The importance of a professional headshot

You only have to spend a few minutes looking through LinkedIn to see how much of a difference a professional headshot can make. No longer are your shoes the first thing a person notices. We live in a visual time and your headshot is the new first impression.

Whether it’s Facebook, LinkedIn, Tinder or Instagram, different platforms have different audiences and therefore require different headshots. You know that photo of you drinking wine on the beach in Mexico? As good as you look in it, is not going to land you your dream job. I’m not saying that your professional headshot needs to show you sitting nice and straight in a sharp suit against a plain background — though that might work for an IT professional or a CEO — but even creatives like photographers and graphic designers need professional images, albeit with a little more creative license.

The beauty of working with a professional photographer to capture your headshot is that he or she will talk to you about your job and what style of image might suit your needs. You may need a few different styles to cover your online presence. Your photographer can help you determine what you need.

Some things to consider when thinking about your headshots are:

• What length images do you need? Some options include full length, head and shoulders, or waist up.

• Do you need a particular crop for your images? Some websites work best with a square crop, others with a standard crop.

• What industry are you pitching yourself to? Are you in a corporate environment where a plain background and a head-and-shoulders style image is common or do you work in a creative industry where more relaxed images are acceptable?

• Does your company have a style guide that needs to be adhered to? If so, are you able to obtain a copy to give to your photographer?

• If this is your first time in front of a professional photographer, consider hiring a stylist or makeup artist. While these are not necessary, they can make a big difference if you are unsure about what to wear or how to do your makeup to get the look you are after. Your photographer will be able to recommend stylists and makeup artists if you are interested.

Different industries tend toward different types of headshots.

‘Okay!’ you say, ‘but how do I choose the right photographer?’

Good question. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with whomever you choose. Ask friends for recommendations, then look online for examples of the photographer’s work or ask him or her to send you some examples. Talk to the photographer about the style or any reference images you have seen to give her a good understanding of what you are after. Questions to ask your photographer may be:

• How many outfit changes are included?

• How many images will I receive?

• Will they be edited?

• How long is the session?

• Will I receive both high-resolution (for print) and low-resolution (for online) image files?

Now have fun with it! Getting a headshot should not be a torturous experience. No one likes getting their photo taken but with the right photographer you’ll not only enjoy yourself, you’ll get some great images out of it, too.

Amanda Shackleton is a Melbourne-based emerging photographer with a focus on documentary-style imagery. She is currently exploring the relationship between people and their smartphones. To learn more about Amanda, visit her website or Facebook page, or follow her on Instagram (@amandashackletonphotography/).

Photography by Amanda Shackleton

What creatives need to know about the new Instagram algorithm

How does the Instagram algorithm work? This is a question I get asked a lot, as if I’m the KFC colonel with the secret herbs-and-spices recipe.

It’s only April and already there have already been so many changes. Each time I can’t help but shout ‘Instaaargghhh!’ in the hopes that Insta HQ hears me and stops meddling with the recipe.

So how do you keep up when you’ve also got a business to run and people to delight? It can be tough, so I’ve distilled what every creative should know about the algorithm along with five simple actions to take your Insta presence to the next level this year.

1. Engagement matters

There’s no way around it: Instagram is still growing fast and it’s becoming more and more saturated. More than 95 million photos are posted every day, but 70 percent of them are never even seen, let alone engaged with. This can be incredibly frustrating for anyone trying to grow her business.

For a long time now, the algorithm has been based mainly on engagement. This includes numbers of likes, comments, video views, saves, shared posts, DMs and any other type of interactions with a post. In a nutshell, when a post gets a lot of engagement, Instagram deems it high quality and engaging, so shows it more. This hasn’t changed, but it now also includes all the interactions you receive on Instagram Stories as well, such as views, replies and shares. In short, the more a user interacts with your stories, the more likely it is that your individual posts will also show up in her feed.

I also have a theory (but can’t confirm it) that variation in engagement type matters, too, to combat the fact that you can now easily buy thousands of likes or views in the time it takes to order a cup of coffee.

ACTION #1: TELL STORIES
If you haven’t got on the Stories bandwagon yet, it’s time to jump on board. Instagram Stories now has more than 300 million daily active users, almost double the number on Snapchat! More importantly, it’s a great way to connect with your followers and share a behind-the-scenes, unfiltered view of your business.

Here are some simple ways to maximise engagement with Stories:

• Share progress shots of work.

