About

My story

I grew up in Brisbane, Australia–part of a loving family, a diverse group of friends, surrounded by wildlife, and in a safe and prosperous community. I remain grateful for my good fortune and acknowledge the traditional owners of the country on which I was raised, the Jagera people, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

I am proud to share that I was adopted as a child and during my adolescence this brought some challenges. Today, I see it is a major source of positivity throughout my life. Notions of identity, nurture and nature, and connection were of great interest to me from a young age. I was drawn to art, books, the outdoors, skateboarding and music as a means of exploration, discovery and expression. 
 
My father shared his love of story with me through Aesop's Fables, greek mythology, poetry, and the quirky aphorisms of Winnie the Pooh. The oral and written lessons of fiction and history captured my imagination and helped forge personal values. My all time favorite book growing up? The Call of the Wild. My childhood idol? Steve Irwin.

After high school, I spent time at university studying environmental management and traveling at the end of some years. I first experienced falling snow, mountain peaks and the highs of snowboarding during one of these trips. I came back to study visual communications and design, working in the industry and finishing my environmental studies – also working as a sustainability consultant in Brisbane.

I had many valuable experiences through the ups and downs of my twenties but a few things started to become clear. I longed to live closer to the mountains or the sea; my passion for creativity, community, and nature had continued to grow–and I loved learning.

I've now been living around Niseko in Hokkaido, for seven years. First coming to experience the famed Japanese powder snow "for one last winter", it has turned into the longest four months of my life. During this time I have worked mainly in marketing and creative roles for resort and hospitality brands while undertaking some freelance projects on the side. It is a beautiful place to live and pursue my passions with my dog and loving partner by my side.

Presently I am a farmer in the summer and autumn months, building a small art and apparel brand, surfing plenty and on the lookout for freelance opportunities.

“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.”

Roy T. Bennett