Mentor, creative strategist, AI girlie, and the woman who helped me trust the shape of my dream.
When I first heard Rhiannon’s voice on a podcast, something shifted. I was knee-deep in motherhood, navigating a pull toward my fibre art practice I couldn’t explain — only feel. I didn’t know what the end goal looked like, but I knew I wanted more. More creativity. More courage. More life built on my terms.
She spoke about alignment. About backing yourself. About building a creative business with softness and strategy in equal measure. And I just knew: I have to meet this woman.
As it turned out, we lived in the same part of Victoria. I reached out — nervously, hopefully — and we met for coffee. I brought my vague vision, my tangled ideas, and a quiet voice asking, Is this even possible? Rhiannon didn’t just say yes — she gave me the language, the confidence, and the clarity to begin. She was the first person to look at what I was making and say, “Your work belongs out there.”
Like so many in the design world, Rhiannon’s journey didn’t begin with a straight line. “I was that kid constantly rearranging my bedroom,” she told me. “Obsessively flipping through homewares magazines and dreaming up mini makeovers.” But growing up in regional Victoria, interior design wasn’t seen as a “real” job. She carved out a successful career in travel before circling back — finally giving herself permission to study design while on maternity leave with her second child.
It clicked instantly.
What began as a few e-design Zoom calls grew rapidly during COVID. “Opportunities opened up — brand partnerships, speaking gigs, mentoring. Now I support emerging and experienced designers with systems, processes, and AI integration.” What started as a design studio has since evolved into a hybrid of creative direction, tech innovation, and business coaching. She’s one of those rare people who’s constantly evolving — and somehow makes it look effortless.
But behind that polish is someone who’s worn every hat imaginable. “I didn’t fully grasp that when you start your own business, you are the departments,” she laughed. “IT support, HR, customer service, procurement — all of it.” That’s a truth she shares often with the designers she mentors — not to discourage them, but to prepare them. The way she sees it, growth comes from showing up and figuring it out as you go.
“Progress over perfection” is her mantra — and she lives it. It’s why I trusted her to guide me.
When we first sat down together, I had only a rough idea of what I wanted to create. But Rhiannon saw it immediately. “Absolutely, I remember thinking: this person has something. I was instantly envisioning your work hanging in day spas, hotel lobbies — large-scale commercial spaces where your art could live big.”
A mentor, a muse, and the woman who helped me see the power in the work I was already doing.
There are people you meet who offer more than advice.
They offer a reflection of who you’re becoming — before you can even fully see it.
For me, that person is Rhiannon from Oleander & Finch.
When I was just starting to feel the pull toward something more — something bigger than my quiet, personal fibre practice — I heard her on a podcast. She spoke about building a creative life with clarity and conviction, about intuition and purpose, and I felt something click. Her words stayed with me like a permission slip I didn’t know I needed. She made me believe it was possible to create something beautiful and run it like a business.
So I reached out.
And to my joy, she replied.
We met for coffee in our small town, and I brought along a head full of questions and tangled thoughts about what fibre art could be. I was holding this very vulnerable vision — to take something I’d come to rely on for healing and turn it into something that could live in the world. She listened so openly, asked the right questions, and gently pointed me toward clarity.
And then she said something I’ll never forget:
“Absolutely. I remember thinking: this person has something. I was instantly envisioning your work hanging in day spas, hotel lobbies — large-scale commercial spaces where your art could live big.”
She could see it before I could.
That fibre art didn’t just belong on gallery walls or in personal practice — it had a place in designed spaces, in interiors that needed softness, texture, soul. That moment, her vision, changed everything.
“Your pieces are such a beautiful blend of personality, durability, and acoustic function,” she told me. “I saw them in Airbnbs, in family homes, in places where kids and pets run wild but beauty still matters. Your vision was bold and thoughtful. It’s not just viable — it’s absolutely full of possibility.”
That belief — coming from someone so respected, so rooted in both the design and mentoring world — meant more than she probably knows.
“There is no interior design without art.”
Rhiannon doesn’t speak about art as an afterthought — she speaks about it as a foundation.
She gets it. All of it. The emotional layers, the architectural impact, the way fibre can completely shift a space without saying a word.
