Say hello to new CWC president Amber Bonney
Amber Bonney wears many hats. As well as being the force behind her creative studio Edison Agency, she is a mother, wife, sister, strategic, designer, artist, writer, planner, mentor and mediator. Amber now adds the role of CWC President to that list. Prior to accepting the role , she was on the AGDA Victoria Council and spearheaded the development of their Professional Mentorship program. We chat with Amber on work, life, and the things in between.
Amber Bonney wears many hats. As well as being the force behind her creative studio Edison Agency , she is a mother, wife, sister, strategic, designer, artist, writer, planner, mentor and mediator. Amber now adds the role of CWC President to that list. Prior to accepting the role , she was on the AGDA Victoria Council and spearheaded the development of their Professional Mentorship program. We chat with Amber on work, life, and the things in between.
Tell us about yourself
I was born and bred in Melbourne, a girl of the mid 70’s who is now resenting my slow metabolism and thickening waistline and enjoying my sparkling wine more than ever! I have 3 children aged 16, 14 and 4 and my husband and I have a blended ‘modern’ family so life’s pretty full-on… hence my love of sparkling wine! I come from a large family of 5 girls so life has always been big and hectic and I learnt early only how to hustle through life to get my needs met. As the middle child I have always been self-driven and independent and have developed strong mediation skills which have been useful as a business owner.
What do you do?
I am the founder of The Edison Agency, a strategic brand and design consultancy with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. We use strategy and design to help businesses make positive change. My role is Managing Director and Head of Strategy and I am responsible for the executive creative direction of all major brand projects. Over the past 22 years, I am proud to have been influential in helping iconic Australian and international brands maintain relevancy, define their purpose and vision, and connect with their audiences in a more meaningful way.
How did you get into this industry?
I’m a communication designer by trade, an Alumni of Swinburne University, and have been blessed with a single minded career focus all my life. My father introduced me to the industry through his career in the marketing and packaging industry. Since the time I was 14 and went to my first University Open day, I knew this was what I wanted to do.
When you get to know me, you will understand why people refer to me sometimes as “a bull at a gate”. My mind moves quickly (great for creative strategy and thinking on ones feet) but it can be mentally and physically exhausting so I do try to manage my overactive brain with regular mindfulness practices using my phone app (I appreciate the irony) and of course the odd vino! I’m naturally intuitive which helps me forge strong and lasting personal and business relationships, some of my current clients are people I’ve worked with for over 15 years.
What does a typical work day look like for you?
I like to schedule my time and live and die by my diary! My day is spent straddling client meetings, internal planning of projects, financial planning, and working closely with both our Group Account Director, Design Director and CFO. We are a small team of 10, so about 10% of my time would also be dedicated to making decisions and planning around people and culture.
Typically when we have a large meaty project starting I am consumed by research and strategy phases – I tend to be more involved in the first half of a project to establish the vision and creative precedence and then required less as the project evolves. I have a highly skilled team of people propping me up!
What is the most important aspect of your job?
I am inspired by the potential design has to transform people, culture and business. Knowing that our work is helping make positive change for our clients is uber rewarding. Also, I am a sucker for complex design challenges. When I’m working on something difficult, I completely immerse myself in that business, brand, problem and deconstruct it until I can see and understand all the inputs and components. Only when I’ve done this can I put it back together and develop a strategic solution. I am obsessed with understanding “why” and go to enormous lengths as part of the research phase to really get under the skin of a brand or problem.
What have been some of the biggest challenges in your career?
I’m a proud feminist and I’m intolerant of the chauvinism our industry (and culture in general) is still accepting but I do see change and have high hopes for the world my daughter will grow up in. I’m a firm believer that it takes women banding together in support and advocacy of one another to truly make change. We are powerful, clever and innately resilient and this is why I believe in organisations like Creative Women’s Circle to shape the way women interact with each other, and within their industries.
What do you do in your ‘down time’ (and do you have a guilty pleasure)?