• If you’re self-branded (i.e., photographers and designers), don’t be afraid to share more human moments to give insight into who you are.

• If you sell products, use it as an opportunity to be transparent about your products and supply chain.

• Take advantage of built-in engagement opportunities, like the polling feature.

• Tell followers to ‘DM us for a 10% off code!’ (or similar). This is a great way to build relationships and drive people to your inbox, boosting engagement figures through more DMs.

• Include the ‘Swipe up’ option if you have a business account with more than ten thousand followers.

• Include links (again, only available if you have a business account with more than ten thousand followers).

2. Speed matters

Not only does the algorithm factor in the amount of love your post gets, it also cares how quickly you get it. If a post gets a lot of engagement shortly after it’s posted, this signals that it’s quality content, so the post will be shown to even more of your followers.

ACTION #2: POST DURING PEAK TIMES
Take two minutes right now to find out when your followers are most active, then schedule your posts during this time, when you’re most likely to get engagement.

To find this out, click on the Insights graph for your business account. Scroll down to Followers and click ‘See more’. At the bottom you can see when your followers are online each day, and at what times. Easy!

 3. Lingering matters

Since Facebook bought Instagram in 2012, it’s been rolling out features that ‘work’ in Facebook-to-Instagram, and this is one of them. It’s not just about how many people view your post, it’s about how long they view it for. So how do you stop followers in their tracks?

ACTION #3: SLOW IT DOWN
There are two simple ways to do this: write longer captions, and use more videos and carousel images.

If your post has an in-depth caption, your followers are more likely to actually read it or click the ‘more’ button, which increases the time spent on your post. Try spending a few minutes to write your captions for the entire week when you’re feeling creative or in the zone, then schedule them using a tool like Later or Planoly.

One of the reasons why videos perform so well in the Instagram algorithm is because they take longer to view than an image. So post more videos. If videos aren’t part of your visual strategy, try carousels (multiple-image posts) every now and again.

4. Hashtags matter

Instagram recently rolled out the ability to follow hashtags, which means your posts could show up automatically in the feeds of potential new followers. The downside is that users also have the power to mark your hashtagged content as irrelevant, marking it ‘Don’t show for this hashtag’ and potentially raising a red flag on your account.

ACTION #4: STAY RELEVANT
As we learned from the Shadowban scare last year, posting the same block of hashtags over and over can have a negative impact. Instead, switch it up and use hashtags that are hands-down relevant to what you’re posting.

Tools like Planoly or Later allow you to save a library of hashtag blocks. Or you can use this amazing hack using the text replacement setting in your phone.

5. Your interaction matters

I’m (sadly) not the KFC colonel with the secret recipe so can’t confirm this for sure, but it’s believed that Instagram may also restrict exposure based on your engagement with your followers. I know, keeping track of Instagram comments can be hard if you have a lot of followers, but to get engagement, you’ve got to give.

ACTION #5: STAY ON TOP OF COMMENTS
Social media should be just that: social. Treat comments like a conversation and avoid comments like ‘Great pic!’ or ‘Nice feed!’ that can be seen as coming from a robot.

Instead, include a question or some sort of meaningful response. At the very least, show some love with an emoji. Try to respond to comments within the first hour if possible, as this is likely to lead to more comments and, in turn, increase your post’s visibility.

Keep your eye on the prize

When using Instagram for your business — whatever your industry — your end goal should be to get customers to buy your products or services, not to increase followers. Sure, your initial aim might be to grow brand recognition or do more collaborations, but the overall aim is to grow revenue.

At the end of the day, the harsh reality is that your follower count is a vanity metric. Focus instead on measuring engagement and making incremental improvements as you go, and you’ll be well on your way to a strong, highly engaged account.

Courtney Goes is a Melbourne-based digital marketing and brand consultant with experience across a range of industries in Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Since leaving the corporate world in 2016, she’s been on a mission to help women make smarter marketing decisions to elevate their businesses and personal brands through simple, effective strategies. Working mostly with creatives, freelancers, and female-owned startups and small businesses, she provides clarity, structure and accountability to get real, tangible results. She has also launched Marketing Emporium, a resource hub designed to provide simple and straightforward marketing advice. Contact her at courtneygoes.com

Event recap: Five things you need to know about starting a socially aware business...

...and other things I learned at the CWC x NGV Design Week event.

