Highlights of 2023
This year has been huge! Mostly great, but of course, there have been some hard times, too. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of making the year amazing – there were many pinch me moments Here are some of my highlights of 2023:
Fun with Adam (he’s smiling!).
Seeing Darren Hayes play in Melbourne & Sydney & meeting him.
Being nominated for the Marie Claire Australia Women of the Year awards in the Changemaker category – the nomination and being in the room with incredible women was a win for me!
A working holiday with my Mum to the Sunshine Coast thanks to Visit Queensland.
Participating in brilliant events – in the audience and as a speaker; and getting to meet people I admire. Highlights were watching the Afro Literary Festival featuring Maxine Beneba Clarke, Denise Chapman, Cath Moore and Guido Melo; speaking at Cairns Tropical Writers’ Festival – a discussion with Dr Dinesh Palipana and meeting and hearing Grace Tame speak; speaking at ACMI’s Being Seen on Screen conference with Taryn Brumfitt (Body Image Movement) and Milo Harthill and Amy Marks and meeting Geena Davis (later writing a post for Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media for Face Equality International’s Face Equality Week).
Writing for The Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas Metro Tunnel Art project’s Above and Beyond exhibition in Swanston Street – with Alice Pung, Bruce Pascoe, Claire G Coleman, Jennifer Downs and Nevo Zisin, & artwork by Enoki.
Working with LEGO; being a sensitivity reader for Pia Miranda’s memoir Finding My Bella Vita (and becoming friends with Pia); being in Melbourne Fashion Festival with Peta Hooke for the EveryBODY is Beautiful flash mob, and talking about dopamine dressing with Fran Arcuri and Lauren DiBartolo (thanks to Sai-Wai Foo); writing a feature for Peppermint Magazine and having Nordacious do the art; and collabs with BONDS & Birdsnest collabs.
My part time job – Melbourne Fringe – Swing; organising a Radical Access hybrid event with State Library of Victoria feat Artemis Munoz, Andy Jackson, Asphyxia, Alice Wong, Fayen d’Evie, Melinda Smith & Alistair Baldwin; & the school formal with Renay Barker-Mulholland – First Nations Feminist.
Brilliant disability art – Leisa Prowd’s I Am Not This Body; Sarah the Firth Creative Services’ book launch; Dan Daw at RISING; Eliza Hull at Melbourne Recital Centre; Alexandra Buchanan in Betsy & I at Undercover Artist & Derelict in an Uncharted Space.
My friends 
Images are collages of highlights, in order above.
Note: some of the images l’ve included are of activities that were previously paid partnerships or gifted social media posts – they are: Bonds, BirdsNest, Queensland, LEGO and Undercover Artist Festival. Some tickets I got as part of my work in the arts.
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