From his first job at Chickenfeed to founding Create Crew, Joel Imber’s career, and creativity, has grown.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Forcett and went to Dodges Ferry Primary School. It was a great community, very kind and creative.

Tell us a little about your work. I run creative projects, workshops and creative mentoring in communities across Tasmania. I worked at City of Hobart’s Youth ARC for 14 years – it’s a very important part of my life as it is for many other young people. I now run Create Crew (currently myself as a sole trader), working on creative workshops (music, art, photography, video), mentoring and projects through NDIS, collaborative events, community projects, youth work and other community initiatives. In a sense, I am a mobile creative service ready for a challenge!

What inspired you to start to Create Crew? My inspiration comes a lot from hip hop culture, particularly from its earlier foundations of graffiti art, breaking, djing and rapping and how they all could work together. When I first got into hip hop through breakdancing (breakin) in my late teens, I was hooked! It became a massive part of my outlook towards life in learning new skills, connecting with the community, creating projects and events.

Why is engaging the community with creative projects important? I’m passionate about connecting through creativity. It’s a great way to express yourself, try new things and feel empowered. When you are in the community creating art, or music or whatever it might be you are often interacting with people passing by. This could be verbal or nonverbal, they could be participating or observing. We are there in the moment…creating!

Which project has been a highlight? There are too many to mention! But I really enjoyed working with a young man I helped mentor through his NDIS plan. He is a passionate video gamer and streamer. We went on a bit of an adventure meeting other video gamers in the community and we made a documentary called Our Gaming Lives – which you can see on YouTube. That was a lot of fun! We were geeking out pretty hard and created lots of great memories. For Luke aka MRMARIO827, this was a unique experience as he is often isolated and disconnected from the broader community.

Favourite podcast or tv show? I have and always will love cartoons! Regular Show is one of my favourites. I also like lots of classic funny UK humour too-Mr Bean, IT Crowd etc.

Secret vice? Ice cream. 100%

What are you reading now? Currently it’s Eminem’s biography.

Do you have any pets? Our dog Romeo.

What was your first job? My first real job was at Chickenfeed, RIP.

What are your daily news/social media habits? Marketplace, Gumtree, Facebook. Ideally less of!

Your favourite place for…

Breakfast: Raincheck Lounge.

Lunch: Browns Burgers.

Dinner: Local Pizza.

Favourite team? JackJumpers!

Dream holiday destination? I would like to check out New York City one day.

Favourite Tasmanian secret? Bidencopes Lane.

Parting words? Have fun, be kind and listen, learn new skills, and connect with your community and discover the power of creativity! Also, surround yourself with people who support you with your dreams and aspirations.