Imagine All The People #09 // Ella Kennedy, Bread & Weather

Ella Kennedy is the Founder of Bread & Weather, a handmade scented candles and naturl soaps, made with essential oils business.

How does your creativity present itself?

I love playing with ingredients. When I have a recipe or a formula I have a

starting point. Then I like to see how many elements I can change and what the effect is. I used to love chemistry class in school – the experiment part of it anyway. Then I studied culinary arts in college and worked as a private chef/caterer for eight years. Now I make candles and soaps where

my ingredients are wax and essential oils. I don't think I could paint or

make music because there aren't enough boundaries for me. I like a few

rules and then to play within that. With food the rules are it's got to be

edible and delicious. With candles they have to burn with a nice flame and

a nice scent (not as easy as it sounds to achieve!). Then within that you can

go anywhere with presentation/design/colour/shape etc.

What is creative about your work?

Both taste and scent are senses that have a lot to do with memory and

association. I like to try and put ingredients together in a way that gets a

particular reaction from people. I love when they taste or smell something

and then look at me with wide eyes that say 'Oh! That! How did you know

about that?!'.

What is your most used item / software / app in your work?

My kitchen. I converted a stable at my parent's house into a production

kitchen eight years ago. It's got everything I need and the best day is when

I can go in there and mess about with ingredients in peace. On days when I

don't feel inspired I sometimes go and sit in there and usually within a few

minutes I'll start to feel better and have an idea about how to get un-stuck

from whatever the problem was.

What is the biggest challenge you face?

Anxiety. You name it, I can catastrophise about it.

How do you deal with that?

I've been using the 10I Happier meditation app for over two years. I also

started to journal a lot since the pandemic. I have seven different journals

on the go at the moment. Both of those practices help a lot.

How do you top up your creative cup?

Rest. It is so easy to overwork yourself when you're self employed.

Everything is better and easier after a day off or a nap. I knew I didn't want

to be self employed as a cook any more for over a year but could not solve

the problem of what I was going to do. It was only when I finally gave up

trying and said 'sod it I'll just take the furlough money, sit and look out the

window and do nothing' that the candle idea came to me. It was exactly

like in the movies. The whole idea came to me fully formed. I immediately

started filling up folders with lists and ideas and plans. It is the perfect fit

for me. So that movie montage is a cliche for a reason I suppose!

What podcast / book / person would you recommend to another creative

freelancer?

Company of One by Paul Jarvis. It gives you permission to do your thing in

your way. It opens your eyes to all the ways there are to be be creative

and self employed. I've found it really helpful and encouraging. I can't even

listen to it while driving because I want to pause it to take notes every five

minutes.

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