In conversation with Kip&Co
Kate Heppell is one of the Co-founders and Co-Creative Directors of Kip&Co. She grew up in Upwey in the Dandenong Ranges and Caulfield and went to St Margarets in Berwick. Straight after school she went to Melbourne University for the next 6 years, where she did Commerce / Arts. Kip&Co began 7 years ago and is been based in Collingwood / Abbotsford.
Kate Heppell is one of the Co-founders and Co-Creative Directors of Kip&Co. She grew up in Upwey in the Dandenong Ranges and Caulfield and went to St Margarets in Berwick. Straight after school she went to Melbourne University for the next 6 years, where she did Commerce / Arts. Kip&Co began 7 years ago and is been based in Collingwood / Abbotsford.
Tell us about how you got into this industry…
After Uni I worked as an accountant for 2 years. After that, Hayley (another Kip&Co Co-founder and my sister) opened an awesome little health food store, café and yoga studio called Sprout Health Store & Organic Grocer in Hawthorn which we ran for 5 years. I then worked as the Business Manager of the Melbourne fashion label, Obus. A few years later I had my first son, Hayley and I were ready for another business, and alongside Alex, we loved homewares and felt the industry was prepared for a bit of colour disruption. And so, Kip&Co was born.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I work 2 full days (with no kids – all are at school or with a nanny); 1 from our Melbourne office and 1 from Barwon Heads at Hayley’s home. The day is Barwon Heads is devoted purely to design. This is essential. My day in Melbourne with the team is more about what’s going on that week, what’s coming up, strategizing over all types of business ideas we have brewing, meetings with collab partners, but primarily we spend a chunk of time with each senior staff member and go over exactly what’s happening in their area of the business. It’s an enjoyable day each week. We love our team of ladies.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Hands down the juggle between work and family. The hard bit comes when I actually love my job (!!) but also love multiple days a week with my little kids and don’t like them going into too much care. Sometimes work is bottlenecking but my days with the kids are just so precious to me, and so I have to work late at night after they crash out. I know that I am only in the thick of it with 3 young kids, and it is getting a little bit easier every year. Eventually, I hope to not work at night (too much).
Best creative memory?
We absolutely loved our collaboration with Desert Designs where we got to work with original artworks by Jimmy Pike. And our multiple collaborations with May Gibbs as her mass of art is just heaven to look through and of course, play with and recreate.
What do you love best about your job?
Doing collaborations like those just mentioned and working alongside my 2 best friends!
What do you get up to when not working?
All types of family activities and we love-love-love travelling with the kids. Whether it be in Australia or overseas, it is these pockets of time with our little people that my husband and I just crave and enjoy so intensely.
What’s on the horizon for the future?
We have a couple of collabs in the pipe-works that have us all really inspired at the moment. And as for travel, I am off to Borneo with my husband and kids for 2 weeks late June, so we are all counting down the sleeps until that moment.
If you had any creative business advice, what would it be?
Say YES – to everything. Kip&Co was really founded on this mantra, and I really stand by it. We don’t say Yes to absolutely everything anymore, but honestly, we do most of the time.
If you could be anyone else for a day, who would it be and why?
I have wracked my brain, but I really am just so happy in my own skin. No one comes to mind. I think it would be suitable for all people to walk in the shoes of someone from a real minority group for a day. I guess I’d do that. Empathy is a hard thing to teach, but maybe this would help us all have it within in a more profound way.
So you want to teach?
I have been teaching Communication Design for nearly 15 years and friends who have established creative careers often ask me, ‘how do I get into teaching?’
Teaching can come up as a career option when you’re ready to give back a little or are looking to join the gig economy. Teaching can be a flexible option when you need hours that work around kids or freelance clients.
Teaching can also obviously be a full time career that can complement your creative practice. It can be fulfilling and rewarding at any level of education. But what are the first steps you need to take, to get your foot in the door?
Jane Connory at the lectern, speaking at Design Tasmania's Women in Design conference. (Photo credit: Claire Beale)
I have been teaching Communication Design for nearly 15 years and friends who have established creative careers often ask me, ‘how do I get into teaching?’
Teaching can come up as a career option when you’re ready to give back a little or are looking to join the gig economy. Teaching can be a flexible option when you need hours that work around kids or freelance clients.
Teaching can also obviously be a full time career that can complement your creative practice. It can be fulfilling and rewarding at any level of education. But what are the first steps you need to take, to get your foot in the door?