On a balmy autumn night at the Melbourne Bowls Club, I joined a group of CWC members, eager to hear the experiences of women who have set out to be socially aware by design. Perhaps it was the Remedy Kombucha we were all drinking, but there was a real buzz in the air as host and CWC Board Member, Annette Wagner, introduced a panel of talented business women in-the-know: Mindy Leow from not-for-profit, B Lab AU & NZ; Karina Dea, co-founder of Tank creative agency; and Roz Campbell of social enterprise, Tsuno, selling disposable sanitary products.

L - R: Roz Campbell (Tsuno), Katrina Dea (Tank Creative), Mindy Leow (B Lab), Netti Burke (CWC)

If you’re a small business owner like me, you may have asked yourself what role social awareness plays in your business model. Feeling overwhelmed by the size of the social challenge, the extensive range of ethical certifications available and the need to balance profit and purpose, you probably find yourself frequently stuck staring at a computer screen, thinking it might be time to throw in the sanitary towel. It’s not so long ago that finding a suitable ethical framework for your business was like trying to find a bobby pin in your handbag. But I have good news, fellow creatives. The times, they are a changin’, and our panel of speakers told us how they’ve managed to not only escape the daily corporate grind, but also find a way to make social equality an integral part of their business.  

So, whether you’re just starting out with your side hustle; or your business is bursting with product, people and profit; there’s no time like the present to consider how you can be more socially aware. Here are my top 5 take-outs from the event to whet your appetite, plus some illustrated graphic recordings from Zahra Zainal...
 

1. Big change happens through small businesses.

Although the challenge of social inequality at times seems insurmountable, a wise person once said “eat the elephant one bite at a time”. Or, as I like to think of it, solve social inequality one small business at a time. We, as women, know how to get the job done, and through our individual creative talents, leadership and business endeavours, we can move mountains.
 

2. As excited as you are to get this thing started, you should probably do some planning first.

It’s worth taking the time to do research and think about your values before you begin. Knowing what you stand for helps you to create a framework for your business, make decisions that align to your ‘why’ and attract like-minded people. Think about what skills you may need to learn or seek from others before you begin, such as accounting, marketing and distribution. You might find it helpful to sign-up for a government lead mentoring program, or join a community of entrepreneurs and creatives, like CWC.
 

3. Not only is social awareness important for people and the planet, your customers will thank you for it

Through crowd-funding, Roz engaged an army of women who were not only willing to buy her product, they also became champions for her cause. Karina has found that encouraging women to be part of her team through flexible work hours, benefits not only women and their families, but the community at large. Focusing on For-Purpose clients, her team regularly gets to hear their stories and solve their problems. Bcorp have found that there is such thing as profit AND purpose- it doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game. Consumers are starting to demand more responsible products and being socially aware is actually attracting more customers.
 

4. Believe it or not, there is a way to measure and certify your business with just one tool.  

BCorp’s Impact Assessment is a holistic, free tool to apply to your business if you’re ready to acknowledge that whilst good intentions are, well, good… action is even better. It allows you to not only do a thorough review of your own business, but also benchmark yourself against other businesses. You don’t have to achieve 100% to become certified, but continuous improvement is the name of the game, and recertification occurs every 2 years.
 

5. You’ll need some resilience when your first year profits make less than a bake sale.

Unfortunately, a solid idea and funding don’t get you everywhere. You’ll need a good dose of grit and determination too in order to get through the challenges of the first year (and let’s be honest, all the hurdles you’ll face after that too). Like many businesses starting out, Tsuno struggled to turn a profit in its first year. Roz found it hard, and really disheartening. But, that was 2014, and she has found that keeping her ‘why’ at the forefront of her business, and having the determination to press-on, has helped her achieve growth with an international audience, partner with several respected charities including One Girl, and develop her product range to introduce 100% certified organic cotton tampons.

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Keen to know more? You should definitely follow CWC on Facebook or Instagram for your regular dose of creative, butt-kicking inspiration and digital connection with like-minded women. And if you are a paid-up member who missed the event and wants to catch up, check out the podcast here. If you're not a member, join now to catch up on this event and many others, as well as benefiting from a host of other member benefits you can find out more about here!

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Sarah Knop is a sometimes arty-type, marketer, globetrotter and vegetable gardener; always mum to Mabel and wife to Ben. She lives in Melbourne where she works for Salvos Stores and is the Creative & Owner of Folkhouse, a styling service, designing beautiful, functional and sustainable interiors and events. For more about Sarah, visit her website or find her on Instagram, LinkedIn or Pinterest.

