23 Questions!

Our favourite Scottish writer has recently come back to the Artisan fold, ready and eager to sink his teeth into new copywriting, editing or proofreading. With a wicked sense of humour and the ability to just let words flow forth all too easily, it seemed obvious that we would deviate from our usual designers for this week and put the A-List spotlight onto a wordsmith. Enjoy!

What sparked your passion for writing?
For me, it was already there as a youngster. My mum new I would be a writer when I started doodling stories about a jet set hedgehog family pretty much as soon as I figured out how to use a pencil. (Ed: beats my romantic love story of Hoppy and Susie, my two cats, marrying each other when I was a kid... mine was more a conceptual picture book however and i'm sticking to that story!)

How creative were you as a youngster?
I was always scribbling away, creating silly stories complete with pictures. Mum has heaps of jotters full of the stuff. The hedgehog family in particular were firm favourites. I would draw the diverse family members in coloured pencil, and write accompanying tales of their adventures in far-flung places. I never shut up as a kid, always questioning how things worked and why. That sparked the journalist in me too.

Do you come from a creative family?
My mum is a primary school teacher so she always encouraged me to be creative and to make the most of my talents. My little bro grew up to be an architect, so I’d say so.

Were they supportive of your desire to be a writer?
Mum was super-happy when I went to uni to study English Literature, and was supportive again when I moved to London to study a magazine journalism post grad. Of course, it meant she had a valid excuse for shopping trips in the big smoke. When I landed my first full-time writing gig at The Big Issue in Scotland she was so proud she’d go up to vendors in the street and tell them I wrote for the mag, pointing out my stuff. Very embarrassing.

What sort of education and training have you had?
I studied English Literature at Glasgow University, which is on of the five “ancients” in Britain, so it was a pretty awesome environment to learn in. After that I did a postgraduate diploma in periodical journalism at City University in London. That was a real education, with luminaries such as John Pilger and Piers Morgan coming in as guest lecturers. I also got the opportunity to intern at one of the legendary mags of all time – The Face, R.I.P. The Big Issue was probably the best education of all really, with a small team producing a weekly mag to super-tight deadlines, covering everything form news and social affairs to gig reviews and celebrity interviews.

Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
The Face was my dream from the second I first picked it up as a young teen wanting something a bit more glam in my life. And I got to go there for a brief while, though I almost missed out. The girl who became my best friend on the course won the draw initially, almost causing a riot, as we were both determined to get there. Luckily I got my chance later in the year. I still miss that mag.

Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
I first got into writing at the Glasgow University Guardian paper, which was awesome fun as well as hard work indeed on top of an honours degree and two part time jobs. It felt like I was in Press Gang though, which was definitely worth it.

What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years? I’m a mac boy through and through and firmly believe OS X knock the bejeebus out of Microsoft’s offerings. Having said that, I’m pretty fluent with both. Gotta cover all bases. In terms of technology advancement, I think Apple has really changed the world and brought about true convergence with the iPod, iPhone and its various iMacs and iBooks.

Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I don’t think digital tech will ever completely consume print. Nothing beats the ability to pick something up and give it a good feel/smell/read! However, I think many industries and companies have been far too slow to realise just how quickly the world is moving online, and I’m personally excited by the progress of digital, and just as compelled by print solutions in order to keep up. In the ideal world both should live happily side-by-side and complement each other.

Whose work do you really admire and why?
As a complete package, I love The Guardian newspaper in the UK. It’s a perfect example of digital and print feeding each other successfully. It has an excellent print edition in its distinctive size, and a great cut-down weekly edition that sells internationally (I pick it up every weekend). The writing standard across the board is amazing, as is the design behind the layouts. But the website is out of this world. It’s design perfection and so easy to navigate, and really pulls you in. The separate sections, like sport or culture, are really massive sub sites of their own, but it never feels hard to find what you want. It may be a UK paper, but its world news and sports/arts coverage means that anyone, anywhere can get something worthwhile from it.

