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Bayden Packwood Hine: “The first time I heard the orchestra play my songs was just amazing. I can’t describe how good that felt.”

Name: Bayden Packwood Hine
Date of birth: 17th December 1986
Place of birth: Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Production executive for inflight entertainment and musician

How would you describe what you do for a living?

I produce in flight entertainment for a number of airlines. A whole host of different shows – classical, popular, hit, love song dedication. I also include movie and television shows too. On the side I do my music and I scrape a little bit of a living from that but it’s mostly more debt involved there. Laughs

Just like every good musician, you have to chase your dreams and start somewhere. Have you always wanted to be a musician?

Yes, always. Mum and Dad sat me down when I was four and gave me the option of learning guitar or piano. I didn’t know what either were but I chose guitar. I have always wanted to do something with it as far back as I can remember.

The guitar is a little bit more portable too. So you probably made the right choice there! What would you consider to be your greatest achievement so far?

I think finishing my EP has been my greatest achievement so far. I think it’s one of the only things I have actually finished as well so it’s nice to finish something for once. I’m very proud of what I have made and happy to show it to people.


Congratulations on your EP. Yes, it must be really satisfying to confidently say, “This is the best I can do.” It’s your baby. How about in life, is that is something different to music?

I have an amazing family. I wouldn’t call that an achievement of mine, it’s just a default thing but I care a lot about them. Gardening, I love too. I have a working garden now, where I grow a lot of food, so that’s something that I have wanted to do for a long time as well.

It’s great that you’re doing it now instead of putting it on the “one day list”. Do you have a favourite part of the creative process?

I think the best part was hearing the 50 piece orchestra play. The arranging application Sibelius has a really horrible midi sound set. It sounds nothing like the real thing in any way. The first time I heard the orchestra play my songs was just amazing. I can’t describe how good that felt.

It’s amazing to hear it come to life, especially fifty strong. Not many musicians are that lucky. Were a lot of the songs born in your bedroom, or in a small, private place?

Yeah, out on the back porch, looking at trees and just fiddling around on the banjo. The journey from lucky mistakes on the banjo to translating that into a symphony orchestra situation was an incredible feeling.

I think that’s something universal for creative people. It’s a series of happy accidents. It’s exciting creating something that you don’t know the end to it yet. Do you enjoy collaborating with others?

Yeah I love it. A friend helped me with my vocal parts with sorting out how to breathe. I had never trained in any way as a vocalist before so that was a new thing. Collaborating with my friend Ella Jamieson on the arrangements is effortless. It definitely helps that she is a lovely person and an incredibly talented musician and arranger. Collaborating with all those 50 people, well 100 people actually because I had to record the orchestra twice, was an incredible thing as well. They’re all such wonderful people.

How did you go about sourcing and organising all these musicians?

It all started with Ella because she was the only person in that world that I knew. She gave me a few numbers of the Sydney conservatory of music students and I spent a few months calling a lot of people racking up quite a big phone bill. The vast majority were really supportive even if they couldn’t be involved, they would still forward me more contacts.

It must have been quite an orchestration in itself to collaborate with that many people. Well done.


Where and when do you get your inspiration?

Generally when I am on the edge of sleep. I find that a lot of people are the same. I think it’s because you tend to turn off a bit and your brain is just doing its thing. I’m inspired when I travel but I can also draw inspiration when I’m at home in Bathurst.

What part of creating the album did you find most challenging?

Well I had to record the orchestral parts twice. So I think not rushing things was the biggest lesson that I learned .I really tried to push everything through to have it finished so I could start getting it out into the world. I spent six months trying to record over what we originally recorded with the orchestra and it just didn’t work so I had to get a loan and sell more of my stuff. I already sold the majority of my things but I got rid of the rest. A little bit more preparation on my part would have helped but I had never done anything like that before. Being patient with myself was probably the biggest lesson.

I don’t think you can be too harsh on yourself. It is something that needs to evolve, but I can imagine that you were keen to finish it by that point. So what happened that required it to be recorded again?

We didn’t use a click track metronome for the orchestra the first time. We simply didn’t have access to 50 headphones and a system that could run it efficiently. It was a bit of a guerrilla recording at the conservatorium hall. We just walked in on a Saturday that I knew was free and shot it with the orchestra. There were a few mistakes from some of the musicians because it’s not separated. It’s just one big instrument, so to speak. I learned that you can’t just record a 50 piece in any room and expect it to work.
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Savhin Khona - So good man! Those last 2 photos are redonk!!

