Health and Wellness means so much more than simply being active, looking fit or having the ‘healthiest’ diet, so we had a chat with Associate Recruitment Consultant, Beth, about her passion for design and creativity and how she uses it to stay well year-round.
What is your favourite thing to do to keep healthy?
Whenever I feel stressed I love to go outdoors to explore new and interesting places, particularly those that are “off the beaten path.”
However, my absolute favourite thing to do to maintain my wellness is to have a creative outlet; whether that involves crafting something, doodling in a sketchbook or even taking photographs on my adventures. Now, the outcomes aren’t always as I imagine them, but that’s the best bit – I almost never know what the end product will end up looking like.
When did you decide to explore your creativity?
Although I’ve always had an interest in being creative; constantly creating and designing things through my childhood, I decided to take the next step and study Textile and Surface Design at University in my home town of Dundee in Scotland. I guess this is when you could say that my hobby of creativity really turned into a passion for design. It was at University when I fell in love with textiles and fabrics when we began to screen print fabrics, both digitally and traditionally.
I also loved the aspect of meeting so many different people and being able to see their creative processes, which helped inspire me to continually try new and exciting things.
How did you get into studying design?
As I mentioned, I was always doing something creative as a child; whether it was drawing and making birthday cards for friends and family or learning how to sew and stitch fabrics into cool bits-n-bobs.
Even though I had a long standing passion for arts and design I was initially hesitant to study this at University. However, the courses were fantastic in merging both business components with the traditional and contemporary design methods.
Can you tell us about some of your peaks/troughs?
During my studies I would often go through phases of being overly critical about my work because I just wanted to get it perfect – especially if it was for a specific job brief. It was also a different experience having to display my design work in front of my peers. This was a difficult process to get used to as I previously designed things for fun, rather than to fulfil a design brief.
It wasn’t all doom and gloom though! I attended the New Designers Trade Show in London when I graduated, which was a super exciting event to participate in. I also used my textile and printing skills to produce Breast Cancer Awareness t-shirts in my final year or studies as part of my dissertation. There are many more highlights that I could list, but simply being able to apply my knowledge to help others has been the most rewarding part of my studies and hobbies.
Why do you consider your textile and fabric design beneficial?
I think moving to a vibrant city like Melbourne has helped me get back into textile design, not only as a hobby, but as a side project, rather than the structure we had at University. I feel like it’s beneficial to me because of the outlet and enjoyment it gives me when I can create something new. Zoning-out to some music and creating something new is therapeutic to me, and provides an escape from the otherwise ‘noisy’ day-to-day life.
Although I’ve been in Melbourne for a while now, there are still so many places for me to see around the city. The creativity and artsy vibe of Melbourne has also helped to reinvigorate my sense of excitement and enjoyment for design while helping me explore all the nooks and crannies the city has to offer.
Do you have any recommendations for anyone else looking to start their wellness journey?
I think remembering that having a creative outlet isn’t about having perfect outcomes. So if you’re keen to get into something and give it a try, it’s worth experimenting with different classes; pottery, life drawing, photography and so on. Groupon and other websites like weteachme.com often have really good offers on beginner classes if you just want to try something new.
There are also some great markets around Melbourne, such as the Rose street Market in Fitzroy. It‘s amazing and you can always chat to someone creative about what you may be interested in and pick up some great ideas or secrets to getting started. Just remember, it’s about having some fun and trying something new in the process, not getting caught up on the outcome.
As always, please let me know if there are any particular topics you would love us to look into or you have any queries or concerns.
You can call me on 03 9963 4804 or email me directly.
Oliver Szklarz
