in celebration of international womens day 2021

Sometimes the darkest moments or the biggest challenges in our lives turn out to be the beginning of a whole new story. Around this time last year, I was one of many employees placed on the furlough scheme with limited income and an uncertain couple of months ahead. Not being able to see family and friends in person and just living in the unknown for me, was certainly one of the biggest challenges I’ve personally ever faced. 

But last year also allowed me to step back from my incredibly busy London life and reassess what it really was I wanted to do and achieve. I'm a creative at heart and always will be. Growing up, I knew my natural attributes weren’t academic, but always knew I had a raw passion for creativity. I was incredibly lucky to have had full support from my parents throughout my childhood, who worked in creative sectors themselves. I studied at a performing arts school and was then supported all the way through my college years, where I completed a BTEC in Art & Design. But even with all that support around me, there was still a sense of disappointment in the fact that I was not an academic. I felt constantly compared to people who were. I was one of the best in my class at Art but the worst in Maths and English, but why was I made to feel as though I was a complete failure in school by certain figures and society, because of this? 

Ultimately, when it came to choosing a career path to follow I think I’ve always been scared of choosing something I love because being creative has never been ‘classed’ as a proper profession. We live in a very corporate world, which sadly even to this day, is looked at and appreciated in a completely different way compared to creative industries. It was evident that even now the Government has a lack of respect for hard working people in creative sectors. Being told to essentially, stop what I love doing and retrain in a profession which is classed as ‘proper’, for me is probably one of the most insulting things someone could say. 

The creative economy makes a huge contribution to the cultural fabric of British society. Its value to the UK economy is estimated to be £13 million per hour. Before the pandemic, creative industries were one of the fastest-growing sectors of the economy, contributing £111 billion back in 2018. For me personally, working in a creative role can be a struggle in itself, but being a women is a whole other challenge. Women face different kinds of challenges every day, sometimes challenges that I think even men would not be able to cope with or manage. I joined the wedding industry at the very start of this pandemic, so I saw first hand how women were affected by this even more so than men. Mothers are almost 50% more likely than fathers to have lost their jobs or be forced to leave due to school closures creating a childcare crisis. it’s been a huge up-hill battle for both women and creative industries over the years, I feel the damage caused by the pandemic could take years to repair.

But I've never been someone to shy away from a challenge. I’m a huge believer that life can sometimes throw us funny opportunities in the weirdest of circumstances. I decided to take advantage of this opportunity and turn it into a life long dream of becoming a business woman, running my own company doing something that I love and fulfils me every day. It may have taken me 29 years to find the confidence to do this, but there is no rule book; it’s never too late to chase your dreams and make them a reality. In fact, this was the reason I decided to write this post because I want to prove to other women that no matter your age, your background or where you’re from, it’s always possible to follow your dreams and that being creative is a form of intelligence. Anything can be achieved, as long as you stay true to yourself and believe in what you do.

Since joining the wedding industry, I’ve had nothing but love and support from other independent business owners, creatives and suppliers. They are people I look up to and admire enormously. After such a hard year, for women in particular, I feel it’s important now more than ever to show our support for one another. So in celebration of this year’s International Women’s Day, I want to spotlight three women in my industry that I’ve had the pleasure of working with and who also inspire me on a daily basis. All three run different businesses and have different lives, but have all experienced the struggles of working in a creative sector, as well as challenges women face on a daily basis.

Nina Wernicke, Nina Wernicke Photography

Q: Introduction to yourself and your business:

A: I’m a wedding photographer for modern romantics around the world. Couples who want their celebration to be full of beauty, artistic details, meaningful luxury and completely unforgettable for all the right reasons. I’m an advocate of going after the things that mean the most to my clients and interpreting traditions in ways that genuinely reflect who they are and what they hold dear. The couples I photograph tend to be well-travelled, with an unapologetic
passion for design, couture, and exquisite craftmanship and who share my sense of aesthetic. They care deeply about sharing authentic and meaningful experiences with their loved ones, and their weddings are stylish, elegant, wildly romantic celebrations spilling with high
fashion and unique details.

I’m half German and half Indian, and have had the joy of living in New York, Germany, France, China, Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa. I now call London home, a city which brings me joy and inspiration every day, but I feel incredibly lucky and honoured to travel all over Europe and beyond for my clients.

