Something beautiful, creative and very, very colourful is brewing.
On Saturday, assistant rainbow follower Elise and I, along with a brilliant army of helpers, strung and hung one thousand white paper cranes in Adelaide’s botanic park, underneath the shady branches of the dreamiest Moreton Bay Fig tree imaginable.
We are not ready to reveal exactly what we’re up to yet, but it’s called Let’s Chase Rainbows and we’re too excited not to share these behind the scenes iPhone snapshots OH, and a time-lapse of the setup!
Benjamin Liew of Benjamin Liew Photography kindly took some amazing photos of us frolicking amongst our crane sanctuary come macaron picnic in the late afternoon light. You’ll see these soon!
It gives me flutters when I see wedding invitations I have designed photographed within the greater context of a wedding day.
I created Esther and Brendan’s stationery last year from my tiny desk in Montpellier, France. These happy snaps of the bride and groom, flowers, table settings and atmosphere just arrived in my inbox and I am excited to share. What a stunning wedding!
Welcome loveliest people, to my beautiful new space.
Come inside, take off your shoes and play. A cup of peppermint tea, anyone? Or maybe champagne? I’m feeling a bit festive.
The palettes are a little more mature, the style less crafty and a little more ethereal. I guess i’m all, like, travelled these days.
So let me give you the tour. You’ll find everything you need along the top menu, with secondary pages down the left hand side. Just remember to scroll sideways through image galleries and scroll down for wordy bits.
You’ll see my ponderings, life snippets and inspirationing right here inside my journal, creative work inside the studio, photos albums inside events. You can read all about me and Emma Kate Creative in story. And to send me love, visit connect.
Things have been very busy and artful behind the scenes at Emma Kate Creative.
A new creative venture has involved collaborating with the lovely Julie Parker from Beautiful You in the publication of our first e-book. This is going to be the first of a number of e-books Julie and I will publish, bringing to life areas we are both passionate about, including self esteem, body image, life inspirations and helping you be the best person you can be.
The ‘Be Yourself, Be Beautiful’ E-book has given me the joy of ink-stained hands and hours tucked away in my little studio (or afternoon sunshine when the weather was nicer) illustrating imagery to pair with 30 inspirational quotes written by Julie, a counsellor, life coach and positive self esteem activist, to inspire you to love and honour the most important person in your life… You.
Each page is lovingly illustrated in bright colours and can be easily printed, laminated and even framed. Your favourite quotes will be a gorgeous addition to your vision board, desk or special space. This is going to be an e-book you will likely want to print and keep forever.
The ‘Be Yourself. Be Beautiful’ E-Book is available online for $15.95.
See below for a sneak peek of the pretty pages inside.
I am still on cloud nine (and three quarters, to be precise) after returning home from five incredible days away exhibiting the Chrysalis exhibition in Mount Gambier – a lovely city in South Australia’s South East.
We had hundreds of people walk through the exhibition, and since it’s going to be difficult to verbalise how much impact the exhibition actually made in this town while still remaining humble, i’ll leave you to check out the personal reflections left by visitors, photos and media coverage to make your own conclusions. I’m still gobsmacked.
One thing i’ve noted: Chrysalis has a great knack for making people cry. Not in a bad way – in a very good way, if that’s possible (I think it is). The exhibition seems to delve into the depths of people’s minds and gently coerce out unexpected emotions and buried feelings that some visitors didn’t even know were there. The Chrysalis exhibition is a catalyst for open discussion as much as it is for the silent, internal reflection that softly settles on visitors’ shoulders as they enter the exhibition room and take in the first few artworks. Chrysalis encourages conversation about mental health, a societal issue often shrouded in mystery, stigma, and not openly talked about. But we need to talk about it, because giving mental health a voice helps to destigmatise the issue, unravel the mystery, and most importantly, gives people the courage and inspiration to find own their voice, and then go further, making their own ripples and impact.
