In this episode of our Digitally Diverse series with host Ellen Bennett we interview Rebecca Bolton, Brand Designer at Enigma. We discuss her university experience, freelance work, passion for design and key insights she would give to those wanting to start a career in technology. Hope you enjoy the interview!

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Show Notes

Here you can source all the things we have talked about in the podcast whether that be books, events, meet-up groups and what’s new in the Newcastle tech scene.

• • Rebecca’s LinkedIn
  • Enigma’s LinkedIn
  • Enigma’s Website

Find all local Newcastle Technology Events

• Event’s Page

00:00:20:29 – 00:00:30:27
Ellen Bennett
Thank you so much for joining us for another episode of Digitally Diverse. We have a wonderful designer, Becca Bolton, joining us. So thank you so much for joining us, Becca.

00:00:31:23 – 00:00:33:08
Rebecca Bolton
My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

00:00:33:17 – 00:00:42:17
Ellen Bennett
So, yeah, I’d love to have love for you to explain your career up to date. Give us an overview of how you’ve got to where you are.

00:00:42:27 – 00:01:15:14
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, of course. So I’m a multidisciplinary designer based in the Northern Beaches and I’m really passionate about good design and designing for good. I am a specialist in design and branding in addition to doing spatial design and photography and content creation. So that’s kind of where the multi-disciplinary aspect comes from, I guess. I love partnering and empowering conscious challenged brands to break into a circular economy, So that is the foundation of who I am and where I’m at at the moment.

00:01:15:19 – 00:01:42:05
Rebecca Bolton
I’ve been emerging in the industry for the last three or four years, so that definitely didn’t help with entering and trying to get into the field. But taking a positive from that, I was able to launch my soul, train a business and work as a freelancer. But now I am currently working at Enigma Communications, which is a creative agency and I do media as well.

00:01:42:12 – 00:01:50:16
Rebecca Bolton
I’m part of the brand team working as a brand designer, which is lots of fun. It’s keeping me very busy and keeping creative.

00:01:51:00 – 00:01:59:25
Ellen Bennett
That’s really interesting that you mentioned COVID and how that’s changed the way that you work, how that’s impacted on your craft and how you work.

00:02:00:03 – 00:02:25:20
Rebecca Bolton
Look, COVID was a terrible time for everyone. It was a lot of negative impacts on the industry and everyone’s lives. But as a positive person, I kind of took the opportunity to start a freelance business and just really taking the ropes to myself as I went along. I graduated in the middle of COVID, which was really hard to immerse myself in the industry.

00:02:25:20 – 00:02:48:09
Rebecca Bolton
They weren’t really looking for any junior designers at the time, so that was a really big challenge that I faced. And towards the end of my degree, I was actually studying in Canada. I had a scholarship to study and I had to come home, but I was determined to complete that final semester rather than repeating and extending my my uni journey.

00:02:48:23 – 00:03:23:10
Rebecca Bolton
So it was a really great opportunity to already work remotely with international timezones, working on projects collaboratively in a digital and online space. And that was something that was a great skill to learn and then bring in to my freelance business when I started that off. So there was definitely pros and cons to it all, but it was a great journey to start really, and it made me really force myself to connect with other people in the industry and collaborate and just get my foot off the ground.

00:03:23:15 – 00:03:28:29
Rebecca Bolton
So COVID was definitely a challenge, but yeah, working remotely, it definitely has its perks.

00:03:30:03 – 00:03:59:03
Ellen Bennett
Definitely. Yeah. And it’s super interesting that you also mentioned that, like you basically started your design journey while you were, you know, working remotely, studying remotely. So I guess in a way you might not know that much difference to, to like that way of working. And is that has that been a bit of a challenge trying to, you know, perhaps bring on all the older designers or onto your way of working?

00:03:59:08 – 00:04:00:03
Ellen Bennett
How have you found that?

00:04:00:17 – 00:04:26:06
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, it’s been interesting. I think one of the main reasons why I wanted to be a part of an agency was I was missing that fundamental of collaborating within the team and feeling that energy and that hype in an office space and really bouncing off everyone’s creative ideas. And I think that is definitely something in my industry in particular, when you’re working remotely that can be challenging at times.

