

Julie Mazur Tribe is the CWC blog editor and a book-publishing consultant who loves working with authors, books, and creative ideas. She can be found at BrooklynBookStudio.com and on Instagram at @brooklynbookstudio.

CWC spotlight: Louise Jones, textile designer

We know our readers love to learn about other women’s creative lives and journeys. So, we thought it would be fitting to introduce a regular interview series shining the spotlight on our very own creative ladies: our CWC Members!

Louise Fernando

We’re kicking off with Louise Jones, a textile designer from the Dandenongs in Melbourne who has been a CWC Member since 2012. Enjoy the interview! If you’re keen to learn more about Louise, don’t forget to check out her CWC Member Profile.

What do you do or make?

I specialise in original artwork for fabric, wallpaper, interiors and soft furnishings. I use a combination of different mediums in my practice, including watercolour illustrations and my own original photography.

What was the path you followed to doing what you do now?

After graduating with a Bachelor in Communication Design in 2007, I started my career in a boutique design studio. I soon realised my passion was illustration and pattern design as I was doing a lot of illustrative designs for retail and hospitality clients.

In 2010, I took the plunge into freelancing doing traditional graphic design work, whilst trying to work out how to break into pattern design industry specialising in interiors. My friend, Shelley Steer (a textile designer/illustrator), and I were becoming frustrated with the limited opportunities, so we decided to create our own pattern designs. We started a Tumblr blog called A Side Project, where we posted one pattern per month based on a monthly theme, along with developmental work and other inspirational posts. Some of my pattern designs gained recognition and I started to receive commissions from big companies such as Abercrombie & Fitch. Whilst working on other exciting commissions and other collaborations, I was building my own pattern library, which allowed me to follow my dreams of creating my own textile range specialising in interiors.

What does a typical day involve for you?

There is no typical day for me, as I manage parenting and running a business. I’m extremely fortunate to have a supportive family, which allows me two days a week in my studio. I aim to do all my creative work and planning on my ‘studio days’, whilst leaving all admin/emails for nighttime or whenever I can steal a few minutes during my parenting days. I like to visit local gardens and galleries during the week with my young daughter, Grace, as she also loves to discover new flowers and explore new spaces.

What have been one or two favourite recent projects or commissions?

Launching my new website, logo and online store along with a new fabric design, Dreamscape. I worked with some very talented people to launch my website, including Dylan McDonough, Atelier Upholstery and CWC members Martina Gemmola and Ruth Welsby (dream team!). I worked with Martina and Ruth to shoot some bespoke furniture pieces I had sourced to launch the Dreamscape design. The furniture pieces ranged from art deco to mid-century styles, all upholstered in Dreamscape colourways, along with ottomans and cushions. It was such a treat to work with other talented creatives on the launch of my website and online store. I have learnt that a lot of planning, sourcing, and general work goes into creating products and selling them online.

Dreamscape Copper cushion, by Louise Jones Design

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your work?

Understanding licensing and setting up proper agreements and contracts with clients has been the biggest learning curve for me. I have learnt to not undervalue your work and time, because not only does it affect your own creative work but it also impacts others in the creative industry.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m expecting a big year with my second baby arriving in March, so it will be a bit tricky working out new routines with family and work life. I plan to continue promoting and building my textile range in the interiors world by collaborating with other creatives, branching out overseas with international representation, adding a wallpaper range, sourcing more vintage pieces to showcase my fabric, and maintaining an online store of cushions and other soft furnishings. I’m also planning to put a dream project of mine into action later in the year, which is to collaborate with a furniture maker to create custom furniture pieces featuring my textile range.

Glass pendant lamp featuring Louise's Tropical design digitally printed on glass panels, designed by Italian industrial designer Francesco Favaretto for Italian lighting company Torremato.

What are you or have you recently enjoyed…

• Watching? Shameless, Fargo (all seasons), Narcos

• Reading? The Handmaid’s Tale

• Listening to? Arcade Fire, Whitney Houston (my 3-year-old daughter is obsessed)
  

Can you list for us your top resources across any media that you turn to when you’re in a need of creative inspiration?

• Instagram: I’m finding a lot of inspirations from contemporary florists, interior designers, stylists and furniture makers.

• Design magazines like Vogue Living, Architectural Digest, Belle and Habitus Living.

• Design blogs such as Sight Unseen and Design Milk
  

What is the best advice you have ever received, and what is the one piece of advice you would offer to a young artist, maker or designer?

Don’t be afraid to say no to paid jobs or projects that won’t lead you to your dream job, as it will only hold you back and delay you from doing the work you want to do. It took me a while to learn this, but once it became clear as to what I really wanted to do, I started to verbalise my dream job out loud to others as a way of making a public commitment. This made it easier to decline projects that weren’t aligned to where I wanted to go with my work.

What do you enjoy or value most about being a CWC member?

I love the speaker events. I find those afternoons to be such a great inspiration to hear the speaker's stories, and what works and doesn't work for them. And just catching up with familiar faces afterwards and having the opportunity to meet new creatives. 

