Kelly Thompson
Meet Kelly Thompson, the founder and curator behind Makers' Mrkt. Kelly’s career as an illustrator and maker led her to create her unique online platform, championing makers she admires and building a community for like-minded design folk.
Photography: Courtesy of Kelly Thompson
‘I find inspiration when I’m resting, or outdoors – usually when I can’t work,’ says Kelly Thompson. Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Thompson
Sculptural ceramics by Dave Austin, an experimental artist based in New Zealand, from the Makers’ Mrkt curation. Photo: Kelly Thompson
‘I never set out to be an illustrator and eventually ended up here – I’ve always followed my passions and interests and for some reason, people have paid me to do that!’ says Kelly Thompson.
Alice illustration by Kelly Thompson.
H&F: Hi Kelly, what led you to where you are today?
Kelly: My journey has been somewhat organic, although possibly thanks to a terrible careers advisor in high school who couldn’t think of a single job for me (disheartening at the time, haha!). I never set out to be an illustrator and eventually ended up here – I’ve always followed my passions and interests and for some reason, people have paid me to do that! As my passions have changed over time, my career has pivoted to follow them. Often my job has changed as a response to people asking me to do new things for them that I’d never really considered ‘work’, for example, I’ve always enjoyed interiors and the trawl for vintage and now people are wanting to pay me to do that for their homes.
What first inspired you to start a journey as an artist?
I had graduated from university and was working as a photographer at the time. Because I was a young female and not intimidating, I was enlisted by a modelling agency as their go-to photographer for shooting young female faces. I was relatable and comforting for emerging talent and preferred over some of the older males. During this time, I noticed a distinct pattern with these girls, they came in shy and quickly got to work recreating what they had seen on TV and in magazines (no doubt America’s Next Top Model, which was popular at the time). There was always a lovely moment when they began to feel comfortable with me, stopped ‘posing’ and looked genuinely beautiful. I always loved seeing that moment when editing photos. During this time, I was also pretty poor as I was a new photographer as work was on and off, so I often couldn’t afford to party in my spare time, so I started to draw, using these photos as inspiration.
As an artist/creative, what’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way?
Get on top of your accounting! Zzz.
Do you have a disciplined studio routine to help keep you focused?
I don’t make the most of the freelance freedom and am very much like an employee, starting work at the same time each day and working to a bit of a schedule, starting with emails each morning before moving on to daily tasks. I do certain things on certain days; for example, Monday admin and marketing, Tuesday meetings, Wednesdays client projects etc. I find this helps me stay focussed. I need full days at the desk without interruption so I can really get into things, I’m not on email constantly or available all day so that I can get things done.
What drives your creativity?
Creativity is a bit harder as I get older because now there are so many other things that come with it, such as admin tasks, paperwork and accounting. My creativity is just as much driven by the necessity to get paid as it is for personal joy. I’m very creative naturally, so it comes out of me no matter what, but it is definitely partially driven by my fear of getting old and not having made all the things I want to make!
Do you have any daily rituals?
Whether I’m leaving the house or not, I always get up, put my makeup on and dress as if I’m going to be seeing people. I find it helps energise me and feel good about myself – if I feel good, I always make better work. I also always take my dog for a morning walk and try to do some exercise before 6.30pm if I can.
What do you look for when curating products for Makers’ Mrkt?
Originally, I looked to people I knew and sold the products of friends or people I had shopped from myself. Now that I’m tuned into these kinds of products, I find that I just see more of them… you know how if you get a new car, you see people with that same car? It’s kind of like that, your eyes are open to it, so you get shown it. I do a once-yearly call-out for new makers where people can submit their work, otherwise, I find people in physical markets, online or deep in the Instagram hole. One thing I never do is look at other stores and just contact the people they have, I think that’s so lazy and I hate when stores do that.
‘Makers’ Mrkt is very much about the people and has always been about doing something for my community, something outside of myself. Even if I can only contribute a tiny bit to the success or brand growth of a maker, that makes it worth it for me.’ Photo: Kelly Thompson
David Jones – Bourke Street Reimagined illustration by Kelly Thompson.
‘Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, if it fails, it fails and you can try your next creative idea, careers are constantly evolving today.’ Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Thompson
“Makers’ Mrkt is very much about the people and has always been about doing something for my community, something outside of myself. Even if I can only contribute a tiny bit to the success or brand growth of a maker, that makes it worth it for me.”
Take Time illustration by Kelly Thompson.
‘Whether I’m leaving the house or not, I always get up, put my makeup on and dress as if I’m going to be seeing people. I find it helps energise me and feel good about myself – if I feel good, I always make better work.’ Photo: Courtesy of Kelly Thompson
What is it about locally handmade pieces that you’re most drawn?
There are a few reasons:
As a maker myself, I know how much effort, time and love goes into these products, often for little reward. I want to support people making an effort!
How you shop is a vote for how you want the world to be, I definitely want a world where creatives can be successful and survive, much more than I want a world full of mass- produced junk that ends up in landfill.
I love the idea of someone putting their love and energy into something that then moves on to you. It’s nice to have this in a home, it’s definitely preferred over the energy of a product made in a sweatshop!
How do you think your background as an artist yourself influences what you do at Makers’ Mrkt?
It helps me understand the makers more than anything. MM started because as an artist selling art prints, I was like ‘how the hell do people find me if they don’t know me?’, so I decided to make a platform where many artists can be in the hope it makes it easier for them to be discovered. MM is very much about the people and has always been about doing something for my community, something outside of myself. Even if I can only contribute a tiny bit to the success or brand growth of a maker, that makes it worth it for me.
What do you love most about what you do?
The lovely makers I meet, seeing them grow... and unwrapping their deliveries!
What advice can you share with someone who aspires to start a journey as a creative?
Just do it. You don’t have to announce it to the world, you can just chip away quietly, experiment, make plans and undo them, but just start. If you think about it too much and stress about doing it ‘right’ you’re wasting so much time that could be spent learning and progressing. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, if it fails, it fails, and you can try your next creative idea – careers are constantly evolving today.
Where do you mostly draw inspiration from in your work?
I don’t really look to others or the work of others, mainly because I want my work to be mine and not a watered-down version of theirs. I find inspiration when I’m resting, or outdoors, usually when I can’t work. Sometimes when I’m busy and don’t have time for new ideas, they bomb me. I also find much inspiration in foreign spaces, when something makes me feel something, I never know how to translate this to what I do, but I’m sure that one day it will all come together for something.
Why does success mean to you?
Having time to rest and do things that are not for money.
What are you looking forward to most this year?
My new showroom/studio space that will hopefully open this winter. It will have a gallery, a showroom for MM and will also be where I create my personal work. I’ve been working on some of my own furniture items, a project which has been on the side and slow, but fingers crossed I’ll finish something this year! I’ve started to take on more clients who want me to source products and decorate their homes for them, so I’m very much looking forward to finishing some of those first projects.