00:04:26:20 – 00:04:52:07
Rebecca Bolton
However, I do really like to put some insights on having music in the background and get a creative flow. So there’s definitely a balance in between. But that was something that was difficult, that, you know, physical interaction, that face to face, but have an idea style approach to design. Yeah. And at times, you know, it’s it’s hard to stay motivated, especially when there’s a fridge nearby constantly wanting to snack.

00:04:54:10 – 00:05:23:12
Ellen Bennett
Yes. I definitely feel you on that one. I think it’s yeah, it kind of like allowed everybody to figure out what balance they wanted when it came to their work life balance, because everybody’s different and everyone’s got different thought processes and different priorities in their work day. So yeah. And that’s yeah, super, super good. So yeah, tell us tell us a little bit about your current role and being back in agency life, how you found that.

00:05:24:20 – 00:05:48:29
Rebecca Bolton
It’s great. It’s full of hype at the moment and Nygma did a rebrand at the end of last year, which I was really grateful to be part of and bring that to life with the team. They’ve got a great vision ahead of them and there’s already a lot of momentum picking up, and I guess the whole brand positioning was creating real chemistry, which for me is a fundamental, you know, having projects and connecting with clients.

00:05:48:29 – 00:06:12:25
Rebecca Bolton
It’s it’s about formulating a relationship and having that ongoing and open communication where there is that chemistry created. And I think that’s been a really beautiful thing to be a part of and make more in the journey So far is just being able to kind of see how we connect with our clients and create that chemistry from the initial point of a briefing through to bringing this beautiful piece of work to life.

00:06:12:27 – 00:06:32:12
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I’m really enjoying it. I’m currently in the brand team working with some incredible designers and an absolutely amazing creative director, Brad Stevens. He’s definitely been a mentor of mine. Yeah. So it’s really it’s been a great journey so far. I’ve been there for almost a year and yeah, there’s so much going on.

00:06:33:23 – 00:07:04:06
Ellen Bennett
Yes, I know. I’m familiar with Enigma and the work they do. They’re always churning out some really, really cool stuff. So yeah, especially having that, that mentorship as well. In that environment, you must be learning so, so much. Really influential people come through their doors. So yeah, I also love to kind of touch on, you know, you did a semester overseas and Yeah, tell us about like your education journey.

00:07:04:06 – 00:07:12:14
Ellen Bennett
Like where would you do that again? Like how, how did you find your university journey challenging?

00:07:12:18 – 00:07:42:22
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I would say it’s challenging in the sense of the pressures of societal norms. So I felt graduating from, you know, the high school certificate, from school, going straight into a degree. It didn’t sit right with me and I’m trying to decide what degree do I want to do. And my dad was great. He was very supportive in the sense of helping direct me with what he thought I would be good at.

00:07:43:00 – 00:07:56:14
Rebecca Bolton
And and during school, every subject that I did was creative. People kind of said that I was a bit crazy in the sense of doing three major works for the agency, but it was well worth it. It gives me like PTSD.

00:07:56:14 – 00:07:59:02
Ellen Bennett
A little bit. I’m just like, You would never want to do that again.

00:07:59:15 – 00:08:23:04
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I definitely do not miss school, but it gives you grounding in fundamentals and understand who you are a little bit. So I decided to take a gap year and that was probably the best decision I made for myself. And I would strongly encourage anyone to do this coming out of school because it really gets you thinking about who you are as a person.

00:08:23:04 – 00:08:51:27
Rebecca Bolton
Stop being inspired with what’s around you and just explore so many opportunities out there. So I got accepted into A.W. for a Bachelor of Design, which I accepted, and then I deferred for a year. So I did my gap year, came back feeling ready to go. That was definitely a lot of nerves. After traveling for so long and getting into a rhythm of studying again and really just applying yourself to academics, which was a big concern of family.

00:08:52:06 – 00:09:13:06
Rebecca Bolton
And I guess that was a pressure that I had to face. But I’m so glad I did it because I felt inspired. However, the first year, you know, they teach you kind of creative thinking, the fundamentals of how to conceptually idea ideas, and then they’re like, okay, now it’s time to choose the field or the stream you want to go down.

00:09:13:06 – 00:09:39:20
Rebecca Bolton
And there’s so many areas. And for me, being multidisciplinary, it’s like, how am I supposed to decide this? I love interior design, I love photography, I love graphics, I love fashion jewelry. I’m like, why do I have to decide this now? And so I deferred again, and I did a lot of internships in these different industries to give a taste of what that would feel like to be within that sector and do that.

