On January 1st of 2023, I bought a one way ticket to South East Asia. This photo of me was taken on the second day I landed - climbing a volcano called Mt. Batur. I recall this time of my life - not only as a phase of exploration, but the start of a multi-year long incubation period for what is now known as Paradyms, my film company. Despite whether I knew I was going to form a film studio, I knew I wanted to create something. Perhaps a cross between something I could see myself doing for a long period of time, as well as, something that could contribute to society. But what could that be, I would ask myself.

This sliver of my life (2021-2025) has been the most reflective periods of my short life. Or maybe I’m just a pensive person. Anyhow, these past few years, I’ve felt this constant feeling of insatiability, in regards to my work and personal life. And much of that has prompted me to spend most of my days in a very urgent and restless state, always looking beyond the horizon. What this actually looks like day to day can range from staying in my room for days at a time, working on projects, or fulfilling my curiosities for new places. Either or, it felt like a hamster wheel of some sort, not knowing exactly what I was working toward, but still chasing something, hoping that if I did long enough, it would reveal itself. This trip to South East Asia was the start of a major course change in my life. Funny enough, when we think of life changes, they usually happen unexpectedly and fast. However, it happened rather slowly.

As I travelled through different countries, I gradually felt myself becoming more open to ideas, more understanding. I found myself in awe of many things, people, and places. I found that a lot of our problems are universal. That we all struggle with many of the same things. That we all want many of the same things. It made me feel less alone. I found a greater appreciation and sympathy for humanity. I say this because more often than not, our reputation as a collective group of people are tarnished by a handful individuals. But the whole of mankind, are people like you and I, just trying to get by - and trying to find meaning in the process. I’m not trying to dismiss the complexities of today’s problems, nor do I want to downplay them, but if there is anything I’ve learned from traveling - it’s that despite everything, our world is worth believing in. And to be honest, that’s the first step in this process. Believing that things could be better.

‘There is immeasurably more left inside of me than what comes out in words’ - Dostoevsky said. I’ve never really been the persuasive type or especially gifted in rhetoric - however, I do find a great purpose in attempting to squeeze out everything from my personal experience of being alive. And film is the best way I know how. It’s such a beautiful part of my life. I'm lucky to have found it at such a young age - I have my family to thank for that. To be honest, I think it’s the only thing I’m really good at. I really don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have it. If I were to describe what film is to me, it would be this all encompassing art-form that has the power to help materialize and communicate ideas and feelings, for the doer - but also the receiver. For a lot of us, art starts off as a form of self expression and play. It’s the process of ingesting information and analyzing it through our own personal lens to output an interpretation of our experience of life. It helps us make sense of things. All that to say, I’ve found some sort of intersection between these two areas of my life. That’s why this past year, I decided to quit my job and start working on Paradyms.

The name Paradyms derives from the concept of a Paradigm Shift; a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. People change in small ways everyday without ever noticing. And occasionally, we encounter something that lands so deeply with us, that change occurs at the deepest part of our being. Films, music, literature, art, and even conversations, are all catalysts for transformational change. We're betting on the idea that, as important as it is to experience moments like this, so is our ability to ignite them ourselves. We live in a time where the idea of a better future can feel like a fantasy — and that can be quite daunting. However, the greatest part about being human is our ability to adapt and grow. From what we’ve observed, it takes an active effort to believe in a better future. Optimism and hope rarely come from doing nothing. We believe there’s never been a better time to solve problems. To bring people together. Everyday, we work with inspiring individuals around the world who are doing the extraordinary. They inspire us all to keep pushing forward. We are inspired by our fellow humans and are committed to highlighting stories of human impact and change across all our work.

This is my latest manifesto draft for Paradyms. I’m redoing the website for the millionth time.

Keoni Perth, WA, Australia