Caroline McCredie - Easily my favourite of the series yet! Lovely light and great location.

samantha - gorgeous images jason. i love the lighting, the varieties…and the different moods of the artist you’ve captured.

Doran & Caroline

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Matilda Johansson - This is a very very beautiful work of photographs filled with lots of love! The good connection with the ones being photographed is seen in the result where you can see the happiness they bring. I really like the variation between the black and white and the coloured shots because black and white can give you this feeling that I can’t explain, and it suited so good in this photoshoot.

Really good work Jason! Keep it up :)

Sara - Jase… these photos are stunning! :)

Mahe - Jason, you’re not only a great friend, you’re talented, you’re actually excellent and inspiring. Much Love Mr Artist!

Kate - I can’t stop looking at these photos. They are amazing.

You have captured some wonderful moments, in a beautiful setting, with some adorable people.

I want to create an event/relationship just so I can book you.

tabitha emma - stunning!! your work is getting better and better!

Calib - Always impressed with your work, this just raises the bar though :)

LUCY ARNOTT: “My happiness comes from living near the ocean.”

Name: Lucy Arnott
Date of Birth: 17 February, 1986
Place of Birth: Manly Hospital, Northern Beaches, Sydney
Occupation: Community care worker and art therapist

Can you describe for me what you do for a living?

I help people keep their empowerment. With my community care job, the idea is to keep people in their homes so they still maintain a sense of independence rather than go into a nursing home and lose their spirit.

With art therapy, I help people to understand themselves better. I try to figure out where they want to go in their lives and unlock things that are holding them back.

Basically, I just want to help people be happy.

You’re helping people overcome their personal challenges. I suppose everyone needs help at different points in their lives. Who is a typical client for you?

They tend to be mostly elderly. Some of the people with chronic illness such as cancer are often younger but I have a lot of clients with dementia too. Some people are really old and their minds are completely on the ball but their bodies are falling apart. They need help showering or just someone to help them do their shopping.

So your caring extends to not just the mind, but it encompasses the body as well.

Yes, it’s a holistic approach. So all the tools that I have are about working with the person to determine what they need in their current state of mind.

What moment of the job do you find most rewarding?

I have realised that it doesn’t matter what age somebody is; everyone has their own spirit. There’s a spark that everybody has regardless of their age or sickness.

The people I work with are towards the end of their lives so there is a lot of reflection and insight into how a good life can be lived. That’s an amazing thing to share with people.

Absolutely, it’s definitely a privileged job in that respect. Have you always wanted to be an art therapist, or did it take you a while to find that path?

Well over the last five or six years, I have looked into alternative medicine and psychology, natural medicine and art therapy towards the end of my exploration. I knew that I always wanted to be able to help people out. I wanted something on the spiritual side and to remain very grounded and realistic.

I also wanted to do something where I could meet people, regardless or where they were at physically or mentally. I found that art therapy fit because I paint and am quite creative. I find those things really healing for myself too.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

Completing my studies last year in transpersonal counseling art therapy. That was a two-year course but it was a big journey. I have never been very studious. I pick things up and don’t finish them so that was something I was really happy to have completed.

Well done!

What forms of expression do you use with your art therapy?

We paint, draw, make collages, and meditate.

We spend time talking to the body. Sometimes the mind can trick us. It can make up a whole lot of stories and give us a really hard time. So I use meditation to help people calm down and get grounded. Guided visualisations can help people access different parts of themselves in their internal world rather than external.

A lot of the different processes do different things. I might have a client who is a bit scattered and doesn’t know what they’re doing in their life. I can suggest to complete a collage so they can visually see the story that has come from their sub conscious.

Then we can have a dialogue where I ask them questions like “What does that mean?”, “Why did you put that word next to that one”, or “Does that remind you of something?”, It creates a story and it becomes really, really simple. Best of all, it comes from them.

I can’t tell people who they need to be or how to feel. So it’s all about figuring it out for themselves.

How often do you usually see your clients?

Well I’ve been doing art therapy groups at a community centre. I think in terms of groups, it’s good to do a four-session group because then you have a thread and you can go deeper. If you’re going through something challenging it’s good to see someone for four to six sessions so you can get a good view of what is happening.  But wait, there’s more! View the remainder of this post

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Amelia Hoseason - you have changed and made my world.. you rock and this profile has been a long time coming… and wow, now the whole world can see just how beautiful you are.. bloss x

Kate Lee JoyStar - an extraordinary, inspiring woman she is.

