Creative career stories: Interior design journalist, Roddy Clarke
Originally from Birmingham, Roddy Clarke is now based between Hove and London, where he works as a design journalist, consultant and speaker. While his current circumstances are a far cry from the sheltered upbringing he experienced, Roddy’s creative career remains deeply connected to a passion for craft, which was instilled in him as a child. This is Roddy’s story…
What I do
I write for various publications with a focus on design, sustainability, craft, and the circular economy. Alongside my writing, I work on an array of different creative projects, from interior styling to consulting with brands and speaking at industry events. There are lots of creatives who, like me, work on a range of projects and aren’t pigeonhole into one area. Variety is the spice of life, and having that freedom is a core reason why I love what I do!
My Background
I didn’t have a conventional upbringing as I was born into a religious sect where we had very limited access to the outside world. This involved being at church every day, having little contact with the ‘outside world’, no university, no TV or radio, no holidays, and no socialising outside of the church itself. Yes, and this still exists!
Being a gay man, something I realised as a child, I was not accepted within the religion. I knew that the time would come when I would have to escape, but I wasn’t prepared for the years that led up to it. No teenager should ever be put into this position.
I always imagined I would leave the church when I turned 18, but it turned out it wasn’t that easy. Without knowing anyone in the outside world, financial independence was key, so leaving at that age was not possible. While the next four years were intense and traumatic, I managed to escape just after I turned 23.
This is just a short glimpse, and I have left a lot of gaps in the story, but I think this gives you an idea. I am only 31 now, but so much has happened since, and I have an amazing support system around me now, which I am immensely grateful for.
Working in restoration
My dad is a china and porcelain restorer. Growing up, I’d work with him during the school holidays, and he’d teach me how to glue things back together. I didn’t have the patience or attention span to follow in his footsteps directly, but he instilled in me a passion for making things last forever. I realised my strengths lay in other areas of the business and not practising the craft itself.
“We were preserving all of these magical stories through the wonder of restoration.”
- Roddy Clarke
When I left school, I went to work for a friend’s family company, which dealt with exhibition and display equipment, before joining my dad’s business a short while later. By this time, my three siblings had joined the company too, and we had expanded into fine art, flooring, and furniture restoration. I worked on the operational side of the company and would brief the restorers who worked for us on what needed to be done while hand-holding our clients through the process.
Most of our work was disaster relief following fire or flood damage. We’d go in, assess the damage to the contents and restore whatever we could. While I saw people in a lot of distress, it was a rewarding job because you were returning things to their former glory. We were preserving all of these magical stories through the wonder of restoration.
Starting again
At the age of 23, when I finally escaped, I lost everything I had, so starting again was the only option. After 2-3 months of living in B&Bs and figuring out what to do, I managed to connect with one of my teachers from school (no one in the church was allowed to go to university, so all of our teachers had to be non-church members). They took me in and provided me with the support and love I needed - and still do to this day! I am one of the lucky ones.
Moving to London
I then moved to London because I had always loved performing and wanted to explore the idea of becoming an actor. However, I wasn’t sure if my chances in an acting career would work out with no experience, and I also needed money, so I decided to get a job in a shop. I bought a laptop, checked into a hotel (using the money I had saved up before escaping), typed up a CV and printed off ten copies, before walking down Regent St and dropping them into shops to see if any would take me in. I realised my skills probably weren’t that applicable, but I knew what my work ethic was and that I could put my mind to anything. I just needed a job to establish myself here in London. Within a few days, I’d had several interviews and received a few offers before securing a job on the shop floor of a fashion retailer.
While it was a strange time in my life, it allowed me to immerse myself in the London scene and, being close to Soho, it was the first time I’d really felt at home. I saw people like me, and the freedom I felt was incredible. I had finally become a Londoner, something I had always dreamed of!
My career path
After a few months of working in retail, I then moved back into the interiors world, working for an online furniture retailer. I met amazing friends through this job, and it immersed me in the city lifestyle. However, it also made me realise the pitfalls of the high street furniture industry and how far it was from my background in restoration.
Alongside this, I spent a year studying at the British Academy of Interior Design but dropped out because the architectural drawing side of the course wasn’t well suited to my characteristics. During this time, I also started taking on free work as a styling assistant to see if this was something I wanted to explore further. I also connected with an editor at the Evening Standard who commissioned me to work on an online design column, which was unpaid but allowed me to connect with the industry more directly.
“ I came away knowing I had to be true to my ethos and my passion for sustainable craft.”
- Roddy Clarke
I finally left my full-time job to create my own path and managed to work as a freelance stylist and writer. However, about a year in, I became uncomfortable with the work I was doing. I realised I had been sucked into a world where I was telling readers to buy things and follow trends. I needed to find a purpose for what I was doing, so I took a step back and went to study for three months at Cambridge University in their Institute of Sustainability Leadership. It was a short, intensive course, but it flipped everything I did on its head. I came away knowing I had to be true to my ethos and my passion for sustainable craft. I then restarted my writing and styling but focused on narratives where readers could invest in design for a lifetime, passing pieces down through generations and telling the story of each item. It felt like I was finally on the right path!
Owning my story
I get asked a lot about how I got here today. To be honest, sometimes it all seems a blur and I’m not quite sure, but I do recognise the hard work I have put in and will continue to do so. It is only recently that I have started to own my story, and I hope it allows others to realise that anything is possible if you are willing to take risks and work hard enough.
While my past doesn’t define me, where I come from is part of who I am. Through a lot of therapy and coming to terms with the situation, I have realised that my background is not something I should ever feel ashamed of. It has given me a unique perspective on life.
Building a freelance career is challenging too, and being your own boss can be a lonely journey - but I love what I do! Along the way, there have been people who, without knowing my past, have fought my corner. I have an amazing set of friends and a chosen family who make me feel seen and valued. My one piece of advice is: surround yourself with people who inspire you and give you a reason to keep going!