Exploring Identity, Culture & Inspiration with Multitalented Filipino-Australian Creative, Tamara Montina
Photo: Zane Qureshi
Styling: Raiya Ernst
Tell me a little bit about yourself:
Hi FRND! My name is Tamara Montina, I am a Filipino-Australian, creative multi-hyphenate, and primarily an editor and curator working on Kaurna Land.
Did your family and friends support your early aspirations in pursuing a creative career?
Being from a Filipino background, it was hard for me to truly express my creative aspirations as a young girl due to external family pressures to pursue traditional STEM jobs. I always knew that I wanted to head down the path of creativity, but I wasn’t convinced about a certain career path. My family have grown to understand my passions and decisions surrounding my future, and I am eternally grateful for all of their support. I have made an active effort this year to curate my closer-knit network so all of my relationships are rallying positive and uplifting energy, It’s fortunate to be surrounded by so many inspiring and unique people.
How would you describe the style of work that you produce and make?
A lot of the writing that I produce revolves around the theme of grief and certain sensitivities following the wake of cultural dissonance and personal trauma. More often than not, this is what usually occupies my mental load. For me, writing is a meditative practice, it’s a healing tool for processing the unspoken. I am looking forward to exploring other themes, but I can’t seem to escape the topic of grief when writing recently.
This year you have joined the Verse Magazine team. What do you do with them and how has the experience been so far?
I am the 2023 Head Editor for Verse Magazine, and my responsibilities consist of editing all of the content, reviewing student submissions, planning interviews, and filling up any gaps with my pieces. Essentially, I have the honour of curating students’ brilliant work! The experience has been insightful, challenging, and so much fun. Each edition brings an array of new obstacles to address, and so it has taught me how to problem-solve quickly and efficiently. It’s also my first time leading a team, and I am loving it so far! The team is fantastic, we have such a harmonious dynamic, and we are equally as passionate about Verse, so it’s been one of the best experiences of my career so far.
And for anyone who’s at university and may want to submit to Verse, how would they go about doing so?
It’s a really simple process! Follow us on Instagram and use the link in the bio to navigate your way to the submission portal on our webpage. We encourage any type of submission, as long as the content is respectful and appropriate for Uni publication! We often don’t receive a huge number of submissions, so if you are a Unisa student and are thinking about submitting your work, you’ll most likely be featured. It’s great to add to your resume, and it’s the best feeling when you can see your work in a tangible form.
Going off that, you have done so much in your career so far. You have worked for FarFrom, written articles for Verse Magazine, modelled for Rin, done your poetry and photography, directed events, acted in music videos and probably done so much more. How do you manage to do so much and keep a steady work-life balance?
For me, it’s important to get into a rhythm with my time management habits. Keeping a consistently updated calendar and being completely honest with myself about the workload that I am capable of doing has assisted me on this dedicated journey. I always try to make time for the people I love and care about. I don’t have much free time, so it’s usually late-night catch-ups, but it’s a great detox to be able to socialise. I do deal with bouts of mental health slumps, which can affect my productivity, but it’s something that I actively work on so I can keep trudging forward.
Recently you became a main model at Rin Models. How does it feel to be signed? And as a child/teenager did you ever expect to be modelling for different brands, magazines, music videos and photoshoots?
I believe that mini-Tamara would be so incredibly proud and in awe of the person that I’ve grown into. Modelling has always been an interest of mine. I mostly admired the confidence and grace that models carry, and wanted to learn to embrace those traits as well. As a young girl who had severe social anxiety and low self-esteem, it was unfathomable for me to believe that I could be anything more. Whenever I am offered an opportunity to model, it’s always a surreal feeling that people trust me with partaking in their projects. Modelling can be so versatile, you can be so many different things, and it’s always so interesting to see the BTS operations of a photographer’s or director’s creative process.
Do you have any favourite creative projects you have worked on through modelling/acting?
I can’t pinpoint my favourite creative project, but I do have specific people that I love to work with. Anytime I work with you (Zane), FarFrom Studios or Marco Di Stefano, it brings a different energy to the project, which I find myself longing for after the shoot is over.
Young Tamara
Do you take any influence from your culture and heritage when you approach projects?
Definitely! I think a lot of my writing follows the theme of cultural identity and what it means to be mixed-race. I am Filipino-Australian, so there’s been a lot of internal battles and dialogue with my race, and how I perceive myself and how I think the world perceives me. So, once again, as I said before, writing is a meditative practice. It helps me process everything that I want to say. As a woman of colour, I feel that my culture and heritage are always going to be a part of my work because it is something I think about constantly, and I am always trying to strive for representation and diversity in my magazine as well.
What has your experience been like growing up as a Filipino-Australian?
Being mixed-race has been a journey of self-exploration and hurdles. It’s a constant questioning of self-identity, and rarely feeling like you belong in a specific community. There’s a deprivation of culture when you live in a white-centred society, and as a young person who is often confused and insecure about identity already, it’s easy to feel like you are assimilating to nothing. Now that I am older and have claimed my agency, I am looking forward to creating closer ties and a deeper connection to my Filipino culture.
What is one thing that you would love to contribute back to your culture?
As an intersectional feminist, and as somebody that is an advocate for diversity and representation in all aspects of the creative industry, I’d love to contribute back to my culture by platforming talented Filipino women through my future projects.
Do you have a favourite traditional Filipino dish that you or perhaps your family makes?
Yes! My guilty pleasure would have to be ginataang halo-halo or banana turon - I have a sweet tooth!
Who or what inspires Tamara Montina?
My sources for inspiration change all of the time! Often it can be a really great book, an entertaining podcast, or even, a local project that I wholeheartedly resonate with.
Photo: Zane Qureshi
You are currently 21. What has been the highlight of your creative journey so far?
Landing the Head Editor role at Verse Mag has been an unreal experience. It’s been humbling at times, but I am constantly amazed at how much this position is teaching me about how to be a better leader and creative.
What is one thing you would say to people who look up to you and may want to pursue a career similar to yours?
Be an opportunist, take the initiative, represent yourself as a business and always treat people with kindness and sincerity. Everyone has their own unfair advantages in life, identify your skill set and the traits that make you unique, and go for it!
Where do you hope to be in five years?
My 5-year plan is constantly shifting and evolving. I’d love to be working in the editorial space as an editor or creative director, but I know that wherever I land, it will be the right place for me.
