Interviews
Storyo Interview
UOA Interview
Rose’s Story
Engineer
I adore problem solving, using my hands and a good old fashioned differential equation. After finishing my honors in Mechanical Engineering I worked happily for a number of years at Fisher and Paykel Healthcare. The projects were meaningful, the people helped me grow, and peace of mind arrived in my bank account on a monthly basis. And then I went and spoiled it all by falling in love.
Poet
Poetry hit me like Miley Cyrus wielding a sledgehammer. Previously, I had thought poets only wrote about roses or the glory of the communist state. But it turned out to be an incredibly flexible medium. I wrote aggressive poetry about my dog, sexy poetry about chips, and horrifying poetry about being asked to hold a newborn baby. I performed in bars, libraries, the comedy club and at council events. I went everywhere with a pen and paper and often found it difficult to sleep. I realized that if I didn’t fully commit, I would always wonder where a creative career may have taken me. So I cut the avo on toast, gave up the OE, and spent six months squirreling away every spare dollar to launch my new career.
Illustrator
Committing to poetry was a calculated choice. Becoming an Illustrator happened by accident. I found myself with an additional 50 hours for creativity every week so between the writing and performing, I instinctively found myself drawing again. Fot two years I taught myself using youtube university. I created my own illustrated comedy calendars and bounced from commission to commission. I wanted to learn more about storyboarding so entered the 2021 Gavin Bishop Storylines award. I ended up being given a mentorship by Gavin Bishop and illustrating my first children’s book, The Lighthouse Princess By Susan Wardell. Illustration is best accidental career move I’ve ever made.
Comedy
I have no idea what I’m doing.
Professional
Thanks to the support of so many beautiful people, I’m doing what 10 year old me thought was impossible - paying the bills as an artist and performer. By May 2022 I will have been doing it for 3 years and by December it will be my longest ever job. Its pretty cool. To be honest I still can’t belive it.