When you're not at work, what do you get up to?
When I’m not at work, I love to tinker and build and to create new things. This can be as relaxing and mundane as painting walls at home, painting a new canvas, or up-cycling furniture.
On the weekends you will find me taking long walks while I listen to podcasts. I also enjoy long lunches and dinners with friends as we explore the new 'it' restaurants around Adelaide. I love to cook and regularly host feasts where I can practise a new recipe.
What change would you like to see in the world, and why?
I would love to see more individuals and families receiving bespoke and tailored responses that meet their needs in a time of hardship with truly 'helpful help' that is personal, relational and practical.
So many people I meet experience barriers to achieving their goals that often have simple solutions, but they are met with complex systems. If we could respond to each individual sitting in front of us, and truly respond to their unique needs, I believe the world would be a better place. This is why I have spent so much of my time at TACSI advocating for Peer and People Powered workforces. These responses let the best in the community and humanity shine.
What were you doing before working at TACSI?
Before working at TACSI, I was an artist in residence for an NFP, working with at-risk young people. Together we formed a haphazard arts collective, using the arts as a way to find meaning, amplify voice or opinion, and share the stories of our journey through this world. Every year this would culminate with the young people hosting their own inner city exhibition where artists earned an income from their pursuits in the arts.
Looking back at your career, what’s been the highlight?
A highlight of my career has been working with families who’ve had a tough time, leading me to co-create Family by Family. This was a career highlight as it changed the narrative around families as recipients of services to families as change-makers in their own right. Listening and working side by side with these families changed me as a practitioner and has influenced my approach to the world forever more.
What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?
I am listening to conversations with Krista Tippet on the OnBeing podcast. OnBeing is a conversation that has been building for over two decades with wise and graceful lives — across spiritual inquiry and science, social healing and the arts. Each episode is a conversation that changes how you see and act in the world, which is why I love it!
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you 'grew up'?
When I grow up I want to be a kid! I love to play and have fun!