MEET THE SMALLEST TRIBE

5. What are you most proud of from your creative experience?

That now when I say to my kids, “You can do whatever you want, be whatever you want to be, you can change your mind”, they’ll know it’s true because I’ll have shown them it’s possible. I’m the person who was told in Year 8 that it would be a waste of my time and the teacher’s time to take art in Year 9, even though I was dying to do it, because I was no good at it. I went to uni, got a proper degree – not one of those creative-arts-you’ll-never-get-a-job one – and a real job. It wasn’t until I was home with my newborn son that I realised for the first time that I could actually do whatever I wanted and be whatever I wanted and that the sky wouldn’t cave in if I wasn’t a teacher anymore. (I’m really giving teaching a bad rap! I LOVED being a teacher and my only regret is that I had to choose one or the other, that I couldn’t keep doing both.)

6. What’s the one piece of advice about being creative that all creative types should know?

That no one is going to give you permission. If you keep waiting for someone to tell you you’re good enough or that you’re allowed to, you’ll be waiting forever. The only person who can tell you that is yourself. That, and don’t kid yourself that you can binge watch Orange is the New Black while you work and still be productive. You can’t. I speak from experience. A LOT of experience. 😉

7. Who’s the creative(s) that inspire you at the moment?

Gosh, so many! I love reading Uppercase magazine, it’s full of people you likely wouldn’t come across unless they were in your exact bubble. I love seeing all the women with businesses and young families on Instagram who are killing it. Sheree from Little Noggi, Kate from PaperKrane because what they do is SO unique in a sea of same sameness. I love Peta from Sapling because I love her ethics and how she’s just quietly head down, bum up charging along getting stuff done. Like, EPIC amounts of stuff done!