Getting a start as a teacher in creative fields, like art and design, really depends on what level of our education system you are interested in. Your required qualification is directly co-related to the level of accreditation the students you want to teach are working towards.
For example, teaching a painting or sewing class at the local Community Arts Centre generally requires no qualification. However, working with children under the age of 18 requires a current ‘Working with Children Check’ or ‘Blue Card’. This is something you can apply for at the local post office or online and it differs in each state and territory in Australia but most cost under $100. You must go through a police check and it has to be regularly updated.
Most local council websites will have a listing of all their Community Arts Centres and the spaces and facilities they have available. You might find full computer labs, ceramics studios, kitchens, gallery spaces, community gardens, retail spaces and wet and dry studios. Generally you need to just get in touch with their programs coordinator and simply propose a program to teach.
I often taught illustration classes, folio preparation classes, ‘make your own magazine’ and other crafty classes in the school holiday programs when my children were babies. These classes were all pitched at primary and secondary school levels and were most successful when the kids got to take a completed masterpiece home.
Collaborative installation by the students at Billy Blue College of Design for Melbourne's White Night
Teaching at TAFE level is a different kettle of fish. TAFEs (Technical and Further Education) in Australia have a proud legacy of teaching highly accessible and practical courses that often fall into the realm of VET (Vocational Education and Training). However, all TAFE courses must exist somewhere on the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and be audited by the government to make sure they are legit. As a result the way skills and knowledge is transferred and the qualifications of those teaching are regulated. So to deliver classes at a TAFE you’ll need to have a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and ideally a qualification in the area you’d like to teach.
You can find these Cert IV courses everywhere. They can be done face-to-face or online and can cost anywhere from $800 to $6,000. So keep looking until you find one that meets the logistical and financial requirements of your life. You’ll learn how to plan, deliver and assess classes, understand how adults learn and be introduced to online learning platforms.
Jane Connory has enjoyed teaching design at Monash University. (Photo credit: Jane Connory)
Then there is teaching at Universities. Here the demand on your qualifications is again increased. Universities generally offer Bachelor, Masters and Doctorate (eg. PhD) Degrees which also exist on the AQF. The rule here is that you must have a qualification above what you teach. For example if you want to teach in a Bachelor Degree, you need a qualification above it—which on the AQF is anything from a Bachelor Honours Degree, Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Masters Degree or Doctoral Degree.
Classes in large Universities have access to world class facilities and students from all around the world. They still often operate in the traditional form of lectures, tutorials and studio sessions. Yet, if you attended University in Australia prior to 2000, class rooms will appear a lot more diverse that you remember. During the new millennium, governments up-capped the number of graduates entering many creative industries and encouraged international students to study in Australia. It is exciting how this accessibility to Higher Education has benefitted the influences and voices you can now experience in University classrooms.
There are also options to pursue teaching at Primary and Secondary Schools. Some of the smartest people I have ever met completed a Diploma of Education straight after their Undergraduate Degree. They had the option of teaching any time during their career however, DipEds are no longer a thing which is disappointing. You now have to now do another two years, after your Bachelors Degree, to get a Masters of Teaching for either Primary or Secondary Teaching to become an accredited teacher.
Teaching at a local Community Arts Centre then TAFE and then at several Universities has been the journey that my personal teaching career has taken. The subjects I have taught have been built on my professional experiences in the graphic design industry. The flexibility of sessional teaching has allowed me to build a career around my children, but as a result I have regularly had to update my qualifications to keep in toe with my ambition. The renumeration has always been good and the other teachers and students have been the best part of my experience. I highly recommend the jump if you really want to teach.
Teaching gives you opportunities to build a profile and speak at industry events. (Photo credit: Jane Connory)
Meet Gaye Naismith
Where did you grow up, and what was it like?
I grew up in a town called Whangarei in New Zealand’s north. It has lots of beautiful coastlines. I spent lots of time at the beach. I left school at the end of my 16th year, then, returned to study in my early thirties as a mature age student. I have a BA Hons in Film Studies and an MA in Visual Culture both from Monash Uni. I also have a CertIII in Small Business and a CertIV in Training and Assessment.
Where did you grow up, and what was it like?
I grew up in a town called Whangarei in New Zealand’s north. It has lots of beautiful coastlines. I spent lots of time at the beach. I left school at the end of my 16th year, then, returned to study in my early thirties as a mature age student. I have a BA Hons in Film Studies and an MA in Visual Culture both from Monash Uni. I also have a CertIII in Small Business and a CertIV in Training and Assessment.
