FORM

Dee Allen is editor of Hawks and Hounds - a new blog for Perth-based creatives to show off what they do in their spare time.

Photo by Jarrad Seng, from Hawks and Hounds.

What do you do?

So basically, by day I'm a barista for a franchised cafe in west perth, and, occasionally by night, a bartender. Both of which are jobs that pay enough to fund projects and hobbies, and don't influence my life outside of work too heavily. I'm an amatuer/hobby photographer, but at the moment I've been working on a project called 'Hawks & Hounds'. It's a print and e-zine, with many contributors local to perth, although there are some people from the eastern states and other countries who have contributed. I'm currently working on getting the first issue printed, and online, so I can really get the project off the ground.

Who is in your ‘creative community’?

My creative community, I think, would probably consist of friends, housemates,and possibly even co-workers with similar interests; many of whom have studied or are still studying in an area of the arts. Part of the reason I started H&H is because I find it totally inspiring to see someone you love create something really amazing. My main source of inspiration is my mother. My entire life, or as far back as I remember, she has been studying something. She always involves herself so deeply in what she is learning, and always wants to talk about some new interesting fact she discovered 'just the other day' while researching. The reason she inspires me now, is because she passed 50 a few years ago, and she still hasn't lost that thirst for knowledge.

What is your ‘creative footprint’?

Born in Fremantle, attended Applecross Senior High School and was part of the Special Art program from year 8-12, which involves compulsory extra-curricular art classes once a week, and at least one unit of art per term. Completed Certificate IV and half a diploma in fine art at CentralTAFE in Northbridge. I sincerely regret leaving mid diploma, which was a stupid and lazy choice. I have never exhibited anything. The only place I have ever shared my photographs is online, on websites like flickr and deviantart. H&H came about because I decided I wanted to share something with other people, and although I haven't included my own photography in the zine, I still feel like I am sharing something that's very important to me.

Describe what creativity means to you…

Creativity is definitely not limited to the usual suspects, like fine art, photography, music, etc. I think it is in your grandad who spends all weekend in the garden and knows everything there is to know about roses. Or, for example, I have a couple of friends who verge hunt for old bicycle parts, and rebuild beautiful bikes to sell to friends and acquaintances. Or maybe in collections - I heard recently that clutter in your life can be good for your self esteem and strength of character because it helps you define who you are. I mean, hell, when you make dinner and you don't follow a recipe you're essentially creating something...

Describe the ideal conditions for your creativity, and what, if anything, hinders you in creating those conditions.

Ideal conditions for me are a feeling of frustration and impotence, combined with a deadline or time limit. The main thing that hinders me is my own laziness, and feelings of low self worth.

Image by Oliver Chennells, Stellenbosch, South Africa.