Based in Newcastle. Living and working on Awabakal Country.

Contemporary Aboriginal Artist and mystic paintress, Jo (Sistagurl Rising), creates. Soulful works infused with ancestral memory, healing colour and quiet power.

Tell us a bit about you… Why did you decide to work with Notely?
I’ve always been a bit of a stationery nerd — it goes all the way back to my pre-teen days writing letters to penpals. So when this collaboration came into my orbit, it felt like a full-circle moment. I was drawn to Notely’s values straight away! a creative team that honours the artist, celebrates the beauty of nature, and gives back through conservation and tree planting. Super deadly.

Tell us about your creative practice. How, when, and why do you create?
My creative practice is intuitive and spirit-led. I don’t force anything. I’m very much a go-with-the-flow kind of artist. I follow the energy of the moment and see what magic wants to land on the canvas. Some days it’s flow, other days it’s chaos (but beautiful chaos). I’m self-taught and still learning, always.
When starting a new piece, I create ritual — call in my ancestors, say a little blessing, tune into my inner world, allow the colours to guide me, and paint from that sacred space. Music is a big part of my process too! It helps me drop in, raise the vibe, and stay connected to something deeper.

How did you get started in the creative industries? Do you remember a moment, time, or place when you realised this is what you’d love to do?
I’m a bit of a late bloomer. I didn’t start painting until my late 30s. It began as a way to heal my mind, body, and spirit… a way to reconnect with my roots. What started as watercolour experiments grew into acrylic painting, and eventually, canvas work.
It became a form of healing — a way to reconnect to culture, to land, to spirit. I’ve been deeply moved by how my work has found its way into homes and hearts. It’s even been used in schools to help children learn about Aboriginal culture through creative play and art classes — which is such an honour. It’s a true blessing to create and honour my ancestors through this practice.

What do you love about it?
What’s not to love? It’s freedom. It’s joy. It’s medicine. If I could bottle the feeling I get when I’m in flow with a brush in hand, I’d gift it to everyone I love. I love how this path constantly invites me to break old patterns, challenge myself, and grow.
Every day looks different. I move in tune with my body, my spirit, my rhythms — resting when I need to, resetting in nature and letting that flow into a richer, more honest art practice. When I feel good, it shows in the work.

Tell us about the artwork you’ve created. What inspired this piece?
This piece is vibrant and layered, full of movement and detail. I drew inspiration from native Australian flora, mixing earthy grounding tones with bright, healing colours that symbolise vitality and joy. It’s a love letter to Country and an invitation to remember the medicine in colour, in slowness, in story.

Where do you look for inspiration or what helps keep you motivated?
Inspiration is everywhere! The bush, the stars, the way shadows move across the wall.
I see stories in colour, symbols in pattern. It’s in the land, the sky, the pulse of daily life. The artist's brain never really switches off.
And of course, there’s spirit — source, the dreaming, whatever name you give that great mystery. That’s where I draw from the most. I don’t always know what will come through, but I trust the process.

Final note to readers and supporters:
Thank you for supporting this collaboration and for choosing art that gives back — to the land, to culture, and to the dreaming. I hope this piece brings beauty, reflection, and a sense of connection to wherever it lives. May it remind you that creativity is sacred, and rest is part of the magic too.