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I run The Gaye Abandon School of Sewing and Upcycling. I live and work in Footscray and recently moved my business from a tiny Victorian shopfront to more spacious premises nearby. The school offers sewing workshops and courses that cater to all skill levels, ages and genders. In keeping with my personal ethos, the school promotes sewing as a sustainable practice. We do this by encouraging the use of thrift and remnant textiles and sewing notions wherever possible and offering workshops in mending, alteration and upcycling that help students to rethink and reduce consumption of textiles. I also try to maintain the creative practice of clothes making and abstract stitching.
Tell us about your career
For the past 4 years, I have been a sewing teacher, working both in my own business and for community organisations and other small businesses. Before launching my sewing school in 2017, I had another business for 10 years, creating hand made accessories, homewares and garments from mostly upcycled textiles. I sold these at markets, online and wholesale under the labels Gaye Abandon and Body Parts Winter Accessories.
During and after my studies, I worked at ACMI as a film cataloguer and CSO. In my twenties, before I returned to study, I pursued my interests in photography and sewing and supported myself with all kinds of odd jobs, including hospitality roles and as a milliner’s assistant.
How did you get into this industry?
After 10 years of hand making products created from recycled textiles at a micro-business level, I needed a change. I started teaching a few sewing classes at Laneway Learning in late 2015 then, over the course of 2016 shifted from making and selling product into full – time teaching.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
In this business, you need to offer classes when most people aren’t at their day jobs, so I work evenings and weekends. I’m very lucky to have two amazing makers-- Aly Peel and Zoe Gymer-Waldron-- along with a few guest teachers, who carry some of the teaching load. During the day on weekdays I’m doing the multitude of things that need to be done when you’re a sole trader – admin, fielding calls, answering emails, processing bookings, updating the website with forthcoming classes, promoting the business via social media, making and putting up posters, prepping for classes-- the list goes on!
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
Probably the challenge I’m facing now, which is how to work less in and on the business and set aside more time for creative practice. While I love the flexibility of having my own business, I often find the workload and responsibility overwhelming. With the move to my new space, the ‘to-do’ list has ramped up even more. I’m in my late fifties now and at a stage in my life where I crave more space and time for creativity.
With the help of a business mentor (Jane Vandermeer also a CWC member), I am working on strategies to reduce my personal workload while running a successful sewing school.
Best creative memory?
A recent one-- In March this year, I went on a textile tour (retreat I recreate) to Morocco with a wonderful group of women. One of the highlights (there were many) was taking a book-binding workshop in the old medina in Fez, Morocco with Craft Draft. It was a beautiful morning with the sun streaming in and the sounds of the old town below. We drank mint tea and learnt leather embossing and stamping along with Coptic stitches to create the binding.
What do you love best about your job?
The flexibility that running my own creative business affords. While there is always a long to-do list, I can choose to take time out when I need too. For instance, I wouldn’t give up my Friday morning yoga class for anything! I find teaching sewing skills to adults and kids very rewarding, especially when they have breakthroughs and start getting really passionate about sewing as a means of creating a more sustainable lifestyle.
What do you get up to when not working?
I spend as much time as I can at a wee house my partner and I are renovating in the Yarra Valley. It’s so beautiful up there-- especially at this time of year. Our place is right by the Warburton Rail Trail, so when we’re not renovating, we’re walking or gardening. Country life and being in nature is so calming and re-invigorating.
What’s on the horizon for the future?
Hopefully, much more time for sewing!
If you could be anyone else for a day, who would it be and why?
Probably my longest-time friend, New Zealand artist Kim Pieters (http://kimpietersstudio.com/). I met her when we studied photography together in the late seventies. She’s an abstract painter living in Dunedin. I admire her total commitment to her artistic life despite the financial cost. She paints every morning, walks or cycles in the afternoon-- always with camera in hand, reads philosophy in the evenings and is one of the most content people I know!
Social media check-up for your business
What exactly had happened? I had been so inspired, so committed, so diligent! An active social media user, a devotee to producing beautiful content and engaging with my audience. I suppose the romance wore off, or I burnt myself out? Over time my enthusiasm lessened, my focus shifted elsewhere and I realised I was simply taking social media for granted. Accounts that once received daily attention were now gathering virtual dust. I had fallen out of love with my businesses social media accounts.
What exactly had happened? I had been so inspired, so committed, so diligent! An active social media user, a devotee to producing beautiful content and engaging with my audience. I suppose the romance wore off, or I burnt myself out? Over time my enthusiasm lessened, my focus shifted elsewhere and I realised I was simply taking social media for granted. Accounts that once received daily attention were now gathering virtual dust. I had fallen out of love with my businesses social media accounts.