“It’s not just an add-on — it’s embedded in the DNA of a space. I’ve never seen a truly successful interior that didn’t weave in some form of artistry,” she told me.
“And I’m not just talking about framed prints. I’m talking sculpture, ceramic vessels, handmade fibre art, woven wall hangings, painted murals, artisan lighting, bespoke furniture, glasswork, turned timber, vintage collectibles, photography, raw clay pieces, metalwork, hand-dyed linens, and experimental decor elements that surprise you.”
“Art adds soul. It adds texture and contrast. It tells a story. My tagline is ‘curating the story of you,’ and there’s simply no way to do that without art. It’s the connective tissue between function and feeling.”
That, right there, is the why behind my practice. And to hear it reflected back from someone who lives and breathes design at such a high level — it made me believe, truly, that my fibre work had a role beyond the studio. That it belonged in the rhythm of real homes, designed spaces, commercial settings, wellness environments. That it could speak.
From travel to textiles
Rhiannon’s path wasn’t straightforward either — which made her guidance all the more relatable.
Like many of us, she came to design through the side door.
“I was that kid constantly rearranging my bedroom, obsessively flipping through homewares magazines and dreaming up mini makeovers. It was always there, simmering,” she told me.
But growing up in regional Victoria, design didn’t seem like a “real” career. She built a long, fulfilling path in travel — before giving herself permission, while on maternity leave, to return to the thing she’d always loved.
It clicked instantly.
What began with a few e-design calls quickly grew — especially during COVID. Brand partnerships, speaking gigs, a booming online presence, and eventually, a thriving mentoring business.
“Now, I support emerging and experienced designers with systems, processes, and AI integration,” she said. “What began as a design business now looks completely different — a hybrid of creative direction, tech innovation, and business strategy, on the daily.”
She’s the first to say it’s not always easy. “When you start your own business, you are the departments,” she told me, laughing. “Every hat is yours to wear.” But it’s also why her guidance feels so grounded — because she’s still in it.
“I loved turning around and saying, ‘It doesn’t have to be that hard.’”
Rhiannon didn’t plan on mentoring at first — but when people kept asking how she did it, she listened.
“Designers saw what I was doing — running a successful virtual business, working internationally, growing organically on socials — and they wanted in. I’ve always had a knack for learning & development (former national trainer here), and I’ve been told I have a gift for making the complex feel simple.”
“So I finally wrote the course. Built the framework. Launched the group coaching. And I loved it.”
She still mentors designers across the country, and if you’ve been lucky enough to work with her — you’ll know the power of her clarity. She doesn’t let you stay stuck. She shows you the next step, and reminds you you’ve got what it takes to take it.
That’s why I joined her program. That’s why I still turn to her. That’s why she’s part of my creative fabric.
And then — we collaborated.
After that first coffee and many conversations later, Rhiannon commissioned a piece for her home — a tricky wall with echoes and awkward angles. The kind of piece I live for. We worked together closely, balancing her vision and my materials.
When I asked what she believes makes a collaboration work, she said:
“At its core, a great collaboration is rooted in mutual clarity and respect. The best collaborations happen when the artist isn’t just handed a brief — they’re brought into the vision. It’s not about control; it’s about co-creation.”
That’s exactly how it felt. And it’s shaped how I work with every client since.
Rhiannon has been one of the most significant women I’ve met since stepping into this path.
She reflects everything I hope to embody — creative depth, business intelligence, empathy, intuition, and the kind of grounded energy that makes you feel like you can actually do the big, scary thing.
She believed in me when my voice still shook.
She saw a space for fibre in a world of polished design.
She reminded me that softness is a strength — and that art can live anywhere we allow it to.
You can follow Rhiannon at @oleanderandfinch
or learn more about her work at oleanderandfinch.com
About the Artist
Kasia Dudkiewicz is a Melbourne-based fibre artist and founder of Knotted by Hand, creating large-scale sculptural installations that blend texture, emotion and design. Working primarily with natural fibres like cotton and wool, Kasia’s pieces explore connection, resilience and the quiet power of repetition. Her work brings softness, sensory depth and architectural presence into contemporary interiors — from private homes to curated design spaces.
Explore more at www.knottedbyhandmacrame.com or follow along on Instagram @knotted_by_hand.
