Stephen. The guy who refuses to be defined by a single job title, and who keeps up the pace (even when he doesn’t realise it). Open, creative, happy, sometimes not so happy… but always Stephen.

He is a professional window cleaner. In practice, he’s a storyteller with a ladder. Between panes of glass and open skies, he has carved out time as a YouTube vlogger, an enthusiastic photographer and an eclectic website designer.

He volunteers as a radio presenter, writes biography and local history, and shapes poetry that explores what he calls his “new life alone” — a reflective chapter expressed in both written and spoken word.

His days, he says, begin with intention: self-affirmations, a daily mantra, and a clear commitment to staying grounded.

He is a passionate advocate for Kangaroo Island businesses, championing local enterprise with the same energy he brings to his creative work.

It’s fitting that he is currently exhibiting his photography at Kangaroo Island Artworks Gallery, home to the Artists’ Collective Kangaroo Island.

Kangaroo Island Artworks Gallery. The gallery sits at 5 Bessell Drive, Baudin Beach, just off Hog Bay Road — about 10 kilometres from the Penneshaw ferry terminal. Directions are to turn right into Bessell Drive opposite the roadside flags and you’ll find a volunteer-run space open Thursday to Sunday, 10am–4pm, where local artists show and sell their work.

A visit there can easily be paired with the nearby Kangaroo Island Sculpture Trail, a free outdoor walk near the Penneshaw jetty, where sculpture meets native landscape. And if you bump into Stephen, he will recommend a good coffee shop to try!

Stephen’s journey reminds us that creativity doesn’t require a dramatic reinvention after life changes. Sometimes it’s a steady layering of skills, interests and small daily practices. A window cleaned. A photograph captured. A poem written. A community quietly strengthened in the process.

Well done Stephen, we will always support your creative journey.