When was the last time you gave your social media accounts a check up? Are you guilty of a set and forget approach too? I couldn’t remember when I had last fine tuned each platform. Yet these platforms had grown my email list, brought me numerous clients, made most of my sales and offered up unexpected opportunities like collaborations and speaking events. All rather good reasons to reengage with the online corners of my business. The only thing for it was to make myself a to do list and make it a priority.
Whatever your platform/s of choice, use these steps to service your online presence and refresh your virtual image. My online business presence consists of a website with a shop and blog, a Facebook page and Instagram feed. I generally access these from my phone or tablet, however I find a tune up is best achieved with a laptop, a cuppa, notepaper and pen.
1. Update
Whatever platforms you use and whatever your device of choice, ensure your software is updated to the latest version so you aren’t missing out on any functionality or resolved glitches.
2. Compare
Open all your sites in tabs and compare them. Are the aesthetics consistent across each site? Are they speaking the same visual language? Is your branding strong? Make note - what do you like, what do you want to change?
3. Delete
Be ruthless and give your sites a good pruning. Old sales posts on IG, images that don’t fit in with your look, items that flopped. Delete, delete, delete. Give new customers the very best impression by letting go of anything you wouldn’t happily repost.
4. Refresh
An updated bio, a new head shot, seasonal banners, there are lots of simple ways to refresh your social media feeds to reengage interest and generate more clicks. Perhaps a new blog theme or some professional product shots will get you excited about spending time in your online spaces.
5. Check links
Click around on each site and check for broken or outdated links. Ask a friend to send you a message on your Contact form. Test your mailing list sign up forms.
6. Research
Take a look at your competition, are they doing anything new or interesting? Choose a few of your current customers and see what hashtags they are using. Use google to check the top hashtags in your niche. Fall down the rabbit hole and make note of new hashtags to trial.
7. Plan
Create a realistic plan going forward so as to keep the cobwebs at bay. One Instagram post a day shared to Facebook? One blog post a week? Two newsletters a month? Then schedule days to create content to fulfil your plan. Batch photography, editing and writing, then schedule your posts.
8. Engage
Remember, it isn’t social media if you’re not being social! Engage with your audience. Like, follow, comment. Leave meaningful comments. Reply to direct messages in a timely way. I have found it to be true that the number of followers are not as important as the kind of followers you have. 100 genuinely engaged supporters of your business are more important than 1,000 luke-warm followers, or 10,000 purchased followers.
Christina Lowry is a designer and jeweller who makes 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, using traditional metalworking techniques.
Meet the CWC board: Liz Anderson
We recently sat down and interviewed our new board members to give you a chance to get to know them better, and we’ll be featuring one of these Q+As each week on the blog. Today we introduce you to Liz Anderson, board member and Head of Events at CWC.
Team CWC! Left to right: Alessandra Azzone, Yvonne Meng, Samantha Jayaweera, Anika Cook, Fiona Brand, Bec Mackey, Liz Anderson, Jane Connory
We recently sat down and interviewed our new board members to give you a chance to get to know them better, and we’ll be featuring one of these Q+As each week on the blog. Today we introduce you to Liz Anderson, board member and Head of Events for CWC.
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I run a tour company which specialises in designing and operating journeys on the Trans Siberian Railway, through Mongolia, the Silk Road and the Caucasus. Outside of work I enjoy hand embroidery and painting.
Can you outline the journey that got you here? What previous work/creative pursuits/life decisions brought you to this place?
I was teaching in Japan and wanted to travel back to the UK overland so ended up on a Trans Mongolian and Central Asian adventure. A few years after being a Management Consultant in London I made the switch into the travel industry and became a Tour Leader in Russia. Since then I’ve worked in all parts of our business with particular focus on product development, operations and marketing before completing my MBA and becoming Managing Director.
When did you first come across Creative Women’s Circle?
I was looking for a community where I could meet creative people and explore more of my own creative side. I believe strongly in championing those in small businesses so it was a good fit!
What has your experience been being a part of the CWC community?
From my first meeting I have been awed by the breadth of experience and interests of members and how welcoming everyone has been.
How would you describe the value of membership with CWC?
CWC’s ethos of championing and connecting women truly shines through and the support offered through the group should provide value to all.
Which creative person, living or dead, do you most admire and why?
