As far as writing goes, it is my priority to be clear, interesting, easy to read and factual. In terms of style, it suits me to be as agile as possible, both because I enjoy writing for different purposes, but also because as a freelance writer, it makes sense. I switch between blogging, copywriting, academic writing, workplace writing, media releases and journalistic reporting with (apparent) ease, revelling in them all.
Blogging: My personal blog, which this page sits within, is where I first learned to write and publish my work. Here my style is informal, personal and stream-of-consciousness. I have been blogging here since 2012 and attracted an audience of over 2000 followers. Examples of my work here include:
The 200 Year Present Moment: Picture the eldest person who held you when you were a new born. When were they born? That’s how far your personal history stretches back. Now, picture the youngest person in your extended family. If they live a full and healthy life and die of natural causes, how long are they likely to live for? And then there is you, held there, right in the middle of your 200 year present.
The heroine’s journey – honing your instincts: As part of the heroine’s journey – getting to know ourselves and taking ownership over our lives – we need to get intimately acquainted with our intuition. Getting to know your intuition is a little strange, especially if you’re used to running everything through your mind, deconstructing and analysing, or following wherever your emotions lead, up and down, round and round.
Plastic free July: So, the title of this post is pretty self-explanatory, yes? There is a movement around the world (although this particular one originated in Western Australia) to address the plastic overload on this planet. This is nothing new – I am sure that every single person reading this knows that plastic lasts for a very long time and is causing huge environmental problems. We know that every single bit of plastic ever made is still with us. We know about the huge floating rubbish islands in the global oceans, and we know that animals are dying of starvation with their tummies filled with plastic. This issue has been high in the public consciousness for at least a decade.
Southern Cross University Student Journalism team: I attended the Byron Bay Writers Festival in 2017 and 2018 as part of the SCU student journalism team. This is a fast-paced, three-day commitment, working in a team environment, reporting, blogging and live-tweeting events. Examples of my work here include:
Thea Astley Lecture: Peter FitzSimons: All necks craned upwards as FitzSimons levered his imposing frame onto the stage of the Southern Cross University marquee. Distinctive in red bandanna and white button up shirt, FitzSimons set about charming, cajoling and entertaining the crowd, all in the name of drumming up enthusiasm for an Australian republic.
Deng Adut: from child soldier to ‘Prince of Peace’: I have been in Australia for 19 years,’ said Deng Adut proudly. ‘That’s 19 years of peace, 19 years of doing everything I can, 19 years of trying to get rid of my past. I am growing bold.’
Jacqui Lambie in conversation with Sarah Kanowski: When Lambie sprang into the national consciousness in 2014 as a Tasmanian Senator for the Palmer United Party (PUP), she was, in her own words, ‘a wrecking ball’, who knew nothing about politics.
Web Magazines: I have been published in online magazines, including The Yoga Lunchbox and Elephant Journal. Examples of my work here include:
Food as the New Religion? Get Real!:I was listening to Chef Kylie Kwong on the radio yesterday, talking about food and her memories of it. She said that if we eat good quality food, we think good quality thoughts. And if we think good quality thoughts, we become good quality people; with our thoughts we change the world.
Making Friends with Yoga, Again.: A friend and I were talking about exercise the other day —what we like to do, how we would like to do more of it and reasons why we don’t (space, time, money, motivation, cold winter mornings). “You can’t rely on motivation,” my friend said. “It’ll never be there when you need it. You have to get out of bed and J.F.D.I (just f**king do it).” So true!
Forty Days of Yoga: A journey to create a home yoga practice: I had some interesting beliefs about yoga before I started my Forty Days:
- The main reasons I was unable to sustain a home practice was because I lacked discipline and time management skills.
- I needed to attend a weekly yoga class to ‘anchor’ my home practice and push me to challenge myself; so if I couldn’t attend a class, I couldn’t have an effective home practice.
- That my children and partner were generally unsupportive, and would make it difficult for me to have a daily yoga practice.
The first week of my Forty Days journey demolished those beliefs one by one.
Newsletters: I write a monthly newsletter for the Nambucca Womens Business Network, and I have my own newsletter, Cafe Mystic.
Copywriting and PR: I have worked as a freelance copywriter since 2016, honing my ability to write marketing copy – quick, bright and quality writing for business – for blogs, articles, newsletters and other forms across various industries.
In 2017/2018 I worked in media roles for TAFE NSW, interviewing students, teachers and business owners and writing good news stories/media releases celebrating their achievements.
Both of these experiences have helped hone my ability to write to a word count, deadline, to order and to a high professional standard.
The Practical Mystic 