00:09:39:20 – 00:10:12:18
Rebecca Bolton
So it was made of that alive and that was probably the best thing that I did because when I came back to uni, I felt purposeful, more motivated than ever. My my grades ended up exceeding and accelerating. I ended up getting James listed for the last two years. And I think if I didn’t take that that time and that discovery phase, maybe I wouldn’t have been in the right field or maybe I would have been questioning why did I do this degree?

00:10:13:02 – 00:10:18:13
Rebecca Bolton
And that has been a really interesting journey, but I’m so glad that I took that approach.

00:10:19:12 – 00:10:42:21
Ellen Bennett
No, that’s great. I, I think yeah, you’re right in in the moment deferring it seems like such a daunting prospect. You’re scared that it’s not going to, you know, get you any further. You’re scared that you’re going to be wasting time. But I feel like taking gap years. I’m a big advocate for that and deferring full stop. If you’re not 100% sure.

00:10:43:07 – 00:10:45:09
Ellen Bennett
Uni is a lot of money now like.

00:10:45:21 – 00:10:47:23
Rebecca Bolton
It is, Everyone forgets about that.

00:10:48:19 – 00:11:13:28
Ellen Bennett
Yeah. Like why should you be doing classes when you’re not 100% sure if it’s going to be relevant to where you want to be heading. So yeah, good for you for giving yourself that space to take a pause and just reevaluate what your where you see yourself heading and you’re right. When when people have that alignment in where they want to go, it just it makes all the difference.

00:11:13:28 – 00:11:39:24
Ellen Bennett
They just smash it out of the park, which is obviously what you did. So no, that’s great. But yeah, you’re right. Like you do learn so much in design thinking and just like maturing as a person, I feel like, Yeah, yeah. Coming straight out of school, you, you don’t have the confidence to question people and dig a little bit deeper, which is a huge part of design.

00:11:40:18 – 00:11:47:01
Ellen Bennett
So yeah, I think it’s super important to, you know, build up those soft skills before you even start studying.

00:11:47:12 – 00:12:06:14
Rebecca Bolton
So yes, and just enjoy yourself. You know, there’s so much to say and you’re young and why not? But we have so much time. And I think that’s what a lot of people forget. It’s just like slow down a little bit when, you know, we’re always in such a rush in this society to just go, go, go into it.

00:12:06:14 – 00:12:12:11
Ellen Bennett
Yeah. Get get started with adulting a.S.A.P. And there’s other ways to do that.

00:12:13:23 – 00:12:15:09
Rebecca Bolton
I’m like, how do you do that?

00:12:16:11 – 00:12:18:08
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, yeah. I think everyone’s still.

00:12:18:08 – 00:12:24:04
Rebecca Bolton
Trying to do. We know? I think it’s more just fake it to make it.

00:12:24:14 – 00:12:34:10
Ellen Bennett
Given that you are a woman in the design and tech industry, how have you found that so far? And can you see any changes happening in the future?

00:12:34:24 – 00:13:01:14
Rebecca Bolton
I’ve definitely noticed a shift that’s happening in creative industries. One of the things that I really love about being a part of a model is the company is founded by Lisa and she’s a power woman in the creative industry and it’s very inspirational. I do a bit of a deep dive into research and saw that only 10% globally of creative industries are founded by females, and I was horrified.

00:13:01:21 – 00:13:24:20
Rebecca Bolton
So that I guess is a very big underlying drive for me to help get creatives in the industry and really immerse yourself and empower each other. And I think yeah, being a part of and make model with amazing later, like Lisa, it’s a great foundation to see this kind of movement happening in this shift. And it is, it’s changing.

00:13:24:21 – 00:13:42:29
Rebecca Bolton
But I think the more we talk about it, the more that we can help and support each other in this industry because it’s a fun industry. We have lots of ideas where, you know, male or female. So yeah, once I saw that stat that was a big moment was like, now we’ve got to go to encourage the small.

00:13:43:27 – 00:14:07:18
Ellen Bennett
Yeah. And, and figure out initiatives to get more people on board and represent representation is a huge, a huge driver. I think if we as women see other lit other women in leadership roles, that’s only just going to encourage more people to become involved and see themselves in that role one day. So yeah, I think power to Lisa.

