Recommended
On next
Inner Compass
How do we find our way when the map and compass disappear?
Sun
27
Sun 27 Sep 10:30 AM
Aurora Spiegeltent, Strand Park
General Admission
September
11/09/2026 - Ticket price update: Please note that the Co-Chairs of NAFA have opted to make this a free event instead (as was originally published in the printed program) to remove any barriers to people's attendance. If you wish to make a donation in lieu of a purchased ticket to support the Festival, you can do so here. Any amount, no matter how big or small, is greatly appreciated.
How do we find our way when the map and compass disappear? Join Professor Judith McLean and Townsville barrister Merissa Martinez, Co-Chairs of NAFA, for a heartfelt conversation on our inner compasses and the role creativity plays in living meaningful lives.
Extraordinary women will share intimate, inspiring stories of joy, loss, courage, hope and renewal, reflecting on how creativity helps us make sense of the world and can act as a lighthouse for those who feel lost at sea. In a time when many are searching for connection and purpose, this promises to be a morning of wisdom, warmth and possibility. Sometimes the stories we share illuminate the paths ahead.
THE PANEL
Merissa Martinez
Merissa Martinez practises as a commercial barrister-at-law in Townsville. She has a life-long love of the arts, particularly theatre and poetry, and has in recent years turned her hand to painting, sketching and mosaics. Merissa was type-cast both as Ophelia and The Shrew, respectively as a 14 and 28 year old, and is an evangelical bird-watcher and wanna-be mermaid. She is a co-founder and chair of Australia’s only mobile abattoir, disrupting the red meat for the better with emphasis on animal welfare, exceptional quality beef and empowering Australian farmers. Merissa is the co-chair of NAFA.Jan Leese
Jan Leese is a Classical Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology Master. From childhood, growing up in Central Africa, she was a keen observer of nature and a seeker, always asking “why?”. This curiosity led her to a lifelong study of Chinese metaphysics, where she found answers to life’s questions through understanding that we are part of nature, influenced by its cycles and our surroundings whilst also moving through our own unique timings.Image credit: Sonia Warrell