Questionnaire – Carol Mowl, owner of
Beetle Felt Workshops http://www.beetlefelt.co.uk
Following the fascinating and
informative felted mask making workshop at Beetle Felt studios I
asked Carol Mowl a few questions about her business and how she had
achieved success.
How and when did you first get into crafts?
When I was four years old. I made clothes for my dolls on the sewing machine.
What career path did you take to get where you are today?
Art GCSE Embroidery, GCSE Dress, GCSE art and fashion and textiles A levels, and Art Foundation course, Fashion and Textile B.A.(Hons) Degree. Placements and I worked in lots of textile artists' studios.
What made you decide to start running textile workshops?
It was a dream I always had but was prompted by a sweat lodge vision.
What was the first workshop that you ran and when?
I used to run jewellery workshops when I was 12 years old with my friends and neighbours. I have taught textiles especially weaving at the Manchester Craft And Design Centre in 1987.The first one at Beetle Felt studio was in 2007.
What advice do you have for anyone wanting to go into the creative industry?
I did masses of training and courses on all sorts of bookkeeping and how to run a small business workshops etc. Just do it.
How do you finance your workshops? Are there any organisations that support you? If so, how?
I am supported by my customers who invest in the workshops by attending them and coming back for more quality teaching. I supplement them by living quite frugally and the overheads are low.
This is a great Q & A Demi, this kind of crosses over into both your challenge as it was felt mask making but this should probably be in Unit 1 part c as your evidence into arts practitioner/professionals and then link it back to your challege by adding an introduction explaining that you met Carol while working towards your artistic challenge and comment yourself on how Carol's answers may influence you and your work, are you plannimg a similar career path?
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