During the lead up to this Mount Gambier exhibition, taking place at the tail-end of fourteen months filled with exhibiting, speaking engagements, forum presentations and publishing a book, I started to feel convinced that after the Mount Gambier exhibition, I needed to move on from Chrysalis, and do it fast. This butterfly took flight over a year ago, and as I continue to fly high, free and happy in the beautiful real world, my old protective Chrysalis has still been somewhat attached, like an umbilical chord, keeping me closely connected to the world of anorexia. I have come to realise, my current life is still completely immersed in anorexia; no longer focussed on my own struggles, but instead, on others’ struggles and within the various eating disorder networks I have established myself in. The thing is, I don’t want to be known solely for my anorexia, or for my creative work to always be associated with awareness/advocacy for the issue. I want to be known for much more than that, and ultimately, not necessarily for anything to do with eating disorders. This little butterfly needs a break. So i’ve decided to fly away and pursue other creative, challenging, exciting adventures.
So, it was my little plan and assumption that after the Mount Gambier exhibition, I would quietly let go of my Chrysalis and allow it to float away into history, as I flew onwards and upwards. I was driving Chrysalis – without me, it would have no life or sustainability. But then the Mount Gambier exhibiton happened. And the response – so amazing, profound, intense, changing. It became apparent to everyone who has worked on this project that Chrysalis isn’t ready for a finale, just yet. Not even close. Chrysalis in Mount Gambier created some serious ripples. It affected many people, and very deeply. The consensus was resolute: Chrysalis needs to reach a wider audience. I say this not for personal gain, or as the exhibition’s creator with vested interest, but as a simple girl who has witnessed, first-hand, how profoundly this exhibition can impact people, and as someone with a subsequent, unequivocal belief in the calibre of positive difference this exhibition could make. Someone just needs to give it a chance.
And so while I still feel the need to take a personal anorexia sabbatical and consciously distance myself for the rest of the year (at least), we’re now in search of individuals in regional locations, or one single amazing sponsor who might want to take flight with Chrysalis, and take the exhibition somewhere or everywhere. This could just be the beginning, perhaps! Or not. It’s out of my hands now.
So, i’m putting the call out there. I have no idea who reads this blog. But if, dear readers, you are interested or know anyone who might be, i’d love to hear from you.
I have just hung out the washing and unpacked the last bits of my suitcase, reminiscing over a fairytale week and feeling just a wee bit glum at the thought of returning to reality tomorrow morning.
But wow, what a week it was: Early morning coffees and french toast on Degraves street, getting lost in the bustling, teeny tiny city alleyways, a spectacular night ride up 88 floors to the Eureka Skydeck, dining in style at the exquisite Bistro Vue, bookshops, shopping, exhibitions (Tim Burton at ACMI, and a little bit of Monet, Picasso and Van Gogh at the NGV’s European Masters exhibit), and finally, a touch of luxury with an extravagant last night at the Langham hotel. To be honest, I was just as enamoured by the foiled and lined Langham envelopes as I was by the hotel foyer’s waterfall and marshmallow pillows… a telling sign of a tragic stationery addict.
But the week wasn’t all about opulence and holidaying, it was also a hugely important week Australia wide, as we recognised National BIEDAW (Body Image Eating Disorders Awareness Week). I was thrilled to immerse myself in a number of events during the week with The Butterfly Foundation.
THE BODY OF ART EXHIBITION
On Tuesday night was a special event organised by The Butterfly Foundation and fashion label Violet & I, from Melbourne-based designer Anna Linklater. As the winner of a design competition they ran a few months back, one of my artworks has been printed onto notebooks, which are given as free gifts with purchases of the Panacheya Camisole from Violet & I’s Spring/Summer 2011 range. I put on my guest speaking hat and had a lovely night chatting to other Melbourne based artists and the Butterfly community. Thank you Tor Designs for snapping some beautiful shots of the exhibition atmosphere.
