I'm pretty good at talking to myself so during a lull in interview participants I've decided to interview myself.
And guess what, some questions are really hard to think about. So here goes.
Anita Gosden is the name behind the label myclectic.
Hi Anita, thanks for sharing yourself with us and firstly I'd love to know, were you creative as a child and do you come from a creative family?
I remember clearly being creative as a child with both Mum and Dad always encouraging me.
In fact, I've developed my whacky sense of colour from my father who moved to Australia in the 60's as a German migrant.
And I vividly remember Mum teaching me how to draw.
There was no 'bad art' in our house. I'm lucky to have had two parents who loved everything my sister and I made.
How would you describe your work?
I would describe my work like a 6 year old boy.
It's all over the place. And of course like many other creatives, I lose interest easily and love to move on and try something different.
How has your work evolved since you started?
Rather than saying my work has 'evolved' I feel that it has actually 'matured' and settled down, just a little.
It has become ever so slightly, more disciplined in that I am more conscious of perfecting the 'finish'.
Although I do still love jumping from one thing to the other.
How did you start selling on Etsy?
I started selling my comic book jewelry on Etsy because originally it was a requirement as a BrisStyle member.
Before BrisStyle I had never even heard of Etsy.
I also found that when at markets interested fans wanted to know where to find me online.
I do now have a very neglected website but I really love using selling sites such as Etsy and Madeit because there is so much support on them and much more traffic.
I even remember my first sale on Etsy. It was a brooch made of vintage kimono fabric and silly me had actually put it in a shop over the other side of town.
That sale actually cost me but I was so tickled that someone in San Francisco would be walking around wearing MY handmade brooch.
Who or what inspires you?
Who? I'd have to say I am very inspired by other creatives I know on Instagram (I won't name them, there are too many).
and What? inspires me.
I'm a very visual person so usually I find that pre-loved and second hand materials I use in my work inspires me.
So much so that I don't use patterns or drawings in my work, just ideas in my head. The pattern comes later.
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| Indigo dyed preloved leather bowls |
Yes! to all three.
Most leather I use is pre-loved. I've built up some fabulous connections who are always on the look out for second hand leather for me which I prefer using in my work because it is always unusual and makes the finished product different to others.
It gives me a 'point of difference' because no one else usually has the same type of leather.
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| A very small part of my pre-loved leather stash |
Can you describe your studio?
I dream of having a real studio one day, but for now my creative corner is actually our small kitchen table. It is next to a big glass window that lets in plenty of light and looks out over our huge backyard. And my stuff is all over the place in our tiny two room unit.
Do you have a favourite thing to make?
That would have to be a 'make it up as you go' leather bag. Always dependent on the texture, shape, colour and thickness, then the pattern emerges.
Oh how I love working with such a tactile and natural material.
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| This suede leather once belonged to Lisa Ho |
How did your shop name come about?
The name Myclectic is my own fabrication.
There is no such word but if you Google it, you will only find references to me. I love that. I wanted a name with eclectic in it but found that this was overused. I then wrote 'eclectic' down on a piece of paper and added 'my' to it.
My eclectic, still too common. So I took the letter 'e' out and tadah, I discovered 'Myclectic'. My kind of eclectic.
I have also been known in the past and present as MumsCupboard, ButtonBeads, VintageKimono and get_tasseled.
I kind of like making up names.
Where do you see your creative journey taking you in the next 12 months?
I can see myself still creating in the next twelve months, 24 months and so on. Creativity is a journey and is music to the brain.
I never want to stop.
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| Indigo shibori dyed leather tassel earrings |
What’s your top tip to others wanting to break into the handmade/creative market?
It's a cliche but 'do what you love' and 'love what you do'
Oh and 'don't compare yourself to others', that's disheartening.
Describe your typical creative day?
My typical creative day starts with minimum necessary household chores and then straight into it. I use lists but never seem to tick everything off.
If something needs doing immediately I skip the housework and get right into creating (still in my PJ's, sorry, not sorry).
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| Leatherwork tools |
Do you have a favourite quote?
'Art is performance - Performance is confidence' ~ Andrew Gosden (my husband)
or in other words 'don't think about creating, just do it'.
Do you prefer to listen to music or watch a movie while creating?
Some days I have silence, but that is because I have gotten so involved in something I have forgotten to play anything.
But mostly I love to listen to our CD collection. Some favourites are; INXS, John Butler Trio, Band of Horses, The Black Keys, Bluebottle Kiss, The Fumes, J.Mascis, anything loud, rhythmic and moody.
What is your favourite handmade item that you have ever bought?
That's a really hard question. I love handmade, especially here in Brisbane. The talent is amazing.
I'm sorry, I don't have a favourite, I love them all.
Where can we find you online or instore?
I currently stock:
* The Collective Store in Wynnum
* Retro Metro, Paddington
* Village Creative Studio, Wellington Point
Online stores are:
How long have you been a member of BrisStyle?
I think about 3 years.
How did you find out about brisstyle and why did you join?
Years ago I rented a space at incub8r in the Valley. I met a BrisStyler working there and she recommended joining BrisStyle because of the King George Square markets.
I really wanted to do those markets and have been doing so ever since.
I'm so grateful she suggested it to me because it has opened up a whole new world of creative opportunities for me.
This is my favourite question and I am so glad to be asking myself this one.
Why do YOU craft Anita?
Because I LOVE IT!
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