Above: This white peony ‘Equilibrium’ has now gone to its forever home in Sydney’s northern beaches.
I was recently talking to a woman who had a Very Serious Corporate Career. We’ll call her Melanie; she’s a highly respected veteran in her industry. Melanie confided in me that she loves creating artwork in her spare time but is scared to tell people about her side hustle.
That’s because she’s developed a reputation as a Very Serious and Very Competent player in her industry. She said: “I’m worried that people will think this is frivolous and they won’t take me as seriously in my professional career.”
I hear this a lot. Especially from people who have already achieved some success in their own career. They worry that their personal brand as an industry expert in their chosen field or their reputation as a Very Serious Corporate Careerist will be diluted if people find out about their other passions.
However, the reality is that these other passions can only be beneficial to your main career. In fact, research from San Francisco State University found that having creative passions outside of work makes you better at your job.
The analysis – entitled Benefiting from creative activity: The positive relationships between creative activity, recovery experiences, and performance-related outcomes – revealed that the people who participated in a creative hobby actually performed between 15-30 per cent better at work.
I love it when I see people unashamedly and enthusiastically combine their corporate or professional careers with their creative ones.
Like Joanna Nell who has been a doctor for decades and, more recently, a bestselling author of novels.
Or Michelle Cox, who successfully combines her career as a non-executive board director with her work as a sought-after ceramicist.
If you have a creative pursuit you’ve been thinking about, do it!
Original Artwork news
I have been busy with commissions and also preparing a body or work for my solo exhibition in January. Yes, there have been late nights!
Here’s one of my latest artworks to come off my easel. It’s called Beauty's Bloom..
I wanted to capture this rose, turning to face the light, stepping into its prime. Available here.
Pattern and Design news
Recently, I was completely shocked when I opened my emails to discover that I was the winner of the Resene Wallpaper Competition for Australia and New Zealand. I must admit, I can sometimes feel quite isolated as I create and design patterns in my studio, so it was wonderful to receive this honour. Big thanks to Resene!
Speaking of patterns and designs, my little fluffie Rocky is modelling (or should I say meow-delling) this cosmetic bag, featuring my design.
Regular price $39. But use this CODE: ValerieGift30 for a huge 30% off the retail price. (Valid until the end of 30 January 2023). In fact, the CODE applies to all the products on this page with a minimum spend of $50.
