My Creative Journey: On taking risks and spreading joy
The past couple of years have challenged Paula Bridges in ways she had never imagined. Having working tirelessly in media and communications for a whole decade, she turned her attention to Studio Chevell and launched a business that filled a gap for brands wanting effortless copy that really highlighted their amazing contribution to creativity and connectedness.
The professional writer’s career to date might look like the perfect alignment of passion and purpose, but it hasn’t always been confident copy and beautiful branding.
“I spent the majority of my working life trying to find a way to celebrate the work of others while still making a career of my own,” she says. “I forgot that I was a writer in the midst of trying to figure out marketing, website design and all of the other things that comes with being a start-up.”
Ahead, Paula shares some of her journey to becoming a go-to copywriter and content specialist, and tips for tackling any project with a creative aspect.
Q: Your path as a content specialist was anything but linear. In fact, you studied to be a florist before starting your university degree. How did you get your start in the industry?
I’ve always loved creative pursuits, personal style, design and beautifully curated pages of magazines, but
Torn between making money or working for free
Living in Brisbane when all the mags were in Sydney
I didn’t get the marks at school to study journalism or photography (my other passion)
I was accepted into a business course, but that seemed so boring to my teenage self (ha! Business is very important to me now)
So, I lied. A little small white lie about where I lived, and begged anyone to hire me.
Q: With limited financial resources, a toddler and no job to fall back on, you took the risk to start your own business as a content specialist. Take us back to the moment when you decided to commit to Studio Chevell - how did you make it happen despite the fear of failing.
I’d always wanted to have my own business, but always lacked the confidence to fully commit to it - especially when I had safe and fulfilling jobs to keep me going financially. But when the first wave of the pandemic hit, my ‘safe’ job was made redundant, and I took a ‘covid job’ to get me through. A few weeks later I found out I was pregnant, wouldn’t be able to access a scrap of maternity leave, and
I knew that this was the time to make something wonderful happen, and it was an opportunity to create a life for our family that we couldn’t otherwise pursue. My fears were replaced with determination, and I knew that if I just kept going, I could succeed.
Q: How do you handle impostor syndrome, fear of failure, and mistakes as a copywriter, especially when word-perfect content is such an essential element of your brand?
I think we need to acknowledge that there’s room for more than one talented person in the creative world. When we worry too much about what other people are doing, it’s easy to lose sight of what you do best and how creative you are.
It also helps to remember that words have the ability to share someone else’s creation, dream, fight and as a writer it’s a privilege to be able to be that vessel.
Q: To what do you attribute your success and what advice can you share for aspiring writers and creatives looking to break through?
Just keep doing your thing. Honestly, it’s so important to recognise your zone of genius and just keep practising. Showcase what you can do by doing it regularly, and engage with other creatives - it doesn’t matter what field they’re in.
Q: What tips can you share for balancing creative content with beautiful design within a modest budget?
My advice would be to always start with the copy, and build your brand or project around that. Designers I work with always say it’s much easier to design using great copywriting than designing first and trying to retro-fit all the things you need to say at the end.