I spend most of my down time with my children down in coastal Victoria where I live. I am re-energized by the beach and am looking forward to summer where I can swim, play lawn bowls and make pina-coladas at home (guilty pleasure). My husband and I are both passionate mid-century design enthusiasts and we spent allot of time reading books, magazine and watching architecture and design-based TV series.
Best creative memory?
Seeing the first ad I designed in the weekend newspaper – think it was back in 1998! I think I still have it somewhere.
What would you tell your younger self?
You teach people how to treat you. Don’t accept sub-standard behaviour as it creates a pattern that’s hard to break. This is an important message for young women especially in the face of male dominated environments and with the rise of domestic violence issues.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?
Be brave. Take risks. Don’t be afraid to ask the “dumb” questions. Find a mentor. Research every potential employer, every client, every project – always be prepared and understand the “why” in every design challenge.
Advocating for the recognition of creative women
At Creative Women’s Circle we know the work women do is valuable and deserves recognition. And not only the paid type, it is also all those unpaid hours which need to be celebrated and championed – whether raising a family, volunteering for a good cause or contributing hours to the creative community.
3 min read
At Creative Women’s Circle we know the work women do is valuable and deserves recognition. And not only the paid type, it is also all those unpaid hours which need to be celebrated and championed – whether raising a family, volunteering for a good cause or contributing hours to the creative community.
The Australian Honours System is one way that our Government celebrates such achievements, through awarding medals for achievement and distinguished service. In 2018, extraordinary women like Liz Ellis, awarded for her support and advocacy for young women and contributions to netball, the late Betty Cuthbert, awarded as an advocate for research into a cure for multiple sclerosis and her distinguish athletics career and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, the eminent tennis player, all received Appointments as Companions (AC) by the Governor General.
Although this list of high achieving females is impressive, the reality of the Order of Australia is that since 1975, only one third of the nominations for all categories have been women and only 30 women overall have received appointments. The creative sector is also quite underrepresented, with only a handful of architects being nominated in the history of the awards.
One of our core values at the Creative Women’s Circle is empowerment and we take our mission —to champion, support and connect women, very seriously. Early in October, Samantha Jayaweera, our new President and myself, attended the Recognition Matters co-design workshop held by the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Office for Women. Here we heard the disturbingly common statistics about the systemic undervaluing of women in our society. As I write this, the media is reporting six deaths of women to domestic violence in the past seven days. Gender inequity is not only desperately unfair but also life threatening.
Upheavals in the structures of our society need to be made before any changes can be affected. Nominating more women for an Order of Australia might seem meagre in the grand scheme of things but, the narrative surrounding women needs to change from vulnerable to empowered for these behaviours to change. We believe that having a 50/50 ratio of female nominations in the Australian Honours System is one way of doing this. As Emily Lee-Ack, CEO of the Office for Women, said at this workshop, “If you’re not advancing equality, you’re reinforcing inequity.
At CWC, we believe that creative women make an impactful and important change in our community and that (unlike Wayne from Wayne’s World) we are worthy of recognition in this platform. So we challenge you to think about who, in your sphere of influence, deserves this and to put them forward for an Order of Australia. The process is surprisingly easy and you can band together with friends and family to complete the form.
It’s a common belief and harmful social norm that women often shy away from applying for jobs if they don’t meet all the criteria. Sadly, this mind set extends to other forums for achievement and recognition like Order of Australia nominations. Let’s start to change this by thinking about the strong, talented, generous women in your life that you could nominate in these categories. The criteria on the four categories are very simple, for example:
· The Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) is for eminent achievement and merit of the highest degree in service to Australia or humanity at large.
· The Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) is for distinguished service of a high degree to Australia or humanity at large.
· The Member of the Order of Australia (AM) is for service in a particular locality or field of activity or to a particular group.
· The Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) is for service worthy of particular recognition.
So, gather a group of CWC friends, brainstorm a nomination and make it happen. After all, we all make valuable contributions and deserve the recognition.
Jane Connory is a PhD candidate at Monash University, and is working towards a gender inclusive history of Australian graphic design. She has been a practising designer and illustrator in the advertising, branding and publishing sectors, in both London and Melbourne, since 1997. When she’s not teaching at Monash University you’ll find her being the National Head of Communications at the Design Institute of Australia.
