People: Meg Croydon
Name: Meg Croydon, Kuku Yalanji, she/her
Location: Northcote, VIC. Currently residing on the sovereign land of Wurundjeri peoples’ on Kulin Nation
Occupation/ Business: Ceramicist for Waymbul Studios
Who makes up your family? All my family currently resides in QLD and NSW on Yugumbeh + Bundjalung Nation. My partner and I moved to Narrm in 2020 in between lockdowns. We are missing the notion of family and are currently putting in a lot of effort to cultivate our chosen family here. It can be really heartbreaking when your purpose resides in a different part of the world than your loved ones. Regarding a family of my own, I don’t have one yet! It’s something we’ve started talking about. My south node is in Gemini in my 4th house of family and I can’t wait to redefine and heal the notion of family through nurturing my own.
What core principles / values inform your practice? The core values that inform my creative practice are culture, aesthetics, value, and design. I really don’t want to put anything out in the world just for the sake of it. I want it to be intentional, well-designed, and well-made. I like to use my art and creative practice as a vehicle that drives my quest to learn more about who I am and my culture and to connect to other mob who are on a similar journey.
What are you currently working on? I am currently studying Fashion Design in the hopes of designing my own label in the near future, vlogging, designing jewellery + becoming a model!
What daily practices or rituals connect you with your centre? I alternate between Vedic meditation, breathwork, and journaling. I also practice pilates twice a week which helps me shift a lot of tension in real time as I work throughout the week.
What does community mean to you? Resistance! To cultivate community is to resist the systems that profit from isolation and individualism. It can be a potent vehicle for self-sufficiency and connection. My heart sings!
How does community care and self-care intersect for you? I think it goes back to the dismantling of individualism. I feel like caring for your community is like watering your roots. We’re connected to everything through energy and when we’re caring for and contributing to our community, we’re also extending that grace and care to ourselves. It evokes presence and empathy.
What is something you're proud of? I’m proud of being courageous enough to step out of my comfort zone and conditioning to move interstate to pursue my dream creative career. For sticking with it and not succumbing to the fear, doubt, and imposter syndrome that comes with believing in yourself (felt every second of every day!) I’m also proud of myself for constantly working through self-worth barriers and trusting I am deserving of these incredible connections I’m always making.
My cup is full when…I’m out and about, cooking from scratch/eating, connecting with friends and/or creating art. (or when I’m near a body of water… preferably the ocean!) It’s never all of these things at any time. I really have to be connected with my body and listen to cues to socialise, or whether I need to retreat. Whether it’s time for mass-energy output or time to go inwards and nourish. I don’t always get it right and any of these things can quickly turn draining.
I am grateful for.. my partner! For the opportunity to cultivate a safe and nurturing home, for unconditional love and for his unwavering belief in my wild and wacky dreams.
A piece of advice I’d share with my younger self.. the way people interact with you has nothing to do with who you are inherently, rather a direct projection of their own internal state. Don’t look to them to inform who you are.
Where can we find you (website, IG etc.)? You can find me at @waymbul.studios on Instagram, or at waymbul.com for all your ceramic needs!
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Lastly, please use the space below to share with us something that comes to mind – a poem, a drawing, a thought, a story, a book you’re reading – whatever you are sitting with right now.
I’m currently learning to discern between running a small business and my art practice. I realized I was associating the practice with the trials and tribulations that come with running a business. I was trying to sell and market my art, while simultaneously trying to hide it and protect it (from judgment, rejection, and failure mostly). In my mind, I’m finding it easier to split the two and still enjoy and expand on my practice. For a little while, it felt like I was trying to escape it, which I realise now isn’t from the practice itself, but the challenges faced with owning and running a business. I’ve put an intention out there to lean into the practice more and not let the business side limit the art side.
08.07.2022