Illustrations by Zahra Zainal. Visit her website or find her on instagram.

How to choose the best platform for your website

When it comes to designing a website for your business, which platform should you choose? To keep it simple, I’ve narrowed it down to the three platforms I use most: Squarespace, Shopify and WordPress.

Most likely, you want a website that will promote your business, generate leads and ultimately sell your products or services. It might be tempting to only focus on what you want your website to look like — and aesthetics are indeed important to generate an emotional response. But your website ultimately needs to convert visitors into customers, and for this it needs to work well.

What would you like people to do on your website?

Take some time to reflect on the following questions when you start planning your website:

• What do you think potential customers need to see and read to start engaging with you?

• What do you want them to do (such as buy something, sign up, make a booking, etc.)?

• Is there anything you are likely to need in the future?

Once you work out what you need on your website, you will be better able to assess which platform will be most suitable, both in terms of design and functionality.

Squarespace website for Creative Women’s Circle, created by CWC board members

How tech savvy are you?

Assuming you will DIY your website, think about how comfortable you are online, especially when it comes to:

• custom design

• CMS (Content Management System) interface

• customer support

All three platforms offer both free and paid ‘themes’ (or ‘templates’, as they’re called in Squarespace), which you can customise to a certain point using the CMS.

If you choose a Shopify or WordPress theme, make sure you do so from a reputable source. Read reviews and check the developers. The theme needs to be well coded and well supported; otherwise you might end up with a slow site and conflicting plugins.

As far as interface is concerned, WordPress has the steepest learning curve and, unless you have access to a developer, you are pretty much on your own! Being an open source platform, it requires you to take care of everything to build a website. There are lots of how-to resources out there, but think about how keen you are to learn and how much time you have.

Wordpress website for the Grace Files, created by Studio Manusha

Squarespace and Shopify, on the other hand, are ‘hosted’ platforms, which means that not only do they take care of the technical side of things, but they also provide customer support. This is part of your subscription fee, so make the most of it! There is a certain comfort in knowing you are not alone.

Note that with these hosted solutions, you need an active subscription to run your site and you cannot download a full copy of your site. If you decide later to leave Squarespace or Shopify, you will be able to download some of the content but you will need to rebuild your website. You cannot just switch to another host.

Shopify website for Maapilim, created by TVP NYC

So, what do I recommend?

Squarespace is a great solution if you are just starting out, need an information or portfolio website and are on a tight budget.

Advantages:

• Squarespace offers a good range of templates that you can customise with your branding.

• All templates are responsive and work well on all devices.

• There is enough functionality to set up beautiful pages, have a blog, build a mailing list and even run an online store.

• The drag-and-drop interface will appeal to those who are not tech savvy, and you won’t need to worry about technical maintenance or updates, which are included in your subscription.

Limitations:

• You have to work within their templates and functionality, which can be frustrating if you want something specific.

• On the e-commerce side of things, it is not possible at the moment to display multiple currencies, which can be an issue if you sell internationally.

Despite these limitations, the initial investment (in time and money) is usually lower than with other platforms and you can achieve great results.

Shopify is best for retailers. Whether you already have a brick-and-mortar store or are just selling online, Shopify is a comprehensive e-commerce platform.

Advantages:

• It is easy to navigate your way around.

• There are lots of themes available to purchase and customise, and with so many apps to choose from (including free ones), you can really push your online store.

• Unlike with Squarespace, you can access and modify code to design and develop custom layouts. You may need a pro for this but there are plenty of Shopify ‘experts’ available.

Limitations:

• The focus is on the products and the homepage. Any other page apart from those can be bland and a bit difficult to manage, though there is the customization option noted above.

WordPress will suit you best if you want flexibility and are tech savvy.

Advantages:

• You can essentially do anything!

Limitations:

• The flexibility often requires more time and more expertise. However, you can always get help for the initial setup and then learn to manage the site yourself once it is up and running.

Emmanuelle Harrington has been a website producer for more than twenty years. Her focus is on helping small creative businesses find their voice and connect with audiences by creating beautiful websites and providing personalised training. Based in the Adelaide Hills, she works with clients all around Australia. Visit her at studiomanusha.com or follow her on Instagram (@studiomanusha).

The not-so-romantic realities of slow living in isolation: part 1

‘Your life is so idyllic!’

