9 minute read
Humans of UniSA
Humans of
UniSA Presented by On The Record
Everyone has a story. On The Record, like Verse, is a student-run publication specialising in telling them.
Established in 2010, On The Record aims to deliver a combination of traditional news reporting with engaging print and multimedia content to UniSA students and the wider South Australian community. Each year, On The Record’s editorial team work to grow the publication using our fresh perspectives and academic specialisations. You can find more about us and reporting of community, federal, international and pop culture news online.
This year, we are bringing you Verse Magazine’s Humans of UniSA. At UniSA, we have talent lurking behind every corner and passing us in the halls. Our reporters will dive into the lives of fellow students. We will discuss their ambitious present, hopeful futures, and this edition: their pure imaginations.
Want more? Scan the QR code to visit OTR’s website!
Interview by Helen Karakulak
Caleb Knoll
Photo Caleb Knoll
Bachelor of Arts (Creative Writing & Literature and Performing Arts)
If we do a word association activity, what is the first thing that comes to mind when I say, “Pure Imagination?” Two things come to mind upon hearing those words. The short answer is the creepy boat scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The long answer is creativity, the ability to think up and create magical places and scenarios with the flick of a switch, whether it be the words on a page coming to life or just a simple daydream. Your majors allow you to embrace both sides of imagination, producing fiction and bringing it to life. Do you prefer one over the other? It is hard to say if I have a preference between the two because it depends on what I am doing. I adore writing and the concept of creating worlds from a sentence, but if given the opportunity there is no greater feeling than putting on a show. Do you believe there is more creative freedom in world building or interpreting a script? And is that creative freedom always a good thing? This is really dependent on the person, because someone could be better at world building but not really the type to think critically to interpret scripts differently. I believe there is more freedom in world building as there are no real limits to what you can think up just so long as it makes sense. But at the same time, if a script is written well enough then it can be interpreted a hundred different ways, which also creates its own unique type of imagination. Is there one form of popular media that has influenced you more than most? Definitely books. I grew up reading non-stop. The idea of words on a page bringing characters and places to life was just a beautiful thing to my little developing brain. Just the thought that six people could read the same line in a book and view it differently or get a slightly different mental image was also such a profound idea to me. Plus, it was always so relaxing just chilling with a good book and getting lost in the pages as time drifts by. What draws you to the fantasy genre? It goes back to the previous idea of the unique mental image I said before. When I read fantasy books, my brain kind of takes over and lets me see the world being built on the page. I can clearly see the image of a magic skeleton detective from Skulduggery Pleasant or the cities and towns that are so nicely described in the Ranger’s Apprentice books. It is that feeling of ‘Pure Imagination’, I guess, that just takes over and lets me watch a mini movie in my head when I read.
How do you exercise your imagination in your spare time, beyond your study? Either sitting down and reading or writing something fantastical to see if it is written well enough to allow me to imagine and escape the real world for a second. The other thing is to play Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) with a group of friends in which I am the DM (Dungeon Master). D&D can be described as the ultimate form of imagination because you and your friends work together to create a story and a world out of thin air that can only be seen through your imagination.
If you could imagine a perfect world, what would it look like? The obvious answer to me is a world without poverty, war or disease, but I would also very much like a world where creativity and imagination are something that is nurtured and allowed to blossom and not snuffed out by high school education. Imagine a world where scientists have no limit to what they can achieve or an artist is not limited by the physical boundaries of a physical tool like a brush or a computer. A world where creativity is more important than currency is the perfect world to me.
Interview by Eva Blandis
Bhavani Frost
Bachelor of Arts (English & Creative Writing and Screen Studies)
Photo Megan Telford
Your course requires a lot of imagination, is that why you chose it? I really love creative writing. It is my favourite thing to do. When I saw that there was a better writing course offered by UniSA, I thought, ‘well, I am going to do that one; I am definitely going to’. Part of me was intrigued by what a creative writing course would entail.
What is your favourite thing about your degree? Okay, so there was this one assignment where we had to take an information text and come up with a way to present that information in an exciting way. So, I really like the challenges that are presented by some of the creative writing assignments. Especially the ones that tell you to take an existing idea and turn it into something bigger and better.
How do you like to spend your spare time? I just really like creative writing. So, I am hoping to be a published author one day, even though I know it is quite hard. I really like, you know, working on little stories and things and maybe one day those ideas might be a book. I sort of float around from different story ideas and sometimes I create a story outline that I might write one day. I also do archery… but I have not done that in a while! Oh, and I like reading!
How do you use your imagination? My favourite genre to write is fantasy. I like it because it allows you to really use your imagination. You are not locked in by contemporary pieces, or it is not set in, you know, boring, modern-day society. You get to create dragons and spells; I love that sort of stuff! It is my favourite thing to do. What do you think has contributed to your expansive imagination? Definitely fantasy novels. I grew up reading. A lot of people will say that Harry Potter got them into fantasy but, for me, it was the Deltora Quest novels by Emily Rodda. I was addicted: I loved it! That was my first adventure into the fantasy world. I really liked how Emily Rodda created the magical world of Deltora. I got influenced by her writing and her way of thinking and creating things. And I thought, ‘if she can do that, I want to do that too.’
What do you wish to be doing in five-years-time? I really wish to be a published author. That is my ultimate dream. But if not, then I would not mind working for a publishing company so I can read other people’s books.
If you could imagine the perfect world, what would it look like? So, this is kind of weird, but I have had this idea a couple of times. It is like if I died, where would I go? What would my heaven be? And I have imagined it as this giant library that is full of books that have been, will be and are being written. It is just every book in the entire universe. That is kind of my perfect world. Just chill out and read, forever.
Interview by Michelle Wakim
Noah Holland
Bachelor of Creative Industries
Photo Megan Venz
Would you describe yourself as an imaginative/ creative person? If so, what experiences have enhanced your imagination and creativity? I hope I am an imaginative person because if I am not then I have completely chosen the wrong career path. I think the main thing that has enhanced my creativity is constantly thinking I am not good enough and holding myself to the ridiculous standards of creative people I admire, so I try and push myself further and further. I am well aware it is an insane way of doing things but it works for me.
Why did you decide to study a Bachelor of Creative Industries? I was drawn to my course due to the ability to select from a wide variety of majors. I am currently doing a double major in Film & Television and Performing Arts and I know many people doing my degree are majoring in things like Social Media or Digital Design. Before this degree was available, there was not really a course where I could put all my focus into things that actually interest me. What do you enjoy most about your degree? It is always fun to work on creative things, so doing a course where a majority of your assignments are revolving around creating things definitely makes the 50-minute drive to the Magill Campus worth it. I feel like if I was not doing film or performing arts at university, I would already be doing those things in my spare time.
What media/ books/ music do you like to consume? Do you think these things feed your creativity/ imagination? As a film student I am obliged to say I watch award-winning dramas but in reality, I mostly watch YouTube or listen to podcasts. I will watch any video that has to do with the National Basketball Association (NBA), comedy, fitness, or clips from British TV shows. I also listen to music but it is mostly just the Beatles or anything that sounds like the Beatles.
Imagine your perfect career - what would it be? I mean the obvious answer is to be a full-time musician or performer of some sort. If I could have any job in history, I would like to be one of those classic songwriters from the ‘50s and ‘60s like Carole King, writing hit songs for the pop artists of the time and then maybe go on to release their own music.
If you could imagine a perfect world, what would it look like? I think the perfect world is the world depicted in the Star Trek TV shows. Society has forgotten all forms of prejudice and all of humanity is working together for the betterment of the species. I feel like we are a little further away from that reality than a lot of us would like to be, but who knows what lies ahead?
