Aussie employment services provider, Asuria is proud to acknowledge its Self-Employment Assistance (SEA) program participant, Rebecca Sutton’s incredible feat of launching her limited-edition handmade book ‘Closer than Breathing, Seven Tales‘ this weekend.
What was the journey like for Rebecca?
Since 2016, Harcourt author Rebecca Sutton has worked towards realising her collection of stories as an independent enterprise. Employing techniques like typesetting using movable type, letterpress printing, paper marbling and bookbinding, Rebecca wanted to publish her book in Bendigo in the medium best suited to its spirit as a characterful work of art.
Rebecca dubs the endeavour of producing her 136-page story collection using traditional bookmaking techniques “The Harebrained Press Project”. With the support of her partner, artist Kain White who created the book’s images, she used these skills to craft her limited-edition volume ‘Closer than Breathing, Seven Tales’. But her seven-year labour of love has seen its fair share of hurdles. To begin with, her most valuable resource—time—was limited.
What was the turning point?
Rebecca spent five years balancing a job in aged care while working on the book. When the employment ended, she needed to transition into a new field, but was unsure of where to go. That’s when she heard about the SEA program. She thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to make the most of her project while building a new venture: her business.
“It is very difficult to make progress while trying to earn an income. Since doing the SEA course, I’ve made great progress, and at a critical time. If I couldn’t focus on my business full-time at this stage, while completing and launching my flagship product, I wouldn’t be able to give it the hours and focus necessary to make an impact on my buyers” she said.
