As a freelance graphic designer, Nicole Watts thrives in the dynamic unpredictability of her working day. Unlike traditional jobs with set expectations, her schedule ebbs and flows, offering both challenges and freedoms. Yet amidst this flexibility, Nic finds purpose in stepping up when her community calls. One such instance arose when Maggie's Rescue, relied on her as a volunteer to help rescue a pup. Dolly a cross Bulldog urgently needed to go to the vet. Coinciding with a lull in her schedule, Nic came to the rescue, “happily accepting” the job and delivering Dolly into the care she needed and deserved. Nic acknowledges the hurdles of freelancing—uncertain income, irregular hours—but cherishes the balance it affords her. This flexibility isn't just for personal convenience; it enables Nic to be there for local groups like Maggie's Rescue, bridging the gap when urgent help is needed. Nic likens herself to a FIFO – fly in-fly-out worker, working at times seven days straight on a project while other times she will have a week to herself. Living and working alongside her partner Kate and their dog Edith in Marrickville, their home serves as more than just a dwelling—it's a creative hub. Kate, a freelance journalist and podcast producer, shares Nic's passion for community and creativity, making their space a melting pot of ideas and collaboration. To stay inspired, Nic taps into various sources. Social media connects her with fellow artists, providing a digital gallery of innovation and ideas. Yet, she finds equal inspiration in her surroundings—the vibrant inner west of Sydney pulses with creativity, feeding her designs with local idiosyncrasies and energy. “Everywhere you go, in our local “hood”, there are little surprises. You can just find a tiny piece of artwork that was created in someone’s home but now pasted publicly on a street corner. Creatively these wonders don’t have to be big murals just little surprises.” Here she is reminded of local artist Will Coles, who was an inner west resident. “Locals would often see his small sculptures created at home glued around their streets. These sculptures were in little places you would least expect. I love seeing art in the wild and the inner west is full of it.” Her artistic influences span beyond her immediate surroundings. Artists like Arrernte and Kalkadoon artist Thea Anamara Perkins who questions western identity of First Nations people through her works. Nic bought one of her pieces for her 50th birthday.

“Her work hits me right in the feels.”

She is similarly captivated with Ben Quilty. “He has a huge piece in the NSW Art Gallery, and when I stood in front of it, I actually felt this energy run through me. It's not often a work of art affects me so much.” She is also drawn to the landscapes of Albert Namatjira's works. “No one can capture that landscape like someone with thousands of years of connection to it. I'm really loving his nephew's work too, Vincent Namatjira.

Nic began her career in graphic design a “millions of years ago and pre-computer, having been drawn to art classes in school. While fine art appealed, commercial graphic design “just suited my style of creativity” and after completing a TAFE course launched into this commercial relm, working for publishers. Advertising was not in her remit - a deliberate choice, preferring a focus on marketing. A self-confessed “document nerd” she now specialises in in transforming mundane documents into compelling marketing tools. Despite the corporate veneer, Nic's approach remains deeply personal, striving to embody the voices and visions of her clients through collaborative efforts. It sounds very corporate, and she acknowledges it can be a tough gig for a creative. “I work really hard not to try and make it a personal style because I have to try and reflect the voice of the clients I work with and the audiences they are trying to reach”. Here, collaboration is key, and she enjoys working with clients to nut out the “different elements such as colours, imagery, and typography to forge connections and evoke engagement. It's a delicate balance, merging corporate objectives with creative expression, where every project becomes an opportunity to meld client goals with artistic sensibilities. “It’s like a little puzzle that you put together with the client that hopefully will resonate with their audience.” The creative world is not immune to technology and artificial intelligence has also made its impact on the world of design.

“A lot of time would be taken to brief a robot about what I do in the design process. Clients want to save time and therefore they would prefer to work directly with the designer.”

In an evolving landscape impacted by technology, Nic embraces tools like Adobe Suite and Canva, recognising their utility without fearing them as threats to design craftsmanship. She believes in the importance of skill over templates, emphasising that true design prowess lies in translating client visions effectively.

“These are just tools. They are not skills. I can have the best oven in the world, but I am confident that I am not going to bake something like a skilled chef. Templates are great but at the end of the day, as a designer, you will eventually hit the wall if you don’t have the skills to implement that client vision.”

Like many creatives working in corporate, she does have a side hustle where she can indulge fully into her creative self. This was particularly the case during Covid which spurred her to create @drewdeville, which was also her “mental health project”. The name is creation of “draw” and “doodle”. “She added Ville because “it felt like a place where I could hang out and do my own thing with my drawings”. One is certainly met by a myriad of boldly illustrated bird life – magpies, pelicans, budgies when hanging out at Drewdeville. The bird life inspiration began when a Bolga – Australia’s only crane bird – appeared in Nic’s imagination during Covid. Captivated by our feathered friends, Nic is now up to bird 80. “I don’t want to be a bird influencer, I just wanted to do something for myself”. But her creativity also supports the greater good. The designs are then shaped into gifts for bird nerds and nature lovers and includes t-shirts, mugs and even personal portraits of your furry friend or baby. One tree is planted for every product sold. “I wanted Drewdleville to contribute meaningfully to habitat and help with climate change.” Nicole Watts' creative journey intertwines her professional expertise with a deep personal curiosity and passion, enriching her practice through keen local observations and meaningful contributions to causes close to her heart. website: Nic Watts Designs IG: @drewdleville

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Written by Priyanka Smithfield Priyanka Smithfield is a creative writer and former journalist. She lives in the inner west and enjoys the myriad of cuisine on offer as well as the vibrancy of her neighbourhood. image 1: Thea Perkins (courtesy of Nicole Watts) image 2: Artboard 2 - Nicole Watts (courtesy of Nicole Watts)