Featured Maker: Sally-Mae Hudson

Mar 13, 2025

March: MEET THE MAKER

I’m mixing things up a little bit for the month of March. Instead of having a theme around making, I’m having a theme around MAKERS! I’ll be sharing interviews with local makers and learning all about their journey, their challenges and what it looks like to be a maker.

If you enjoy peeking into the minds of fellow creatives, join us!

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Hello makers,

Today I would like to (re)introduce Sally from Shapes By Sal (I featured Sally’s work in this post when we dove into a month of calendars). Sally is a self-taught printmaker who is lucky enough to live in one of the most beautiful parts of Aotearoa New Zealand - Lake Hāwea (we took the kids camping at Lake Hāwea this summer and immediately wanted to live there!)

Sally is an artist whose work is deeply rooted in her love for the outdoors. One of my favourite early works of hers was Te Araroa o Te Waipounamu, her interpretation of her journey tramping (hiking) the South Island section of the Te Araroa trail. Her experiences in nature inspire her art. But she captures it best when she says:

My art and my passion for the outdoors are so intertwined that without one, I couldn’t do the other…My work is as much about inspiring others to protect, explore and appreciate the natural world, as it is my own artistic expression.

Here is Sally’s story.

How long have you been working as a maker or artist professionally or as an entrepreneur?

I started linocut printmaking about 6 or 7 years ago! And I've been working part-time as an artist for the last 5 years.

Did you switch careers from something more traditional to become a maker/artist? Can you give us a little about the path you have taken?

Neither of my careers are very traditional! I studied Sustainability and Outdoor Education at CPIT/Ara and for the last 5 years I've been working in the environmental industry doing lots of native planting, maintenance, weed and pest control. I work part time, so it is a nice balance with my art and I don't see myself being a full time artist anytime soon. Mostly because I like being paid to be outside and active a few days a week!

What does a typical work day look like for you?

Ooh it really changes a lot! Normally on a Sunday evening I write a list of what I need to do that week (as currently mon/tue are my art days) and that will generally include packing prints, re-printing a print if it's out of stock (this normally takes a full day) and working on new work.

I'm often curious when I see makers share all the different ways they make their art or business work financially. Can you share if you have various income streams?

I don't really have various income streams, I'd love to work on a more passive income for myself, perhaps doing licensing work but I'm not entirely sure how to go about this. I sell my work in about 5 different stores around NZ which is great if I'm not getting many sales online but most of these stores take a 45% commission which then makes it very hard to feel like I'm making enough money.

Do you find time to experiment with your creativity now that it's also your job?

I often feel like I don't have much time so sometimes I feel a little guilty when I am not being productive and not working on a new 'product'. But then I tend to get a touch of the winter blues and burnt out in winter so normally I end up experimenting and playing around then. And I find it so important to do this because ultimately it does help me and my work grow.

How do you approach future planning in your creative work or business?

I normally creative some loose goals for the year. One year it was to sketch outside more, so as loose a goal as that! This past year I had a financial goal of trying to earn a certain amount of money, still a month out from the end of the financial year and I've almost hit that goal but not quite and that's ok if I don't reach it!

How do you combat the loneliness that often comes with working as a solopreneur?

This is basically why I work part time! Whenever I'm at home doing art for more than 3-4 days a week I get so lonely not seeing anyone and then I find I'm not very productive or inspired.

What are the most common challenges you face being a maker or artist?

Finding time is a pretty big one! I'm not one of these people that like to be super busy so I always get a bit stressed when I feel like I've got lots of do but not enough time. I also find it really hard to make a decent bit of income from my art. Printmaking is definitely not a passive income because so much time (carving, mixing inks, inking the blocks, registering the paper, hand printing and repeat) is spent on every single print! So creating more of a passive income for myself is something I'd like to work on. It sounds so superficial, but I guess we all need money!

What are your most important values in making the work you do?

Creating art that aligns itself and feels true to who I am! I want my art to inspire others to get outdoors. And also trying to be as environmentally friendly as I can be with packaging products! Sometimes it can be hard, especially as I sell more of my work in stores now.

Do you experience imposter syndrome, and if so, how do you manage that? Any tips?

Oh yes I definitely do!! I often look at my past work and think that's actually pretty cool, maybe I'm not so bad after all! Or this is when I play around and have fun experimenting or sketching. Just do something completely different!