“When all else fails we like to take a breather by having a coffee and – without sounding like a complete hippie – meditating, even if it’s for just three minutes.” Katie Watts (@bet_agna) talks mornings, creativity and downtime with The Early Hour…
Katie Watts (or bet_agna), 33, lives near Southend On Sea in Essex with her husband Keith and their two daughters: Bettie Jo, five and Agna, 15 months. She is a full time parent and runs her own business called Your Type, offering a wide range of Bespoke and Readymade prints.
Our mornings … consist of chasing everyone around, making sure we’re not late for school. Eating breakfast whilst making packed lunches and getting ready to leave the house. It’s always very chaotic in the mornings making sure we have everything we need before heading out for the school run.
Bettie Jo mainly wears … long socks or tights and dresses as she much prefers dresses to trousers and she tends to wear her desert boots. Agna wears rompers, bloomers, tights/socks with her little Amy and Ivor shoes and her Pierrotlalune little cute collar.
I cope with clutter … much better now since having children as I don’t really get a choice in the matter but I do prefer everything in its place as I like my house to be clean, minimal and simple. I have been known to have a touch of OCD.
I never leave the house without … my phone, my red lipstick or snacks for Agna.
When no one’s looking I … pull my knickers out of my bottom. Can’t believe I just typed that!
My husband and I like to encourage creativity … as a family. My husband Keith is an illustrator. Some Sundays we enjoy just relaxing as a family – Keith plays his music on his Mac whilst drawing and I try and come up with some new designs for Your Type whilst making the dinner and spending some quality time with the girls around the table drawing and colouring.
I still haven’t quite got my head around Bettie Jo being in full time education yet so I try and spend as much time with her as possible because Monday morning is always looming. She has always been very creative; making things out of household objects that are ready to be put in to the recycling bin. She’s made rockets, binoculars and an amazing camera – she has always had such an amazing imagination. She draws and colours so well at just five and our youngest is also enjoying sitting a round the table with a pencil and paper and having a little scribble herself.
I will never be able to part with … my Fujifilm X-E1 camera. I love it and wouldn’t be with out it. I have realised over the past three years I really enjoy photography. I recently have been very lucky as I have had a chance to collaborate with a few amazing children’s clothing brands taking pictures of the girls in them and have enjoyed every minute of it.
When all else fails … we like to take a breather by having a coffee and – without sounding like a complete hippie – meditating, even if it’s for just three minutes. This is a new thing. We have found it helps as we live such busy lives that sometimes you just need to stop and breath. I feel we aren’t made for the society of today. I recently started yoga sessions and I’ve found it helps realign things. God, my 18-year-old self would be laughing out loud right now
Follow bet_agna on Instagram: @bet_agna
And also @yourtypeprint
www.yourtypeprint.com