the map village street editors

Today, at a glorious Friday forum of like-minded souls sharing tales and support, I heard many stories of how young Australian scribes, illustrators, bloggers and editors have arrived at their current place in life. The tale of an individual’s journey in the world has always fascinated me; where someone came from, where have they been, what have they learnt; how they ended up where are they now. Especially when I aspire to similar heights.

This is a mere snapshot of two of the many people who inspired me today.

Kirsty Altis writes poetry and her own zine called brandnewarmour. She started by writing poems for random people on the train. She also would leave reams of poetry in public places for people to pick up. Nicki Greenberg writes and illustrates children’s books and has recently published a graphic novel adaptation of The Great Gatsby. She said that she initially worked full time as a lawyer, rising early every morning to work on her book before heading into the office. She has now dropped back to part time, allowing her two days a week to concentrate solely on her passion. Her enthusiasm for illustrating is contagious when hearing her speak.

Speaking to Kirsty and Nicki today made me think about the importance of truly identifying with what you do. Their individual snippets of stories are both very different, but the common element which I took away was the value of determination and focus. From Kirsty’s story; get your work out there in any way you can. Think creatively. From Nicky; if you really want something, make the time to do it. Be disciplined.

Everybody should know about these people.