NICO at Home with Andrea Sweaney
How was the shoot for you?
Like many other new mums, I’m still trying to gently remind myself that my postpartum body is perfectly imperfect. So, it was nice to be shooting at home, where I’m comfortable, with my husband and son. We laughed a lot while shooting this - so I’m grateful to have these images to look back on.
What does self-care look like for you?
My idea of self-care is very fluid, sometimes it's a 10 step skincare routine or a long walk. Other times it’s being patient with myself when I’m feeling low and uninspired. In the end, if I make sure to take care of my mind the rest seems to flow.
Tell us a little bit about who you are and your agency Oh Boy?
I’m a mother, wife, visual storyteller, and co-founder of Oh Boy Agency - a creative studio in Sydney specialising in product photography. Oh Boy was born very gradually and naturally. My husband, Danny, and I have always had the desire to build something creative of our own, with the freedom that comes with it. Danny is a graphic designer and photographer and my background is in styling and social media, so an agency that combines all of these was an obvious choice and one that is really rewarding to see grow.
What has motherhood taught you about yourself?
That there is power in vulnerability.
How do you achieve a work-life balance, especially juggling a young business with being a new mum?
It’s definitely not easy. The biggest challenge would be my inability to finish anything… A coffee, conversation, task, or thought. If I start something, chances are it won’t be completed within that set time frame, but I’ve come to terms with this... mostly. I’ve learnt to not over-commit. At the beginning of launching Oh Boy, I thought I was able to jump back into full-time hours, take on every job and still look after my son full-time. In the end, I realised that I wasn’t doing either role very well. Now we are far more selective with the jobs that we take on. This allows me to balance my work, with spending quality time with my son.
Travel is an important part of the creative process and finding new inspiration - post-COVID, where is the first place you are traveling to?
Agreed! Travel is so important, I love surrounding myself with art, culture, music, and people from around the world. These things are what inspire me to create. We had grand plans to make it to Europe this year, stopping in France, Spain, and Greece. Although, with travel being so ambiguous I’ll be happy to get into Western Australia at this point.
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