Scenes From Sydney: When Creative Worlds Collide
By Jaclyn Carlson A few months back I wrote about a strange phenomenon I had witnessed about the creative scenes between Melbourne & Sydney. Much like the cities themselves, the creative scenes seemed competitive. Sydney it appeared, was a tad bit jealous of Melbourne’s creative status and resented the cool persona that just oozed from every lane way. Sydney rallied and slowly picked up creative momentum with events and exhibitions popping up throughout the year and artists, crafters and business owners banding together to make their mark – which they have. I have personally witnessed a growing, vibrant and talented group of creative women (many of whom I’ve featured here!) coming into their own here in Sydney and I think 2014 will only see that movement grow stronger – don’t you agree?
But despite the rivalry at the surface I was relieved and humbled to see these two creative worlds collide on a recent weekend when I went to co-host not one but two events in Melbourne. Yes, Sydney and Melbourne co-hosts worked together as a team and brought together a variety of creative ladies to eat, drink and craft to our hearts content. The first event was a Kinfolk dinner, where I dined with some Melbourne folks from all backgrounds, drinking wine and sharing our own creative stories.
From there it only got better, on Sunday I was lucky enough to team up with two incredible ladies (both CWC members!) - Kylie Lewis (Of Kin) and craft queen Laura Blythman for a creative collaboration that was dreamed up months ago. All three of us wanted to do something fun, to spend an afternoon just playing and creating. The result was Paper Platdate, an afternoon of making with our own hands and escaping with other people who valued and found the fun in piles of paper, scissors, glue and paint.
As I flew back to Sydney after such a whirlwind weekend I couldn't help but feel that maybe more interstate events would help ease the sibling rivalry and get us back on track to being one happy, creative family. I for one found that my Melbourne CWC sisters where just as open to interstate collaboration, so let's make it happen more often ladies!
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the founder of Blog Society, a community for bloggers & creatives as well as the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: Women To Watch
By Jaclyn Carlson Taking inspiration from Tess' second book, Conversations With Creative Women: Volume Two, today I want to yet again shine the spotlight on a few local creative women here in Sydney that are shaping their own creative paths and inspiring those around them. I strongly believe that as a community - whether here in Sydney or in Melbourne - we need to support and encourage one other to succeed. When you take a look around you there are so many women doing amazing things that I think its time we give them a round of applause and a bit of recognition. This month please say hello to...
Natalie Hayllar, Eat Read Love
What is your background? After leaving school I completed a Bachelor of Science (Psychology & Nutrition) and then went on to complete a Masters of Science in Nutrition & Dietetics where my love of food began. After a short stint as a clinical dietitian I have spent the most part of the last 15 years in various nutrition communications roles within the food industry. I realised I loved marketing communications and the creative side of this part of my job so I went on to study Marketing Management at MGSM at night school and spent many years working as a Brand Manager. I have been really fortunate to combine my passion for food and nutrition with marketing and continue to work in an awesome marketing job during the day and spend my spare time taking photos and blogging. We are coastal dwellers and never to far from it - My husband Fletch and my two little boys live near Cronulla beach down in Sydney's South and also spend a lot of time on the South Coast.
Tell us about eat read love and how did it get its start? I started blogging after I had my second baby boy about 3 years ago. After very hectic days juggling a corporate marketing job and looking after little ones, I needed a little downtime at the end of the day to to relax and unwind. Some people would say - why not just sleep ?!?!? but for me I enjoyed some 'me time' late at night when the house was quiet, make myself a cup of tea, or pour a glass of wine and start exploring online, and I found a whole new world open up - beautiful food and interior sites. So I decided I would have a go at writing my own bringing my passion for food, books, travel and interiors together. It started as a fun little book club and a place to share inspiration with my friends. I also spend a lot of time on the NSW South Coast and started taking photos and sharing on the blog.
What is the best part about running a creative business and writing your own blog? The ideas continue to roll in. I am never stuck for ideas. My mind is constantly churning new stories, and dreaming of new places to visit and new ways of presenting the stories creatively. I can do it in my own time, no set hours and from home. I love that I get to support and work with some amazing local businesses - I am very passionate about promoting the work of local talent and a few of us have formed a great little creative community down in the Cronulla area.
