Creator's Corner: Castleton Collective | Torquay, VIC
Castleton Collective | Ceramics
After working in TV production and watching others chase their dreams, Caitie realised it was time to pursue her passions full time.
Here she talks about how the challenges of running a business, releasing a dress line in the middle of COVID (one of her proudest moments), and a few misconceptions around pursuing a creative career.
Tell us a little about yourself! Who are you and what’s your creative background?
I’m a ceramicist based in Jan Juc and have been a full-time potter since May last year. I’m a resident at The Lightbox Torquay where I get to work with a beautiful bunch of women all with our own creative businesses.
What made you decide to leave your full-time job and pursue art and ceramics full time?
I was working on Masterchef and watching people who were so passionate about what they were doing and actively chasing their dreams. It really inspired me and made me realise that that’s how passionate I wanted to be about what I'm doing.
I’d been making ceramics for a few years by that point and orders started getting bigger, my wholesale list grew and it got to the point where I really couldn’t do both jobs and had to pick one.
It was really hard leaving TV and starting up during covid but in the end, I started feeling a lot more fulfilled.
What’s currently influencing your creativity?
Fashion, drag, and everyday objects.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
A typical day consists of pilates in the morning, getting a coffee then heading to the studio. When I get there it’s catch-up time with whoever else is in and then it’ss work time. Days can vary between admin stuff on my computer, photographing my pieces in my yard when the weathers nice, making pieces, glazing etc. No day is typically the same but it all usually runs on a schedule based around my kiln and what’s going into it.
What are some of the challenges of running your own creative business? And how do you approach these challenges?
I’m right-brained and struggle with the whole ‘business’ part. Anything numbers-related is not my jam. I have a meeting with an accountant next week to help get some better systems in place. Talking about it with other friends and using programs like Microsoft Excel and Xero are super helpful too!
Burnout is another thing I really struggle with. I’m currently trying to implement steps to put less pressure on myself and have better boundaries. It's definitely an ongoing process.
How do you see your art evolving over the next few years?
I see my art evolving across different mediums and growing and changing as I do. I’m really excited to see what’s to come!
What’s one misconception about pursuing a creative career that you want to rectify?
I think there are loads of misconceptions about having a creative career or starting your own business.
To be completely honest, before I went full time with ceramics I longed to work for myself for ‘all the free time.‘ I thought my days would be filled with yoga classes, lunches with friends, doing all the things… but it’s been the total opposite. I’ve never been so busy and had less free time lol.
What is the proudest moment in your journey so far?
This question feels really hard to answer? I think these days we all move so fast and when we hit milestones it's onto the next thing and we don’t really sit in an achievement for long.
Looking back I think it’s releasing my dresses last year towards the end of lockdown.
I worked with my beautiful dressmaker and friend Caterina Monea (you can find her at @caterina_co_ on Instagram).
This felt like a huge achievement because we were in lockdown and we couldn’t get fit models to come in and try the dresses on for size. So I ended up dropping dresses off to local girls from a call-out I did on Instagram to get them to try the dresses on and give me feedback on the cut, size and style.
This was so interesting and made me realise why a lot of women size 14 + struggle to find clothes that fit them.
Our first attempt at a size 16-18 dress was graded from the extra small size and what we realised in having women try the dresses on was that bodies are so different and you can’t use the proportions of an XS to make an XL. From this feedback, we completely changed the pattern of the L and XL and I am so proud of the fit.
I dyed all the cotton at home with natural dyes and from there Cat made the pattern, samples and then the full production run.
I had a shoestring budget for the campaign and did the whole thing myself with local models (we couldn’t have anyone from Melbourne because of lockdown) and I didn’t think I’d be able to pull it off but somehow it worked and I am so proud of it.
When you’re not in the studio, what can we find you doing?
It honestly feels like I live at the studio these days, but I’m making a conscious effort to only work during regular work hours and give myself time off. The other women I work with at the studio are so wonderful and it feels like I’m hanging out with friends and catching up when I’m there. When I’m not at The Lightbox, I’m at the beach, Pilates or hanging at home with my boyfriend.
What do you look forward to each day?
Coffee, catching up with my studio pals, and going for walks after work with my boyfriend.
What advice would you give aspiring women wanting to turn their passion or art into a career?
I was lucky to have friends with their own businesses that they’d started and built from the ground up so their knowledge and insight were priceless. The advice I’d give would be to trust yourself. Not all advice is useful so take what you need from it, but don’t take what other people say as gospel. Work it out for yourself. It's never one size fits all for creative businesses.
Also, make sure to take care of yourself and schedule time off. When it’s just you, especially in the beginning, you can wear a million different hats. Photographer, creator, marketing gal, graphic designer, bookkeeper etc, and it can get overwhelming. Be kind to yourself and make time to rest. I’ve been in a constant state of burnout for the past year because I haven’t been taking care of myself. I’m slowly starting to now and finding things much easier. My mind is clearer, I sleep more, and I’m not missing as many things. My problem-solving skills are much better too!
Finish these sentences
My favourite place to travel is Flagstaff, Arizona.
I lose track of time when I’m glazing. In my head, it takes a couple of hours. In reality ~ *several* days.
I can read Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright over and over again.
These 3 adjectives describe my life right now: Chaotic, Funny, Wonderful
My go-to music is Alex Cameron, Talking Heads and Dolly Parton.
Follow Castleton Collective on Instagram
Shop her ceramics at www.castletoncollective.com
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