A creative dream doesn't die. It just waits to be healed.
I consider myself a dreamer, taught from a very young age that anything is possible. Needless to say, I had big dreams and ideas but nothing actually prepared me for dealing with setbacks, frustrations and a lack of motivation. I have learned that dreaming and having a vision are separate things.
Growing up in Joburg, South Africa, defined me in so many ways. The political landscape changed from an apartheid system, that we can scarcely imagine today. To a recovering system where the residual effects in society: crime, corruption and inequality are pervasive. It's easy to feel powerless to do anything about it. And powerlessness is such an overwhelming and unsafe state to create from. Especially when the end of the apartheid regime made us feel as a nation that anything was possible.
My interest in what drives human behaviour (mine included) led me to study Psychology and I later branched off into Education. I think my calling is to make a difference in people’s lives. I know I make a difference in the lives of the students I teach and I hope to mentor them in a way that are better equipped to face some of the challenges I have faced.
What drives me creatively, is making an impact. So, my life as a dreamer is being distilled into vision through creating more and embracing all the joys and challenges that come with simply trying.
At present, I am a Grade 5 class teacher, which I find endearingly challenging. I'm married to the most exceptional partner, Shaheed and I have a wonderfully colourful family. The endless support in my life makes a huge impact and similarly, I want to create that supportive community for others.
I have two cats, Pebbles (The Queen), Mr Boggles (he thinks he's a puppy) and most recently, we've added a little puppy Lexi to the fold. Fun story about Lexi, we thought she was a boy at first and called her Rex (good boy, Rex) and the easiest transition in name was, Lexi.