What are the challenges? After 14-hour days working a corporate job, being a mum, getting dinner, homework, getting the boys ready for bed and then only starting to work on the blog around 9pm at night can start to take its toll. I have so many ideas in my head and so many lists of things I want to do and beautiful things to write about but sometimes there is just not enough hours in the day.
What advice would you give to other women looking to have more creativity in their lives? Just give it a crack - whether its ensuring you allow some time to read a beautiful book, go to an art class or start writing then just do it. The time is now.
What’s next for you? I am very excited to be hosting some of the Kinfolk Magazine events later this year. I will be hosting the launch of The Kinfolk Table cookbook in with Lisa Madigan in October and very exited to be invited to partner with Luisa Brimble and friends to bring theKinfolk Magazine team to Sydney for a series of weekend workshops, dinners and media events. As an avid Kinfolk fan I am just a little excited to be part of this awesome team. I am also working on some more exciting #eatreadlovepopup dinners in 2013/2014. And to keep those creative ideas flowing I am also working on a very secret project with a friend that I hope to kick off next year which will definitely be available to everyone to help people get in touch with their creative flair. Stay tuned on that one. I am also planning a milestone birthday trip to NYC and I cannot wait to return.
Where can people contact you? You can follow me on my blog, follow my adventures on instagram 0r you can email me at eatreadlove@me.com.au. You can also find me over at the ROAR fashion blog
Amanda Fuller, Kaleidoscope
What is your background? After leaving high school I studied a variety of design disciplines including Interior Design, Textile Design, Jewellery Design and more at both The Whitehouse Institute and COFA. I worked in the Interior Design Industry for a while but when I discovered graphic design, it was pure love! Since studying I have worked for a number of small magazines, and then was a designer for Fairfax Media with my work appearing in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age newspapers. Now, I have the privilege of being a freelance graphic designer and design and lifestyle blogger.
Tell us about Kaleidoscope... how did it get its start? I have been blogging since 2009 (I just celebrated my 4th blogaversary!) on a variety of blogs, both my own and other's. Kaleidoscope was born out of the process of splitting my original blog into a personal blog, Amanda's Musings, and Kaleidoscope - a blog about the many facets of life and design.
Have you always been a creative person? Yes! From as soon as I could hold a crayon, I loved to colour in. Growing up, I loved to craft with my Grandmother and my love of interior design came from my parents constant home renovations. The seed for my love of graphic design was planted by my Dad who brought home a Mac computer when I was about 9 years old. He used to play around with page layout and clipart in his spare time. I guess it must have rubbed off! I loved art at school and photography too.
What are the challenges? Probably the biggest challenge is trying to get paid for what you do. Blogging is still a relatively new form of media in Australia. It can be difficult to get those bills paid. There can be some great product perks, but unfortunately they don't pay the rent. It can also be a challenge building your audience and getting people to know about your blog. With so much media being thrown at people everyday it is easy to be lost in the crowd. My own personal challenge is my health. There are days when not much gets done as I am just too unwell.
What’s next for you? The dream is to be a full-time blogger "when I grow up". So I will continue to blog about amazing creative people and their work and build up Kaleidoscope to be a "must-read" blog and get it known. Blogging has rekindled my interest in photography and sparked an interest in styling, so you might see more of this from me in the future. Right now I am working on the huge Kaleidoscope Christmas Gift Guide which will launch at the beginning of November. Keep your eyes peeled!
Where can people contact you? You can contact me through Kaleidoscope or find me on Facebook Twitter or Instagram
Hannah DeMilta, The Fetch & Canva
What is your background? I’m originally from Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Sydney three years ago. I studied Public Relations and minored in Deaf Culture and Language while at University. However, most of my work has been in digital roles with start-ups and a couple years of agency life. Currently I look after marketing and community at tech start-up Canva, in Sydney. The other hat I wear is as the Sydney Curator of The Fetch, something I’ve been doing for the last couple years just for fun.