00:14:07:24 – 00:14:08:26
Ellen Bennett
Let’s get more women.

00:14:09:27 – 00:14:10:20
Rebecca Bolton
And then.

00:14:10:27 – 00:14:18:17
Ellen Bennett
Get that representation up there. So for the younger people coming through and studying and wanting to get more into the industry to.

00:14:19:17 – 00:14:20:09
Rebecca Bolton
Directly.

00:14:20:21 – 00:14:35:10
Ellen Bennett
What, what kind of compelled you to like, Obviously you have such a big passion for design and all the facets of that, but what kind of made you want to focus on like the technology and like the agency and branding side of design?

00:14:36:15 – 00:15:04:25
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I mean, I think it’s the role of a designer. You have to have considered design and you have that responsibility to create a community and culture filled with good design. And I think that’s something that has been lacking quite a lot. And so I love brands. I’ve always loved brands as a consumer. I’m looking at packaging, I’m looking at the design, and that’s how I purchase.

00:15:04:25 – 00:15:34:02
Rebecca Bolton
And so it was a bit of a no brainer for me because the way I valued brands and how I would purchase products was through, you know, is it sustainable, Is it considered packaging, is it considered design? And so that’s what really drew me into brand and wanting to be a part of this movement of creating really good designs that will benefit culture and empower society for good.

00:15:34:12 – 00:15:57:11
Rebecca Bolton
And I think this generation has a lot of passion and opportunities, and especially in such a digital space, so many resources to educate yourself and to also have a voice. And I really wanted to be a part of that movement and not be afraid of where my my ideas would come from and where that would take challenge to brands.

00:15:57:21 – 00:16:19:20
Rebecca Bolton
And I think that’s a real rise that’s happening in society, especially in the design industry, where you see a bit of going against the grain, testing the norms because, you know, we have the capability to craft our environments, our world and how we want it. And we, you know, in design, we’re always producing something. So you may as well produce is the correct way.

00:16:19:20 – 00:16:33:27
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, because I don’t want to be causing, you know, harmful design or I’m considered approaches that leave a negative impact on this planet. No people on planet for many of the fundamentals and it comes down to human centric design.

00:16:34:09 – 00:16:38:27
Ellen Bennett
People probably don’t want to admit that they.

00:16:39:12 – 00:16:40:01
Rebecca Bolton
Really look.

00:16:40:01 – 00:16:55:17
Ellen Bennett
At packaging and really look at branding. People think they’re making a decision because they want that particular item. But it’s it it really does have a really complex background to it, doesn’t it? Like there must be so much.

00:16:55:17 – 00:16:56:11
Rebecca Bolton
Testing.

00:16:56:11 – 00:17:07:04
Ellen Bennett
And so many so much research that goes into like your side of design that people just have no idea about. It’s such a such a multi-faceted discipline, isn’t it?

00:17:08:02 – 00:17:29:29
Rebecca Bolton
It really is, but I love it. I’m so passionate about it. And I think that, you know, the strategy and the research phase and even the psychology behind how people think and how people consume and really identifying what that is and how we can approach it to align with a better world. I think that’s the root and the exciting part of the design process for me.

00:17:30:18 – 00:17:38:24
Ellen Bennett
When was the first time that you really fell in love with like branding and were really sure that’s the direction you wanted to head in?

00:17:39:08 – 00:18:08:09
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I think a pivotal moment for me was when I was working at Slice Boutique. They are a fashion boutique in Newport in the Northern Beaches. Beautiful team, loved working there, and I started to really look more into brands, obviously being surrounded by it and the way that they would solicit products and curate every take was from, you know, Australian designers, Australian made.

00:18:08:20 – 00:18:35:26
Rebecca Bolton
And then I was like, Oh, hang on, I could be a part of this, this movement and supporting, you know, Australian designers. And the team sent me to an event in 2019 for the City Living event in Sydney Harbor as a representative for Splice, and they held an event panel of leading Australian leading Australian female creatives and experts in design.

00:18:35:26 – 00:19:10:06
Rebecca Bolton
So this Tash Sefton, Bibi, Poppy O’Neill and more. And they were there to discuss fashion, arts, interior and design. And that was a big moment for me because being in a room surrounded by influential creatives while looking at the Vista of our iconic Sydney Harbor, I was invigorated with a spark that I had this career aspiration of. I want to be empowering others and talking about design and educating and empowering other people in a room.

