Curriculum Vitae
I’m a writer, podcaster, mental health advocate, and co-founder of The Big Feels Club.
Most recently I was commissioned by the ABC to create the No Feeling Is Final podcast, a six-part narrative memoir series which serves as an intimate portrait of the failings of the mental health system.
Prior to that I created the Starving Artist podcast (debuted #1 iTunes Arts), and cult-hit Being Honest With My Ex podcast. My writing has received millions of views online, having written for The UN, ABC News, Fairfax, NewsCorp, and VICE. In 2015, I created a successful campaign for the review of Medicare funding, and have exhibited my artwork at the NGV, the Gallery of NSW, and PICA, as well as having sell-out runs at Melbourne International Comedy Festival.
Beyond my creative work I work as a consultant and trainer in the mental health system, and specialise in using lived experience to design more humane services.
EDUCATION
2013 Diploma of Sound Production, North Melbourne Institute of TAFE
2009-11 Bachelor of Fine Art majoring in Sculpture and Spatial Practice and finishing with H1 average, Victorian College of Art
2008 Certificate IV in Visual Art, University of Ballarat
MAJOR PROJECTS
2022 Created the sold-out No Feeling Is Final Live show as the finale event for The Big Anxiety Festival. The show was created through a six-month intensive creative development process and reimagined the critically-acclaimed No Feeling Is Final ABC podcast for The Capitol Theatre. It received rave reviews and was supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants, RMIT, The Big Anxiety and The Capitol Innovation Fund.
2018-present Co-founder of The Big Feels Club, an arts mental health initiative. Has amassed a significant audience, been short-listed for a VicHealth award, was selected for the ACMI x State Library of Victoria’s competitive Foundry658 arts accelerator program amongst other achievements.
2018 Chosen from over 1400 entries as winner of the ABC’s $1M podcasting fund and commissioned by ABC to produce the award-winning No Feeling Is Final podcast series. The series topped several international best of list and was named #3 podcast for 2018 by The Atlantic. The series also received the Director’s Choice award for at the internationally renowned Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition.
2017 Starving Artist Season One podcast: debuted at #1 on iTunes Arts and #10 iTunes overall.
2015-2017 Being Honest With My Ex podcast: garnered 180,000 downloads in 50 different countries and a fan base loyal enough to fly Eastly's co-host to Australia for a live version of the show in 2017.
2015 #NoFeelingIsFinal campaign: online advocacy project aiming to encourage public submissions to a review of Medicare, with an aim to increase funding for mental health services. The campaign went viral, with over 3,000 shares on Facebook alone, garnering submissions from every corner of Australia, as well as Australian’s living in Europe, America, and New Zealand, and accounting for 8% of all submissions.
2015 The Girlfriend Experience at Found Festival: an eight hour long performance work where Eastly tried to fall in love with members of the public
2014 That Sexy Show at The Butterfly Club at Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF): sold out run at MICF
2013 We Should Know Better at Hares & Hyenas at Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF)
SMALL PROJECTS
2019 Developed, released and sold out Kinder Mind program as part of the Foundry658 accelerator program.
2017 Successful Kickstarter campaign to bring my international podcast co-host to Australia for a live show in 2017.
2016 Trying My Best webseries from The Birthday Loyalty Club: costume design.
2015 Released the YES/NO jewellery range in collaboration with Melbourne-jeweller Corin Adams.
2012 Producer and host of Your Life The Musical on SYN FM.
SPEAKING, FACILITATION, TEACHING & FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE
The following is a shortlist of some of the organisations I’ve lectured and run workshops for:
Melbourne Writers Festival
Emerging Writers’ Festival
Digital Writers’ Festival
ABC’s Oz Pod podcasting conference
Audiocraft podcasting conference
Boroondara council’s Creative Development workshop series
Melbourne Library Network and Sydney Library Network
Remix Summit by Creative Victoria
Etsy Australia
Neami National mental health organisation
General Assembly
Perth Institute of Contemporary Art