FORM

What do you do?

I am an electronic music producer currently studying 3D animation and visual effects. I am most noted for my work recording small sounds from a specific scene or film, and sequencing them to form a new piece of music along with a video composed of the corresponding clips. I am also successful in providing design and video production services as a freelancer.

Who is in your 'creative community'?

During my film-making studies in 2007 at SAE Perth, I befriended a learned lecturer and dedicated film maker by the name of Burleigh Smith. His passion for film making, robust knowledge of script writing and relentless can-do attitude proved to me the power of persistence and self-promotion in one's artistic endeavours.

What is your 'creative footprint'?

My fascination with music came about when I was two years of age. My folks had bought me a desktop tape recorder, electing the cassette tape as the centrepiece of my free time for the rest of my childhood. I was denied lessons in drumming under my tutor's belief that I didn't need them, and later received practical lessons in piano playing and MIDI arrangement from my music teacher in school. My friends and I found success as a rock band in which I drummed, winning several competitions and earning a position in the Pepsi Smoke-Free Rock Quest of 1999. When I was 12, I discovered the game 'Music 2000' for Playstation and knew instantly that music production would be a hobby of mine for many years to come. Today, I use Audition and FLStudio, and my work can be found on websites including MySpace, YouTube and Last.fm.

Describe what creativity means to you...

I think creativity is one of man's most precious qualities - an energy that is largely responsible for fueling some of the greatest enrichments of our society. I think one of the most important goals we should have as a civilization is to preserve and encourage man's will to create, enrich and inspire.

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

Perhaps I'm stating the obvious, but I think the ideal niche for a creative individual is an open-minded and generally creative community. A musician sitting in a construction site will find it difficult to secure a future for himself, take it from me. However, I think your biggest hindrance is always going to be yourself. You might be surrounded by can't-do attitudes, but no one is holding a gun to your head telling you to be the same. Self promotion, ingenuity and persistence can go a long way.