Creativity in Making and Marketing | Noa Weintraub | Episode 288

Noa Weintraub | Episode 288

Noa Weintraub is an artist, and ceramicist based in London, UK. After completing her fine art degree at Chelsea College of Art, Noa launched her handbag label, selling one-off hand-painted handbags to exclusive boutiques and celebrity clients on both sides of the Atlantic. Simultaneously, she also began fashion styling, working closely with iconic art director Judy Blame. In 2007 she then redirected her career back to her fine art roots and became a full time artist and illustrator. Still very much inspired by fashion and her love of vintage, fabrics, textures and patterns, these continue to provide a constant reference point. In 2011 she enrolled onto a ceramics evening class and has not looked back since.

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Do you think of what you are doing as building a brand for your business?

I don’t like that word. I think it can stilt you and I think that if you are a creative person you just have to be creative. Branding, to me, makes people not do certain things and do certain things. If you just want to make something, just go ahead and make it. Don’t think about how it is going to go with the brand you are trying to achieve. Think there is something wrong with branding creativity.

What words words would you use to describe your work?

I think that is ideally for somebody else to describe. I don’t want to be labeled or pigeon holed. I think that is something that is convenient for people who want to sell your work, or to write about your work. But as a person who makes work, ideally they don’t have to because what they are doing today may be completely different tomorrow. Then they might feel that they can’t because it doesn’t go with their image.

You work in a community-type center. Do you feel that your work is better because you work in a setting like that?

I don’t know if it makes it better, but it is definitely more fun to work in that way. I love coming to the studio. When I was doing freelance illustration work, my studio is at home and it can be very isolating. So to go to work in a place that you know that no matter what day it is there will be at least five to ten people there that you can chat to if you want to or not, but they are there. There is such a lovely vibe and energy to the space. As soon as I walked in through the doors for the first time I thought that I had to be part of this place because it is really special. So I love working in that environment. Everybody is so positive and happy and helpful and friendly and it is definitely a community.

In regards to growing your business, how important is it for you to understand your target audience?

I don’t know if I’ve ever thought about it in that way. I try so hard to not be overshadowed by the business module or the sales. I think it is really hard to do that, but I really try my best to just try and think what I want to make because I want to make it and not because I think it will sell. Ultimately that really comes through- you can see if somebody is just trying to do things because they think people want to buy it. I think this is really important especially when so many people are trying to do the same thing. The only thing that can keep your integrity is making what you really want to make from your soul.

Do you find that you have a lot of repeat buyers and how do you track that?

Yes. I do. I don’t sell that much online. So these are people that I know are coming back.

What is your favorite way to market at this point?

Instagram is definitely the most effective way for me to show what I am doing and get the word out there.

If you could have a superpower, what superpower would it be?

So that anything that I make in ceramics would succeed and not get ruined in the kiln. I think that is much better than world peace or anything like that, right?