About Fractal Myth

Hi, I'm Schelle, the creator of Fractal Myth! Welcome to my website.

Look! These are all the lovely letters I get to string after my name now! The reward for years of arduous study. Let's just stand back and admire them for a second ;P

BA(Hons)(USyd)(2001) LLB(Hons)(UNE)(2007).

I have completed the College of Law's Professional Program and this year (2010) I plan to seek admission to the Supreme Court as a lawyer. In July I am hoping to sit for the Bar Exams with the aim of becoming a barrister. Other projects on the go include expanding my Law honours thesis into a book on Dynamic Statutory Interpretation, and keeping my Arts degree alive by preparing a book on the poetry of Gwen Harwood, since I find that my explorations of her poems attract more visitors to this site than anything else I have ever written! I am also very interested in the genre of young adult fiction, and have several half-finished novels on the go. In my own poetry, I have most recently been writing a series of poems to complement photos of Australian flora and fauna, taken by my father.

I am a Catholic, and (except when I'm on maternity leave) I teach as a catechist or volunteer scripture teacher at a local public primary school. I really love teaching - especially when the students are cooperative and eager to learn. This site includes a page of links to catechist resources that I have found on the internet.

I have the wonderful good fortune to be married to my best friend, Yeti. We have two gorgeous sons (so far - we hope to have more children).

My sons' internet names are Wombat and Munchkin. You can see daily photos of our life at my photo journal Fleeting Reality.

I am honoured to be godmother to both my teenage brother and my two adorable little nieces.

I am of Australian ancestry, drawn primarily from Scotland, Ireland and England. I also claim a Canadian Creek Indian, who married a Scotsman, among my ancestors on my mother's side.

I currently live on a bush property in rural New South Wales, though I was born in Townsville (Queensland). I have also lived in Canberra (Australian Capital Territory), and Adelaide (South Australia).

My education has been mainly in Catholic schools, including: St David's Primary School (Banksia Park, Adelaide); St Agnes' Primary School (Pennant Hills, Sydney); and Mt St Benedict's College (Pennant Hills, Sydney). After attaining my High School Certificate, I went on to the University of Sydney, where I gained a Bachelor of Arts degree, with First Class Honours in English Literature. I have recently completed a Law degree with First Class Honours from the University of New England (the campus is at Armidale, but external study meant I was able to work from home).

The completion of my education has been considerably delayed, due to chronic ill-health. Thankfully, studying from home generates much less stress, allowing me to manage my symptoms with greater success than in the past. Since the birth of my children, I find my stamina and overall health have improved dramatically. I guess I just don't have time to be sick anymore!

The majority of my interests are solitary, sedentary pursuits. I love to read, and as a youngster I was known to spend 24 hours a day with a good book in my hand, neglecting food and sleep in order to finish the story. I also love to create. This can take many forms, from writing to sewing to gardening. In writing, I try to pass on to my readers the enjoyment which other authors have given me through their literature. This site also showcases a number of essays written for Sydney University's English Department and the University of New England's Law Department. I like writing essays, probably due to the externally imposed discipline. I love writing, but I have to force myself to write. When the topic for research is handed to me with a deadline, I have no choice - write I must. Over the years this has resulted in as much pain as pleasure, but I always felt the results were worth it. In contrast, when it comes to creating in fabric - embroidery, cross-stitch, beading, making my own clothes - I find the experience to be incredibly cathartic, and once I start (as with reading) I find it very hard to stop. As a result, I ration my reading and sewing; try to nurture my poetry and fiction; force myself to concentrate on study and other more serious projects, and whenever there is a moment in between, I take the time to stop and smell the roses (though these days I am more likely to be found worm-hunting with my boys!)