What kind of power would you like?
There are three powers I would love to possess if supernatural abilities were to adorn me - shapeshifting, telekenesis and teleportation.
How would it manifest? What would enable it?
I think these superpowers would manifest in moments of need or change for the positive; in moments when I am in tune and listening to my body, mind and soul. When my energy is working toward a positive change or seeking inspiration, seeking an alternative route to a physical or mental destination, or simply working toward a better, more grounded version of something.
Who is your favourite superhero/person/public figure, contemporary or imagined?
My favourite superhero is WonderWoman. From a young age, I admired women who were strong and independent and able to take on the world. But there are countless other figures I love and admire. Historically, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, JFK and Joan of Arc who were strong figures that ignited change. Women writers who I admire for the way they changed the face of things through words, or imagination, or pure tenacity - Maya Angelou, JK Rowling, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf. Strong women in fitness who represent a new vision for women, especially young women - like Camille Leblanc Bazinet, Kara Webb and Lauren Fischer. Brene Brown for her important work on the importance of being vulnerable. There are so many more, but I'll finish with my favourite imagined figure - Alice in Wonderland. She visioned something different for young women - a world of imagination, intellect and a different role.
What do you most admire about Frida Kahlo and 'Freda' Josephine Baker?
If I didn't know this question was coming up I would have listed these women in my favourite figures above because they are both strong representations of womanhood. I admire similar traits in both Frida and Freda - how they faced adversity, the strength that rose from their personal pains, the way they visioned change and used their respective arts to push for change. They were both visionaries, a voice for women. They were fighters who never gave up; women who went against the grain of society. I think that both Frida and Freda are strong women who had a great purpose in life and whose legacy lives on in generations of women.
What do you think of when you think of them?
When I think of Frida and Freda I think of how possible it is for people to activate change in our world. I think of how, at the end of the day, they were ordinary people who stood for something extraordinary, and how we can all do the same. I also think of strength and determination of both body and mind, and how important it is to find our own voice and ideas, to share this voice and ideas with others and to stick by them even if the odds or mass opinion is stacked against them. I think about how much we have to learn from women like them.
What would you change in Melbourne? Australia? The World?
What I would change in Melbourne or Australia or even the World is effectively the same. I think that despite society progressing at a rapid pace, we are actually regressing and moving too fast, with no reflection on where we have been and where we want to go. We have gone through so many periods of turmoil and change across the world since the dawn of man, but somehow, somewhere, we are not learning the lessons we need to learn from these past turmoils and we keep acting them out. We see it in politics, world issues, nature, nurture and the general cogs of society. The age old adage of 'we learn from our mistakes' doesn't seem to apply. I would love to see it all slow down, to see leaders in our society and our world stop and reflect, to be self-aware enough to evolve in a conscious way rather than at such a high-speed that we get lost in it all.
Are there any issues that are important to you? Locally? Globally?
I am an educator - a primary school arts teacher - and an emerging writer. Education, locally and globally, is an issue that is incredibly close to my heart. I believe that education is the catalyst for change and education should be free and accessible to everyone. I believe that education should not be privatised - not preschool, not primary school, nor high school or university. I am a big advocate for public schooling, but an even bigger advocate for BRILLIANT public schools. If everyone was given the same start to life with education that gives every child a chance to succeed, to be change makers, to be future leaders and to find their unique 'voice and ideas' mentioned above, well I think the world would be a very different, more equal place.
However, I also think that the education system needs to change dramatically and recognise that every person has a skill to share, a strength, a passion. Schools need honour the individual child and the different ways they learn. It is only in this way that we can empower young people to share their ideas and passions.
As a single mother, an issue that is also REALLY important to me is empowering single parents.
Do you feel comfortable speaking your mind/putting ideas into the world?
I feel very comfortable in sharing my ideas and speaking my mind. I actively do this on a daily basis - with my friends, colleagues, students and family. I am passionate about many things and share this passion regularly.
Do you feel like change is possible in your area? How?
Absolutely! I am an arts educator but I am not just about teaching art technique. The way I approach my teaching is through the philosophy that art is a catalyst for exploration of our ideas about ourselves and the world around us; a vehicle for expression. Every day I encourage my students to question things, to find new ways to express ideas, to experiment and play with their own ideas. I invite them to investigate their passions, whatever they may be, through art. I want them to leave school being thinkers who engage in life, who question things and who know that they can ignite change. I believe that if I continually encourage my students in such ways that they will be empowered to know that they CAN make change, make a difference and that their ideas are valued and important and it is here that I believe I can make a difference (and activate change) not only to their lives but in the greater scheme of things.
But it is not just through my art program. At my school, I do lots of different extra curricular projects with my students. I work with a group of students - both female and male - in a lunch time group called the Uplift Collective. We have a mission - to promote positivity and whole mind, body and soul well being in our community. We run weekly whole school meditations, free lunch time yoga, we get guest speakers to come speak to our students on being themselves and chasing their dreams, we do activities at lunch times that promote well being and being connected and kind and positive and grateful. As I mentioned above, the ability to be aware, conscious and reflective is something that is often surpassed in the speed of life. But it is also an opportunity for the students involved in the group to be leaders of positive change and voices for their community.
I also run a dance group at lunch times. This may not be something out of the ordinary, but the thing I love most about our dance group is that it is open to absolutely ANYONE who wants to be involved. There are no auditions, no premise of being 'the best dancer', no elitism or exclusion - just an open group united by a love of movement and expression and sharing this love with others in our school community and beyond. Our sole purpose is to build confidence and passion.
Outside of my role as an educator, I am also an emerging writer and I see this, too, as a catalyst for change and believe in the importance of literature and words to spread ideas and provoke thought.
I could sit here writing all day about the ways that change is possible. The possibility is endless.
Do you feel like your ideas could change anything?
Absolutely. I am at the point in my life where I do not do anything unless I think it can bring about positive change, either in my own life or the lives of others. In my work and in my personal life, this is what I am working toward.
Do you consider yourself a feminist? Womanist? Why? Why not? What does this mean to you?
Generally, I don't like to define myself with any one term. I do believe in and advocate for elements of feminism and womanism and see how important these movements have been in the life of women. Historically, in the present and for future generations. However, what is more important to me is the equality of everyone regardless of gender, race and ethnicity, socio-economic background, religion and all the other things that separate us. I live by the idea of empowering everyone and sometimes I feel that prescribing to one ideology can be just as limiting and excluding as the very inequality that ideologies protest against. And so I work on the philosophy of promoting equality for us all. Essentially, at the end of the day, if we just respected each other for our similarities and differences, the world would be a much better place.
How often to you subconsciously/consciously think about your desired superpowers when you dress on a daily basis?
It's an interesting question. Each day I think I definitely dress for what energy and mood I am either feeling or wish to conjure, and I guess this could be translated as my 'desired superpowers'. I wear a lot of colour and what colour I wear on a particular day will depend on this mood or energy. Sometimes this is a conscious or subconscious decision.