{The gorgeous Port Melbourne exhibition space, Mars Gallery}
{My winning artwork, Violet & I camisole and Cocktails}
{photos above courtesy of Tor Designs}
{Speech time, and speech from The Butterfly Foundation CEO Christine Morgan}
{Myself and Anna Linklater of Violet & I}
{Photos above courtesy of Julie Parker}
THE CHRYSALIS BALL
On Friday night, I volunteered at the annual Butterfly Foundation Ball (newly renamed the ‘Chrysalis ball’… yes, ironically the same name as my own exhibition) The highlight was definitely getting the chance to reunite with founder Claire Vickery, who is the incredible visionary woman behind Butterfly! I first contacted Claire back in 2006 when I was in Year 12, and over a coffee together at the Adelaide art gallery cafe I shared my dream to do creative work with Butterfly in the future. I was pretty stoked that Claire remembered me all these years later, and suddenly that dream of mine feels a little closer. Friday was an incredible night and it was so wonderful to see the passionate and progressive work that The Butterfly Foundation do.
On Saturday afternoon, I hopped on a train to Highett and found myself surrounded by cupcakes, pink champagne and cucumber sandwiches, at a gorgeous event organised by counsellor and amazing Beautiful You blogger Julie Parker. I was also interviewed by Julie, Oprah-style in front of the high tea guests, having the opportunity to talk about the work I do in Adelaide and the Chrysalis book.
Phew. All in all, it was one hell of a week.
But with all of this Melbourne gallivanting and speaking and awareness creating, I could not neglect my own town of Adelaide and continued mission to create awareness in South Australia. I am thrilled to announce the Chrysalis exhibition has just been installed at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital of Adelaide. Arranged through the Arts in Health team at the Women’s & Children’s Hospital Foundation, the exhibition will be up for the months of September and October. This Wednesday afternoon, the exhibition will be officially opened by Gail Mondy, Chief Executive Officer of Children, Youth and Women’s Health Service.
If you’d like to come along, please shoot me an rsvp and i’ll add you to the list. There’ll be special people and yummy treats!
Well, it’s definitely time to go iron some clothes and fold some undies, so i’d better leave it there.
On the eve of a very exciting week, I am thrilled to launch a special side project for Emma Kate Creative that is close to my heart….that’s why i’ve called it the ‘Emma Kate Heart’.
I am a big believer in kindness, and the power of the ‘ripple effect’. I am lucky to have been immersed in a work environment where kindness is celebrated and practiced, just as much as it is encouraged. Through my work, I have also been given the opportunity to express my own thoughts on kindness, and interview kindness advocates in the community, such as Jonathon Fisher, the man behind the Wake Up Sydney project and its kindness revolution.
As I look to the future, I am I cannot wait to throw myself into new creative projects, to collaborate with other artists and to share my heart of hearts with people far and wide, while creating beautiful images, photographing moments in time, stringing together heartfelt words and exhibiting/publishing these.
However, just as strong as my desire to create beautiful work is my desire to build an authentic brand that focusses on the full circle – that is, making a positive impact at the place where it all started for me.
Many moons ago, the process of creating greeting cards with my own two hands reinforced a simple belief that I had the ability to create beauty. I made hundreds of cards and sent them to friends, sold them in gift shops, and left some in unsuspecting places for strangers to find and hopefully brighten their day. The process of sending my creations onwards reinforced that I had love to give, and for this reason, greeting cards will always hold special significance for me.
Unofficially, I have continued making greeting cards over the years, and over the past 6 months, I have given out more than 1000 greeting cards to guests at various Emma Kate Creative exhibitions and events. Each card has invited people to start their own ripple effect, by requesting they sending the card on to someone they love or care about.
Now, i’d officially like to expand this ripple project a little further and wider. And so for every greeting card purchased at the Emma Kate Creative store, I will I match this by placing one greeting card packet in a random place…café, museum, bookshop, the eiffel tower, airport, for those unsuspecting picker-uppers to discover and cherish.