I get this a lot. People contacting me on social media, commenting on the ‘dream life’ we appear to be living out here on the land. In most cases, it truly is, but I find the hardships of this life are often missed in those twelve perfectly colour-coordinated squares and fifteen-second story snippets. So, in response, I thought I’d use this opportunity to shine a light on the not-so-romantic realities of life on the land, in a shed, with a toddler and a whole lot of big plans to get done on one (and a bit) income.

‘I’ve always dreamed of living the “slow life”.’

Yep, me too, until I realised that ‘slow’ is sometimes snail’s pace.

When we moved home to our land, I had this image of us wandering down to the orchard and vegie garden to collect basket-loads of our own sustainably grown produce, to cook in our beautiful custom-made kitchen, in our self-built, solar-powered house. Naively I expected to be living this glorious kinfolk-esque life within the space of a year. It’s been over three now and we’re still in the shed, waiting on council approval and for finances to fall into place, with fruit trees in buckets and vegies growing out of an old boat. It’s fine, if a little frustrating at times, and we’re comfortable, but the reality of living on one (and a bit) income, while both working and raising a small human, means things move a lot slower than what’s often portrayed. It makes me wonder how many people start out with a similar dream, only to throw a few kids in the mix and end up still living in a shed/caravan/bus ten years later.

‘It must be so rewarding growing your own food.’

Watching Dusty play in our boat garden, shoving fistfuls of tomatoes and figs into his tiny mouth and toddling out each morning, basket in hand, to collect the daily lay, is pretty special. To know he’s learning the valuable lessons of growing and reaping your own at such a young age certainly is rewarding. Unfortunately, when it comes to our livestock, these rewards come at a price. I’ve come to learn that with life comes death, an inevitable part of farming.

Lily and Dusty

We got our calves when they were about one month old. It took weeks for them to stop calling out for their mummas, lowing all night long. It was heartbreaking. But Jono did a pretty good job of playing mum, waking up at 5am each morning, mixing up milk powder and slowly teaching each of them how to suckle from a bottle. Seeing him in the frosty grass softly coo, cooing and telling them they’d be okay was beautiful. Sadly, one little bull just wouldn’t take the teat. I’ll not forget watching Jono walk down the hill, rifle over shoulder, and soon after hearing a CRACK, knowing tiny Eric was gone. Jono didn’t cry; he never does. I guess I do enough of it for us both.

‘How wonderful to live in the bush with all that space.’

Dusty loves to watch the birds waking up the world: warbling Maggies, squabbling Galas and the screek of our very own, very rare and endangered flock of Black Cockies. I used to take Dusty down to the neighbour’s paddock, to watch the sunrise as the mist rolled in from the lake. There were usually a few roos and their joeys bouncing around on wobbling legs, rocketing off in unintended directions. We’d take our dog Keith and he’d try his very best not to chase the wallabies as they thumped through the undergrowth. Lately, however, we’ve had to stop because of the tiny, itchy, scratchy, swollen lumpy ticks that leave welts that irritate for weeks.

Another reality of farm life is the culling of kangaroos. Roos eat grass. Lots of grass. And when your livelihood depends on having enough to feed your cattle, most of the time — and irrespective of who was here first— the roos lose the battle. Our neighbour has recently begun to use his shotgun at this time of morning; feeling the giant BOOM resonate through our tiny shed house walls has seriously turned me off going anywhere near his property.

‘Your shed house looks like a dream. I’d love to simplify our life like that.’

Lily working in her home studio

There’s a reason why most people don’t live in sheds. Irrespective of how beautiful your floors are and how much sunlight pours in through the skylights, they’re hot, airless and — when you live, work and sleep in two rooms — a little claustrophobic at times.

In saying all this, I’d hate for anyone to think I don’t appreciate all I have because, let’s be honest, we’re safe and warm, and are giving our boy the best possible start at life we could ever imagine. I guess I’m just wary of a world in which we’re all constructing some version of ourselves we wish to share, hiding the bits that aren’t so romantic. I’m not sure it’s what I want to be part of anymore. And I have a sneaking suspicion that all that pretentiousness I thought I’d escaped in moving home has slowly made its way back into my life through the endless scroll and double-tap of everyday life.

Lily Nicholson lives with her little family on a seaside farm on the far south coast of NSW. Working from her home studio nestled amongst the trees, she explores colour palettes and mark-making processes while using a range of media including watercolour, gouache, acrylic, collage, crayon, pen and pencil. For more about Lily, visit her website or follow her on Instagram (@lilyjohannah).

