The following people have provided inspiration throughout my life.

Mum and dad (Fa’aea and Johnny)

Both my parents are of Samoan and Chinese ethnicity and I am grateful for the values that have passed on to me; hard-work ethic, treating others with respect and kindness, encouraging inclusiveness, ‘getting things done’, expressing gratitude, striving to be the best human I can be.

Mahatma Gandhi

My life forever changed when I first learnt about Gandhi back in my high school days.  His commitment and unwavering belief in non-violence, and in the promotion freedom and peace has always stayed with me.   Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

Sources of Inspiration

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Roy Orbison – My musical hero! The ‘Big O’ had a voice beyond compare.

Edvard Munch – Pure emotion had never looked so raw. His art is so evocative and expressive.

Sia Figiel – The first Samoan author / poet to capture my attention. I’ll never forget ‘Girl in the Moon Circle’.

Dr Seuss – Life is weird, and we all are a bit weird. Enuf said.

Martin Seligman – Introduced my to the world of Positive Psychology and I’ve never looked back.

Neil Ieremia – Having followed Black Grace for near 20 years, I am grateful to Neil for bringing a Pasifika narrative to contemporary dance in NZ.

Mrs McFetridge – My primary school teacher from St Joseph’s who left a lasting impression on me. Kind. Caring. Nurturing.

Stan Lee – Thank you for bringing the X-Men to my life! The comics were a significant part of my adolescence.

Jason Naylor – American artist whose art gave me comfort and strength during difficult times. CREATIVELY POSITIVE x POSITIVELY CREATIVE.

Jacinda Ardern – I feel so lucky to have a leader who uses empathy and kindness to build a connection with communities. Also, she’s a DJ as well!

Sol3 Mio – Pene, Amitai and Moses are successful musicians and who show that strong Samoan role-models don’t all need to be lauded sports-people.