Interview with Chelsey Rouen

Interview with Chelsey Rouen

 Chelsey Rouen, an ethereal woman that cultivates natural femininity, grace and romance. Chelsey captures life's subtle beauty effortlessly with her photography, sharing her philosophy of natural and conscious living. In this interview we get a look at her creative evolution after consciously taking a step back from social media and dedicating her time to creating a new form of art to share with the world.

Describe your creative journey to where you are today?

Wow, it’s been a very long one with many, many new paths…are you ready? I can’t say I’ve always had a clear picture in my head of what I wanted to do, more a dedication of not settling for anything that doesn’t bring joy. From a young age I loved creating, in school I remember only ever wanting to spend time in my art class, dropping other subjects to be here. It was the only subject the resonated with me really. The next thing I found myself creating was clothing, I didn’t have much income at the time and would find myself at the fabric store buying rolls of cream material and making the dresses I wanted to wear - usually just by folding things in interesting ways and seeing what happened. Following this were the summers working in Ibiza (yes - once upon a time I was a party girl) where I would be making costumes and being part of a parade. Here I got a taste for a traveller lifestyle which lead to my next role as a stewardess for Emirates, where I was fortunate enough to travel the world. It was here that my passion for photography really grew, as I wanted to capture every single moment. Thankfully, it was through this time with Emirates that I discovered my connection with Australia…I got to a point where all I wanted to do was fly to Sydney. It was inevitable that I would later settle here. Upon moving, naturally, I was still drawn to photography and wanting to capture the beauty of my new found ‘dream’ life in Australia. This lead to occasional work in content creation and although this was fulfilling and I’m incredibly grateful for the experiences, I always knew there was something missing and that this would only ever be a side thing. It was the slowing down that came with this year that lead me to my ceramics and the ah-ha moment where everything clicked. So now, I’m taking a small step back from social media to work on something that fills my heart, dedicating time to learning this craft in the hope I can make it a bigger part of my daily life.

You have started to carve out more time dedicated towards your collection of ceramics what does the creative process look like?

Flow. I often end up creating something completely different from that which I set out to create. I find it best, whilst I’m still fairly new to the craft, not to have too much attachment to the outcome and let the clay guide me.

How has the year 2020 reshaped what is important to you?

Finding fulfilment with what we already have around us. With my background, I have always felt most comfortable when things are constantly changing and I’m moving a lot, that’s often how I find my inspiration. So this year has forced me to look for other ways, clay being one of them. It’s my way of still experiencing something new and exciting, with it being a place of joy that I can escape to. I feel it’s important to have a place like this.

 

In the season of busy how do you cultivate finding calm?

Books! This is my escape at the moment, allowing myself time to escape in a novel. I’m patiently awaiting a trip out of the city with my small family, which always brings calm and renewed energy, until then it will be time dedicated to books and ocean dips whenever possible. Another thing I often do when life becomes overwhelming is to really limit my time online, taking breaks from social media whenever necessary - lately this has been more often than not. We also have a weekly no Wi-Fi night at home which I can’t recommend enough.

How do you see your photography and ceramics evolving in the future?

I feel more energy going towards my ceramics, with my dream to work primarily in a hands on environment. Thankfully the photography coincides with this as I adore capturing my works. I also have an idea to paint my creations as still life - but one thing at a time.

Describe your personal style?

Soft, effortless and feminine that follows a neutral palette.

Biggest learning curve in your business thus far?

Don’t settle until your heart is content - you will find your passion!

 

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