In our How She Does It column, we talk to inspirational mothers about work-life balance, their favourite travel destinations, travelling with children, and how they really do it all. This month we sat down with artist Caroline Kent, founder of Scribble & Daub.
Caroline’s beautiful illustrations have led her to work with well-known brands all over the world, but she is happiest at home in rural East Sussex with her husband and three sons, creating new designs. Here she tells us how her business was born at the same time as her eldest child, why flexible working is so essential for mothers and why travelling with her family is one of life’s greatest joys.
Tell us about yourself?
I’m an illustrator, and founder of stationery brand, Scribble & Daub. My husband Tim joined me in the business a few years ago, and we live in a cottage in the East Sussex countryside with our three sons, Arlo, 13, Caspar, nine, and Rey five.
Tell us more about your working life?
I divide my time between our offices in a 16th century building in our local town where my team are based, and my studio which is a short cycle away on the other side of our village. In some ways I have two jobs, managing bespoke illustration commissions for brands and clients, and another running the business itself, creating new designs for Scribble & Daub and everything that entails. It can be difficult to balance the two, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. We try to take as much of the summer holidays off with the children as we can, but it’s always a juggle. Emerging from that ‘delightful’ chaos and returning to working life is a joy.
What inspires you in your career?
To create things which help our customers to live and give well, to foster kindness, generosity and connection between people and to celebrate a simple, elegant imperfection in our designs. I have worked with some brilliant brands including Selfridges, Alex Eagle, Net-a-Porter and Jo Malone. I also have private clients and it’s always inspiring to engage with a new brief and see it come to fruition.
The three things that help you juggle everything?
My husband. He does the lion’s share of childcare and we split domestic admin as equally as possible. He also loves a spreadsheet in direct and inverse proportion to my loathing of them which is vital to our business. Next is Trello. I’d be completely lost without it, I have boards and lists for every area of my home and working life. Lastly, a stash of cards. To write to the friends I haven’t seen in far too long and for apologetic notes when I’ve dropped one of the many balls we all juggle – everyone makes mistakes, but make amends in style!
Have your career goals and aspirations altered since becoming a working mum?
I used to work as a director of a contemporary art gallery and, whilst I loved my job, I knew that the travel and long hours wouldn’t sit well with the family I wanted to have. So Scribble & Daub was born around the same time as my eldest son. I very intentionally tried to forge a creative career that was flexible, built on my own terms, and would allow me to spend time with my children as they grew. It’s also extremely important to me to enable that flexibility for my predominantly female team. The business has evolved organically from something I squeezed into naptimes and evenings, into a business which supports our family. Caspar asked me a little while ago if he could work for Scribble & Daub when he grew up, and in that moment the horizon of my thinking about it shifted – I love the idea that I could hand it on some day.
If you could give your past self one piece of advice about being a working mother what would it be?
Let it go. With the arrival of each baby I have had to release a little more control and accept a little more chaos. The world still turns, all will be well, this too shall pass – and how you’ll miss it when it does!
If you had the power to change one thing for working mothers, what would it be?
Top quality, affordable childcare that is tax deductible. It’s abundantly clear that whoever decides on what expenses a business can claim as ‘essential’ must not have children, nor understand what it takes to run one.
If you have a day to yourself, what do you do?
Once or twice a year, I try to take myself off somewhere quiet and beautiful for a few days. I read, write, draw, walk, chat uninterrupted to a friend, and swim or do some yoga.
Heading ‘out out’ – where is your favourite spot?
Out out is largely a thing of the past! But I do really enjoy going out to great a restaurant. I always love St John’s – we had my husband’s 30th there and it’s a special place for us. On my list to try are Cafe Cecilia and Rochelle Canteen. Almost every year we go to Batcombe and have a meal at Osip, which is incredible. It has just moved and reopened at a new location, so I’d love to try the new version. The Three Horseshoes in Batcome is also excellent.
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve taken with your children?
We spent three weeks travelling with our extended family in Kenya at Christmas and it was incredible to experience that with the boys; exquisite beaches, floating through mangroves, and spotting rhinos and elephants was once in a lifetime stuff that we still talk about. My brother and sister-in-law live in Kenya and work in conservation so they know all sorts of incredible places to stay. They arranged for us all to stay in the tents at the Tumaren Camp and have a walking safari with wonderful Masai guides. We also learnt to make traditional beaded bracelets which the kids loved!
We spent a week in Watamu and stayed in a private house, but there are lots of amazing beach front villas for rent there. We were lucky enough to be there at the right time to do a floating safari through the Mida Creek which pops you out onto a perfect strip of silky white sand washed by crystalline water, which was organised through Tribe Watersports. We went to Kenya once before pre kids and stayed at Loisaba in their star beds, which was incredible!
