Creativity has always been at the centre of everything I do.
Whether it’s writing an article, designing a website, producing a short film, creating artwork, or developing software, I’ve always been drawn to finding creative solutions with whatever resources are available. That’s where the idea behind Shaman Alternative began — creativity on a budget, driven by passion rather than big budgets.
I’m a Hunter Valley based writer, filmmaker, designer and digital creator with a background that spans more than three decades of retail, multimedia, web design and visual communication. Along the way I’ve worn many hats, including photographer, podcaster, graphic designer, website developer, publisher and content creator.
After studying Art and Design at the University of Newcastle, my work expanded into filmmaking, writing and digital media. My artwork was featured in a university exhibition, and over the years I’ve written, produced and directed numerous short films, documentaries and music videos, while also completing several feature-length screenplays.
My writing has appeared both online and in print, including The Big Beat of the Fifties magazine and The Maitland Mercury. In 2007 I self-published my first book, Interpreted Wisdom, a collection of essays and observations that went on to a second printing and sold more than 400 copies locally.
I’ve also spent many years researching and preserving Australia’s rock and roll history. Through articles, websites and design work I’ve contributed to projects celebrating artists such as Johnny O’Keefe, while producing documentaries including Whatever Happened To Maitland’s Jocko Graves, which grew from one of my published articles into a documentary screened as part of the Dungog Film Festival with assistance from Maitland Regional Art Gallery.
Professionally, I’ve worked in retail management, multimedia production, customer service and eCommerce, while continuing to build my own creative ventures including Shaman Alternative and ANerdPlace. More recently I’ve combined my design background with modern AI tools to develop creative software and digital resources aimed at helping artists, photographers and online sellers work more efficiently.
Today, Shaman Alternative serves as my creative home — a place where I can share articles, documentaries, photography, artwork, videos, design projects and the occasional experiment. Some projects are serious, some are nostalgic, some are simply for fun, but they all share the same philosophy:
You don’t need a huge budget to create something worthwhile. You just need curiosity, persistence and the willingness to start.
Welcome to Shaman Alternative.