I confess I do have a soft sport for the brutalist Soviet architecture ... too much time spent in Russia! Most days I love anything colourful and at the moment am loving the work of Monika Forsberg and Helen Dardik - they make me happy!
How do you challenge yourself creatively?
By always believing I can finish the “big project”... it normally results in a lot of very late nights!
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your current career? What is your ‘other’ dream job/business?
I would love to create embroidery designs inspired by textiles from around the world.
Where do you see Creative Women’s Circle heading over the next two years?
I believe we can continue to grow and connect more creative women across Australia and provide opportunities for them to meet, share and learn together.
Why is this a great time to renew/sign up or volunteer to join the CWC community?
We have lots of exciting things planned as ideas are brimming over on the new board. It’s also a great time to voice where you would like to see CWC grow to.
Liz leads a tour company specialising in the Trans-Siberian Railway, Mongolia and the Silk Road, Sundowners Overland. Her time spent living and working overseas, primarily in these regions as well as Japan and Central America, has led to a keen interest in the creative diversity, particularly in textiles, from around the world. With an arts degree, MBA and human centred design qualifications, Liz is delighted to bring a healthy appetite of curiosity to the team about all of the areas CWC members work in. Liz is sure her tenure will also inspire her to turn her creative ventures into more than just hobbies.
Creative agencies, client agreements and intellectual property
It is essential for creative agencies to have clear and authoritative provisions about ownership of intellectual property in their client agreements. Having clear terms in client agreements reduces the potential for disagreement down the track or for the client or agency to be put in a harmful position. Unmet expectations, unclear responsibilities, a loss of time and money, and resulting potential lawsuits are not worth the risk!
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It is essential for creative agencies to have clear and authoritative provisions about ownership of intellectual property in their client agreements. Having clear terms in client agreements reduces the potential for disagreement down the track or for the client or agency to be put in a harmful position. Unmet expectations, unclear responsibilities, a loss of time and money, and resulting potential lawsuits are not worth the risk!
When preparing (or considering) a client agreement it is important to also clearly define the scope of work and to ensure that the terms regarding intellectual property are clear, appropriate and fair in the context of the scope of work and the contract price, at the commencement of the relationship.
Protecting the client’s intellectual property
Generally speaking, the underlying rights to any intellectual property provided by the client to the creative agency should be retained by the client. The agency will usually be granted a licence to use the client’s intellectual property in order to undertake the services they have agreed to provide whilst the agreement in in force.
The client agreement should include a clause that states that nothing in the arrangement between the creative agency and the client will constitute a transfer or assignment of the intellectual property rights of the client’s including its intellectual property in any material the client provides.
Protecting the intellectual property created by the creative agency for the client
Clients will generally want ownership of any intellectual property created by the agency for them. Usually an agreement will assign all right, title and interest in the created intellectual property material in any campaign or project for the client, sometimes with a limited licence back to the creative agency to use the created intellectual property for marketing or promotional purposes.
Sometimes creative agencies want to retain ownership of the intellectual property in the work they create for the client and licence it to the client. If you are entering into a licensing arrangement with a client, consider the following:
Where and how can that creative work be used, and for what length of time?
Is it an exclusive license to the client, or can that work be licensed to other clients? Do you want to continue to have the right to the creative work yourself (usually yes!)
May the client modify that creative work or create new works based on that work?
Does the client have to credit the creative agency for the work when using it?
Will royalties for use or sale of the creative work apply? Who will receive them?
Does the creative agency want to retain the right to use the work as part of a portfolio or exhibition, or on social media for promotion purposes?
Protecting the client when the creative agency uses intellectual property belonging to a third party
If the creative agency uses third party intellectual property in their provision of services to a client, there should be a clause warranting that the creative agency has the right to use that third party intellectual property, together with an indemnity in favour of the client, protecting the client in the event of any third-party claims. A similar undertaking should be in favour of the creative agency where it is the client providing third party intellectual property for the purposes of the agreement or project.
What will happen to the work done by the agency if the client engages another agency for the same work?
If you are a creative agency, you will want to make sure that any intellectual property rights that are to be granted to the client once you have delivered your work are reflected in the price you charge, and ideally, that you receive payment before the final delivery of the work. So; at the pitch-stages of marketing and pre-contract negotiations, ensure you as the creative agency retain the IP (and if necessary, require that any pre-contract negotiations are protected by confidentiality obligations), so that the client cannot run off to another agency with your ideas —without infringing your IP rights anyway!