00:19:10:17 – 00:19:21:08
Rebecca Bolton
And that was the moment when I knew that I wanted to be a designer, not only just for brand but multi-disciplinary and just lead that movement in Australia.

00:19:23:03 – 00:19:51:04
Ellen Bennett
And that’s like, I guess one of the best things about being a designer in the brand space would be you can interact and empower all of these other designers by your skills just in branding. So yeah, that’s super cool that your like how you figured out where you want to be heading is actually just being around a bunch of other smart people and wanting to empower them and help them.

00:19:51:09 – 00:20:06:18
Rebecca Bolton
I know at the time I didn’t realize that it was probably a week later. I was like, Oh, that was the moment that even realize like, it’s happening. No, not at all. It’s such a great event to be a part of too.

00:20:07:13 – 00:20:27:21
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, awesome. And I mean, I guess we kind of touched a little bit before on like your, your university journey, but what advice do you want to give to like students who are wanting to start a career in tech or design? Is there any anything that you would recommend?

00:20:28:29 – 00:20:58:05
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I think intuition. Listen to your gut, understand as a person what you love doing. I’m a strong believer of the Japanese philosophy is your guide, which means how to live a long and happy life with purpose. It’s a great book. I highly recommend you can get it for $12. And I think that’s the real core of figuring out what career path you want to take.

00:20:58:19 – 00:21:21:13
Rebecca Bolton
And then when you’re on that journey as well, I think the moment that you’re in your comfort zone, it’s the moment you limit yourself from being the best version of you. And that’s something that I will always check in with myself. Am I too comfortable? Am I saying no to too many opportunities? So yes, I mean, where it’s appropriate, but say yes, opportunities jump for it.

00:21:21:22 – 00:21:35:27
Rebecca Bolton
Really immerse yourself and integrate with others and connect, I think with co-creation and, you know, networking is fundamental and it really helps you get your career journey going and be inspired.

00:21:36:27 – 00:22:13:26
Ellen Bennett
MM Yeah. Design at its core is connecting people with ideas and helping other people. So whether it’s like helping them make decisions or helping in engagement or it’s, you know, making things more accessible. So yeah, I feel like that connection pace is so important and people become designers to help others at the end of the day. So yeah, I think that’s that’s super important to kind of keep that as your North Star, which you obviously have.

00:22:13:26 – 00:22:22:23
Ellen Bennett
And is that kind of like what motivates you and inspires you when you’re working on your craft, or is there anything in particular that really keeps you going?

00:22:23:11 – 00:22:51:29
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, people for sure. I’m constantly inspired by others. It’s around me and really interested in to how they come up with ideas or their stories, where they come from. That’s definitely something that motivates me and I can gain inspiration from. I love the ocean, I love the work, I love being in nature, going for hikes. I’m an adrenaline seeker and travel lover as well, so I gain a lot of inspiration from my surroundings.

00:22:51:29 – 00:23:14:15
Rebecca Bolton
So, you know, even if I’m feeling a little stumped, I’ll go for a walk or go for a swim or take photos of landscapes and try and have a new lens and have a different perspective. Yeah. So I think those are the the key things. And also keeping my finger on the pulse with what other creative industries are doing within Australia but also internationally.

00:23:14:21 – 00:23:32:22
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, that’s fantastic. I yeah, I think just keeping the a wide view lens sometimes is all that you need to do. Like if you zoom in too far on something, it can become all consuming. So yeah, I like that. Yeah. Sometimes you just have to take yourself out of that situation, right.

00:23:32:22 – 00:23:38:11
Rebecca Bolton
So yeah, that’s right. Take a moment. Have a coffee. Yes. Yes.

00:23:38:13 – 00:23:46:24
Ellen Bennett
So, Becca, what what kind of speed bumps have you have you face so far? And how is that kind of shaped where you see yourself heading next?

00:23:48:12 – 00:24:14:14
Rebecca Bolton
I think as I touched before, we’re definitely covered. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to that. That was the biggest speed bump for me. But also imposter syndrome. I think that can be a big play, especially as a creative really questioning your ideas. And is it good enough or is it up to standard or those better ideas and and comparison as well?