Finalists' round up
Last week we shared our three winning submissions for our new membership cards. We were overwhelmed by the amazing response. The sheer number of quality entries which made it very hard for our judges on the CWC Board to narrow down. We therefore thought it only fitting to also share the work of our other finalists for everyone to enjoy.
We were blown away not only by the number of submissions we received, but also the wide range of styles of work! The backgrounds and professions of those who submitted perfectly sums up why CWC is so special, bringing together talented creative ladies across a diverse range of fields, from graphic designers, artists and illustrators to interior designers, architects and textile designers.
Scroll on down to check out their amazing work. Thank you to everyone who submitted. We are so proud of you all!
Winning submission announcement!
So we are now excited to unveil the winning designs, as voted in a secret ballot by the CWC board. These designs will be featured on new members cards sent out to all new members from early in the new year. Each of our board members said choosing their favourites was one of their toughest responsibilities yet! Next time, we think we will share the load and ask our members and followers to share!
There were so many diverse and excellent entries. Stay tuned for a post next week sharing the other finalists!
Claire Ritchie, print design and illustration.
Join our blogging team!
For the last few years, we've been fortunate to have had a wonderful array of talented, creative ladies on our team as bloggers.
Writers, designers, artists, small business experts... The one common thread amongst our bloggers - past and present - is their passion for sharing what they know with the wider creative community and their desire to meet lots of inspiring women and creative minds in the process. Their contributions have made the CWC website what it is - a rich and robust source of information and information for women in creative businesses. I can't thank them enough for the expertise they have shared and the time and thought they put in to their posts.
As we beginning preparing for 2017 (gulp!), we're on the lookout for a few new voices to add to the current blog contributor team. We would especially love to hear from people who enjoy writing interviews, studio tours and 'how to' posts. All bloggers are paid $50 per post.
If you'd like to join our team, email Emma with a introductory email and links to your own blog/social media to start the conversation.
CWC's Annual General Hurrah!
It's been an invigorating, inspiring and emotional journey since Creative Women's Circle officially incorporated last July. Since that time, our hugely talented Board and sub-committees have not only continued to run CWC in its usual professional fashion (hosting events nationwide, writing blogs, running programs and more), but they have worked tirelessly to underpin our organisation with a clear set of values, policies and processes to ensure CWC continues to support, connect, and champion women in the creative industries, now and into the future. Join us as we present to you - our Members and the wider creative community - what CWC has accomplished over the last twelve months at our very first Annual General Meeting (AGM), and help us vote in our Board for 2016/2017.
Notice of the Annual General Meeting of the members of Creative Women’s Circle Association Inc (“CWC”) (Registration No A0091653N):
Time: 1pm for 1.15pm start (end approx. 4pm) Date: Saturday 6 August 2016 Venue: Frankie & Swiss, Ground Floor, 199 Toorak Rd South Yarra, Victoria 3141 (entry via Claremont St) Cost: Free (drinks & nibbles provided) Note: Members and non-Members are welcome to attend, however only current CWC Members are eligible to nominate for Board positions and cast a vote on any resolutions (like who will be on the Board next year). RSVP: For catering purposes, please RSVP by Thursday 4 August and email us if you have any special dietary requirements.
So what exactly happens at an AGM?
- First, there'll be Tess McCabe, CWC President’s, welcome address;
- Then it's on to 'ordinary business' (a.k.a. presentations on our activity & achievements this year from our current Board and sub-committee members; details on our financials; nominating and voting of the next Board; and confirming our membership fees); and
- After all of that, time for catching up over drinks and nibbles.
If you’d like to nominate for a position on the Board or as a Volunteer of CWC, please contact Yasmin Naghavi outlining your professional background and what you feel you can contribute to the CWC in 2016/2017 and beyond, or to request more information.
Voting in person
If you wish to attend and vote in person at this special general meeting, please RSVP here by 4 August 2016.
