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Amanda and one of her hats

Featured Member: Amanda Rowland

Today we’re pleased to introduce Amanda Rowland who has taken different paths in the search of creativity.

Amanda’s training is originally as a sculptor.

“I went to Art School to study sculpting in Victoria, but decided to give it up after 20 years because I wanted to work with people in the ‘real’ world rather than be an esoteric outsider with a solitary life in a shed and a minuscule income,” says Amanda.

“I became a lecturer in Visual Culture at the then ECU Contemporary Art course on offer at Geraldton Universities Centre – which is a sure-fire way to knock off any lingering desire to be a visual artist – then a graphic designer (ditto).

Soon a new way of expressing her creativity would find its way to Amanda in the form of JAM Magazine.

“When we started publishing JAM, a what’s on guide to the area that evolved into a magazine, I found my true calling”

“Although I also fancy myself as a contemporary alternative pastoralist ie one who works to restore the rangelands to the time before it was flogged by over-grazing  .an area of interest inspired by work for JAM that has led to the idea for a new magazine – telling stories sourced from the regions about the agricultural, pastoral and mining industries, to coastal dwellers.

Amanda is currently developing the first issue of this quarterly lifestyle magazine to be called H&g, A journal for hunter gatherers.  “This magazine gives me the opportunity to use writing and images to drive positive change, disseminate useful information and amuse readers with fresh approaches to subjects – like mining –  that have an enormous impact on people’s lives but are not written about in ways that engage people beyond newspaper items. The first issue will be a  limited edition and is due for release in December 2012.

Pollinators attracted Amanda because:

“It looked like a wonderfully creative alternative to the Chamber of Commerce and showed me that I could find like- minded people in business and find a sense of common purpose with others working across many different disciplines.

Amanda is currently researching the idea of crowd funding her latest project with the support of Pollinators.

Like many media moguls with home offices, Amanda spends her day alternating computer time with walking her dog Snout, riding her bike, reading novels, visiting, gardening and dreaming up interesting stories and ways to present information.

Amanda can be reached by email at amanda@smithandbrown.com.au

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