Carl Knox

I live two professional lives:

Creative Technologist (4 days/week)
I spend most of my week at Swinburne University’s Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing, where I’m on the OzGrav team, visualising gravitational wave research. In other words, I turn black holes merging and ripples in spacetime into immersive visuals. Whether it’s designing real-time simulations or crafting 3D animations for research papers, my goal is to make complex astrophysics both beautiful and understandable.

Indie Artist & Maker (3 days/week)
The rest of my week you’ll find me in my home studio, which I consider my happy place. There, I work on paintings, collaborate with fellow creatives, and dive headfirst into my latest obsession, whether that’s a new app, an interactive sculpture, or an experimental technique. Mural painting, app design, and any creative side hustle that sparks joy are all fair game. I love helping friends bring their visions to life, and I’m always upskilling on something new, because “done” is less important than “trying.”

My Creative Philosophy
I firmly believe that anyone can be creative. All you need are five things:

Curiosity
Ask yourself: What do I want to create? Clothes, food, furniture, music, or a movie; anything is possible.

Budget
Invest in what matters: classes, tools, equipment, subscriptions, whatever supports your craft.

Mentor
Seek guidance through classes, YouTube tutorials, master studies, or books. Having someone (or something) to learn from accelerates progress.

Time & Space
Carve out at least two hours, unplug from your phone, and give yourself room to focus without distractions.

Leave Your Ego on the Shelf
Embrace failure. You will suck at first, and that’s how growth happens. You must be willing to create “bad” work so that, after thousands of hours, you end up creating something great. Being wrong is proof you’re learning.

So get out there, try something new, fail spectacularly if you have to, and make your dreams come true.

- Carl Knox