Entries to our annual Good Stuff awards close on September 16th, which means there's just over a month left to submit your work and go into the running for heaps of ace prizes (including $1000, mentoring sessions and a feature in frankie!). Before you enter the draw, you might like to meet the rad experts who'll be judging your stuff. ART + ILLUSTRATION 
Jeremy Wortsman, founder and managing director, The Jacky Winter Group

What do you do? I am the founder and managing director of creative agency The Jacky Winter Group and all our associated ventures. I’m responsible for the day-to-day running of our Melbourne studio and also oversee our New York and UK offices.

How do you find inspiration in a world of inspiration overload? There’s so much content out there that it can be easy to overdo it. It’s like eating – there’s only so much your body can process. I try to take a similar approach to content I consume: be a good gatekeeper of what comes in, know where it comes from. Rather than go and seek inspiration, I find it helpful to simply follow your innate curiosity and see where that leads. For me, that means trying to take regular breaks from sensory input, so that when I go back to seek it, I’m a bit more sensitised to what really moves me.

Any tips for artists trying to find their style? I think it’s super-important to have a clear idea of the landscape out there. Who are the other artists working in your aesthetic? Where are the untapped themes or mediums to explore? As long as you’re not needlessly consuming all this visual content, but actually looking at it critically, I think that’s an important step to consider. Trends are coming and going so quickly that style is not the static thing it once was – there’s more room to continually reinvent yourself. At the same time, there is a case for specialising in a certain niche. It’s a very individual process, though – you can't force it, but you can help it along.SMALL BUSINESS
Laura Thompson, CEO and co-founder, Clothing The Gaps

Tell us about yourself. I’m a proud Gunditjmara woman who grew up as part of the Koorie community in Melbourne. I spent 20-plus years working in health promotion in Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services before making a giant leap and starting a preventative health business in 2018. COVID-19 impacted the delivery of our grassroots face-to-face health programs, so we focused our energy on growing our tiny online brand, then called Clothing The Gap. We create merch with a message that unites Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. I now spend all my time working in a streetwear fashion label and not dressing up as a fruit or vegetable to promote health! 

What’s something you wish small-business owners were told from the get-go? I wish someone told me earlier that business will give you more freedom than you ever imagined to try new things and make a stance on issues you care about. If I had known how much I could use business as a platform for advocacy, I would have made the switch sooner.

What are you looking for in this year’s Good Stuff awards? Passion, creativity, integrity and someone who is brave. I’m also excited about people and businesses that leverage their success to lift others up.PHOTOGRAPHY
Isabella Moore, photographer

What do you do? I’m Isabella Melody Moore, and I am a photojournalist. I grew up in the suburbs of Sydney with my Peruvian mother and Australian father. I often immerse myself in long-form stories about climate, health and art.

What advice would you give to a young photographer? Spend a lot of time building your portfolio, photograph what YOU love (not what you think other people might think is cool) and nurture your passion. Build up a body of work, then print your images out, stick them on the wall and analyse them from time to time. Ask peers (whose artistic judgement you trust) to discuss your images with you. Start finessing your photographic style and your objectives. Don’t rush – remember that photography is a process, and sometimes it will take much longer than you expected to get where you ever hoped to be.

Any other words of wisdom? When I enter a competition, I usually pick 3–5 images I am proud of and sit with them for a couple of days, then try to follow my instinct on which to enter. Sometimes I ask my dad which one he likes better! CRAFT
Rachel Burke, artist and designer

So who the bloody hell are ya? I’m Rachel Burke and I’m a multidisciplinary artist and designer. I love making things with my hands and have a big love for all things crafty and nostalgic. I love colour, texture and all things sparkly! 

What exciting things are happening in the craft scene right now? I am very excited to see the craft scene continue to embrace and celebrate upcycling and the use of secondhand materials. Stylish dresses made of bedsheets, contemporary weavings made of scraps, cool furniture being made from trash – it’s just so fabulous and inspiring to see.

What’s your creative motto? MAKE IT ’TIL YOU MAKE IT! I don’t want to see any faking around here! Make the work you love, share it with the people and keep doing that until you get where you want to go – wherever that may be!

Any other words of wisdom? Try not to think too much about what the judges might want to see. Focus more on sharing the thing that you think is awesome and that best reflects your creative practice. FASHION
Fatuma and Laurinda Ndenzako, founders and designers, Collective Closets

Introduce yourselves, please. Fatuma Ndenzako: We are the sisters behind Collective Closets. We are an all-female-run business with a strong focus on conscious clothing, cross-cultural storytelling and ethical practices. We’re passionate about designing and creating forever pieces here in Melbourne.

What should every aspiring fashion designer know before getting into the biz? Laurinda Ndenzako: If you work hard enough, you’ll get there! Sometimes it can feel extremely overwhelming and it’s hard to envision success, but I promise if you keep going, good things will follow. Also, there will always be people who value your different point of view, as long as you are able to thoughtfully articulate it. 

What would you like to see the fashion industry do better? FN: I would love to see more diversity in fashion, and not just through token representation in the form of a model. I’m talking about embracing more people in every collection and cutting larger sizes. If the average dress size in Australia is 14–16, why are so many brands only cutting up to 12 or 14? 

What exciting things are you looking for in this year’s Good Stuff awards? FN: I’m excited to see the future of creativity; I’m so curious to know where it’s heading, especially from a sustainability perspective. I encourage everyone to apply! I think it’s important to see individuals from diverse backgrounds represented. Australia is ready for and craving a new crop of leaders to show us the way forward. Trust me when I say there is so much room for all creatives to thrive and succeed in this current climate.  DESIGN
Narelle Brewer, design director, Studio Round

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do, please. I am a graphic designer working across branding, art direction and publication design. In my work at Studio Round, I’ve headed a diverse range of cultural projects, such as for festivals and publications. I also collaborate frequently with Perimeter Books, which stocks small-press books, and I recently helmed their rebrand.

Any tips for staying inspired while maintaining originality? Keep your references broad. Look beyond your discipline – to music, exhibitions, performances and more. But also find the designers you like and then dive deep to unpack their work, their influences and figure out what it is that’s creating the spark you love.

What advice would you give someone starting out in your field? Get as much experience as you can, whatever the job. In addition, always generate your own projects while you are starting out, whether this is for yourself, friends or clients. Build a community around you, too, with like-minded friends and by going to talks and workshops.

Read the rest of these interviews in issue 109. To get your mitts on a copy, swing past the frankie shop, subscribe or visit one of our lovely stockists. Find out more about the frankie Good Stuff awards here.