00:24:14:16 – 00:24:34:29
Rebecca Bolton
I think comparison is killer and really kind of learning how to take on constructive feedback and not take it personally. That was also something that was a bit of a save up for me because I care so much about what people think I’m a bit of a people pleaser. So when someone did like an idea, I’m like, Oh no.

00:24:35:23 – 00:24:57:03
Rebecca Bolton
So it’s really, you know, detaching from that, stepping away and being like, No, this is good, this is constructive. This is how we get to a great idea. There’s no right or wrong. It’s just steppingstones. So I think understanding those fundamental rules were a journey for me. But also, yeah, I covered that didn’t help it at all getting into the industry.

00:24:57:07 – 00:25:18:20
Rebecca Bolton
But that’s, you know, when you start taking initiative, when I felt very, very stumped and I couldn’t get into any agency, I felt a bit deflated. I was like, Well, this isn’t personal. You know, it’s it’s a part of what’s happening in society at the moment. We’re going through a really difficult time in a pandemic. But that’s when I decided to start connecting to kind of get out of that slump.

00:25:18:24 – 00:25:43:26
Rebecca Bolton
So I took an initiative to create a community campaign from my own about Palm Beach. And I wanted to support, you know, our local community, all the creatives, all the boutiques and shops that were really struggling during this time. And from that it was really great because I was able to connect with them really network and meet people nearby and have that support.

00:25:44:07 – 00:25:50:16
Rebecca Bolton
And then from that opportunities opened up. So that’s what I feel got me out of my slump.

00:25:51:18 – 00:26:14:03
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, I think that’s it’s the best way to go at it. And it’s something that I talk about with a lot of designers who are, you know, feeling like a lot of doors are being closed on them. Like how can you get out in the community right now? How can you be of service to those that, you know, other small businesses like boutiques and shops?

00:26:14:03 – 00:26:40:13
Ellen Bennett
You know, a lot of these, you know, really small mum and pop shops who don’t necessarily have the ability to go and hire a designer full time. How can you be helping out your local community? It’s super important and that looks and it looks really great on the CV and be you’re connecting with the people around you. And I think that was put into more focus during COVID as well.

00:26:40:22 – 00:26:56:10
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, it it allowed people to connect with lots of different people online, but it also made you focus on your local little bubble. So yeah, that’s really cool that you relied on them and tried to try to help them out too.

00:26:56:19 – 00:27:20:04
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I think, you know, big believer of giving back and if you can support your community, I think that’s a great way of doing it. And I agree, it was a time where we all realized how deeply fundamental human connection is. And that was a, you know, an eye opening situation to be in. So, yeah, it was almost empowering to be able to have that realization and, and start sourcing local.

00:27:22:01 – 00:27:42:27
Ellen Bennett
I think. Yeah. And especially like with the first almost like the foundation part of your career as well to have that as one of the building blocks, I feel like you would have learned so much that other senior designers probably it would be like a foreign concept to them if they’ve just jumped straight into a big a big, big agency first thing.

00:27:42:27 – 00:27:47:29
Ellen Bennett
So yeah, I think it’s, it’s, it’s a good thing for you to have in your back pocket for sure.

00:27:48:04 – 00:27:54:03
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah. That’s a good stepping stone. Now, it’s definitely some hardships, though. Not all, I would imagine.

00:27:54:22 – 00:28:10:21
Ellen Bennett
Yes, but a grind. But I guess in in that vein, is there is there anything that you do regularly for like your productivity or like to motivate you? I know that you love to be out in nature. Is there anything else that you do?

00:28:11:12 – 00:28:34:01
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, I’m a big believer of rituals. I kind of revisit and craft it at the beginning of every new year and say, Is this aligning with my day to day? I have a list of what brings me happiness or joy, and I will look at that often and be like, Am I doing this in my weekly routine? And it could even be as simple as going to the cafe for a morning coffee.

00:28:34:01 – 00:28:56:24
Rebecca Bolton
I love it. Or having a candle lit shower. You know what? Save it for a bath. I mean, it’s too hot. And so anyway, you. Yeah. And then, you know, when you have those moments to do your skincare, which I love, just really taking the time to give back to your self and take a moment for you and having a bit of a breath and things that I do love doing as well as surfing.

00:28:56:24 – 00:29:07:06
Rebecca Bolton
I think that’s a great way to just connect with nature and have some time to just relax and unwind, but also have some fun. I think at some point it’s just have fun.

