1. Your name + job title

Sue Battery, Artist/Artisan.

2. What was your first job?

Assistant in public library.

3. What did you want to be when you were at school?

I wanted to be an Actor.

4. What Qualifications/Training do you need for your job?

For painting, you need a natural ability and an eye for a pleasing composition. For the type of paintings I do at the moment, you need a keen eye for detail. I only started painting in 2017 and I now have my own studio and business because people want to buy my work! For My upholstery, I trained across - no formal qualifications but spent time with a professional Upholsterer on workshops. Invaluable.

For my sewing projects, it’s all self-taught. I owned a Singer sewing machine when I was 18 years-old and have never looked back.

5. What is the best thing about your job?

Best things are - Being my own boss. Being creative - I love starting with a blank canvas or with beautiful material, and producing a piece with which my client is delighted. Being able to plan my week so I can rest on the sunny days and work on the not-so-sunny days. Seeing the ’fruits of my labours’ i.e. I am not some small cog in a big wheel where my contribution gets lost. I see directly what I make and the impact it has. Therefore job satisfaction is high.

6. What is the most difficult thing about it?

The most difficult thing is that being a Sole Trader there’s only me, so I have to wear several different hats.It can be daunting, but I use my transferable skills from my previous roles to help me, and I have had help and advice while attending the DfE’s Business Grant Course and courses held at The Engine House.

7. What are the most important qualities you need in your role?

You need to be able to self-motivate. You need to be organised. You need to be good at work/life balance. You need to be able to work on your own - for quite long periods. You need to be a good observer. You need to put the effort into self-training. You need to not see failure as a blockage, more like a wake-up call.

8. What advice would you give to someone who wants to get into the same industry?

I would say’ "Go for it! Look at me! I didn’t know I could paint until I was 55 years-old. I took advantage of the training and help available on the Island, and still am (I have a consultant helping me as part of the DfE’s Grant initiative). The Island is alive with creativity - so much going on now. You can’t flood the market because your art or crafts will not be exactly the same as someone else’s. There’s room for you and what you have to offer!