Tell us about Canva how did it get its start? Our CEO at Canva, Melanie had a vision of creating a collaborative online design platform to help make design more accessible. She started on the journey five years ago when she was teaching design part-time at the University of Western Australia. She and her partner Cliff started their first company from her parents’ house and went after the niche market of school yearbooks. Five years later, Mel and Cliff teamed up with their co-founder Cam went decided to take on the world with Canva. They shared their idea with others, raised the funds, built the dream team and here we are now. A few weeks ago was our press launch and public product reveal. I joined them at the start of this year, so pretty excited to be part of their team and along for the ride. It’s just the start.
What is the best part about working for a creative company? The people I work with for sure. We dream big together on a daily basis at Canva. Being surrounded by passionate people inspires you to build, create and think. I find that spark also inspires me across the board.
What are the challenges? I’m someone who constantly bites off more than she can chew. Honestly, it usually works in my favour. It forces me to get massive amounts of work done, and I thrive under that nice extra layer of pressure. However, I’ve had challenging moments where I was in over my head and felt I came up short. I have to remind myself to prioritize constantly. Someone told me that there is no such thing as this idea of being “too busy” for something. It comes down to priorities and if something is important to you, you’ll find the time and make sacrifices. I try to embrace this approach with most of what I do.
What advice would you give to other women looking to have more creativity in their lives? Be proactive and seek out other creative people. You can’t rely on others constantly to make you move, but let their passion inspire you and help fuel your own creative projects. I’m biased obviously, but get your name on The Fetch and find out what’s happening locally in your city each week. Attend events that are interesting to you for creatives, entrepreneurs, designers, developers, writers, etc. one day after work rather than practicing your normal routine. In Sydney, check out ABCD Meetup, Think Act Change and the Idea Bombing series to name a few. There is so much happening, just go seek it out.
What’s next for you? I’m planning on starting a new blogging project with my friend Brooke, a creative thinker, entrepreneur, and fellow expat American here in Sydney. It’s something we’ve been scheming and talking about for a while, so time to make it happen.
Where can people contact you? I’m on the Twitters @HannahDeMilta or happy for people to email me if they want to chat about Canva, The Fetch, or just say hello in general.
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Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the founder of Blog Society, a community for bloggers & creatives as well as the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: Women Making Waves - Micaela Campagna
By Jaclyn Carlson In anticipation of CWC's upcoming event in Sydney, today I pay tribute to another creative woman that is making waves in our city's creative scene.
Like Deb Morgan, who we featured last week, Micaela Campagna is a talented woman who wears many hats: while running the city's coolest, yet to be discovered, exhibition/event space call The Corner, Micaela is also the founder of Dear Henri, a new design studio in Sydney that is set to impress.
I asked Micaela a bit about running her various creative ventures...
Have you always been a creative person? Apparently so! I don't really remember but my parents tell me that I spent all my time as a toddler wandering around with either a pencil or a paintbrush in my hand.
What is your background? I studied Design and International Studies at UTS and majored in Photography. I also spent a year in Milan at the Politecnico di Milano.
How did Dear Henri get its start?
DEAR HENRI was born after a recent name change and rebrand from Two Studio. Our new name DEAR HENRI was inspired by one of our favourite photographers Henri Cartier Bresson - we like to think of it as an ode to the Masters!
What is the best part about running a creative business?
- Actually enjoying going to work every day is something that I definitely do not take for granted!
- Working and collaborating with super talented designers and artists, especially through The Corner which is an gallery/pop up space run by us at DEAR HENRI which offers designers and artists a platform to exhibit or to hold a pop-up store/have a launch etc
- Being able to constantly shape/develop the direction of the business and tackle something creative and exciting every day (or most days) 
What are the challenges? Switching off (I find that hard to do)! What advice would you give to other women looking to take the plunge and start their own business? Do it! Don't get stuck thinking about all the variables. If you are dedicated and you know your stuff, then you will be able to make it work (even if it is a slow process). Also, don't forget about what drives you and your original business idea... it is easy to get lost in ideas that are commercially viable but soulless (be careful of these, they may kill your passion!) What’s next? Lots of exciting exhibitions and events at The Corner and also developing our artwork & installation side of the business. We are really excited about being commissioned by other designers (particularly architects and interior designers) to do art installations and custom graphics/art/murals for their projects. We also have a group show planned at The Corner with our friends and industry colleagues Eggpicnic & Nowhere Famous.
