Hey there,
I'm Carley Rose, and writing a bio is hard because I have ADHD, and that means I have many passions…
Let’s start with Fiber Arts, because I can roll a lot of my obsessions into one category here. In my free time, you’d catch me crocheting, sewing, knitting, tufting, beading and embroidering anything and everything. I constantly need to keep my hands busy, and I love ending up with something I can use, like home decor or a new piece of clothing.
My second passion is Digital Media Production which I do both professionally and for fun. If you are in need of a creative brain for video editing, content production or graphic design, get in touch with me and we can discuss your next project!
My Story
To stitch a bigger blanket for you, after growing up in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia, I studied a year of Fine Art at University of Newcastle while I figured out exactly which path I wanted to take, and then did a Bachelor of Design majoring in Fashion at Raffles College of Design and Commerce, Sydney (which no longer exists btw). I had grown up answering the familiar ‘what do you want to be when you grow up’ question in the following ways:
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Age 5-8: A scientist, or an artist… or both!
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Age 8-13: A fashion designer
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Age 13-15: A forensic scientist (I watched a lot of CSI with my mum…)
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Age 15-17: A fashion designer (I started watching a lot of One Tree Hill, and Brooke Davis reignited this desire)
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Age 17-19: A graphic designer (I thought this was the only way to be an artist and actually get a job)
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Age 19-27: A fashion designer (I started my fashion design studies)
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Age 27: “I’m not sure anymore.. I’m feeling quite burnt out…”
While my career as a scientist didn’t exactly come to fruition, I did have a fashion business running alongside whatever job I had at the time that actually paid the bills (anything from hospitality to childcare) which I documented on my Youtube channel. However at 27 years old, I faced a bit of an existential crisis, and a lot of parts of my life changed that year. I left a long-term relationship, quit my 10 year long childcare position and moved interstate to Melbourne. I started working for a digital agency that treated me quite poorly, but it was a foot in the door to a new kind of position that I hadn’t experienced and I was able to grow passionate about some new kinds of creative work. It turns out that YouTube channel wasn’t a waste of time, it forced me to teach myself digital media production!
I kept my fashion business on the side, but as I was now working full-time, I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it and it was nice to have some money in the bank for a change, so I took a bit of a break from it. During that time, and of course these were covid times, I was able to discover a new love for crochet, a hobby I had picked up and put down multiple times over the years. Now, however, I had the knowledge and skills from fashion school, and I was able to see crochet in a whole new light.
I started making garments, accessories and home decor using crochet as my main medium, with a little bit of sewing on the side. The difference was I was now doing it for myself, rather than trying design for market, or according to trends that I thought people wanted to buy. I was able to overcome my burnout and become really passionate about creating things again. It was also around this time that I got diagnosed with ADHD, which helped me understand so much more about myself and I continue to learn every day.
Cut to now, I have moved back to Sydney with my partner Kurtis, I have a lovely part-time digital media production position that gives me the capacity to work on my own projects and freelance as well, and I have taken my fashion brand in a whole new direction. I’ve been able to slow down and focus on what is really important to me, and that is being part of a community that cares about sustainability, creativity, and living colourfully.
Thanks for being here with me!
xx Carley Rose