5 Australian creatives show us their desk space
Image via Hello Sisi
Words by Seraphina Nicholls
“My desk space is fun, functional and almost never neat.”
You can tell a lot about a person by what they keep on their desk. A desk with a few coffee ring stains and some half-finished to-do lists reminds me of that friend who’s always in the middle of a frantic breakthrough.
A well-tended to desk plant that sits next to an expensive yet emotionally supportive water bottle brings to mind the friend who’s been to a hot yoga class and made an elaborate smoothie bowl all before 9am.
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An unexpected psychoanalytical tool, our desk space can speak volumes about the state of our lives. Snooping at the desk spaces of your favourite creatives, then, is a sure way to witness the creative mind at work.
It can also provide insight into the ins and outs of making a living out of your creativity. Below, I asked five Australian creatives about their desk spaces, what items are on them, and what their space means to their work.
Lara Fisher, CEO of P0ly Designs
My desk space is fun, functional and almost never neat. I usually have tile and grout samples and a colour chart at hand. Pen and paper are essential as I often feel swamped with technology-heavy tasks (invoices, emails, answering DMs) so it’s nice to write clear lists and sketch out designs.
Luckily for me, I get to test out a new desk almost every week as we are often creating custom pieces like this green one. The most important desk essentials I have are water, [a] tape measure and a diary. I will pretty much take them wherever I go.
Rachael Akhidenor, founder of Self Care Originals
I would describe my desk space as an organised kind of chaos. My desk itself is relatively spacious, with pens, tea, product samples and print-outs at the edges, and my laptop/monitor in the middle.
The most helpful items are actually those that are stuck beside my desk. I take a lot of value in needing to see what I need to do. As such, reminders, post-its and strategy documents are often found here. I change these over every few weeks; it’s like an ever-evolving to-do list or mood board.
Karla Laidlaw, founder of Karlaidlaw
I need a clean workspace to start off with. I go through any emails that I need to and organise my day, usually by writing lists. I then get onto designing. It’s important that I have my references printed off and in front of me – sometimes what was a good reference for colour, might now be a good reference for the way a garment falls off the body.
What goes above my desk is anything that sparks me. I either print or scan from my collection of books or tape up from my fabric/trim library. Jimmy Buttons is the best for all trims to get you inspired.
Sienna Ludbey, founder of Hello Sisi
My desk space on a Monday is nice and clean [and] everything is organised but as the week goes by it slowly gets messier and more cluttered. I wish I was someone who could keep a tidy workspace but it just never seems to stick.
The most helpful item would be my sewing machine. I use it all day, every day. I love it so much [and] have covered it in lots of cute stickers. It’s where I make all the [Hello] Sisi bags and purses.
Claire Louise Smith, Creative Director of Permanent Vacation
I would describe my desk space as uncomplicated. Currently, I am designing a new collection, Project 20, and I tend to keep my workspace minimal and functional during the creative process to allow clear thoughts to flow. The most important items on my desk are water, a Wacom tablet and fresh flowers.
The desk itself has sentimental value to me because I made it when I started Permanent Vacation. Also, my dog’s tiny bed. She is my sweet studio companion, and spends her days on a chair next to mine, in a bed that is much too small for her (a friend initially brought it into the studio for her little dog, before Luca claimed it as her own).
For more on how to make your desk space work for you, head here.
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