Top image by Sam Riles (samrilesphotography.com and on Instagram at @samrilephotography and @weddingsbysam)

Center and bottom images by Michael French (frenchy.com.au and on Instagram at @frenchyphoto)

CWC Spotlight: Rhonda Pryor, visual artist

Last month we introduced a new monthly feature in which we profile one of our amazing CWC members. Following from our interview with long-time member Louise Jones, we thought it would be fitting to turn the spotlight onto a brand-new member. We hope you’ll love learning about Rhonda Pryor, her work and her creative path as much as we did!

What do you do or make?

I make 2 and 3D artwork and installations in which used textiles are often a feature. My work always relates to memory in some way, and sometimes I include photography in the mix somewhere. I find memory a limitless source of possibility. I also teach workshops.

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

I originally trained in fashion design, worked in the industry for several years, and then studied painting and photography at the College of Fine Arts (now UNSW Art and Design). It wasn’t until returning to university to do my Masters of Fine Art that my choice of medium changed (or, more accurately, returned) to textiles. It was then I found my interests really lay in ideas of time, and how we interpret memory. Textile is the perfect medium for this.

What does a typical day involve for you?

After duly processing and dispatching the family, I generally do a bit of email catch-up in my pyjamas before getting some exercise out of the way. Family admin follows, and then I’ll typically re-jig my to-do list and get down to writing (proposals, workshops, etc.) or continue working in the studio on whatever I’m involved in. I tend to get bogged down in research but once I’m in studio mode it’s hard to stop. I find it difficult to manage studio time, teaching, admin and all the other stuff that goes along with running an art practice. Somehow it all gets done, though. Evenings are generally taken up with family stuff but I do tend to continue with some writing, research or studio work in between.

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

I had the most amazing residency in Japan in 2016 (funded by a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts), learning about indigo, shibori dye methods, silk harvesting and making, and antique Japanese textiles. It really resonated with my practice of employing used fabric into my work, sifting through notions of memory and personal and cultural value.

Detail of Armchair Critic, by Rhonda Pryor

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

Not trying to be perfect. In fact, I’ve learned to value imperfection more and more. I’ve always loved wonky, odd or mismatched things. Now I have an outlet for it! In any case, trying to be perfect only clams you up, stifles your creativity and makes you a miserable stress-head. Use your mistakes as a method of discovery, another way to do things, a different direction, a new product…

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to manage my time better so I can spend more time making in the studio. I’m always looking for time management tools to help in this regard. After much trial and error, I think I’m at last getting some procedures in order that (thankfully) work for me and my lifestyle. I’m also working toward more exhibitions and artist residencies.

What are you or have you recently enjoyed...

...watching?   The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale. Completely sucked in.
...reading?   Working Class Man, Working Class Boy, Alone in Berlin, The Last Girl. I lean toward nonfiction, or fiction based on reality.
...listening to?  Radio National interviews. The radio is always on, unless I have serious thinking to do and need silence to hear myself think. My husband has the most amazing musical ear so we have lots of styles we listen to, but in the studio it’s Radio National.

Can you list for us your top resources across any media for creative inspiration? 

In print media, Selvedge Magazine. Online, it’s Trend Tablet, Garland Magazine, Hiut Denim’s newsletter. All full of inspiring stuff.

What drew you to become a member of CWC?

I wanted to mingle with like-minded individuals with a view to possible collaborations, expanding my profile and gathering business tips and ideas.

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?

Mistakes are learning tools. Learn from them and find a way to use them to your advantage. Also, trust your own judgment. If you believe it’s good, it is. It’s your vision, not someone else’s. That said, always be receptive to constructive criticism. You can choose to reject it but always listen. Listening is underrated.

To learn more about Rhonda and her work, visit www.rhondapryor.com and www.rhondapryor.wordpress.com.

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).

How to apply for a residency

I completed my Bachelor degree in 1990 in Ceramic Design and spent my first year post-uni as a resident artist at the Meat Market Craft Gallery in North Melbourne. I left clay for some time after that when family became my focus and have only seriously returned to ceramics in the last ten years. When I first returned, I found it quite difficult to find my place in the world of art. I entered competitions and applied for galleries and was repeatedly knocked back.

