In the last couple of days I’ve had a few thoughts, made some decisions about my creative direction, and sent and given some flowers.
I’ll start with the flowers. I have a friend, Richard, who is currently in hospital, and I sent him a big bunch of flowers from East End Flower Market. I know I said I was going to use Blooms, but EEFM has arrangements that feel a little more suited to men, so I went with them.
I never think twice about sending flowers to a man. I used to send balloon bouquets, but Balloons Galore closed down. Flowers are better than balloons anyway — they brighten up any room, and while they’re not a traditional gift for a man, I like that they can be.
My friend Richard loved them, and I hope they made him feel better. He said the nurses all thought his partner had sent them, but he explained they were from his good friend — me. He sent me a photo of the flowers, which you can see below.
Mum and I went to see Nanny at the nursing home today, and on the way we stopped at the fruit and veg store and bought a box of gerberas. They were really lovely — our local fruit and veg shop always has beautiful flowers.
Nanny is still very unhappy, but I think she liked the gerberas. That’s the thing about flowers: they’re so simple, yet they have the capacity to lift anyone up.
Of all the careers I wish I’d had, being a florist is the one I wish I’d pursued the most. One day I’m going to do the course at TAFE, just so I can be a qualified florist. I’d love to learn every single thing associated with the craft, even if it’s only for my own understanding.
Below you can see the gerberas we gave Nanny today.
In relation to sextortion, I’ve already mentioned the Australian boy who took his own life after he was victimised. The other night I saw a story about an African-American boy, James Woods, who went through almost the exact same thing. It was heartbreaking listening to his parents tell the story. He was a runner — a polite, well-loved young man — and one day a girl he thought was beautiful contacted him on social media. She elicited naked photos from him, and then a man began threatening to send those photos to his family and friends. His parents said they saw no signs that anything was wrong, but within 24 hours he had taken his own life.
Like the Australian boy’s father, James’s parents started an organisation called Do It For James. I haven’t donated yet, but when I have a little money I’m going to buy some of their merchandise — probably a hat and a bracelet — to show my support.
These stories have really stayed with me. I keep thinking about three things.
First, I think about these young men trying to be masculine, only to become completely vulnerable to scammers who intend to harm them. I know this dynamic exists in many types of predatory crimes, but this one feels especially cruel.
Second, once the victims realise they’ve been scammed and that their photos could be exposed to the people they care about most, the shame, fear, and desperation must be overwhelming. They feel there is no way out. I’ve spoken about my own humiliation, and while it was awful at the time, it’s nothing compared to this. It’s the power of power — and the power of powerlessness.
Third, I think about the perpetrators. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about crime and punishment, and so often you see people commit horrific acts only for their lawyers to present them as victims in court. I used to sympathise with criminals more than I do now, but the predators who commit these particular crimes should be locked up for a very long time.
It’s strange — I’m interested in human rights, and I volunteer with a human rights organisation, which means I should believe strongly in the rights of all perpetrators. And I do believe they have rights. But sometimes I find myself thinking: if you want human rights, act like a human being.
And then, of course, the deeper question arises: Are humans innately good? History suggests otherwise.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the Israel–Palestine war. Like I’ve said before, I’m no expert on the conflict, but after listening to Peter Dutton talk about how outrageous it was that the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, his deputy, and three Hamas leaders, it really made me think. He kept insisting it was anti-semitic to seek Netanyahu’s arrest. It makes me wonder: do people really think it’s anti-semitic to oppose Israel’s military offensive in Gaza?
I don’t think so.
Israel claims that South Africa is being anti-semitic simply for bringing the genocide case to the ICC in the first place. In my opinion, Australia should recognise Palestine as a state, and we should be more selective about what aspects of Israel’s conduct we support. But opinions aside, I find the suggestion that anyone who criticises Israel is automatically anti-semitic incredibly offensive. Does being Jewish mean you can get away with murder — with genocide?
I don’t have all the knowledge in the world to articulate everything I feel about this, so I’ve decided to channel that confusion, frustration, and curiosity into my artwork.
As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, I’m in the process of writing letters to all heads of government and asking them a question, then using their responses as part of an artwork. I was initially worried about the copyright implications, but I talked it over with AI and they suggested including the following in the letter:
“Your response will be included in a piece of artwork designed to foster global dialogue and understanding. By responding to this letter, you kindly grant permission for your response to be used in this artwork.”
This really put me at ease because I wasn’t sure how to word it or what to say, but including that line will hopefully cover me in terms of copyright.
All the envelopes for the heads of government are stamped with an airmail stamp and already have the address labels on them. Over the next few days I’m going to go to the post office to buy the stamps. Once I print the letters, they’ll be ready to go. After I’ve sent these letters, I’m going to write to all the Chief Justices of the world and ask for a copy of the oath used in their courtrooms.
Thinking more long term, I want to use my thoughts about sextortion and the Israel–Palestine war and channel them into letter-based artworks. For sextortion, I’m planning to write to all the international Google offices, Facebook offices, commissioners, victim-support groups, parent-led organisations — essentially anyone connected to the issue — and create an informative artwork to help educate people about sextortion.
For the Israel–Palestine war, I’m going to write to all federal politicians and senators. I want to talk about how I watched Josh Frydenberg’s show and found it confusing, and how Peter Dutton’s comments made me feel as though it was somehow anti-semitic to oppose Israel’s military action in Gaza. I want to ask them directly for their views.
These will be two major pieces of artwork I’m eager to make. They’re both non-commercial projects with the aim not to sell, but to exhibit.
