Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Three - Pocket Edition

By Tess McCabe

The Conversations with Creative Women: Pocket Edition series contain exclusive interviews with some of Australia’s most talented female creatives from industries as varied as ceramics, interior design, styling, photography, illustration, filmmaking, furniture, and book design.

• Language: English
• Publisher: CREATIVE MINDS PUBLISHING PTY LTD
• Release date: Apr 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780994627384

Tess McCabe

Tess McCabe has two decades of experience in graphic design, marketing and communications, servicing clients across a variety of sectors. She is passionate about empowering small business owners and creative professionals of all types with information and tools for business success. She is the author of Graphic Design Speak: Tips, Advice and Jargon Defined for Non-Graphic Designers and the Conversations with Creative Women series. She lives in Melbourne with her family, gets around mostly by bicycle, and enjoys a strong cup of tea.

Book preview

Conversations with Creative Women: Volume Three was first published in 2017.

Pocket Edition published 2019 by Creative Minds — creativemindshq.com

© 2019. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission in writing of the publisher.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia at catalogue.nla.gov.au

Design by Tess McCabe — tessmccabe.com.au

ISBN 9780994627346

ISBN 9780994627384 (e-book)

CONTENTS

Introduction

CREATIVE BAKER AND TEACHER Katherine Sabbath

LETTERER Barbara Enright

ARTIST Naomi Hobson

STYLIST Lyndel Miller

COMEDIAN Alex Ward

DESIGNER Emily Green

INTERIOR DESIGNER AND ARCHITECT Pascale Gomes-McNabb

WRITER Laura Jackel

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER Mon Palmer

PUBLISHERS Louise Bannister & Lara Burke

Where are they now?

Tess Lloyd & Maja Rose

Georgia Hobart

Grace Camobreco-Reyes

Emily Wright

Madeleine Sargent

Cristina Re

Maryann Talia Pau

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.

Gail Sheehy

Iam fascinated by change and evolution. How things get from A to B and all the micro steps in between. No two paths to B (or C, or D) are the same, and almost all involve a unique combination of hard work and luck, with a sprinkle of magical randomness.

The concept of change in all its forms is an overarching theme in this book. I have interviewed 10 women who are building creative businesses — some are in the early stages, some have been at it a while. All are taking leaps big and little everyday, following their intuition and drive towards an ultimately fulfilling lifestyle that aligns with their values. A common insight is that despite sometimes treading an unsatisfying or rocky path, all acknowledge the learning that is gleaned. That which is taken from the experience impacts heavily on future endeavours. Many never saw the evolution of their practice ending up where it has, but were emboldened to ‘throw the ball and run after it’, by way of saying ‘yes’ and pursuing opportunities when they presented themselves. Most did not have a strategy or long-term plan (and some still don’t!), which is heartening to hear on the days when doubt and the inevitable questions about one’s own capability or professionalism creep in.

Unique to this volume are the seven stories presented at the end of the book. Across the first two volumes of Conversations, I interviewed 31 women about their careers and creative lives. Through those interviews I’ve loved keeping in touch with many of them and following their work online. Change and evolution is present in each and every one of their careers and businesses, and at the end of this book they speak on their career highlights and challenges since their original interview. Many of the stories of ‘where are they now’ will surprise you. These women are solid proof that a creative career can be defined by more than one pursuit, more than one business, and that being creative is a wide-ranging personifier — not merely an indication that you are gifted artistically.

Publishing a book is not a cheap venture. Printing, postage, storage and marketing are all costs outside of the actual development of the work, and some of them are ongoing. Weighing up whether or not to publish another volume of this series was a long process. Why tell someone’s story or publish an interview in a book, content that could easily be posted online in written or audio form? My commitment to these printed editions always comes back to three things. One, a book has a special relationship with you, its reader. Here you are, holding it, and dedicating your time and attention to the women written about on its pages. You’re taking this time for yourself, to recharge or be inspired or to simply have a peaceful moment. And you’re learning about these women who are quietly but significantly making changes to their own worlds through their creative work. That is important. Two: this book is forever. While, yes, it is fully recyclable, I’d hope that if you do choose to remove it from your possessions you would give it to a friend, op shop or secondhand book store or curbside library.

But there is another important reason these women’s stories should be told in print. In the past, women were all too frequently left out of the history books, their creative stamp on so many movements and products overlooked or marked with a mere footnote. While an online interview can fall prey to deletion off a server, this book has the chance to survive across decades and generations, and keep these creative women’s stories, lessons and learnings safe.

That’s my hope at least. The world can change in an instant, and changes can be unpredictable. But change will happen, and we can at the very least be prepared to embrace it.

KATHERINE SABBATH

Creative baker and teacher

Katherine Sabbath is a Sydney-based, self taught cake creative and passionate merry-maker. She has always been a self-confessed, sprinkle-covered, sticky-fingered, bake-aholic!

Previously a high school teacher, in 2013 Katherine started sharing photos of her baked creations and love of colour on Instagram, resulting in an international cult following and serendipitously making her a household name among home-bakers worldwide.

In between teaching hands-on workshops demonstrating in front of hungry audiences and supporting home bakers (who she believes are the best kind of people), Katherine relishes in collaborating with other creatives and alongside major brands and businesses through creative partnerships.

Tell us about your education and early career before you set out on the path of self-employment.

I always knew teaching was a very important role in society and I deeply respected my teachers at school. I also knew the teachers who were passionate about their subject, enthusiastically encouraged others, and were responsible, were the ones I was most engaged with and who I learned from the most. Growing up, I always loved helping other people and I am naturally a very patient person. I knew that teaching and helping other people in any way would be a satisfying career for me, so after leaving high school, I studied at the University of Wollongong, undertaking a BA and honours degree in English Literature, with a post-grad diploma in Education. I loved my role as a high school teacher and worked in the New South Wales education system for eight years.

You’re self-taught in cake decorating and baking. How and when did your passion for baking begin?

I developed my love for baking at a very young age under the guidance of my talented German grandmother, Liselotte. She would always have a freshly baked treat ready for me whenever I came to visit! As soon as I could be trusted with an electric beater (I never earned my pen license in primary school but oh boy, I practiced beating those egg whites!), I would attempt a baking project. Triple chocolate brownies are where it all started for me. I could never find a chocolate brownie decadent or gooey enough, or made from good quality ingredients I enjoyed eating, so I made my own delicious monstrosities and it snow-balled down a candy-coated, molten caramel mountain from there.

I adore baking because you have the ability to create something delicious, beautiful and thoughtful as a special treat to share with others. There’s something very simple yet valuable in the ceremony of considerate gift-giving and baking is a skill which encompasses this and so much more. I also cherish the process of creating, learning and experimenting with new ideas. I find the baking community extremely generous with the sharing of ideas, tips and new recipes, so it’s a joy to be a part of this! I’m yet to meet anyone who’s left in a bad mood after someone’s gone to the effort of making them a specially baked treat.

Can you share a little bit about your work/life before you made the switch from high-school teacher to full-time in your business?

Leaving my full-time role as a high school teacher was the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make in my life. But so far, it has also proven to be the most rewarding and exciting! I think taking on board these kinds of risks and challenges prevents you from becoming complacent. Don’t get me wrong, teaching has always motivated me but I’ve also always had a very strong creative streak that only dessert making has