Who has been the greatest person that you’ve ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you? As a writer, some of the most inspirational people I’ve worked with have actually been my interviewees. Every new person, every new story, enriches my writing style and expands my horizons. I’ve been lucky to interview all sorts, from celebrities like Tori Amos and Danny Boyle, to local heroes like Peter Alexander, to heads of NGOs and Government Departments. I’ve interviewed refugees in internment camps and homeless teenagers with drug addictions. Some of the most fascinating people have been everyday folks with incredible stories, like the projectionist who started as an assistant when he was 15 and retired 50 years later, having seen an amazing transformation in cinema along the way.

How would you describe your work?
I would say I have a fun, friendly, engaging style that manages to successfully convey information in a clear, succinct and memorable way. I’m also pretty darned fast at producing clean, on-target copy.

What are your plans for the future?
Ultimately I would love to be my own boss, both as a freelance journalist working across a wide variety of titles, and as a copywriter and marketing adviser for companies of all sizes, government departments as well as PR/Marketing and Design/Advertising agencies.

What sort of company would you like to work with next?
Any company with ambition and drive to achieve a new goal. Companies in the throes of transformation, whether that’s a new business start up facing a world of opportunities or a well established company looking to embrace a new direction or change long-held brand perceptions. I’m feeling full of energy and ideas and want to sink my teeth into some real challenges.

What is your opinion of Australian design?
Australia is such an exciting place to live, and Melbourne in particular seems to personify exciting design. We have some of the best companies in the world based right here, and so much talent to draw on. Even walking the streets of this city, with stunning public art and architecture at every corner, is inspiring. Even down to the vibrant graffiti scene here, we’ve got it going on.

What is the best/worst thing about being a writer in Australia?
The market may be smaller here than in the UK where I originally hail from, which could be perceived as meaning less opportunity, but to be honest I think it only opens more doors, allowing real talent to shine through. I think Australia has a real have a go attitude and a positive outlook on anyone, anywhere, getting a shot at the big time. It’s enriching to experience that positive vibe first hand. Having moved half way round the world there is an element of having to start form scratch again and build up my reputation, but that’s all good as far as I’m concerned. Complacency can be a real enemy.

In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future? I guess the realities of the world mean consumers of all varieties are becoming more and more demanding, and they are also increasingly clued up. They want to know a company is doing its best to address sustainability in design. The want to know a company is socially aware. The design industry has to embrace this increasing concern for global issues, and realise that on this shrinking planet everything you do plays out on the world stage. The realities of the global economic crisis mean we have to be real smart about getting the most bang for your buck. And that means constant innovation. And again, the digital revolution has to be embraced, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the death of print.

What is your creative outlet outside of design?
I love film, theatre and comic books. Particularly the latter - I’m a great big geek really. I recently interviewed some of my heroes at both DC and Marvel comics for a feature for DNA magazine and it was a genuine delight to combine my personal nerdy passions with my professional career and get paid for the privilege. Kapow!

What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
That’s such a difficult question in a city literally heaving with out-of-this-world bars. For innovation, I’d plump for Section 8 – a car park, shipping containers and crate pallets transformed into an awesome summer’s haunt. The Carlton wins kudos for sheer kitsch, with flock-covered speakers and stuffed animals a-go-go. Cookie has old school glamour. Blue Diamond makes full use of stunning city views.

What are your top 5 websites at the moment?

www.guardian.co.uk - always has to rate right up there as my favourite site in the world.

www.lostateminor.com - is fantastic for keeping me up to date on crazy new design, art, fashion and architectural news.

www.littlewhitelies.co.uk - is the website of my favourite film mag, which takes the unique direction of combining film news and reviews with tangential features dealing with some of the big issues of whatever film is highlighted that month. The new Day of the Dead movie focus had a feature on voodoo for example.

www.threethousand.com.au - is a top tip from one of Artisan’s finest, exposing the cultural underbelly of Melbourne’s cool goings on.

And I cannot deny my sheer obsession with www.facebook.com. I justify my evenings spent on there as the best way to keep in touch with mates spread all over the world, and I keep my habit in check by refusing to add too many applications or “friends” I’ve never even met.

What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
I’m registered with www.emusic.com and download a heap of new stuff every month. Unfortunately that sometimes means I don’t get around to listening to them very quickly and occasionally an album will get totally lost until I stumble upon it by accident. I’m quite obsessed with the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs current album, It’s Blitz!

If I was a font, I’d be...?
Arial. It’s all floaty and lovely-like. And cool. Just like me, ahem.


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