Never give up! Don’t be deterred by the ones who want to stop you from achieving your dreams. Dream it! Believe it! Plan it! Do it!

Katie Barton is 38 and married to a grazier, Peter. They have two young daughters, Alexandra and Edwina. Katie and Peter have been married for 12 years and live on a sheep property between Wellington and Mudgee, in central Western NSW. They share a passion for the land, their rural lifestyle, personal development and making a difference to society in their chosen areas of interest. Together, Katie and Peter have dealt with many health issues, which has made them realise the importance of acting on and fulfilling their dreams. Katie’s passion is creativity, and this dominates her approach to life and her work as an artist and writer—and more recently as Director of her new business, Percy Street Gallery, in Wellington.

What gave you the motivation/inspiration to follow your dream?

The motivation to follow my dreams came from surviving cancer. The experience gave me an acute awareness that life is short and one should make the most of life. It has also given me the drive and determination to want to make a difference to others.

One of my greatest achievements has been writing and self-publishing my book I’ve Got a Curable One. As a cancer patient in 1993, I was exposed to a world I had no idea existed. Life experiences have left me with a strong sense of social responsibility. As I had trained and worked as a journalist prior to cancer, writing a book was a logical path. I was inspired by the enormous amount of love and support I received from family and friends during that time and their genuine curiosity and concern for what I was going through. Knowing that one in three people will develop cancer in their lifetime, I knew I had to do something. My aim was to provide hope and support for individuals and families living with cancer. I’ve sold over 3000 copies since its release in 1997.

I decided to become an artist to explore my creative energy. Percy Street Gallery is the realisation of a long-term dream. It is a combination of all my passions—art, interior design and people. I also wanted to make a contribution to my local community and was inspired by the positive energy I could see in Wellington. The business is set up in an old renovated terrace house. I have tried to make it feel as if you’re walking into a home, with a unique range of homewares, gifts and original artwork from around the world.

At what point did you realise that your dream was actually possible and what was it that made you think you could really do it?

As a mother of a small child and toddler, my creative business time is limited. I juggle my work with the day-to-day demands of living on a property and working as a team with my husband, and being a wife and mother.

I took art lessons while working part-time in Mudgee. My teacher encouraged me to exhibit and when I sold my first painting in a group exhibition I realised I could actually do it.

After writing, self-publishing and marketing my own book, I knew anything is possible if you believe strongly enough in what you’re doing. When you self-publish, there is a certain amount of proving yourself to the public—that what you’ve written is worth reading. People seem to measure your success on whether the bookstores will stock your book, what the media reports about it etc., but the most worthy recommendation ultimately comes from your readers and what they say to others.

With motherhood, it was knowing that although I’d been diagnosed with infertility, there was still hope I could be a mother by going through the IVF process and that my sister was willing to be an egg donor. I realised my dream was actually possible when I became pregnant with the first implanted embryo and then later falling pregnant naturally with my second baby.

When you were a child, what did you want to ‘be’ when you grew up?

I wanted to marry, live on a rural property, have children and live creatively.

How did your childhood influence you in later life?

I grew up on an Angus cattle stud on the Queensland/NSW border. I was the eldest of three children and apart from being involved with farm activities we created our own fun and relied on our imaginations and sense of adventure in order to do that. I loved being Dad’s right-hand girl outside and Mum always encouraged us to develop our creative skills.

Who are your role models?

I don’t really have particular role models. I admire different people for different reasons, particularly those who can bring out the best in me and other people around them. But if I had to choose someone, it would be my husband Peter who continues to encourage and support me with my dreams and those we share together.

What does success mean to you?

Leading a fulfilling and peaceful life.

What has been one of the biggest barriers you have had to face, what happened, and how did you overcome it?

One of the biggest barriers I’ve had to face is learning how to manage my life to prevent depression. I became aware of depression as an illness when I returned home from overseas in 1989 and was later diagnosed. It took quite a few tests and doctor visits to work out what was going on but finally a local GP worked it out. I was given a course of antidepressants and lived at home with my parents for eight months. I realised if I was going to get better and overcome all the negative feelings, I needed to help myself. I devoured self-help books and listened to ‘positive thinking’ tapes. I just kept feeding my mind with positive information until I believed it and was well enough to leave home and get work elsewhere. I honestly believe this experience helped me cope with cancer and other adverse situations I’ve had to endure since. After years of dealing with depression, I now know the early warning signs and address it immediately. The battle with the mind has certainly been the biggest barrier I’ve had to face and apart from my dedication to self-development I believe regular meditation is my most powerful tool for healing.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? What is your vision for the future?

My vision for the future is to have a healthy and happy family who are committed to educating themselves and others. I want to share my love of the visual arts by making it more accessible to other people and continue to try to make a difference to society, particularly those living with cancer.

In 10 years time my children will have nearly finished primary school and my husband and I will have enough off-farm income, so relying on the property and agriculture is more of a lifestyle choice than a treadmill. But we will continue to make improvements to our property and land so it’s sustainable and healthy, enabling us to enjoy it and the livestock regardless of the climatic conditions.

As an artist I’ve decided to be guided by the work and opportunities that come my way, rather than driving it as a career choice. I just want to enjoy it and the surprises that come with it. The Gallery allows me to enjoy art from other perspectives through interior design, workshops and exhibitions.

I plan to write a second book. I’ve written the manuscript but it still needs more work and professional guidance before it is ready for publication.

What would you like to say to other women who may be just starting out on a ‘daring to dream’ journey?

Write it all down because there’s amazing power in the written word. Never give up! Don’t be deterred by the ones who want to stop you from achieving your dreams. Dream it! Believe it! Plan it! Do it!