I decided that I needed something more substantial on my resume. I had read about other artists doing residencies. I wanted to gain a broader overview of my art form, see what other artists were doing in clay. I felt passionate about taking time out, away from the distractions of the day-to-day to focus solely on my art.

As many of us know, the minute you have children, personal space and time vanish into thin air. But my two children were now old enough to cope without me for a few weeks… surely.

I began researching art residencies. I was looking for a supportive environment that would allow me my own space and time to develop new artwork. For my first residency, I ruled out any that required me to present a workshop or talk. At first, it seemed like a daunting prospect and the usual doubts reared their ugly heads: Am I too old? Am I good enough? Am I fooling myself? But the most difficult question was, how am I going to tell my husband that he is not coming with me?

Before applying, I scrutinised each residency's web page and looked up artists who had previously attended. I was looking for a professional standard; I wanted to make sure that the residency attracted high-calibre artists and was run in a professional manner.

I decided to apply for AIR Vallauris, a ceramic (and now other art media) artist-in-residence program in the south of France. I may have been swayed by romantic visions of champagne, baguettes and fromage. When I finally pushed 'send', I was excited and scared all at the same time. I didn’t tell anyone I had applied, as I didn’t really think I would be accepted. But to my surprise, I received an acceptance email. I was really going to France. At that point, I realised I hadn’t actually told my husband yet (whoops!) but I knew he would be 100-percent supportive.

Raku firing in India

So, I spent six weeks in the south of France where Picasso had his ceramic studio, working with three other artists from the United States, Korea and the Netherlands in two studios that were wonderfully historic and very quaint. We worked hard during the day in the studio, and at night or on our days off we travelled around the area, drinking wine, eating the most amazing food and having the wonderful experiences. We were motivated and invigorated, and produced many artworks.

Sally teaching a workshop in Seto, Japan

I have since attended eleven other ceramic art residencies. That first one in France was the first —and the last—time I had to fund myself. Subsequent residencies have all been partially or fully funded and I am so thankful to have had these opportunities to grow as an artist. The hundreds of artists who I have worked with over the years have led to a huge network of support and career development opportunities.

If you are thinking about applying for a residency, here are a few tips based on my experience. 

• Be brave.
  Yes, you are worthy. No, you are not too old/young. Yes, you will love it. No, it’s not scary. You will make some of the greatest friends, and the time and experience will support your art-making in such a positive way.
  

• Do your research.
  Check the residency website and the artists who have previously attended. There are residencies out there for everyone. Try looking at http://www.resartis.org/en/ for a start.
  

• Check the costs.
  Make sure they are clearly stated on the website, and remember to convert to Australian currency. If the residency is funded, make sure you present a professional looking application (to be discussed in a future post).
  

• Clarify the accommodation details.
  Make sure accommodation is included in the residency cost and clarify if you will be sharing a room. If want your own room, you can usually ask and they may charge you just a little extra.
  

• Think about the dates.
  I went to France and Japan in winter, which was okay for me as I don’t mind the cold, but it may not be for everyone!
  

• Find out what materials and equipment are included.
  Some residencies pay for all materials and some require you to purchase them.
  

• Make sure the studio space suits your work.
  If you are a painter, is there enough wall space or easels for the size of the work you want to create? If you’re a ceramic artist, is there a kiln available and access to glaze materials? Ask if you will you work by yourself or with others in the studio space.
  

• Clarify what is required of you.
  Do you have to bring work with you to exhibit? Are you required to donate all or some of the work you make during the residency (usually required in China)?
  

• Find out if you are you required to give a presentation or workshop.
  If you are, clarify who your audience will be. Don’t be afraid of presentations as many organisations include a community aspect in their programs to help them obtain funding. They are usually quite fun.
  

• Don’t ever let a knock-back get you down.
  Just improve your application and apply to another residency, or apply again in the next round. I have been refused as many times as I have accepted.

Sally Walk is a ceramic artist. She holds a Bachelor of Art (Ceramic Design) and a Post Grad Diploma of Education. She has been working in clay for more than thirty years and creates sculptural work in stoneware and porcelain clays. Sally has attended twelve ceramic art residencies all over the world and has held six solo exhibitions and more than thirty group exhibitions. She was selected to exhibit at the Tokyo Art Fair in Japan, Art Melbourne, and the Florence Biennale in Italy, where she was awarded the ‘Lorenzo il Magnifico’ first prize for ceramics. For more about Sally, visit her website or follow her on Instagram (@sally_walk).