Q: Any specific challenges you face as a woman in your area of business and how you combat them:

A: Photography is still often considered a predominantly male world, with it getting quite ‘technical’ at times. When I work at weddings and other events, I deal with a lot of male guests probing me, and challenging me about my choice of settings, lenses, and set-ups. I am frequently being given unsolicited advice on how, where and what to shoot, and sometimes I even get asked whether they could ‘have a little play’ with my camera. I do ask myself whether they would be acting the same way were I a man? I think the answer is pretty clear, and at times I certainly need to prove that I ‘know my shit’ before being taken seriously. On a non-photography related note, as a mother to three small boys under 5, I have a completely different battle to fight at home: finding the hours in the day to give my business and passion the time it deserves and needs to flourish and grow. Something I am sure all self-employed
mothers can relate to. My business is my fourth baby, and arguably the one I enjoy the most. Yet, it frequently gets neglected, deprioritized, and sometimes downright forgotten amidst the family chaos. Unlike so many husbands and fathers, as an entrepreneurial mother I do not have the luxury of closing my door and getting on with my work, whilst the kids are being entertained, fed, washed, and put to bed.

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you:

A: For me IWD is a day to acknowledge, appreciate, and recognize the constant competing priorities that women all over the world are managing on a daily basis. It’s a celebration of everything women accomplish silently, behind closed doors, without demanding a bonus or trying to shout louder than the next person. Even today, women often have to sacrifice much of their own dreams, goals, and ambitions to raise happy, confident children, and to create an environment the whole family can thrive in. On the other hand, women that excel in their career, those that start up and run fantastic businesses, so often deal with imposter syndrome – a seemingly foreign concept to men. I truly believe that being able to multi-task and adapt to whatever environment you currently find yourself in – be that family or business - whilst making everyone around you feel equally important and appreciated, is one of the most under-valued attributes in today’s modern world.

Annelise Sealy, The Fall Bride

Q: Introduction to yourself and your business:

A: I founded The Fall Bride after a decade in the fashion industry, having worked primarily across marketing and social media marketing. Friends of mine started getting engaged and I realised there was nothing in the London bridal market that really resonated with me. The Fall Bride is for the woman that wants a more relaxed and design-led approach to her wedding day.

Q: Any specific challenges you face as a woman in your area of business and how you combat them:

A: I’m very lucky to work with lots of like-minded smart and creative women in the wedding industry. Moving to the wedding industry was actually my way of combatting a male-dominated fashion industry - although the workforce is largely female in fashion, the business leaders and owners are almost exclusively male.

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you:

A: International Women's Day is a time to showcase incredible and inspiring women; who they are and what they are creating. It's just a shame that it's only one official day of the year! 

Amy Hinkley, Studio of Ma

Q: Introduction to yourself and your business:

A: I’m a freelance illustrator based in London. I base my life around the things I enjoy such as wellness, nature, good food, people, romance and art. I feel that this is what I convey within my illustrations of nudes, lovers and landscapes. I created Studio of Ma a year ago and since then, have created prints for homes, logos for brands and illustrations for textiles and websites. It has been a really exciting but overwhelming process, one that is still in its early stages and constantly evolving. 

Ma is a Japanese concept celebrating nothingness, negative space, a pause, silence. To embrace what isn’t there, allowing you to be still and reflect. The empty space is there for you to appreciate the beauty of what is there, so in a way it is teaching you to be grateful for what you have but to have hopes and dreams for what can be. I’ve wanted to create art that represents the Japanese aesthetic of Ma since 2017, this is when I discovered the Tea Ceremony. I valued the simplicity and elegance of these ceremonies and knew then that I wanted to capture this in my illustrations. 

Q: Any specific challenges you face as a woman in your area of business and how you combat them:

A: So far, I haven’t had to overcome any real challenges based on my gender. I’ve found this to be a really open community of artists, both female and male, that want to help and offer support. Challenges I have had to face are being able to juggle a full time job, paying the bills and committing to making art. My main obstacle has been motivation and insecurity. For me to overcome these, I set myself a goal each morning to do at least one drawing a day, even if it’s just for me to look at. Also, simply connecting with other creatives is a great way to boost morale!

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you:

A: For me, IWD is a constant reminder of strength, determination and courage. This fuels me to keep going and to keep looking forward. Be creative, stop comparing and work hard!