Ensure that your agreement with the client states that the IP in the creative work will not pass to the client until payment has been made for the work. That way, even if the client engages another agency for the same work following completion of your work, they should still be legally required to pay you the full fee. There is also no risk that the client can obtain rights in the IP if they cancel the agreement before the work is complete or full contract price paid.
Who will own the work provided to the client if a refund of the deposit is requested?
If the client requests a refund of the deposit it insinuates that either the client is not happy with the work done by the creative agency to date, or that they have found another agency to do the work. Your terms should state under what circumstances the client is entitled to a refund and how the IP is to be treated in such circumstances (again we would suggest that the IP does not transfer or vest in the client unless and until the full contract price is paid).
Jessica Kerr is the director of Sinclair + May. Jessica set up Sinclair + May with a view to do law differently and make legal services accessible for small businesses. Sinclair + May operate on a fixed fee basis and offer retainer services for their clients. Sinclair + May is a female-led, boutique commercial law firm and work extensively with the creative industry. You can follow Jessica on instagram @thelawyerslunchbox for useful legal tips and see more about Sinclair + May at www.sinclairmay.com.au.
Meet the CWC board: Anika Cook
We recently sat down and interviewed our board members to give you a chance to get to know them better, and we’ll be featuring one of these Q+As each week on the blog. Today we introduce you to Anika Cook, the Treasurer of the CWC board!
Team CWC! Left to right: Alessandra Azzone, Yvonne Meng, Samantha Jayaweera, Anika Cook, Fiona Brand, Bec Mackey, Liz Anderson, Jane Connory
We recently sat down and interviewed our board members to give you a chance to get to know them better, and we’ll be featuring one of these Q+As each week on the blog. Today we introduce you to Anika Cook, the Treasurer of the CWC board!
What is your current business/creative pursuit/job?
I'm currently taking “long service leave” after wrapping up The Gently Unfurling Sneak, the design business that I ran for twelve years. I'm using this time to take a breather and explore new creative possibilities.
Can you outline the journey that got you here? What previous work/creative pursuits/life decisions brought you to this place?
When I was studying for my Bachelor of Creative Arts at the University of Melbourne I started experimenting with screen printing and collage and selling little bits and pieces at local markets. After graduating I had a brief dalliance with working in IT (which I was not remotely qualified for) and it gave me the motivation to get my business off the ground. I worked part-time doing web and graphic design at Craft Victoria whilst I built The Gently Unfurling Sneak up, slowly growing until I had to take the leap to being full-time. And then the leap to having staff! Eventually we grew to offer fashion, accessories, cards and artworks, selling online as well as through retailers and then opening a dedicated shop in North Melbourne in 2015.
When did you first come across Creative Women’s Circle?
I stumbled across the website a few years ago and promptly joined up so I could listen to all of the event recordings – I think I was at a moment where I needed some perspective and inspiration for my business. I then went to a morning tea and fell in love with the community… and the cake.
What has your experience been being a part of the CWC community?
It feels like I have really found my people. I found that 'traditional' business people didn't really understand the unique trials of running a small creative business, and fine artists or hobby makers didn't necessarily understand what it's like to make things for a living. The CWC community can give advice, commiserate and celebration all in the one place.
How would you describe the value of membership with CWC?
It's incredibly valuable. The advice, camaraderie and support that you receive as a member cannot be found anywhere else.
Which creative person, living or dead, do you most admire and why?
As an artist I admire Hannah Höch, one of the only female Dadaists, an originator of photomontage and someone who used her art politically, during the Weimar Republic and Third Reich in Germany.
How do you challenge yourself creatively?
By trying new things. I seem to want to avoid repeating myself so I often find that I've gone off on a creative tangent without realising… sometimes too far! But I wouldn't have it any other way.
What would you be doing if you weren’t in your current career? What is your ‘other’ dream job/business?
That's what I'm trying to figure out now… there are a lot of ideas swirling around but nothing has settled yet.
Where do you see Creative Women’s Circle heading over the next two years? Why is this a great time to renew/sign up or volunteer to join the CWC community?
The new board is full of beans and excellent ideas so there's going to be a lot happening! We have lots of goodies planned to help people in their businesses and careers, from the part-time and emerging to fully established. We'd love to see you on board.
Anika is a designer, illustrator and collagist. She was the founder of fashion label The Gently Unfurling Sneak, which recently closed after twelve years in Melbourne and had a particular focus on intricate prints and the use of vintage imagery. Prior to starting her own business, Anika worked in the art and design sectors with Craft Victoria and freelance web design. Anika holds a Bachelor of Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne. Connect with Anika via Instagram.