Why business growth isn't always the goal, with Mev (Myfanwy) from Glosters

Christmas traditions, favourite festive foods, and comical moments, with Harriet, Louise, and Lydia

In our last episode of series two, we're celebrating the season with a Christmas special. Join Kerri (your host) and Harriet from de Winton Paper Co, Louise from Two For Joy Illustration, and Lydia from Lovely Lydia, as they chat about what Christmas looks like for each of them, whether they go homemade when it comes to Christmas food, their views on shopping small for Christmas, and their favourite gifts from Christmas crackers. Please note, for context within the conversation, this episode was recorded in October. Harriet is a watercolour artist. She teaches others how to paint watercolour through her Patreon community as well as numerous published books. She also offers helpful resources and tools from downloads to paintbrushes, and creates the occasional wedding stationery commission using her infamously beautiful style. To find out more, head to her website: dewintonpaperco.com [https://dewintonpaperco.com/] Louise is an illustrator and independent greeting card publisher. She mainly sells wholesale, with her gorgeous cards in shops around the country. Her designs are really creative, and she always tries to push the boundaries on what's possible – making each product more than 'just a card'. To take a look at her collection, check out her Esty store: etsy.com/uk/shop/UKTwoForJoy [https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/UKTwoForJoy] Lydia is a linocut artist and fabric printer. Using her own hand-carved blocks to print unique designs, she then creates items such as lampshades, cushions, and bags from the fabric. She also runs block printing workshops, teaching others how to carve and print, and inspiring people to get creative. You can find details of her products and workshops on her website: lovelylydia.co.uk [https://lovelylydia.co.uk/] Thanks for listening. If you've enjoyed series two, please give us a rating and review as it really helps spread the movement and let other creative women find our podcast. We'll hopefully be back in the spring for a new series, so make sure you subscribe or follow us to keep updated. In the meantime, if you haven't already, come say hi over on Instagram where we'll be sharing more content: @forcreativessake [https://www.instagram.com/forcreativessake/]

Defining your own version of success and avoiding burnout, with Abigail from Bloom & Crumb

From the influence of social media to the views and expectations of society (or even our loved ones), it can be really easy to compare ourselves with others – thinking we need to follow their path and aim for the same goals. But success looks and feels different for everyone, and defining your own version is an important part of creating a life, and business, you love. Abigail is a London based wedding and celebration cake maker, covering the home counties. She prides herself on creating cakes that not only look beautiful but also taste sensational. Having made her first wedding cake aged just 19, Abigial's business has evolved over the years. And by focusing on what success truly means to her, she's been able to shape it into what it is now – a thriving but personal small business that gives her creative freedom and the ability to embrace the ebbs and flows each month. Join Kerri (your host) and Abigail, as they chat about how Abigail's business started, whether she prefers getting free rein over a design or a specific brief, her favourite project to date (which included an incredible venue), and how this summer felt better and she managed to avoid burnout during wedding season. To find out more about Abigail's cakes or how you can book her for your wedding or event, head to her website: bloomandcrumb.co.uk [https://www.bloomandcrumb.co.uk/]

Why business growth isn't always the goal, with Mev (Myfanwy) from Glosters

From humble beginnings, having started as a little shop in a Welsh harbour town, Glosters has evolved and grown over the last eleven years – becoming an incredible creative pottery with a team of fourteen, a huge workshop, and continued success year on year. But, with Mev and her husband Tom still at the heart of the business, it continues to thrive with the same personal ethos it's always had, bringing creative skills and jobs to their local community in Porthmadog, Wales. Whilst Tom is the head potter, Mev basically runs the show… she's the creative brains behind all of their wonderful content and marketing, she handles all of the strategy, admin, and logistics behind-the-scenes, and she ensures the team knows what to create and when so they can make all of their gorgeous products on time throughout the year. However, this year, Mev and Tom welcomed their newest member to team Glosters – their baby daughter, Ottie – and it's made Mev reevaluate things slightly. Join Kerri (your host) and Mev, as they chat about how Glosters has evolved over time, what it was like having a baby whilst running a thriving business, Mev's recent challenge of renovating a trailer, and her really interesting (and perhaps slightly surprising) goal for the next twelve months. To see the wonderful range of products Glosters creates, head to their website: glosters.co.uk [https://www.glosters.co.uk/]

Believing in yourself and taking big steps, with Avneesh from Neesh Home

Life has a habit of throwing curveballs your way, but when Avneesh was made redundant a few years ago, (after taking a bit of time to get over the initial shock) she followed her passion and jumped headfirst into growing her small business. Avneesh is a London based illustrator creating colourful, stylish, and very relatable (often comical) prints, cards, and homewares. Having worked for lifestyle brands in retail for many years, Avneesh is able to create products with commerciality in mind and run with designs she knows customers will want. Though her business is still relatively young, this knowledge meant she felt quietly confident to take some big steps early on… and the results, so far, have been amazing. Join Kerri (your host) and Avneesh, as they chat about how Avneesh kind of accidentally stumbled into illustration, how a redundancy was actually the catalyst to her following her passion and learning how to best protect her personal boundaries, how attending tradeshows has impacted her business, and how even though she loves going out and enjoying the city – staying home can sometimes be her favourite thing. If you would like to see Avneesh's gorgeous range of products, head to her website: neeshhome.com [https://neeshhome.com/]

Celebrating milestones, small business realities, and controversial birthday meals with Alice, Est, and Hannah

In our first episode of series two, we're celebrating For Creatives' Sake turning one on the 22nd November 2025 with a birthday special. Join Kerri (your host) and Alice from Loveday Social, Est from Origami Est, and Hannah from Hannah Weston Jewellery, as they chat about whether they find it easy to celebrate milestones in their business, the fine line of what to share in terms of the realities of when things aren't going so well, and what their ideal birthday meal would be (Kerri's answer raises some eyebrows!). Alice runs a creative content studio, helping product businesses create engaging and effective content. With a team beside her, she specialises in stop motion animation (but also covers a range of other content creation) and offers a done-for-you service, DIY membership, and marketing strategy consulting. Find out more on her website: lovedaysocial.com [https://lovedaysocial.com/] Est (Esther) is an origami artist who creates modern, unique, and stylish designs. She mainly teaches workshops, sharing her joy of folding paper with other people, but also has a collection of handmade items and DIY kits available. See her gorgeous creations, and find details of her upcoming workshops, on her website: origamiest.co.uk [https://origamiest.co.uk/] Hannah creates contemporary, meaningful jewellery in recycled siler and gold. She has a beautiful collection of ready to order pieces, or you can commission a unique and special creation. She also offers beginner jewellery workshops to inspire and teach others. See her website for more details (and some pretty photos!): hannahweston.com [https://www.hannahweston.com/]