JANELLE Gerrard's umpteenth career re-invention was inspired by a health scare and a rather het up cat.
The businesswoman - who worked as a graphic designer in the advertising industry in Sydney before moving to Newcastle and founding her business Design Change, the Lone Rangers Business Network and The Networker diary - is now a jewellery maker.
Her career change came after the craft she had honed her skills in for decades lost some of its lustre.
"Software has killed it for many designers, because small businesses just DIY - it looks appalling but they don't see it," she says with her trademark directness. "Add into the mix what I suspect is ageism ... even though my work was very current."
In 2020, after having surgery following a breast cancer diagnosis, Ms Gerrard got her "recovery cat", Mimi, who was at first a scaredy cat.
"She was a retired breeder's cat and had not really been socialised with humans. She is lovely now but on Prozac," quips Ms Gerrard.
With her design work curbed by lockdowns, Ms Gerrard decided to make jewellery, inspired by her "feisty" new flatmate, Mimi.
"When I looked around most designs were same-same and predictable. I thought, how hard can it be?" she says. "I rang a jewellery designer who kindly let me pick her brain about the materials, glues and so on. I found it simple to come up with interesting shapes and use the same software as what I using for creating logos."
Drawn to the simplicity of mid-century modern and 1960s fashion designers like Mary Quant and Pierre Cardin, her earrings and necklaces are made from acrylic and timber, both laser cut in Sydney, and clay.
She named her business Skitty Kitty Designs in honour of her "brand ambassador", skittish Mimi.
The limited-edition range is stocked at the Museum of Art and Culture at Lake Macquarie and the Multi Arts Pavilion at Speers Point Park. Skitty Kitty has also been at Maitland Regional Gallery and exhibitions in Sydney.
Ms Gerrard will host the Gin and Jewels event on November 23 at Earp Distillery to show her wares.
She loathes the word 'pivot', but is aware that she has been doing just that for decades.
"I was a guest speaker at a women's group and I talked about "resilience" because over the years my industry has had many changes - I was old school, doing hand drawn layouts, then computers came in," she says.
"Plus other personal things that were challenging but you need to survive you need to adapt to change. You need to get over pity parties and make changes - adapt or even .... dare I say, pivot."
Ms Gerrard said she has been overwhelmed by the support of her female friends for her venture.
"Women can have an amazing spirit of generosity in wanting you to succeed. I have so many clients who spruik my jewellery to their friends - I call them my team of Skittettes," she says.
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