Where can people contact you? You can email us at henri@dearhenri.com or check out our new website is coming soon (www.dearhenri.com) but you can follow us on Facebook for updates.
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: Women Making Waves - Deb Morgan
By Jaclyn Carlson After writing last month’s post about Sydney’s creative revolution, I received so much positive feedback from locals who finally felt like they had been given a chance to fly their creative flags. It was both encouraging and uplifting and for that reason I wanted to pay tribute this month to a couple of creative women that I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with recently and that are making waves in Sydney’s design underbelly.
First up is Deb Morgan, a jack of all trades and genuinely all around pretty rad person. She is the driving force and founder behind Create or Die and I had the great pleasure of teaming up with her on a recent Kinfolk dinner. I sat down with Deb to pick her brain about what it means to be a woman business owner…
Have you always been a creative person? I've definitely always identified with being a creative person. My first memories are of drawing, making paper sculptures and falling asleep with texta's in my hands (which somehow would always go all over my face). I've dabbled in most creative disciplines over the years including art, music and photography.
What is your background? My background is largely in events which has allowed me to explore multiple creative fields. From age 15 I crewed for youth, music and extreme sports festivals, which included hip-hop culture of breakdancing, DJ's and graffiti art. I became the director of a not-for-profit event organisation when I was around 18 years old and believe it or not I actually was fairly involved in politics for a few years... but that's another story! Visual arts and graphic design has always been a passion. My brother and I spent countless hours on Corel Draw teaching ourselves design (he's now a digital Creative Director). I moved onto Freehand Macromedia with the help of a graphic design mentor and I was mainly obsessed with Photoshop and hundreds of LAYERS! My first computer carked it as a result! I've now been working in the brand, corporate and special event industry for the past five years.
How did Create Or Die get its start? Create or Die was an idea that I had years before I got the chance to officially launch it. It started as a guild, if you like, of creative people to encourage and inspire one another with their own personal art (as opposed to client work...which also has it's creative merits of course!).
I had the opportunity to launch COD officially into the world in 2011 with the website showcasing creative’s personal work, letting people know about upcoming creative events & inspiration and an industry competition to design a bar coaster.
The response to the competition was overwhelming and very humbling - I think we struck a chord by giving people an opportunity and a platform to create and showcase their own work. A panel of judges (Semi-Permanent, Shillington Design College, Digital Press) chose the winning designs which were printed in large format & displayed in an exhibition and then produced onto the bar coasters.
Since then Create or Die has morphed and grown organically and in late 2012 we had the opportunity to found a creative space where people could work, collaborate and hold exhibitions, workshops and events (like the recent pop-up dinner with Kinfolk!)
What is the best part about running a creative business? I think it would have to be the people. One of my close friends calls it the "sometimes" moment, when you can step back and have a moment of feeling like you doing exactly what you are meant to be doing right there and then, with the right people. If you can fill your life with more of those moments - I think that is the ultimate goal.
What are the challenges? Ah, there are so many - as with all businesses! Choosing the next project is a real challenge for me personally as I always want to do them all at once!
What advice would you give to other women looking to take the plunge and start their own business? If there's anything I can say - it's to keep things as simple as possible from the beginning. Start with a good foundation and then build it up. That has been one huge lesson for me, amongst many others! Then surround yourself with other amazing women! Find people you trust and respect to encourage you and also help keep you on course.
What’s next? Next we'll be launching our new website! Along with this will be a calendar of events, exhibitions and workshops. We've got some exciting new spaces and collaborations that we'll be working in over the next 12 months!
