INSPIRE: The Road Less Travelled...Caroline Hodson

This week, we meet Caroline Hodson, the talented lady behind Mint To Be Stationery. Coming from a scientific background, Caroline tells us how her previous experience has subtly influenced her creative career. 

Give a brief description of your career path up to now.

I am a former research biologist and biology lecturer in adult, further and higher education with spells in environmental health, recycling/waste management and optics prior to that. I’ve always had a creative flair and enjoyed creating art in a variety of mediums. I established my art business in its current form in 2007, although the initial seeds were planted many years back. I had always intended to have a 50 – 50 split between my scientific and creative lives, however, due to the success of my art business and the growth of that over the last few years and the ever-restrictive politics inherent in formal teaching, I’ve found myself concentrating predominantly on the creative business and incorporating subtle influences from my scientific background instead.

What prompted you to pursue a creative career?
Art has been my passion ever since I was small (I was just five years old when I had a piece in the local art gallery!) and the hobby organically evolved into a business over the years. Initially my art was intended to supplement my scientific career and provide a release for my creative mind, however due to the success of the business, it is now my primary focus.

Science and technology play a key role in my art though, from my business logo (a folded published research article of mine shaped into a mint leaf) to the methodologies I use to create pieces or even the subject of the final piece. I’m also intrigued by materials science and the physical structure of the raw materials I use and how I can best use their features to engineer my designs and end creations. Although the end products may look fairly simple, the methodologies used are usually not which I believe brings a certain uniqueness to a finished work. I also refine all of the methodologies and materials I use to make my creations as “green” as I possibly can; at the very least I try to incorporate recycled “raw materials” and use manual production methods where feasible.

What was the most difficult thing about the decision? And what was the easiest?
The most difficult thing was dealing with the disloyalty I felt at leaving the professional sciences to pursue a career as a “self-taught” artist. At one stage I did feel like I’d given up on all the years of hard work I’d put in to gain my academic and professional qualifications. Occasionally someone will make a dig about that too, however incorporating science and scientific influences into my art has, in effect, given me the best of both worlds and has also eased my conscience.

The easiest thing about pursuing a creative career is earning a living from doing what I love and what I would have done for fun anyway. Sometimes I catch myself wondering whether I am cheating (being self taught and yet making a living from something that developed from a hobby and not from formal qualifications)? Does it even matter in the grand scheme of things? Perhaps in a couple of years, if I still feel the need for academic validation and there are positive outcomes for business growth, I’ll pursue that idea further.

How supportive of your decision were your family, friends and former colleagues?
There have been rather mixed reactions over the years. My closest and dearest friends and family members are fully supportive and positive, as you would expect them to be. Other people have judged the decision more on the traditional values of “income and projected income”, rather than on the “value, richness and quality of life” that this has given me. I think that, to an extent, people put job roles in research, science and lecturing on a pedestal too, as if one career has more validity than another. It’s an attitude that infuriates me; but possibly explains the odd occasions when I find myself on the receiving end of comments that imply that I have taken a step down career-wise. Their comments could not be further than the truth!

From time to time I do take on some teaching; it’s a good way of not letting my teaching skills go rusty and I gain a lot of enjoyment from teaching adults. In the future I intend to combine the two and teach a series of workshops relating to my art, which will be great fun.

How has pursuing a creative career been, compared with your previous career? What are the challenges, and what are the highlights?

In some respects it’s very similar, which has made the transition much easier. I manage the processes of my business, design, logistics and planning just as I did for the courses that I taught. Fortunately, these days, there’s a lesser amount of mundane paperwork involved. However, in my former career I had the luxury of support staff to help me. Now I’m very much on my own and I have to micro-manage everything. Keeping all of the proverbial plates spinning can be very time consuming and challenging at times, but I love the satisfaction I get from the experience.

In the past my raw materials were books, journals, chemicals and plant matter. Their source was straightforward; libraries, catalogues and fields or ponds, rivers and lakes. These days I source many of my raw materials from the most unlikely places (although, with very few exceptions, entirely from the UK) and that, coupled with getting the best deals for my materials and supplies, is a totally different ball game; at times that becomes a job in itself.

The challenges, for me, will always be filing the accounts (because I just don’t enjoy that aspect of business at all) and at times, managing the sheer volume of work, although that is equally a highlight. The highlights far outweigh the challenges for me though; I love the variety of work that I get involved in, I revel in the absence of office politics and the sheer delight on people’s faces when they see my work is the best reward of all.

Have you had any regret choosing a creative career?
No, absolutely not! No regrets whatsoever. I’ve never been happier. I love the freedom from governmental, departmental and staff room politics. I love the freedom to formulate ideas, experiment and explore the solutions. I love the ability to work on ideas more or less right away when inspiration hits.

Going it alone, after having a successful “traditional” career, can be a huge financial risk. Some aspects to the business side of things have had a steep learning curve, which to me, have taken more courage and determination than teaching from the front of a packed lecture theatre or presenting (research) findings to a small group of peers. However, it has been so rewarding in ways that I never thought possible. I can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and start creating, even on those mornings when I only got into bed a few hours earlier!

What has been the best thing about your decision to pursue a creative career?
Earning a living from what I love to do and would be doing for fun anyway has to be the best feeling in the world. For me, every day is a joy (okay, maybe the days I do my tax returns aren’t as rewarding, but you get the general idea).

I’m passionate about what I do, the way that I work and the materials that I use. Most of all I have very happy clients and customers and seeing/hearing their reaction to my work is priceless.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering taking up a creative career what would it be?
Be honest with yourself. If you’ve genuinely got the talent, then do it, but take your business seriously. Price realistically too; there are way too many art and craftspeople undervaluing their skills, time, effort and materials and ultimately that devalues the whole market.

What are your plans for the future?
I want to increase my online presence to the same level as my off line business via my own website www.MintToBestationery.co.uk, social media, the online boutique WowThankYou in the UK and the online selling platform, ArtFire in the US, who have both been very supportive to me and who really help to promote my work.

I am exploring a number of exciting avenues; the introduction of some new technologies, the possibility of some corporate work and I’d like to get certain creations into some select outlets. I need a larger studio too.

I feel very privileged to have my own business and to be able to combine my love for science and art in my work. Some things are just Mint To Be. Long may it continue.

You can see more of Caroline's beautiful work at the following places:

Website: www.MintToBeStationery.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MintToBeUK
Wow Thank You: www.wowthankyou.co.uk/mint-to-be-stationery
ArtFire: www.artfire.com/users/MintToBeStationery