AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - Kez Whickham St George

KEZ WICKHAM ST GEORGE Author, Poet, Artist

Kez has been placed on many walls globally by using her skills in the arts and her authorship. However, very close to her heart is mentoring new authors and artists, promoting kindness, mindfulness and motivation, to encourage others be the best in life you can be, while taking pleasure in watching others blossoming as they become strong in their chosen field and spread their wings and soar. Placing her empathy for other cultures from a magical multicultural childhood background in New Zealand and firmly believes it was the stories that abounded from her Irish /English parents and family who had married into the aboriginal tribe of Maori and Fijian Indian. When she was young, a Saturday night was nearly always at the local riverside, where a huge fire would be lit and the family or Whanau (family) would arrive to cook their dinner, tell stories, sing and play their guitars. Her young sleepy eyes closing to the sound of yet another tale of family folklore, wars won & lost or the songs of her ancestors.

Kez has learnt to embrace change while assisting others, she practises commitment and consistency with a firm belief that to share your gifts, is encouraging others to build up their own strengths. She also practises one principle earnestly, that is by leading yourself first by placing your own values and principles first, then you can lead others.

Today, Kez has been writing for the past twenty-plus years, including a career in Abstract art and Floral art. She is often requested to curate for art exhibitions as well as holding exhibitions of her own art. Within the past five years becoming involved in the ‘International Wearable arts Mandurah’ both as a competitor and in 2015-2018 their Creative Floral arts designer for the prize giving.

Work Training Manual for three New Zealand training schools. In 2007 Kez wrote and self-published a children’s book ‘The Stone Birds’ for a local community in Northern Queensland, Australia. It was then Kez realised she had a story to tell about her travels and the people and characters she meets along the way, her career as a published author began.

Although Kez has never stopped writing in many genres, she always returns to the adventures and the wonderful folk she meets on the open road. Once that campfire is lit, it seems to be a beacon to others as they arrive from all walks of

life, to simply chat and tell their story. Being good at listening can be added to her achievements. Kez uses her experiences of travelling to write the Adventure /romance she has become known for, she has also written in another genre, a trilogy of paranormal thrillers which she enjoyed writing, but the adventure/ romance stories lured her back, resulting in her last book ‘Metal Mermaid’ being published recently in honour of her very first caravan and road trip around Australia. 2018 Kez became part of a delegation to Ako Japan, the sister city to Rockingham Perth, Australia. Her Role within this delegation was as an Arts ambassador for her local art groups, to encourage artists in Ako Japan to reciprocate with art groups in Rockingham Perth, Western Australia. While visiting this beautiful country she met and invited a well-known local artist in Ako Japan, to illustrate one of her short stories in her recently published book of poetry, plus inviting a local artist from Rockingham Peth to be involved, resulting in a beautiful book of poetry and short stories illustrated by two different countries, her mission accomplished. And, in 2019, an invite was issued to participate in an adventure to Ireland, to stay at a writers’ retreat in Crom Castle both as an author and a public speaker. This adventure resulted in an invitation from two publishing houses to write two anthologies, one in a fairytale genre and one in fiction. These travel adventures have become the backbone to her books. Within her writing Genre, she has also written three children’s books. Two of her children’s books have been acknowledged by letters of encouragement by HRH Royal family the Duke One of the children’s books was read and admired by a Perth Playwright, offering to make it into a pantomime, resulting in Kez agreeing to mentor a group of young actors to act in the pantomime and to take it on a successful tour in and around Perth City.

Kez has worked with the public from many different genres always encouraging them to believe in themselves, among them four writers who are now published authors. She also offers workshops locally in Journaling encouraging the use of positive/kind quotes to uplift one another. Kez offers mentorship to emerging writers in and around Australia and internationally. She gives weekly Facebook reviews of published authors to promote their work, practising her belief in spreading kindness and assisting others to reach their goals.

Kez has a passion for sharing her knowledge in the arts, whether it is writing, journaling or art she encourages others to expand their own horizons; not only in their professional lives, but also their personal lives. She promotes getting to know oneself first; and a belief that there is a knowing/wisdom in all of us, which once recognised, we have a responsibility to share that information with others. Encouragement is a consistent theme throughout her journey; always enhancing growth in self and spirit, to encourage a belief in oneself. Her favourite Mantra is ‘Share your gift as if it’s a river, not a reservoir, let it flow into

others’ lives’