Where can people contact you? www.createordie.com.au or at deb@createordie.com.au
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Next week we'll meet another Sydney-based creative business woman who is making waves in our community. And fellow Sydney-siders, don't forget to book your ticket to the upcoming CWC event with Sharon Givoni. More details over here!
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: A Creative Revolution?
By Jaclyn Carlson Melbourne has long been hailed as Australia's creative capitol, the epi-centre of all things cool and cultural but is that all about the change? Recently Sydney seems to be undergoing a creative shift and a surplus of creative events, businesses and businesswomen seem to be popping up ready to give Melbourne a run for its money.
This past weekend while I was hosting a creative event of my own, I was talking to an interior architect who had recently made the move from Melbourne to Sydney. We explored this same topic and she agreed that Sydney certainly seemed to be embracing and encouraging collaboration in a completely new way. Women are reaching out to one another to not only collaborate in a business sense but also to fuel a creative fire in their personal lives. Below are a few stand out businesses and women that have popped onto our creative radar and you might just want to keep an eye on them:
Alphabet Family Journal. Founded by photographer Luisa Brimble this new creative venture is set to launch in just a few months and already the images and content have us inspired.
Finders Keepers Markets. This coming weekend they return to Sydney with their biggest showing yet - over 200 creative designers & businesses you won't want to miss.
The Ooh Blog. A new one to add to my daily reading list, this new blog just recently launched with an event called Start Up Salon, a meeting of online mavens - yes you'll want to watch this space to see what they come up with in the months to come!
What do you have to say about Sydney's creative revolution?
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{ Tess' note } This seems as good a time as any to let all you Sydneysiders know that CWC is planning its second Sydney event on Saturday 27 July! Mark your diaries, and more details will be announced in the coming weeks...
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: Trade Fair Season Hits Sydney
By Jaclyn Carlson The month of February is a fast & furious one for designers, retailers and creatives about to enter into the wholesale market. Prepare for long days and sleepless nights as suppliers make sure stock and samples are in order and buyers plan out a budget and purchasing decisions. That's right, it's trade fair season and at this time every year the retail industry descends on Sydney to discover the latest and greatest in the Australian market.
If you're a creative thinking about wholesaling, then this post I wrote last year will help shed some light on an often overwhelming situation. If you are already familar with the world of trade shows then you'll understand the long days and sensory overload that comes with visiting the three big retail events that took place this past week: Life Instyle, Reed Gift Fairs and Home & Giving.
Each one has it's own unique selling point but all provide an incredible behind the scenes look at the talent that is right here in Australia. In a time when many people are looking overseas to make purchases or feel that design talent is lacking, this is there perfect opportunity to see, touch and feel products that are raising the bar and putting Australia on the retail map.
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.
Scenes From Sydney: Collaboration
By Jaclyn Carlson When it comes to building your business, your career, your blog, or simply boosting your network of contacts – I’m a big believer in the power of collaboration.
By embracing partnerships and teaming up with others we are able to improve, transform and implement ideas that may otherwise have gone unrealized. Personally, I have loved the experience of collaborating with someone else in order to achieve a project or grow an idea beyond what I could have done with it on my own. The first step towards any collaboration is putting yourself out there and connecting with others. Summer in Sydney is the best time to start as the city is bursting with events and workshops that will educate, inspire and ultimately connect you with other like-minded individuals.
Here are a few local groups that I encourage you to check out and that routinely host events for creative types…
- ABCD Meet-Up - A blogger meet-up that is both casual and fun
- Social Media Women – a monthly networking series with well-known speakers
- Creative Mornings Sydney – a monthly breakfast lecture series for creative types
- ISCD (International School of Colour & Design) – workshops & events available to students and the public
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Jaclyn Carlson is the author behind the Sydney-based blog, Little Paper Trees. When not documenting her expat adventures, she can be found working for one of Australia’s top design & homewares trade shows. Passionate and prone to wasting hours on Pinterest, she has years of experience in marketing, advertising and PR and aims to put Sydney’s creative women in the spotlight with her monthly column.