The inception of StudioC was a time of change for Celeste and Glen.
It was a time to reflect on their lives so far and what they wanted their shared journey to become. Spending time in nature, they challenged themselves to think differently and to be brave, to care for each other and to find a way to listen, collaborate and work together.
In this moment of change, a seed was planted. It was the start of a journey that so far has included building a studio and business, a house and a home, and an extended whānau of staff, clients and collaborators.
This journey has not been structured or linear. It’s had peaks and troughs and bends, and there has been lots of uncertainty and unknowns. But it has given us two very special taonga: our core values and a successful formula for working better together, which we call the squiggle.
Similar to our own journey, the squig is not always linear or orthodox. It often feels a little messy and a bit bumpy, but this way of working together allows us all to feel safe and brave, because it’s based on our key values of care, courage and communication.
Through these values, we work to a place where there is tau utuutu - a form of reciprocation. When we work collaboratively and co-design with our clients, it is a form of wānanga. It’s not about teaching, it is about learning – and most importantly it is about sharing knowledge.
And even though we might sometimes get stuck in the squiggle’s messiness, eventually together we will emerge into a place where we can create change.
As individuals, we’ve been influenced by our own upbringing, as well as the history of Aotearoa. We want to push the boundaries by using ways of working that are Aotearoa-centric. We want to highlight the different perspectives, worldviews and values of our diverse people, but we also recognise that our multicultural country was built on a bi-cultural partnership, and we want to honour that duality that sits within Te Tiriti.
After all, if we can’t honour our own indigenous people here in Aotearoa then how can we honour the views of other cultures?
As tangata Tiriti, we have an intrinsic connection to te ao Māori especially when it comes to whakapapa, connection to the environment, and a strong sense of guardianship or kaitiakitanga. To us, honouring te ao Māori is about how it can influence what we do to better serve our clients.
Our journeys have helped us develop a passion for our natural environment, te taiao. This legacy impacts the work that we do, which is focused on social and environmental change, as well as our dreams and aspirations.
We use our superpowers in design and our creative flair as a visual form of storytelling. As a team, we use our individual strengths and skills and draw on our synergies, to help our clients tell their stories. These stories create flow-on positive impacts and connections to influence change.
