Academically
I am a PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong, Australia. I am interested in various non-human persona forms and aim to understand better the platforms, practices and processes that govern our online entertainment media experience. Mainly, I enjoy researching the collective nature of persona by observing online persona formation techniques and participatory fan behaviours as both parties engage in a collective negotiation of a public persona. More broadly, I enjoy video gaming and hope to contribute to this field of study by observing the increasingly participatory nature of the video gaming medium.
Professionally
I have always admired and am passionate about creating digital art – whether in the form of personal creative works, or branding design, graphic design and web design for other businesses. I have held positions as varied as a journalist for an online magazine, a social media manager, a digital marketing team of one, and administrative support. Presently, I am enjoying freelance work as a graphic and web designer alongside pursuing a career in academia.
Creatively
Growing up, I was heavily involved in dancing and gymnastics and developed a fascination with cinema. It amazed me how you could capture such deep meaning and beauty through movement and technology. So, eventually, I grabbed my dad’s hand-me-down Canon (which I still use seven years later!), fired up iMovie and began trying to capture that beauty myself, leading to my passion for digital media. In high school, I produced several award-winning dance films, one of which was nominated as one of the best of my cohort’s HSC Dance examinations. I continued capturing dance on film into my university years until I became disheartened by a numeric value determining the quality of my work. So, I pivoted majors and left the world of dance films behind me, and I primarily express my creativity through the design solutions I provide businesses in my freelance work.
Personally
Although I’m not quite young enough to classify as an ‘iPad baby’, I did grow up surrounded by technology. My favourite piece of tech was the communal family computer tucked in the corner of our living room. My siblings and I would fight over whose turn it was to experience a glimpse of the internet and cyberspace, even if only for an hour. I discovered my love of video gaming on this computer through a classic MMORPG called Runescape. At only eight years old, I was an expert. I had a guild and friends, and I was awfully confused by the abbreviations used by many users (after all, how can an 8-year-old understand text speak when that 8-year-old doesn’t have access to a mobile phone?). Over the years, I continued to enjoy video games on my Nintendo DS, computer or the various iterations of the Playstation and X-box. Today, I combine my love of digital art and video gaming in my Virtual Photography ventures. I don’t consider myself an expert here, but I do enjoy cataloguing my play-throughs in the same way we might take photos in our everyday lives to keep as memories.
Research Interests
Persona Studies
Participatory Cultures
Game Studies
Fan Studies
Celebrity Studies
Popular Culture
Professional Services
Web Design
Web Development
Graphic Design
Marketing Strategy
Branding Design
Copywriting
Email Marketing
Digital Marketing
Document Formatting
