How it all began.

30 / 09 / 2011

One of my first uni assignments was to create 60 self portraits.

When I was little I always wanted to be a vet, there was no doubt about it - that is what I was going to do. It came time to do work experience when I was 15 and I chose to do it at a Veterinary clinic. It came as a very rude shock to me, being a vet wasn't all about getting to play with fluffy animals and making them better. I witnessed a few deaths, ALOT of blood, got attacked by various animals and I was made to do all of the dirty work. So after 5 days of working as a Vet, my childhood dream was shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, but this was for the best.

 I was 17 and nearing the end of high school, I still did not know what I wanted to do. I remember going to my Orthodontist appointment, leaving, and then that’s when I knew I wanted to be an Orthodontist. I wanted to be able to fix peoples teeth, like he fixed mine.

Shelley: Hey Mum, I want to be an Orthodontist!!!

Mum: You know they have the highest suicide rate don't you?

This one is made using foam and pin holes.

So that idea went out the window too. I had to go to Orange anyway if I wanted to study it.

I wanted to do business studies at school, but instead my teachers forced me to do art, which I'm very glad they did! My favourite subject at school was Design and Technology, I went to a creative arts high school, I don't know why it wasn't clear to me sooner that I should do something in the design field!

So as school finished, I still had no idea. The UAC guides came out and I went from front cover to back cover about 5 times and nothing stood out. Mum said I should be a teacher, she said I should do a Bachelor of Science, but nothing appealed to me.Nanny was looking through the book and said to me that I should do fine arts; now this was something more up my alley that I had never even considered. I looked through the book again and highlighted all of the design/ art courses I could do and decided I had my heart set on Bachelor of Visual Communication Design at the University of Newcastle.

So as an 18 year old who was planning on living at home until she was 32, it was time to pack myself up and move to Newcastle to start the rest of my life.

Here I am, it’s 3 years later, no regrets, I’m just about to finish my degree and I haven’t looked back. I’m starting a business called ‘Shell Designs’ and I’m doing what I love.

Thanks everyone for your guidance and support.