I will be documenting this project through photos and reflections on my website in the months to come (a specific ‘Emma Kate Heart’ page will be live soon). It is my dream to spread love, kindness and inspire unsuspecting picker-uppers right around the world. I wonder where it’ll take us.
To kickstart the Heart, I have made up 300 card packets (with the willing help of some very lovely people, you know who you are) to donate to The Butterfly Foundation, for each guest attending their annual fundraising ball. In addition, I have donated cards for guests attending the Beautiful You High Tea, another BIEDAW fundraising event I will be guest speaker at during this coming week, organised by gorgeous Julie Parker, editor of Beautiful You.
So…come on, get involved and help me spread some kindness. Or otherwise…get hunting! Because you can expect to see little card packets popping up all over the place! x
The 19th century American showman and circus owner P.T Barnam certainly thought so. One of my most respected writing idols, Oscar Wilde even came up with the proverb, “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” But in this instance, I have to disagree.
In my last journal entry, I sent off eight Chrysalis books into the worldly media abyss. And I have to say, my first response was absolutely disheartening. I received a prompt email from a shall-not-be-named television station who was interested in my story. And by interested, I mean wanting to first see photo evidence of ‘bones showing’. Quoting the received response, “please email me a few photographs of you when you were at your worst suffering from anorexia. eg: bones showing, hair falling out … my producer wants the best dramatic impact for this story.”
Um, excuse me?
Granted, I do understand that media stories need to give a background to a personal journey such as mine, but what I cannot grasp is how the focus is always retrospective, i.e the extent of what I have been through, not the current, positive message and advocacy work I am spreading through South Australia and beyond.
I hope the media sources I have sent books to, if nothing else, will take a good, long read of the words and content of the Chrysalis book. And, I really hope this will help them to see is a lot more to Anorexia than bones and hair falling out.
Eating disorders are horrific, devastating illness with the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Eating disorders are complicated, alluring paradoxes. My book specifically focuses on the emotions experienced throughout my own six year crisis, unravelling this paradox of Anorexia. Chrysalis explores the underlining issues rather than merely the physical symptoms, and so there is not one mention of bones, food or weight in my book. That was completely intentional and I have been widely praised for this approach.
Many people have been brought to tears by my exhibition content – it is confronting, it is not pretty, and it is dramatic. Yet it still delivers the confrontation with an undeniable message of hope. And I believe strongly that any media exposure must be aligned with the book’s positive message.
While I certainly have the photographic records of the severe physical impact my illness had on both my body and my life, I cannot see the benefit of using these for ‘shock and awe’. I am passionate about making positive change and naively thought the media might be a useful tool for wider exposure, but I can only follow through with media attention if the focus is a positive message, rather than the already overdone, expected, sensationalised, cliché and ultimately detrimental approach.
I suppose this whole experience quintessentially sums up the media industry’s problems quite beautifully. And, this has freshly reinforced my belief: the media has a lot to answer for.
Someone find me a media source that is willing to be revolutionary, to promote a positive change, to ‘move things forward’ (as Julia would put it).
I believe with all my heart that the positive ripples Chrysalis creating will reach the right people, with or without media… eventually.
This week, we recognise National Body Image and Eating Disorders Awareness Week. I will be in Melbourne for the week, where I will be involved in various BIEDAW events and speaking engagements with The Butterfly Foundation, as well as taking a bit of time out to reacquaint myself with the crooked alleyways, unreal coffee houses and bustling breakfast cafes in this romantic gorgeous city.
Come play in Emma Kate Creative's bowerbird nest of words, colours and loveliness. Here you will find behind-the-scenes snippets of creative projects, dreams and ideas collected in the pursuit of living he{art}fully.
COURTESY NOTE
This journal is a shared space, so please feel welcome to comment and interact with kindred folk freely.
I love sharing, so also feel welcome to spread my images and words far and wide beyond this site. However, I ask that all shared content be credited to Emma Kate Creative and linked back to my original post.
