When the first issue of Australian Country Collections hit the national newsstands, it was only ever meant to be a ‘one off’ publishing venture so that, according to my boss, “I could get it out of my system!”
Having come from a full time writing position in my previous job in Queensland to a Managing Editor role in Sydney (overseeing production staff, journalists and graphic artists, arranging printing and colour separation schedules, appointing teams to take on various projects … resulting in the growth of the company from 48 to over 160 titles in my five years in the role) I hankered for more. I had a burning design to write again.
And so it was agreed that I would write one issue of a country decorating title, doing so in my own time. I remember so vividly the Sunday afternoon I sat in my lounge room to start the project. With instrumental music gently playing, the doors flung open to let in the breezes and sights of horses grazing in neighbouring paddocks, I began. It was a truly surreal experience because God certainly showed up. The words flowed and the result was an outstanding success as that first edition of the magazine sold out nationally.
In that moment my life was to change and a definite direction set, though at the time I had absolutely no idea about what was ahead and how my writing career would unfold.
The following year the publisher asked me to produce two issues of the title – no easy task given that I was still juggling the role of company’s Managing Editor as well as a number of ancillary projects and trying to have some semblance of personal life as well!
The other challenge centered around the fact that I felt I couldn’t keep on writing broadly about the decorating of country rooms (the magazine followed a room-by-room format) without having something ‘real’ to anchor it all to.
And so the publisher and I decided that the only way forward, providing the magazine with limitless possibilities and longevity, was to feature ‘real life’ profiles of country decorators across the land, featuring their homes from front door to back, with a special emphasis on one specific room to create a ‘country profile’.
Thus, each edition of Australian Country Collections would feature around six to seven profiles – from entrance to lounge room, dining and kitchen, bathroom and breezeway – and the rest of the images taken when photographing each home would become visual material to spread across a number of issues, relevant to general decorating features.
So the business of finding suitable locations, styling and photographing began. Freelance stylists and photography teams were established throughout Australia, and once all material was completed it was sent to me so the process of interviewing could begin. While I did a degree of the styling and sourcing in my immediate part of New South Wales, and a little interstate, I relied on this fabulous band of professionals to provide the most diverse and inspiring collection of country homes throughout the nation.
It was therefore not long before the publisher asked for a quarterly publication, and very soon after commissioned me to do six issues a year! I subsequently left the role of Managing Editor and embraced the challenge of turning Australian Country Collections into one of the company’s flagship titles, not to mention establishing it as the nation’s best-selling bimonthly decorating magazines.
Having been the editor of a rural magazine in my former professional post in Queensland, I was well versed in the process of interviewing people from the across the land and profiling their life and accomplishments by way of long-distance phone calls, drafting copy, checking and double checking and then proceeding to print and publication. Putting together the home stories of country decorators across the land, I figured, wouldn’t be very much different.
However, what I very quickly identified was the decorating tale of each person I profiled was only a small part of a much larger life narrative. Very rapidly these stories began to filter into the pages of Australian Country Collections and ultimately resonated within the majority of its pages, especially the opening Foreword which thousands of readers told me they referred to time and again for life inspiration, comfort and even direction.
Such things quickly gave the magazine a unique heart, not to mention an enormous following throughout the nation, and I am ever grateful for the endless blessings which came as a consequence of over a decade and a half at the helm of this life-changing project. I am also abundantly grateful for the countless friendships which I made along the way, many of which have endured and are at my foundation to this very day.
These lifelong friendships came about as a consequence of others telling and sharing their life story through the pages of the magazine, allowing me the enormous honour to step into their world – both present and past – and help make sense of it, especially in terms of how they created and decorated the place they called home. Their journeys and talents, passions and aspirations were to be seen in every choice of wall treatment and colour palette; furnishing pieces, accessories and collectables, not to mention the artful arrangement of all these elements.
Over the years I wrote literally hundreds of these special profiles and honed the skills to be able to tell the stories of others in such a way that they felt comfortable and safe to reveal and ultimately process much of their choices and decisions – both in terms of decorating and even life!