00:29:07:23 – 00:29:11:12
Ellen Bennett
Love that. So that that takes up my severe spare time. Then.

00:29:12:23 – 00:29:41:03
Rebecca Bolton
Definitely. And sleep. I love sleep. I think we’re all coming to know the important, how important it is. Yeah, exactly. But you know, on the side, I’m an adventure seeker too. I love traveling and and landscape photography. Originally, when I a part of my deferral with uni, I went to Queensland for a little bit and I was mentored by a natural history photographer, James Doyle, which is an amazing opportunity he has to work for.

00:29:41:05 – 00:30:05:05
Rebecca Bolton
So David Attenborough So that passion still very much lives with me, but I didn’t want that to be work. So when I can and I love going away for weekends, I’m actually going away today to a cabin. Yeah, it’s called Uncorked. If you haven’t heard of it or been there. They’re really great company where they do eco cabins in really picturesque places in New South Wales and in Queensland.

00:30:05:05 – 00:30:07:12
Rebecca Bolton
So I do love being able to get away when I can.

00:30:08:22 – 00:30:36:03
Ellen Bennett
Now that’s that’s great. And I, I feel like there’s a similar vibe going around with keeping your hobbies and your work separate. I feel like the last maybe like ten or 15 years, so many people were like, Oh, if you have a hobby, you need to turn it into a side hustle. And now I feel like everyone’s kind of pulling away from that notion because you want to keep those two things separate to keep it fun.

00:30:36:16 – 00:30:43:02
Ellen Bennett
So is that kind of the thought process behind keeping your photography separate to your work?

00:30:44:04 – 00:31:07:04
Rebecca Bolton
Definitely. You know, I didn’t want to be forced to take photos. I felt that I mean, it’s very different from, you know, creating ideas for a brand and getting a brief. But I think with photography, it really just makes you part in and focus on, Oh, I really need to get this shot. As for me, the whole purpose of why I take photos is because I’m like, Wow, this is beautiful.

00:31:07:04 – 00:31:11:16
Rebecca Bolton
I want to capture this for me. And I think that’s why I wanted to keep it as a hobby.

00:31:12:28 – 00:31:31:10
Ellen Bennett
Yes. Know, I really get that for well, for me personally, for the longest time, I obsess like I make a lot of my own clothes and I make yeah, I love to sew. And it’s the same thing with so many people would be like, Oh, you should sell this, you should do this. And I’m like, No, I don’t want to be forced to do this.

00:31:31:10 – 00:31:40:10
Ellen Bennett
I love doing this because it’s it’s something that I do for my self-care. It’s a hobby. I don’t want to be paid for this because that’ll take money out of it.

00:31:40:11 – 00:31:45:16
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah. Yeah. It takes the essence and the playfulness. Do you wear your you? Yeah.

00:31:46:14 – 00:32:08:18
Ellen Bennett
Yeah, yeah. I love it. I think it’s, it’s just such a fun way. It’s like a puzzle. You get to put everything together and you learn something. Every time you craft something, which I’m sure goes with every aspect of design, you, you make things more efficient every time that you practice it. So I love I love that aspect of it, but yeah, I think you will.

00:32:08:18 – 00:32:17:22
Ellen Bennett
You mentioned your photography mentor. Is there any other like mentors or business leaders that inspire you?

00:32:18:23 – 00:32:38:15
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, definitely. I mean, Grant Stevens, who’s a creative director and I work very closely with him and I’m constantly inspired and mentored him by him every day. So thank you. But that also David Goudie, he’s the founder of Loose Women Group, which is also a design agency in the Northern Beaches. And I used to play touch football with him, funnily enough.

00:32:38:20 – 00:33:13:18
Rebecca Bolton
So he really yeah, he took me under his wing during COVID and mentored me and helps give me projects here and there and gave me so much insight and advice and encouraged me to really see how I’d go in an agency because it’s so much fun and there’s a lot of culture in it, and that’s something that was lacking when I was working for David and I, you know, we would constantly catch up for walks and coffee along the coast and chat about my progress and hear about projects that he’s up to and just be inspired about his journey and his career as well.