Last summer, we spent a week on the Isle of Tiree in a tiny croft belonging to friends that sits on its own sweeping bay. It was magical; collecting shells, kids roaming wild, singing to seals, board games by the fire every night. It was an extremely long but scenic car and ferry journey there and back. We all loved it. We spent our honeymoon there 15 years ago, so returning with the children in tow felt very special.
Favourite hotel ever – with or without children?
Last year I did a pop-up in the Hamptons and spent a few days in New York at The Marlton afterwards – it was heaven. Circumstances may have played a considerable part as I was, for once, entirely alone with little to do but wander one of the world’s best cities, but I couldn’t fault it. The feeling of a small but perfectly formed old world hotel, extremely reasonable (by New York standards!) and in the heart of Greenwich Village. The greatest stationery store, Goods for the Study is just along the street (where, needless to say, you will find Scribble & Daub on the shelves).
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One of my illustration clients is Mr & Mrs Smith. I have designed all their gift cards. They invited me to be a secret reviewer last year for the Mar Bella Elix in Greece. It’s not your stereotypical all-inclusive hotel and is perched like a James Bond lair on the rocks above a secluded cove. It ticked everyone’s boxes and made for a very relaxing week. We all loved it. A couple of Christmas’ ago I worked on a project with Palm Heights Hotel in Grand Cayman to create some fun illustrations featuring leopards and macarons for the Christmas events at their restaurant, Tillies. It’s the most beautiful place – I’m secretly hoping they will invite me to come and do an artist residency there!
What are your tips on things to do with children in London?
We live in the countryside, but our nearest town is Hastings and the boys love a trip to Source Park, the largest underground skate park in Europe. My favourite thing is to ride the funicular railway with them to the top of the East Hill and walk the country park at the top which looks out to sea. Fish and chips and a game of crazy golf on the seafront is also perennially popular with our gang.
On a day out in London my kids just want to go to the LEGO store – the heathens! But we did have a brilliant trip to the Postal Museum – obviously entirely up my street, but lots of great interactive stuff for the kids too. You can ride the Mail Train on the old subterranean mail rail tracks and learn about the history of post. So fun.
Travel essentials with kids?
Snacks – many, many snacks! Maurice Sendak’s tiny books from A Nutshell Library, and the puzzle game Kanoodle, a new find which was given to us recently and has kept the kids quiet for hours.
Travel essentials without kids?
An eye mask, and a great book from the ever-growing pile by my bed, my Votary face oils, and favourite pair of Chloe shades.
How do you think travel benefits your children?
Travel is the greatest luxury. With busy everyday lives the chance to have time together exploring somewhere new and making shared memories is wonderful. I want them to know that the world is full of all kinds of people, living all kinds of lives, in all kinds of places, and hope they will enjoy exploring it with us, and then by themselves, as they get older.
Where are you off to next as a family?
We have just moved back to our cottage after an unexpectedly long two-year renovation project, so being at home currently feels like a holiday. As such, we haven’t made any plans so far, but some of the places on my very long wish list are South Korea – we have lots of stockists there that I want to visit – Japan, Indonesia, Sicily, Norway, California and Albania. What can I say, it’s a wide world and there’s an awful lot of it I still want to see!
The best advice you would give to other mothers?
Society has not stacked the odds in your favour, you are doing your best in a very tough job. Love your kids unconditionally, forgive yourself, and everything will work itself out in the end.
Are there any women who inspire you?
I was introduced to one of my best friends, Kate Hawkins, when I was very pregnant with my second child, and she with her first. At the time, she was seeking advice about starting her new business, Common Room, which makes wallpaper and fabrics with artists past and present, creating very clever and covetable interiors which has become extremely successful. Over the subsequent years she has given me at least as much help, encouragement and support in return. Having a close friend travelling a similar path and facing similar challenges as an artist and as a mother has been inspiring and consoling in equal measure.
How do you do it?
When I’m not travelling for work I try to make sure I bookend my children’s days, taking them to school in the morning and tucking them in with a story at night. Everything else gets crammed into the space between! My husband usually does the pick-up and makes dinner so I can spend a little longer in the office or studio. We try to have what we call a ‘tent’ meeting at the start of the week to plan day-to-day logistics, and a ‘kite’ walk at the end of the week to talk about longer term or bigger things we have going on or might want to do. This is the ideal; it should be noted that it does not always happen that way!
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Any Questions or Tips to add?