After Australian Country Collections I moved on to Rick Rutherford’s Country – my own bimonthly magazine title – where I was able to further develop the process of telling the ‘life story’ and decorating inspirations of others, doing so for nearly two years until the dream of translating my life’s writing work into ‘bricks and mortar reality’ became a possibility. I thus opened my own heritage country homewares and decorating store in the heart of the New South Wales Blue Mountains in late 2007 and continued on until early 2018 when an accident was to determine another change of direction as I ultimately closed the business, sold the building and returned to publishing. Initially I worked as the Media Coordinator for a very well-established family publishing business and by the end of five years I was the company’s editorial coordinator, graphic designer, web master, advertising production coordinator and wore a number of other hats as well!
I earnestly continued to pursue my passion for writing during this time, not only as a consequence of my professional position but also through my blog and various other venues. Having written my second Christmas book – A Christmas Memory … Wroxton Revisited (see Christmas Book tab above) – during the time of recovery from my accident prior, I also completed an enormous freelance research project into statutory boards on behalf of The University of Tasmania (a very revealing exercise into the machinations, nepotism and very questionable behavior of many such bodies – a real eye opener!).
And now, after a hiatus of a year back at the coal face of what is known as ‘people pleasing’ (aka retail!), plus a foray into professional merchandising and design, I find myself once again hankering to write. Having been recruited by a professional biography company and also going through the due process of registering with a state government health body to aid in the writing of biographies of patients in palliative care, the desire to pursue the calling to write the life stories of others – for posterity and family interest – burns bright.
But after fully investigating the potential roles of writing on behalf of other organisations and looking at all the restrictive frameworks of each (plus, in one instance, the extensive cost to clients) I have toiled with what direction to take and how I should share my writing experience and gifting.
It wasn’t until a dear friend gave me a pen holder in style of a pencil sharpener for my birthday that the penny dropped! She said she was divinely led to give me something that represented the call to ‘write again’.
And so, after much deliberation and soul searching the decision has been made. It’s time to utilise my many years of writing the stories of other’s lives and offer it all as a professional service for anyone wanting to tell their own life story.
Harnessing my years of experience and life lessons learnt, matched with my great desire to connect with hearts and minds and tell the tale of other lives lived, I am launching a very special freelance business called ‘The Story of A Life’.
With great sensitivity to those who want to formally record their personal journey of life – one’s background, heritage, adventures, experiences, memories and to even help make sense of where one comes from and those who have gone before – so that a formal record is created for now and generations to come, ‘The Story of A Life’ will become a family heirloom to treasure. It will be a wonderful gift for loved ones and a tangible way of recording one’s own special and unique life’s tale. Ancestors and current generational links will be set in place … as much or as little as each ‘client’ wishes to reveal.
The process of telling the tale of one’s life may be healing, transformative, bring peace and even closure on events that have occurred across the years. It will be celebratory and honouring of those who have walked the journey together, and will certainly be a wonderful memorial for all younger family members and friends to hold on to … to understand and remember.
The process will be as simple as extensive phone interviewing – just like I did back in my Australian Country Collections days – and then potentially follow up phone chats as I formulate the story. Drafts will be sent to be checked, changed, added to and approved. Once this is done and I have been supplied with as many or as few images as each client wishes to provide, I’ll design and layout the book, again for checking and approval. Some clients may wish to include special letters that have been written by loved ones over the years, certificates of achievement, poems or whatever other material they want to feature which helps tell their special life’s tale.
Once finally checked and approved, a 40 page book will be created and printed with 10 bound copies supplied.
The procedure can take as long as each client wishes. I’m sure during the process of telling one’s life story, memories will be stirred and additional information will be added to the draft as we go along – all prior to formal design and layout.
I’m so excited by the opportunity to be able to offer this service for all those interested in formally recording their own special and unique life’s tale and so look forward to the honour of connecting with those who have the heart’s desire to tell ‘The Story of A Life’.
With love,
Rick
(For full details, tap the ‘The Story of A Life’ button on the tab above).