As a child in 1980s New York City I was afraid to eat Halloween candy (hidden razor blades!) yet somehow confident enough to land a spot on my favorite TV show Romper Room. It may have been a short-lived stint onscreen, but I have taken the business of make-believe seriously ever since.

Spending my formative career at HBO in the Original Programming department gave me invaluable insight into the screen industry from the creatives and executives setting the bar for innovative drama series. Eager to improve my own storytelling craft led me to an MFA in film directing at Columbia University, where I met my Australian partner. We made short films, moved to Los Angeles and started a family, including two small humans and a small menagerie of animals. Alongside a development job at Leverage Management working on the series Ballers, I directed, co-wrote and produced the award-winning short scripted series Namaste, Bitches.

Relocating to Melbourne was a shock to my system and my career, resulting in a painful identity crisis. Leaning on my meditation training, I started teaching classes and designed a workshop on mindfulness and creativity. I formed a writing club which grew into a vibrant, supportive community and led to work in a diversity of TV writers’ rooms. I found the courage to shmooze my way into a director’s assistant job on the set of Fisk, and eventually landed in my current role as a Lecturer in Film, TV and Animation at Deakin University, where talented students from around the globe continually expand my world.