To learn more about Louise and her work, visit her CWC Member Profile, her website and her wholesale textiles gallery.

Phoebe Miller is a member of the CWC Board. Her professional background covers experience in marketing and communications for the corporate, arts and not-for-profit sectors. She also ran her own creative side project, designing and making accessories under the moniker Simply Phoebe. Follow her on Instagram (@simplyphoebe).

Photo of Louise Fernando by Sarah Collins from Work & Co Photograph

Tips for launching a new creative venture

Is your dream for 2018 to finally launch your creative business? We asked four creative business owners (and CWC members) from a range of industries to share their top tips for getting a venture off the ground.

It’s never too late

Kellie Robinson, photographer and owner of Colour of Life Photography

Kellie Robinson Photo by Vicky Palmieri Photography

I am a lifestyle photographer based in Trafalgar, Gippsland, and I launched my business, Colour of Life Photography, in 2013. Photography has been my passion for—eek—25 years, but I fell into an unrelated field after my schooling. The arrival of my children made me determined to make my hobby a career. I still marvel that I get to do this every day and that I built this myself.

What do you wish you knew when you launched your business?

That I didn’t have to spend all the money and have all the gear. If I had kept it simple from the beginning and stuck with what my heart was telling me, I wouldn’t have done a big circle back to where I began (with lifestyle photography). By keeping it simple and perfecting the gear that I had, I would have saved a lot of money, time and effort. But then again, it brought me to where I am now, so all lessons are good, aren’t they?

What has been your biggest obstacle and how are you overcoming it?

Seeing myself as an artist. I studied photography when I was in high school but I never considered myself an artist. I can’t paint… I can’t draw… I just like taking photos. I still have that stuck in my brain. It took me over twenty years to call myself a photographer and I still pinch myself when I do, so baby steps for me I guess. In the meantime, I’m continuing to educate myself and practice my craft. If I have learnt anything, it is that it is never too late. It wasn’t too late for me to make my hobby a career and it won’t be too late for me to call myself an artist when the time comes.

What is the best advice you received when launching your business?

Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to seek out support from like-minded people. You don’t have to sit in solitude if you are a solo entrepreneur—there are so many supportive individuals out there to help you in all aspects of your business.   

Photo by Kellie Robinson

Delegate and trust

Suzan Freeman, owner of Where Things Happen letterpress print and design studio

My love of letterpress printing began in the 1990s while studying design at the University of Newcastle. After graduating, I escaped to Sydney and London, working in print (packaging, design and advertising) and later at integrated agencies. Since moving back to Newcastle and becoming a mother, my desire to build a business doing something I loved became very important to me. I thought it would mean saying adios to the long hours and stress of working for the big fellas (she says typing at 11pm on a Monday night).

In 2011, a designer friend and I found an 1852 Albion hand press for sale in a scrap metal yard on the outskirts of Newy. We fell in love. Since then, I have been gifted a 1920s Arab treadle press and managed to buy a black ball 1940s Heidelberg platen. I love working with each press, finding out about its individual abilities and temperaments. I also love collaborating with other creatives who have a passion for making things happen. Every day is different. I hope I never stop learning and evolving.

What do you wish you knew when you launched your business?

I wish I had more confidence in my own abilities. It’s taken many hours of unpaid work to develop the techniques and an understanding of each press; sometimes there aren’t enough hours in a day.

What has been your biggest obstacle and how are you overcoming it?

Knowledge. There are fewer and fewer people to ask. Some retired printers are amazing and have gone out of their way to help me, while others are simply not interested. Let’s face it, it’s a male dominated industry and I’m regularly asked if I have a handy boyfriend or husband (insert eye roll).

What is the best advice you received when launching your business?

You can’t do everything, so find help from people who are specialists in their own areas. Delegate and trust.

Letterpress work by Where Things Happen.

Don't take on projects that don't feel right

Allison Smith, architect and director of Studio 15b

Studio 15b is a small architecture and interior design practice. I started the business as the founding director in 2013. We aim to provide a practical approach with our small team giving personalised service and individual attention to each project. We have a wide variety of experience in residential, multi-residential and business fit-out projects.

What do you wish you knew when you launched your venture?

Being the sole director of the business means you can never totally switch off. It’s difficult to take a holiday without having to do some work and to keep one eye on the business. This is one aspect for people to consider before taking the big step of starting a business. On the reverse side, there are many advantages, such as having the flexibility to work the hours and times that suit my lifestyle. I’m very glad to have taken the plunge.

What has been your biggest obstacle, and how are you trying to overcome it?

Having a baby while running a business. I managed the hardest part by being extremely organised, having huge commitment to the challenge (working nights, weekends and any chance I got), dedicated staff plus a supportive husband and grandparents.

What is the best advice you received when launching your venture?

An older, wiser architect once said to me, 'Don’t take on projects that don’t feel right for whatever reason.' He said you are better off sitting on a beach earning nothing and enjoying life rather than dealing with people who don’t respect you or projects that are not adding value to your business in some way.

The Golf House project by Studio 15b. Photo by Christopher Frederick Jones