00:33:14:02 – 00:33:54:28
Rebecca Bolton
And then my first actual design job was contract Work with Vince Frost, who’s the founder of Frost Collective, which is another agency in Sydney. And I got along so well and I had so many amazing projects that I got to work on with him that were really meaningful projects as well, like highly quality restaurant at Lucky Kwong and you know, even a movement like they a cupcake which was bring me are in court for a whole week which initially started in swan divers and rolled out to the northern beaches with such a great movement to be a part of because let’s be real how many coffees do we have a day and how much landfill

00:33:54:28 – 00:34:01:06
Rebecca Bolton
is that because of that? So it’s really great. Yeah, being mentored by him and they all inspire me to this day.

00:34:02:06 – 00:34:25:09
Ellen Bennett
Amazing. I love that. And yeah, it’s so important to find people who align with you and can encourage you. And yeah, I hope that with with that you are then able to, you know if if slash when you become a lead designer on your own business, you are able to give back to the, to the newbies when they come on the same and you just got to keep that rolling.

00:34:25:09 – 00:34:26:09
Ellen Bennett
I think that’s so important.

00:34:26:28 – 00:34:45:15
Rebecca Bolton
Exactly. Always giving back. And yeah, I think it’s a beautiful thing to be able to mentor. And if it was one thing that I could say to someone as a creative entering into the industry, it would be get a mentor, have a mentor, find someone that you can learn from. It’s so.

00:34:45:15 – 00:35:10:01
Ellen Bennett
Important, even if it’s just like a coffee once a month, or it doesn’t necessarily have to be like a formal thing, but just someone that’s in your corner that you can bounce things off. And yeah, just if you do have questions or you’re unsure about something like just be able to lean on them for support because it’s not all smooth sailing and you do have things that bump up.

00:35:10:01 – 00:35:22:12
Ellen Bennett
And so yeah, I think that’s super important given that you are on this lovely podcast, is there any other podcast that you like to listen to or something, some podcast, a book or audiobooks that you love?

00:35:23:06 – 00:35:43:12
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, for sure. I mean, talking about Vince Ross, he has a wonderful podcast that Space and design and architecture, which is called Design Your Life. So that’s very design orientated for me and you know, from a business perspective, Victoria, a domain that she knows she’s on the money. Amazing. Love that one. Do you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:35:43:15 – 00:35:46:11
Ellen Bennett
So I am a huge fan. Yes.

00:35:46:19 – 00:36:10:21
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah. I guess with something that’s more self-help or just understanding who we are as humans is Jay Shetty’s podcast on Purpose. It’s really great. It’s not like to just go for a walk and have a listen to and understand a little bit more about who we are, where we come from, how we respond to things. Yeah, I mean, human psychology really interests interest, especially in design.

00:36:10:25 – 00:36:14:21
Rebecca Bolton
So those are probably my three best podcasts.

00:36:15:17 – 00:36:19:00
Ellen Bennett
Love that. Yeah, and a broad range too. We love to say that.

00:36:20:02 – 00:36:21:12
Rebecca Bolton
Yeah, we’ve got to have a mix.

00:36:22:17 – 00:36:30:03
Ellen Bennett
So yeah. Becca, if you could give yourself a younger self some advice, what would, what would it be for?

00:36:30:22 – 00:37:08:17
Rebecca Bolton
For me, it would be take your time to discover you in the world and be inspired by it. Grow, take learnings from it, Try different career paths, have internships and listen to your gut. It is often, if not always, right, and that’s something that I’ve learned, especially over the last couple of years, is just go with your gut feeling and as well, you know, keep experimenting and working speculatively in order to learn and explore and understand this interrelationship between design you and that form of practice.

00:37:09:10 – 00:37:24:23
Ellen Bennett
I love that. Thank you so much for joining us. I learned a lot. And I just want to thank you again for joining because, yeah, you’re a wealth of knowledge and you’ve you’ve tried so many things in design already and I can’t wait to see where you head next.

00:37:24:24 – 00:37:35:14
Rebecca Bolton
Thank you so much. I really enjoyed being here today with you and lots of fun. It’s made me really reflect on my journey so far, which I’ve thought about in a little while. So it’s good to have a bit of a check in.

00:37:36:18 – 00:37:46:15
Ellen Bennett
I love that. Yes, we all need to do that. So yeah, I can’t wait to check in again, perhaps little in a few years and we can see what you’re up to next. Hopefully.