I set my alarm for 6.30am but usually snooze until about 7.30am. My husband makes me eggs on toast for breakfast which we will have with some Climpson’s coffee; it’s our morning ritual. My getting ready process is speedy: get up, chuck some clothes on, put a red lip on and get out the door. I walk to work, our office is only 20 minutes away and I aim to get in between 8am and 8.30am. On my way into the office I like to call my Mum, Dad and Grandma at home in Australia before picking up an oat flat white from Caravan in Fitzrovia.Â
CHINTI & FRIENDS: ANNA BRAY
One of the many great things about working for Shopify is that the company encourages you to be entrepreneurial and have a business on the side, which has obviously been great for making my art. I have been painting and drawing for as long as I can remember but it became a bit more of a thing when friends started asking me to do little commissions as birthday, wedding or anniversary presents. I mostly love doing these really simplified female forms whether that’s using paint or pen on paper or making wire sculptures.
It’s wonderful to have my home studio, although it does get cold in there in the winter, so I’ll often take whatever I’m working on upstairs and into the living room where it’s a bit cosier. Every couple of months me and my husband will hold a supper club in the studio, which is a great way to get people together and a nice way to share the stuff that I’m doing. It can sometimes feel a bit awkward to self-promote on Instagram but having the pieces hung in that space while people enjoy a lovely home-cooked meal and a glass of wine is a non-aggressive way to show what I’m doing. We end up meeting really nice people as well. In fact, it reaffirms my faith a bit because everyone is always so curious and friendly. I always end the evening remembering why I love living here.
