We spoke with Olivia Barua, a photographer, videographer and content creator based in regional Victoria. With a background in communications, Olivia brings both a creative eye and a storyteller's instinct to her shoots. 

Specialising in interior and lifestyle photography, Olivia works with interior designers, stylists, boutique accomodations and creative small businesses to capture their space/work. Alongside her photography business, Olivia shares honest conversations about creativity, motherhood, and building a life and a business on your own terms. 

Find Olivia at @oliviabarua_

Mentioned in the episode:

Green pancakes recipe: https://blog.kararosenlund.com/2022/07/glimpses-of-home-life/#:~:text=A%20great%20way%20to%20sneak,Super%20easy%20and%20quick 

Book: A Brain that breathes https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/nightlife/jodi-wilson/106208102 

@practisingsimplicity

Growing podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YPBt4FAU6sbBockLGzCU8?si=4c97c38a280843a2 

@growingthepodcast

This week we interviewed creative all rounder, Abbey Sands. Here's a little more about Abbey in her own words.

I'm a gal who loves to know what makes people tick (including me, OMG, WHO AM I ANYMORE??).

I grew up in Brisbane (the Redlands, baby!), Virginia and Brighton and moved to Sydney in 2013 to study (read: to try it out with a guy LOL. TLDR; it worked out). 

I may not be a traditional creative - painter, writer, musician, etc - but really, who hasn't been all these things in their own way and who says you aren't creative in your own way? 

I have always loved music (your girl used to listen to hard rap while doing her grade 5 math homework, yew), words (what psychopath is reading Vogue at age 10?) and 'pretty things' (we all love a nice fit and a nice room with nice furniture). 

Ultimately, I've always looked for the different, the odd, the new, and I'm constantly online finding this. Some call it doom scrolling; I call it absorbing creativity within my confines (huddled in a dark living room while we try and get the kids to sleep). 

I've got two jobs (in order of the hours they start in the day):

1) Mum to Hugo (5.5) and Nora (2.5) - my little chicken nuggets who like to push every button and be so damn sweet at the same time FML. Side note: Hugo just started school, and WTF are school hours... anyone else relate?!

2) PR extraordinaire - I specialise in travel and tourism, and damn if it's not the best. There's no happier story, really. I've looked after everything from entire countries, to states to hotels to airlines and tour operators. I'm lucky (says the gal who just got back from Vegas on a work trip weeeee!)

Other things I love: a good conversation starter, a good glass of wine and His Lord and Saviour Bad Bunny. Anyone else?!

Things we mention in the episode:

Rachel Burke: https://shoprachelburke.com/ 

Patience Hodgson: https://www.instagram.com/paehoddy/?hl=en 

Littlewren magazine: https://littlewren.com.au/ 

Henry 8th Bachelor Party skit: https://www.instagram.com/reels/DG7mBHsI0Cv/ 

Fringed thing: https://www.tiktok.com/@handsomeloveco/video/7659801098068282638?_r=1&_t=ZS-98BCzcTiXZc 

Chelsea Getting Dressed: @chelseagettingdressed

We spoke with non-fiction and fiction author Kay Kerr this week.

Kay Kerr is an autistic author and journalist. She is the author of several critically acclaimed books, including the YA novels Please Don't Hug Me and Social Queue, and her work of adult non-fiction, Love & Autism. Her latest book is adult fiction Might Cry Later. She is a widely published freelance writer and prominent voice in the Australian autistic community. She lives with her family on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.

In our intro chat we mention a few recommendations, here they are if you'd like to take a look/listen:

Toni Jordan - Tenderfoot 

Virginia Evans - The Correspondent 

Dish - Sam Smith episode https://open.spotify.com/episode/5cDgEoflvrnm3X0sOaxxeQ?si=8572980bf6174d40 

Sam Served instagram - @samserved 

Off Menu podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/0azMejb7zrmAqctVsUSAdq?si=0e312506028e401d 

Table Manners podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/2SZX2oyIXVvyqEtjQ6C6z5?si=3932d3a255d44026 

This week we interviewed an old friend from university, Jessi Drewett. Jessi is an incredibly accomplished screen writer, a mum of a 2 year old boy and the co-owner of a distillery.

Jessi is writing a comedy drama series for Foxtel and Brouhaha, and previously worked on Motive and Paramount+ series, One Night, as a staff writer. Her debut script, Maps, was featured on the prestigious Brit List.

Prior to this, Jessi worked in story departments across film and television slates since 2010, most recently as a story producer for House Productions on Life After Life (BBC), The Wonder (Netflix) and The Good Mothers (Disney+) which won the inaugural Berlinale Series Award.

Jessi also script edited The Little Drummer Girl (BBC/AMC) starring Florence Pugh, Michael Shannon and Alexander Skarsgard.

@loborn.spirits

In our second episode we interviewed Leecee Carmichael.

Elisa Jane Carmichael is a Ngugi woman belonging to the Quandamooka people (Moreton Island / Mulgumpin and North Stradbroke Island / Minjerribah, Queensland). Her practice draws on Ancestral knowledge, matrilineal connections, memories of place and relationships with Country. She is passionate about shining a light on the cultural brilliance of her Ancestors so that these stories can be kept alive for future generations.

Elisa has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, and a Master of Fine Arts, Queensland University of Technology. Her work is held in private and public collections across Australia and internationally.

You can follow Leecee on Instgram @leeceecarmichael

Cover image of Leecee is by Magpie Goose and Nik Michail

Our first episode is with the lovely Sam Parish.

Sam is a freelance chef, food writer, and author of the cookbook COOK ME and her most recent book Chefs Eat Brisbane. With over a decade of experience in food publishing and hospitality, she’s worked with Women’s Weekly, Donna Hay, delicious. Australia, and led recipe development for brands and TV productions. Her career has taken her from professional kitchens – including time as a chef at Google – to roles as a food editor in both Australia and New Zealand.Now based in Brisbane, Sam splits her time between developing recipes, styling food, and creating content that connects with real cooks – while also being mum to two tiny humans under four. Having recently returned to Australia after five years in New Zealand, she’s navigating work and parenthood without the typical village close by, with extended family in Sydney and Melbourne. Like all things parenting, it’s a juggle – but one she approaches with the same energy and creativity she brings to her kitchen.Known for her warm, energetic style and smart, unfussy approach to food, Sam’s work celebrates flavour, practicality, and joy – whether it’s in print, on screen, or behind the scenes. She’s passionate about food education, community storytelling, and helping chefs and home cooks bring their ideas and passions to life.

Pre-order Sam's book Chefs Eat Brisbane here: https://www.chefseatbrisbane.com/

Or find her on Instagram @sam.parish.food

Conversations on motherhood and creativity, with Georgia Lejeune and Sonya Gellert – two close friends living in Melbourne (Naarm) and Brisbane (Meanjin) looking for not only an excuse to chat more regularly, but to navigate their way back to their creative pursuits after have two kids each. 

Our hope, with this podcast, is that we’ll be able to help other mums tap back into, or connect with their creativity while balancing the chaos that comes with motherhood. We’ll be speaking with all kinds of creative mums – artists, chefs, screenwriters and so many more, who’ll share their wisdom with us. We hope the conversations might help other parents stoke their creative flames and commiserate with the bumpy times.