rachel charge
Rachel & Peach by Ashlee Shroen Photography
Share a little about yourself ..
I live in a green leafy suburb of Melbourne’s East with my Husband, our two dogs and two cats all of which we have adopted at various stages of life.
My favourite pastimes would have to be anything nostalgic or magical. I love old movies from my childhood, family rituals such as dinner every Sunday, spending time around the house, journaling, doing crochet, taking photos and of course getting dirty with my hands in clay. I’m also a terrible singer but I love singing, laughing and dancing around the house with my husband.
I come from a big family and am one of four sisters. We are all incredibly close and although very similar in some ways, we are also completely different! I’m a huge homebody and love my own time but also love to have fun with friends! I’m one of those strange people who drinks fake coffee e.g. decaf, almond milk latte. I love Disney movies. I have watched the Charmed series start to finish more times than I can count (much, much more than I could count). I have been vegetarian for about 6 years. My favourite foods are cheese, breads, gnocchi, veggies and raw treats.
How did you get started with ‘Rachel Charge Ceramics’? Did you work in another area before this? Is this your sole job? If not what else do you do for work?
I have always been a creative person and dabbled in various art forms – most of which were self-taught. I always knew I wanted to do something with my creativity but it took a while to be patient enough to find my calling.
Prior to taking the leap I was working in Marketing/Communications roles in local government where I had been for almost 6 years. After so much encouragement from my husband, I finally quit my stable/safe job to pursue my own personal growth and passions which I had been putting on the back burner for far too long!
I booked myself into a 6-week wheel throwing course (which was a beautiful introduction to working with clay) before realising I had found my calling. From there I taught myself how to hand-build which is how I create my current body of work today.
This is definitely what takes up most of my time but I also have an online homewares store (which I am in the process of phasing out to focus more on my ceramic art) and I help with my husband’s business as well.
You have a strong theme around Women and Fertility throughout your ceramics - tell us more about this and what inspires these femme themes?
Yes! I have actually only very recently gone into more detail on this.
I’m surrounded and inspired by so many strong women in my life and would definitely call myself a feminist. Embracing our sisterhood and encouraging open communication around the experiences that touch so many of us is so important.
Fertility is something my partner and I struggled with for a long time and this journey has played a huge role as muse in my work. Self-expression through my ceramics has helped me find my voice and allowed me to be able to better process and really embrace the journey.
My art empowers me to bare my soul and I really hope my ceramics bring empowerment and conscious moments to all the babes who enjoy them!
Tell us a little about your journey into Womanhood?
Everyone’s journey into womanhood is so different and if you had of asked my rebellious teenage self I would have thought my journey began then… But to be honest I feel like my true journey into womanhood - finding, accepting and loving my true self - really began around four years ago (which was probably a similar timeframe to when the fertility issues started to show themselves funnily enough).
The last few years, especially the last two years or so, I have really been on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. I’ve allowed myself to embrace my true authentic self and it has been during this time that I have really thought of myself as stepping into womanhood.
I love nurturing myself and others to grow and think it’s something that never stops. We all have so much potential as women/humans and that is something really special and exciting.
You also touch on sustainability throughout your Instagram and in your ceramic practice - tell us what this means to you and your creative practice?
This is something that I am learning more about and trying embrace and adapt in my life. Conscious consumerism and knowing where our purchases come from and how it is made is so important to me. In our home, we use only natural and cruelty free cleaners/cosmetics and try to be very conscious of what we buy. We have a lot of vintage furniture and pieces throughout out home and will buy less but spend more on quality items that will last. I take
I try to be as conscious as possible with how I go about my ceramic practice. I reuse my scrap clay, make my own slips, am conscious of the clay types and glazes that I use, my water consumption and am certainly a yoghurt container hoarder! I also am a huge hoarder of wrapping/packaging and try to reuse what I can. Otherwise, I try to use biodegradable or recycled materials.
I’m definitely not perfect and still have a long way to go but I’m working on it. There is a really great quote by Anne-Marie Bonnesu (Zero Waste Chef) – “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Which is so true! I think every little bit counts and being aware of our footprint and taking steps to minimize them is a great start!
We would love to know about your self-care practices and why they are important to you...
I think my biggest one is just allowing myself time to slow down and breathe, in whatever way that looks like on the day.
This could be as simple as a warm brew of chai, matcha or cacao, going for a walk, doing yoga or meditation, having a warm shower, lighting some candles or Palo Santo, cleaning or getting my hands into clay. Sometimes all I need is to just stop and appreciate what I love about our home, the trees, fresh air and mother nature around me, the sky, clouds, colours, stars and moon. Sometimes it’s just allowing myself to consciously breathe deeply and be inside my own mind and my own stillness. Anything that keeps me in the moment. I’m definitely a dreamer and a sensitive soul so need to take the time to bring myself back down to earth and my mind back to the present.
These simple practices are so important to help me feel calm and soothe my body and mind of anxiety or stress. They help me function, reconnect with myself and allow me to continue to grow as a woman.
If you had one message for Women, what would it be?
Be your own muse! Allow yourself to dream and know that you are worthy of your dreams. Celebrate yourself and the women around you. Compassion and connection with our own selves and other women is so important for all of us.
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