“Remember not all your connections have to be business ones, you can find ones that are for pure enjoyment that let you just be creative without the pressure of it having to be ‘something’…”

– SUSANNAH KINGS-LYNNE

Tell us a little about your experiences since graduating. Where have you worked? Where do you work now?

Since graduating from the Advanced Diploma of Jewellery Design, I mainly set about trying to run my own business (wanting to follow a contemporary jewellery path felt different to what a 'trade jeweller' might pursue in terms of apprenticeships etc. Plus that style of work didn't overly appeal to me). I was lucky enough to be able to secure a studio space straight out of TAFE (thanks to one of my lecturers at the time), which made me feel like I could just jump straight into working on new projects without breaking stride after graduating.

I still only worked on my jewellery part time while holding onto my 'day job' in the marketing department of an industrial supplies company. This helped me keep a regular income to help fund my jewellery work on the side. Although it wasn't strictly a 'design job', I was actually able to apply my design training to some aspects of my office role, and as I was working with the marketing team, it also taught me certain strategies, programs and tools that I could use for marketing my jewellery business.

Along the way I have also managed to secure temporary work with other jewellers in my field, working as a hired-hand on their larger scale projects. These opportunities have been so valuable and enjoyable for me. It's an opportunity to learn first hand from another maker about their process, their skills and approach to their own careers.

Making my jewellery business successful has been very challenging, and I have to say I haven't fully achieved that yet. I've had a few set backs along the way, and am still trying to find a reliable and stable income through my jewellery. Pursuing the path of running my own business has a wonderful amount of freedom, but is also pretty scary! It requires a lot of work to create leads, opportunities and connections, which can be quite daunting at times. I feel like the key is to create a great support network both in and out of the industry, and find ways to keep finding the joy in what you do - whether it's commercially successful or not. Remember why you started this path in the first place

How did you get your first design job or solo exhibition?

My first major jewellery related job, came through my connections within the Jewellers & Metalsmiths Group of Australia (JMGA WA). I joined the local club after TAFE and started to get to know other jewellers around town, and they began to know me. One of the other members was looking for someone to help her with a large scale project that required a lot of hand sawing, and I had made a name for myself as being quite skilled at that. So we were put in touch with each other and I managed to secure some work with her. This ended up becoming a 4 month long job, which was a great experience (and income!), plus we also became good friends and have worked on a number of other projects together over the years since then.

I have not had a solo exhibition at all, but I have been a part of group shows. Most of these opportunities came through memberships to various art/design associations, like the JMGA WA and Artsource, and also word of mouth and through personal connections.

What advice would you give to current Art & Design students studying at NM TAFE right now?

From my experience, I can say that it's creating connections and finding a community that has worked best for me. From a business point of view, it's through those personal connections that you will often hear about the latest exhibition, award, or job opportunities, whether it's a public call out or personal introduction to another maker.

I would recommend joining up to a local makers group or association, whichever one suits your field, and get to know the other members and start building a network group. You can also sign up to newsletters for various membership associations, art galleries, and studios etc, or follow them on social media. This will let you get the latest news about any potential business or social opportunities.

Whether you're just starting your course, or almost graduating, I think this advice applies to all. I know it can be tricky for a lot of people to put themselves out there - including me, I'm quite a shy person so I do often find it nerve racking to show up to an event with a room full of people, or submit an application for an exhibition, or reach out to another maker to start a conversation. Maybe even set yourself a goal for applying to 2 exhibitions/awards a year, or something similar, even if you don't get in, it all adds to your experience. Just do it bit by bit, taking the small steps and it will get easier along the way to eventually go for bigger and bolder opportunities.

I would also recommend just remembering why you chose to be an artist. So often we get into these courses because we just want to make things and be creative, follow our passion and do something we love. But then we get bogged down with the business side of things, constant admin, and self-promotion (ugh, social media!) - most of the time doing it all ourselves because we can't afford to outsource that stuff yet. This can all make it feel like it's too hard and maybe we're not doing the right thing. This is where those creative communities can really be of help, let them be your support network. Remember not all your connections have to be business ones, you can find ones that are for pure enjoyment that let you just be creative without the pressure of it having to be 'something'. Even try taking a class to learn a new skill outside of your chosen field, this can help you separate business from play. You may see a lot of knitting circles, sketch clubs, sip & paint classes, 'stitch & bitch' groups - these are all socially driven and can be quite restorative to your creative soul! ...can't find a group? then start one!