Colleen Arnott - Only one word Lucy ……Amazing!!! -<3

Lucinda Reilly - Love u Lucy, so proud you gorgeous radiant thing x

Soli Villarroel - What a gift for us to behold. Thank you from the bottom of my heart….and the top too XXX.

Mitchell Isakka: “I have always wanted to move away, do something different and take a chance.”

Name: Mitchell Isakka
Date of Birth: 31 December, 1988
Place of Birth: Camden, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation: Nurse

  Listen to Mitchell’s amusing travel story.

Mr. Isakka, can you describe what you do for a living?

I’m an intensive care nurse. I look after people in the specialities, neurology and trauma section which means that I see a lot of people from various sudden accidents. Quite often patients are in a coma and on life support so there is little nurse to patient communication.

Did you wish to work in the trauma section or is that just the way it worked out for you?

I did a critical care placement during University in intensive care and neurology trauma. I found it quite intellectually stimulating because you have really got to apply the knowledge you learned so quickly and accurately. I didn’t find working in the wards to be as stimulating.

So the challenge of fast paced problem solving drew you to it. Do you enjoy and thrive on that stress on some level?

Yes, anything can go wrong at any second without warning. Working under pressure, problem solving and then inevitably seeing the outcome, which hopefully is positive, gives me the feeling that I did something worthwhile.

I think sometimes a career chooses you rather than you choosing it, perhaps that’s what happened there. Can you remember the moment when you knew you wanted to be a nurse?

When I finished high school I knew I wanted to get into medicine. I applied for undergrad medicine but didn’t get it so I thought I’d undertake something related.

My cousin is a nurse practitioner and talked to me about her work. I thought I’d try that and then move onto medicine but since working in the field I realised that is not what I am destined to do.

How long have you been at your hospital now?

Over two and a half years I have worked in drug and alcohol out patients and half intensive care. That has been very interesting, you see some pretty interesting people and have to deal with some situations that you don’t ordinarily encounter.

The next chapter is that I will be working in Broome, Western Australia.

Were you transferred to Broome or was that something you specifically volunteered for?

I travelled through India and Nepal, I saw a lot of sick people affected by polio and really underprivileged people and thought as a nurse that it would be great to treat them.

I’m very fortunate to have travelled to around fifteen destinations in the world now. I returned from the last trip and spoke to my G.P. friend who has done a lot of work in aboriginal and remote communities in Australia. Through his experiences he believes that a lot of people forget about problems we have in our own country and instead focus on overseas without realising how bad it is for people in isolated areas of Australia.

I applied for a position in remote northern territory and then a position came up for an opening of an intensive care unit in Broome hospital.

I suppose it happened a lot faster than you expected. Were you shocked by how quickly you had to leave your life is Sydney behind?

I have always wanted to move away, do something different and take a chance. I have looked into doing things like that before overseas but with the case of this, I applied on the Saturday, was interviewed on the Monday and Wednesday then 15 minutes after the interview they called to say I had the job!

It’s just weird thinking that finally now it’s happening, I am doing this thing that I thought I would do eventually but it turns out that the time is now. It’s scary but exciting at the same time.

As for the next step, I’ll be saving to get myself overseas long term in either Paris or Helsinki.

Considering you work in the trauma unit, did you struggle when things didn’t go to plan? Do you have a method that helps you cope emotionally now?

It was tough in the beginning. First of all you become desensitised a little bit. You have to develop the skill to be able to switch on and switch off. I must be supportive and emotional for the patient’s family yet not too emotional that it affects my work and life outside work.


I think the most important thing is to have someone who you can vent to. I lived with two nurses in the past and that was good because they understood yet worked in different sections so the stories were always different.

I bought a piano a year ago thinking that I’d like to get back into it. I hoped that as soon as I sat down, it would come back to me but it didn’t happen that easily. Sometimes I spend time around the piano with friends so it’s great to just hang around and listen. We don’t have a TV in the house, I think it’s nice when you’re kind of forced to talk to each other.

That’s interesting, I noticed that a lot of my friends don’t watch much TV anymore. Hopefully instead of watching reality TV, we’re living our lives instead.

You spoke earlier about your desire to travel; do you have an idea of what your perfect happiness is?

I’m not sure if I am thinking about it too philosophically or not but my thoughts of true happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.

I also believe that is it important to be able to feel sad. People get caught up on feeling like they always need to be happy and if they are sad then something is wrong, but I think they can exist together.

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David Henry - A really lovely idea Jason made all the better by brilliant execution. Well done.