I Thought I Had More Time

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
Lately I’ve been working on a small but meaningful collection of black and white photographs from my first trip to the snow (the Victorian Alps in Australia, to be specific). They were shot on a cheap point-and-shoot camera and developed at Fotofast, which suited the way I wanted to experience the trip.

Alongside that, I’ve been sharing amateur poetry from the archives of my iPhone Notes app. These are words that were never intended for an audience but feel important to share now. If you’re interested in poems about sad-girl yearning and/or the state of the world, I have started posting them at Instagram. I’ve also included some less recent photography work that (I think) complements the black and white images.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
The Victorian Alps showed me that they are rugged and beautiful, but also confirmed that I could not live south of Sydney long-term due to my SAD diagnosis and how strongly the cold weather affected me. Being in the snow made me aware of how temporary the experience was.

After the trip, my life changed in ways I did not expect, and I had to recontextualise the images through that shift. The brief snow season we experience in Australia became a quiet way of thinking about the nature of temporary connections, including the one with the person I went on that road trip with, who I have since parted ways with. On a lighter note, I also learned that people from Sydney are very bad drivers.

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
The words “Both things can be true at once” bring me a strange kind of comfort in relation to these images. I can hold the childlike joy and novelty of seeing snow for the first time alongside the reality that I was also experiencing depression triggered by the cold and lack of sunlight. They exist together. That tension between joy and heaviness is an underlying part of the work, I think.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
Music is inseparable from my creative tendencies and the way I experience aesthetic, so it definitely shaped how I remember the trip. If the snow trip had a soundtrack, it would include the songs "Twilight Driving" by Methyl Ethyl, “Road Head” by Japanese Breakfast and “Mythological Beauty” by Big Thief.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
The most difficult part was trying (and failing) to balance creative practice with my political organising work. Making room for both without neglecting either has been an ongoing challenge.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
Vege mein South Brisbane is a long-time favourite of mine, and I would recommend the radish cakes, especially if you are open to foods with unfamiliar textures!

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
The movie would probably be called I Thought I Had More Time. It’s about juggling ADHD, shifting relationships, and saying yes too often. Emerald Fennell would curate the soundtrack.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
I’ve recently discovered some incredibly talented, lesser-known artists on Instagram. Two Australian artists I want to shout out are
The Collagery and Eleanor Maree, both of whom create work that feels both familiar and strange. Lately I am also inspired by Canadian musician Goldie; you should definitely listen to her new album!