New Year, New News from the Studio!

(Originally published 1st February 2023)

I find January to be a strange month. On one hand, there’s the excitement of a fresh start—a blank slate to set goals, make to-do lists, and map out personal and professional plans for the year ahead. On the other hand, the grey skies, endless rain, and the distant promise of spring can make the month feel sluggish. Self-doubt often creeps in amidst all the goal-setting. But I’ve come to recognise this as a cycle I go through every year—one that coincides with my post-Christmas period of rest and hibernation. And, over time, I’ve realised that this pause is invaluable for both me and my business.

Taking this time to reflect allows me to look back at my achievements, assess whether they were fulfilling and aligned with my values, and determine if they support the life I want to lead. Sometimes, these reflections bring surprising realisations—ones that might seem unexpected to outsiders. This January was no different.

Over the past few years, my business has been growing steadily, at a pace that worked well alongside my part-time job and young family. But last year, I really pushed myself. My primary goal was to complete the last three compositions in my Colour Series, which also meant finalising my tea towel, cushion, and greeting card range. On top of that, I was eager to introduce lampshades to my collection, believing they would make a striking addition.

So, did I accomplish everything I set out to do? Yes! Thanks to careful planning at the start of the year, I achieved all my goals. And I’m incredibly proud of what I created—especially since everything sold well. But did it make me happy? In the short term, absolutely. But in the long term? I’m not so sure.

Despite strong sales, when I crunched the numbers, I realised that for this side of my business to be truly sustainable, I would need to sell a lot more. That would mean committing to more markets (which would take me away from my family on weekends), dedicating more time to marketing smaller pieces (which require high sales volumes to be profitable), and possibly venturing into wholesale (a path that demands significant time and effort, yet doesn’t align with what brings me joy). Ultimately, these steps would take me further away from what I love most—creating art and establishing myself in the art world in a way that feels authentic to me.

What I cherish about my business is the process—curating vintage items, weaving narratives around them, and transforming them into extraordinary works of art. Yet, last year, after completing my three large compositions, much of my time was spent developing products and marketing lower-priced items. That’s not how I want to spend my time.

So, like many other designer-makers, I’m pivoting. Some people might not understand this shift, especially since things seemed to be gaining momentum. But I need to stay true to myself—to how I want to spend my time and what works best for my family.

In 2023, my focus will move away from products and towards artworks, commissions, and workshops. I’ll be launching two major bodies of work, both more conceptual and larger in scale. My first collection will explore layering multiple monochrome and metallic-coloured found objects, creating a multi-layered, geometric, almost Art Deco-inspired series. I can’t wait to get started!

Now, I know what you’re thinking—‘But what about the tea towels and cushions?’ Don’t worry; they’ll still be available on my website for now. However, once they sell out, they won’t be restocked. So if you’ve had your eye on something or want to stock up on gifts, now’s the time!

To give my first collection the financial boost it needs, I’ll be running a special sale across my entire website. Initially, this will be exclusive to my VIP email club, giving members first access before it opens to everyone on social media later in February.

This isn’t the direction I thought I’d be taking, but as I write this, I feel calm and confident in my decision. I have so many exciting concepts to explore this year, and I can’t wait to take you along for the journey.

If you’d like exclusive early access to my sale, be sure to sign up for my VIP club!