Meet the Members: Chloe Plumbstead

This month’s "Meet the Member" features social media guru, fashionista and trash TV binge-watcher Chloe Plumbstead.

Tell us a little about yourself

Hello! I’m Chloe, a freelance marketer, content creator and writer. I’ve been working for myself for the past 5 years and the days are quite varied: one day I can be working on video for a household ice cream brand, and the next I’m setting up paid social for a skincare clinic. Outside of work I love to read, I love to eat, I love to drink wine and I play a lot of video games. I can be quite forgetful, I have a very loud laugh, and at times I can be quite forgetful.

When do you feel most creative?

When I’m quiet and relaxed. Annoyingly my mind needs to be completely unbothered in order to generate ideas worth any salt, but it’s not always easy to press pause on everything and work does not wait for the self-employed. When I’m away on holiday or reclining into the tail end of a Sunday, my brain is buzzing, but if I’m sitting at my desk on a Tuesday afternoon? I find it much, much harder.

How did you find out about Unicorn Studios?

My neighbour Carl recommended the space to me one day when we were sharing working-from-home stories over the garden fence. It took me a few months to get in touch, but when I couldn’t bear to work another full week inside the same four walls, I took the plunge and came in for a trial session. The change of environment worked wonders for my motivation and focus, plus it was refreshing to talk and have other people respond, rather than just speaking to myself at home!

While working at home what is your guilty pleasure?

Having an endless stream of trashy TV series playing in the background and spending 15 minutes browsing Twitter whenever I make a tea.

Have you had any embarrassing Zoom moments?

Nothing too heinous, but a few times I’ve been halfway through a Zoom meeting before I’ve realised that the giant A1 illustration of a nude lady in a shell is glaring behind me. That’s the moment I choose to tactically reposition my head.

What is your hidden talent?

I learn song lyrics really quickly and once they’re in my mind, they never leave. I can’t remember names or faces but song lyrics? It’s basically a radio archive up there.

If you could snap your fingers and become an expert in something, what would it be?

Can my expertise be that I’m an expert in many things? No? Okay… If I could snap my fingers, I would love to be an expert in writing and composing music. I’m always singing little ditties to myself - ‘you’ve got to turn the kettle on, on the kettle goes!’ - and I’ve always dreamed of being able to play the piano, so being able to click and skip all of the hard work would be amazing.

What’s one of your favourite memories from the last year?

It’s been a bit of a blur but I had a really wonderful Christmas. My brother and his girlfriend came over and we had dinner just the three of us, drinking and eating until we almost burst. It was super low key and didn’t begin with a trip to the pub which is always a tradition for me, but it was a welcome and short-lived relief from the monotony of lockdowns.

What have you most looked forward to as the world starts to get back to ‘normal'?

It’s 4pm. There’s a glow descending over the streets as evening draws in, and I’m sitting outside a restaurant somewhere, people watching the hundreds of lives, coming and going. A waiter arrives with a (large) glass of wine and places it down on the table in front of me, along with an assortment of savoury nibbles: salty pretzels and olive bread drizzled with balsamic. I accept graciously. From somewhere floats the sound of soft music, and I sink into my seat, peaceful, invisible, and pleasantly drunk.

What would success look like for you in the future?

Peace! I would love to live in the countryside, surrounded by nature. If I’m not worried about money, I have time to read and wonder and get lost inside my mind, plus I’m close to the people I love most - that sounds like a successful life to me. If I could run a totally self-sufficient, eco-friendly house, that would be even better.

Would you rather be a tiny unicorn or a giant hamster?

A giant, Godzilla-sized hamster. Cute but terrifying. Could bite but could also cuddle.

Social – @chloeplumstead
Website - https://thelittleplum.co.uk