What can Perth and Western Australia do to support graduating diverse range of Art & Design students more?

Stop cutting all our jewellery courses for a start! Since I graduated in 2017, the number of jewellery focused courses and degrees have dropped radically, across the whole country. Every time a course is cut, or gets merged under another design course, it invalidates the integrity of the field.

I feel like the field of jewellery is one that can suffer from the amount of cheaper 'hobby' products on the market. Why would people buy my hand made metal piece when they can get an acrylic or polymer clay piece for $40 at their weekend market? This is a constant struggle when there are very few opportunities for career contemporary jewellers to display and sell their works. Even in Melbourne and Sydney especially there are more outlets and galleries that are purely jewellery focused, that many Western Australians have to stock their work over there and not here in Perth.

Supporting small businesses and art galleries, even arts events and exhibitions, raising the profile of the craft will go a long way to benefiting the industry and the makers. Create a scene where aspiring makers and students can see a legitimate future in this field.

Another area to focus on would be funding arts precincts and artist studios around the city. It is so hard to find suitable studio spaces around town, especially those suited to jewellery making, that most jewellers I know work from home. Someone like me does not have the type of house that can accommodate that long term, and after losing my studio space in 2021 it's been a real struggle to find another space. There are so many empty buildings around town that could so easily be turned into amazing studio spaces - and I know there are enough artists to be able to fill them! But they also need to be funded and run by the government and/or local councils and not by volunteer artists.

What do you think are the most important qualities in an emerging designer or artist?

I think it's important to realise that success is not necessarily going to be instantaneous! If you are working for yourself, it will take a lot of work, persistence and perseverance. Be willing to try different options and strategies and see what works best for you, because it won't always be the same as what's best for the person next to you.

Stay strong and believe in what you do and what you make. Don't compromise your work or devalue yourself just to cater to a certain audience. If you have a stall at the local market and your work isn't selling - it doesn't mean your work isn't good enough, or it is priced too high, it just means you're at the wrong market. People who value your work will pay what it's worth, you just need to find how to reach those people - again, this may take time.

Also remember that graduating your course is not the end of your studies. Keep working on your craft, refining your skills, and just keep learning!

Please list some awesome new developments happening right now in the Art & Design industry that you are excited by.

I know one event that is happening this year, which is the National JMGA Conference in October. This is a revived event that hasn't been hosted in Perth for many years, and it's going to be featuring a number of local, national and international guests for a day of presentations, plus satellite workshops, events and exhibitions. It's going to be so wonderful to be able to gather jewellers and makers from across the country to celebrate and promote our field, and share it with the wider community as well.

This was in danger of not going ahead due to funding setbacks, but it's managed to go ahead with a smaller budget and will still be pretty exciting for our city.

It would be great to be able to have easier cross-communications between associations like JMGA and the TAFE students so we can spread the word and get the emerging artists involved in events like this too.

Some final great tips for emerging jewellers…

Probably the most obvious one is social media and marketing tasks. This always feels like a full time job in itself, so learning basics on how to make this easier for you could be helpful. Perhaps we feel like everyone is on social media these days so we don't need to teach it, but making it work for your business is very different to just posting your latest coffee and bagel at the local cafe or selfies with your dog.

Being able to master the basics of social media and even email marketing for a website and scheduling it into your day to day business in a manageable is very valuable.

Also consider investigating woodworking classes to understand the basics for creating your own displays. Designing and creating jewellery displays from MDF, learning the basic tools you need and how the material works. This could be so useful for you future endeavours including exhibitions and even market stall displays.

And, even though it sounds terribly dull, a face to face visit to your book-keeper or tax consultant on how to submit BAS and sole trader tax returns can really help manage the financial side of your activities and leave you to focus on your craft.