Voting by proxy
Any current CWC member entitled to attend and vote at the annual general meeting may appoint a fellow member of Creative Women’s Circle Association Inc to attend and vote as the member’s proxy.
To vote by proxy, download and complete the proxy form and return by 1pm on 5 August 2016 by email.
(Proxy forms sent by post or electronically are of no effect unless they are received by CWC no later than 24 hours before the commencement of the Meeting.)
If you are unsure about your current CWC Membership status, if it has recently expired, or if you have any queries regarding your status, please email Membership Manager Phoebe Miller.
Why I joined CWC: Martina Gemmola
Have you been meaning to join Creative Women’s Circle for a while? Well, now is the time to join us and reap the benefits. Our Mid-Year Membership Drive is on until June 30 – you can save 10% off the full price of membership, just in time for the end of the financial year (and it's tax deductible!).
There are a whole host of benefits, including the opportunity to join a Members-only Facebook group (launching in July!) to discuss the highs and lows of being a creative, entrepreneurial woman; the chance to attend and vote at the AGM in August; plus discounted event tickets, product discounts, and the chance to attend Member-only events.
Photographer Martina Gemmola has been part of CWC for several years, and credits the group for providing support and opportunities for her creative business. Here's her story...
Interior design project by Camilla Molders, photographed by Martina Gemmola.
Why did you join CWC?
I had returned to Melbourne after 6 years away and felt a little lost as how I should go about launching my freelance business, and how to connect with likeminded people. Having joined a 'networking' group overseas, and having felt the benefits of just being part of something, I decided to become a member of the Creative Women's Circle. I felt an instant connection and was warmly embraced by the creative community Melbourne is known for.
Floral & botanical design by Good Grace & Humour, photographed by Martina Gemmola.
What were your first impressions of CWC?
I felt such comfort! Knowing that I had 'found my people' - which is not something to be taken for granted in the sometimes competitive and 'cliquey' world of small creative business. Everyone was so welcoming, and so happy to share their knowledge. Plus they were just generally super to be around. It wasn't long before I was volunteering to help Tess at events and baking up a storm for our morning teas. It was nice to be able to give back to the community that gave so much to me.
What have been the biggest benefits or positives of CWC to your creative life and career?
I can't stress enough the positive effect it has had on my business. In the early days I asked a couple of CWC people on coffee dates and we started to collaborate on some folio projects. What resulted was a greater confidence in my work and in the direction it was going, the freedom to try new things, and refine some old skills. I started to feel a little more at home back in Melbourne, armed with an instant support network filled with absolutely rad women.
Kooyong House by Monique Woodward, WOWOWA, photographed by Martina Gemmola.
Have you connected with other CWC members?
I work a lot with the talented interior designer Camilla Molders, who was my first CWC crush, and she in turn has referred me left right and centre all over the design world, which I am eternally grateful for. She introduced me to Ruth Welsby, who has become my styling guru and dear friend. I've worked with our fabulous president Tess McCabe on several projects, and have had some of my best jobs referred from ladies of the CWC. I've shot some amazing architecture and interiors with fellow members Monique Woodward of WOWOWA and Samara Greenwood of SGArch. I've photographed a wall covered from top to bottom with flowers just for the hell of it with the Good Grace & Humour ladies. I've found myself in the most ridiculously stunning luxury accommodation in Port Fairy with Colleen Guiney, who found me through the CWC, and together we worked on an article that graced the pages of Vogue Living - total dream. It's been an amazing resource for word of mouth marketing (the only kind I do!). I've had the best of fun.
One thing I found at events was how easy it was to strike up a conversation with a stranger, and quickly find common ground. I've never really been one to put myself out there, but somehow the events I went to inspired me to give it a go. The daggy networking group I had been a part of overseas was much more corporate, and felt a little like everyone was out to take, take, take. The CWC was just the opposite and was all about giving. Everyone was so honest and real in the way they related to each other. Following up was always easy - a quick email, a good Melbourne coffee, and I always found myself in excellent company with lots of ideas to explore. What a treat.
Thanks, Marti! Find our more about our Mid-Year Membership Drive here.