Her Space

By Marilyn Jessen, Bateman, $39.99, 296 pages, hardback

Her Space is subtitled She Sheds, Back Rooms and the Kitchen Table – the term she shed conjuring up visions of a prettied-up space for lazing around drinking gin and reading magazines, well separated from any hint of domestic chaos. That’s not the case with these spaces where hard-working women paint, carve, embroider… even make mirror mosaics. The places featured aren’t always beautiful, but they are interesting. They’re accompanied by the stories of 60 creative women from all over New Zealand. Marilyn Jessen spent a year interviewing them – finding out how these busy artistic types carve out time to do the things they love. For those contemplating a creative career change, there are ideas for making it work, including marketing and finances, as well as tips for keeping the creative fires burning. Rosemary Barraclough