What Mel Wants

Famed Australian series SeaChange is now on Netflix!    SeaChange was the escapist show which took Australia into the new century. Sigrid Thornton's character Laura Gibson had the corporate dream, which turned into a nightmare. The pilot starts with Laura's time-consuming legal career and dysfunctional family life. The premise is very relatable.  She remembers a small seaside town, which the family had travelled to years prior. Laura brings her children to relax in the quiet coastal town of Pearl Bay. Their new reality does not fully match the memory of idillic leisure. The move brings one thing Laura definitely wanted - a change.  Context is crucial here. The pilot aired in 1998, when this writer was ten years old. Technology shows its age, in a way that commands the viewer's sympathy. A voice message is left on the home answering machine. It is only heard a day later. Laura phones the real estate agent when buying a house. She never checks his credibility

Rap music is a far leap from what some segments of people listen to. Yet a story of adversity is universal. To Miles Glyphers, home felt like a prison. And music expresses those feelings in a form of storytelling.   There is a moment in every young person's life, when it is time to push and work for what you believe in. This is Miles' moment. Australia is starting to listen to Miles Glyphers as a local worker. Song lyrics declared in Where Do We Go, “All in all it made me feel like am finally ready to work for what I want. I feel like I got a story to tell."  Miles embraces music as an escape. It is a place to feel in control. Everyone needs an escape. This rap music is steady and rhythmic. The words are clearly heard for the world to understand.  Twisted Youth is definitely a fresh untold story in the Australian culture.

Rediscover Your Inner Child It is time to rediscover my inner child! Many children keep wild imaginations. They think anything is possible. The world is their oyster. Then we grow up. We are told we can't do something. We worry about statistics and probabilities. But life should not be all seriousness. No matter how old we are, life should be lived.  This photograph was taken of me shortly after the 25th Reunion of The Seekers. I was obsessed. I wanted to be Judith. There is only one Judith Durham. She inspired me. Judith Durham AO commanded an audience. She was brave and bold, despite her rather tiny frame. This little person had a big personality. She sang the words every child-at-heart needs to hear. Keep a dream in your pocket and a song in your heart... Well imagine if Columbus had not dreamt the world was round,  And Armstrong had not walked upon the moon,   If John and Paul never wrote a song for "Yesterday," If all of

A new mentor shared important advice on combatting writer's block. One technique is to write wherever you can.  Perhaps you are not feeling the inspiration when sitting at a desk. That's why a portable device, or good old pen and paper, can be great for jotting down thoughts on the go. There is no reason why ideas should appear during structured sessions. Mixing it up can sometimes be the way to go. Laptops are the obvious answer for mobile projects. If you are only writing text, and not making heavy graphics, then a little netbook or mini laptop can be fine. Perhaps you like making pretty pictures as much as writing. Then a strong Macbook or high spec PC can help. Use what feels comfortable for your own purpose.  Notebooks are not the only way to tap away on a keyboard, when moving around. Tablets are ok for simple text documents. A keyboard can be attached for convenience. There are surely many ways to sit down for a writing session in any place. Real writi

Do Something  Purpose is a key question for many during their twenties, as much as the rest of their lives.  Sometimes, others ask me why I do what I do. I often wonder why I do particular activities.  My past few years saw various creative projects - studying journalism for web writing, creating commercial graphic designs, and exploring social media as a creative form. That is a lot to learn from scratch in a short amount of time. It is easy to wonder why.  I am now 26, close to turning 27. This age is young and old all at the same time. My past endeavours were public by nature, but private by scale. I do feel philosophical by nature. My brain gravitates towards the question of, "Why." I cannot escape it. The 'why' pecks away at me until it is inescapable. That question was a clear moment and memory when I was fresh out of school. I enrolled in a business degree, because it was something. I asked myself and acquaintances, 'Why do anything a