All 'Ism's' are bad - except Melbourneism..

An insight into Melbourneism, the only 'ism' that isn't bad..

Sydney Road, Brunswick, Melbourne - 2024

Ferris Bueller famously said the word that "all ism's are bad" and whilst I might agree with him on some aspects of that - Melbourneism is the only exception..

So whilst all ism's might be bad - leave Melbourneism out of this..

Hello, my name is Kevin and I am writing this piece to share with you, a tiny insight into my artistic journey & the decision to re-launch the Melbourneism platform.

At first, Melbourneism was just an Instagram account where I shared my photos a long side some annotations & stories and whilst I really enjoyed doing this for a long time, it was quite frankly, a lonely process. It lacked collaboration, it lacked diversity and I slowly found myself intensely craving both - so here we are.

Creating this website felt like a natural step—a way to bring together writers, photographers, and creators like me who are looking for a space to share, connect, and inspire. It’s about building a community where everyone’s voice matters and where creativity can thrive.

I live in the beautiful city of Melbourne, a place that’s always buzzing with creativity and inspiration - from its vibrant laneways filled with street art to its rich history and cultural diversity, Melbourne has always my home and it is the epitome of the word diverse and the meeting place for all cultures alike.

Thus, Melbourne has been the perfect backdrop for my passions—writing and photography...

I work a 9-5 in a field that I am okay with (for now) and like most people I know, I am trying to get by, do good, be good and spend time doing the things I love to do - I am coherently boring but sort of very interesting. I’ll take that...

From a young age, writing and photography was engrained into my identity, describing the two as a hobby would be significantly devaluing my love for them. Growing up, I was constantly scribbling notes in diaries or setting up cameras, both film and digital, to take photos—sometimes of the world around me, sometimes of myself on autotimer.

My love for photography was deeply influenced by my dad, who shares the same passion - those early experiences, combined with my lifelong connection to writing, have shaped the person I am today. It has helped me out of some tricky places and whilst I can’t write my way out of life, I sure owe it a lot.

Writing & capturing moments of time has provided me with own individual way of interpreting things around me and connecting with this absurd yet equally beautiful world we live in.

I remember, very clearly, setting the auto timer on my father's Nikon D600 as we pulled over on one of the many viewpoints on the Great Ocean Road, Victoria in his 1999 Holden SS way back when I was a little boy.

Every time I set the auto timer; I would sprint back so fast into the frame of the lens to make him happy - these early boyhood memories are ones that will never leave my mind, for this is what sparked my interest in capturing moments of time with a camera in my hand.

My sister and I would always complain about the number of photos we were asked to be in but as time went on and we grew older, the appetite to get involved in snapping pictures grew enormously.

He always used to say: “stop complaining! you’ll thank me one day” and what do you know?

28 years later - I thank him for the amount times he annoyed us to take a photo because every time I see those photos of us all those years ago, I smile proudly.

So, I have gone off topic (standard for me), let's get back to the intention of this post..

We welcome you to Melbourneism - a collaborative haven for creatives.

We don't discriminate, we work hard, we don't judge, we don't have creative limits, we dream big, we aim high, sometimes we try & succeed - other times, we try & fail but regardless of the result and as the end of the day approaches - we proudly look at ourselves in the mirror and say "I gave it my best shot".

One big foundation of Melbourneism is collaboration, something that we all know is what usually drives progress and builds the most meaningful relationships & outcomes in life.

Whether it’s a personal project, a creative pursuit, or something bigger, working together brings fresh perspectives and unique strengths to the table - this is why our table, is open for you to join in, grab a chair, chuck your bib on and enjoy your meal!

When people share their talents, ideas, and experiences, they create something far greater than what any one person could do alone. It’s in that exchange—where our ideas are challenged and creativity is forced to flow - this is where we believe real progress comes from.

Take a look at this world for a second, it is so integrated, so connected and we always wonder, well how the hell did we get here?

Collaborating is the answer.

Collaboration isn’t just helpful - it’s essential for growth, discovery, and success.

Writers, photographers, journalists, artists and dreamers from all walks of life can proudly come together on our platform to do the same. To share their content, spark conversations, and celebrate the power of storytelling & photography - from heartfelt essays and captivating poetry all the way through to images that emulate a thousand words, our platform is your platform.

By sharing your work with us, you’ll not only find a supportive audience but also become part of a growing movement to celebrate the stories that make us human. We want to see what people have to offer, we want to inspire, we want to be inspired, we want to encourage people to get as creative as they can.

Life is full of bridges, some of which we cross, whilst other bridges make us think twice, luckily for us, creativity is a bridge that we always cross without any issues as is it a potent tool which connects our heart, minds, souls and perspectives together.

Our philosophy which we hold quite strongly here at Melbourneism is the 'what ifs' - the concept of 'what ifs' in life stems from our innate curiosity and reflective nature as humans. Asking this question represents our desire to explore alternate paths, imagine different outcomes and consider artistic possibilities beyond our idea of reality.

These 'what if' moments can arise from various sources in our every daily lives, sometimes it is over past decisions, other times it can be about our dreams of a brighter future, or it can even stem from simple wonders about how our life could unfold under different circumstances.

The Melbourneism crew hold this ethos because it really highlights our journey in trying to transform our dreams & aspirations into real life opportunities to explore new possibilities, make inward decisions, forget about the outward and craft something based around our creative desires.

So.. what if??

• What if I read your words and feel compelled to strive for something greater, all because of you?

• What if this platform becomes the bridge for a talented yet hesitant artist to finally share their work with the world?

• What if your blog post or magazine on Melbourneism captivates a publisher, sparking an opportunity you never saw coming?

• What if someone stumbles upon your work, and it ignites a change within them—one that alters the course of their life?

• What if collaborating with us helps you evolve into a stronger writer and photographer, unlocking a level of creativity you never imagined possible?

The "what ifs" will always remain just that—possibilities, ideas, daydreams—unless we act on them.

But what's more important than the "what ifs"?

It is the moment we take that step and see a "what if" transform into a "what now?"

That moment is what we chase and crave here at Melbourneism and now that you know what fuels us, we want to see what fuels you..

We are thrilled to officially invite you to be part of this journey and to celebrate your stories and images that unite us all - collaborate with us! Our door is open to you my friend..

From the bottom of our hearts, we hope you enjoy our website, our Instagram, our stories, our photos and everything in between. We thank you for taking the time to digest our content and we hope to see you here more often - from the Melbourneism team, with love.

The 3 Musketeers on Elizabeth St, Melbourne

Written by Rhys Jackson - content creator, writer, photographer for Melbourneism.