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Growing up with two arty parents, it was almost inevitable I’d end up in a creative field, one way or another. But I certainly haven’t taken the most direct route to get here. For a long time, I struggled to translate the visions in my head into the real world, and that frustration led me away from the creative industries as a career path. Back when I was in school, digital design tools were clunky and limited. It wasn’t until much later that I discovered the joy of a clean, ordered workspace on my computer screen. And let me tell you, that moment was magical - hit undo, and it’s like your mistakes never happened!

Instead, I followed my other passion for being outdoors, which led me to pursue a career first in practical archaeology and then in nature conservation. Despite these different paths, I couldn’t help but bring my artistic sensitivity and graphic design style with me, weaving it into every job I took on.

In archaeology, I worked on dig sites across the country, uncovering archaeological remains and recording them for academic review. Here, I used my skills to create detailed and accurate scaled drawings of artefacts, some being published in archaeological journals. A particular highlight was working for a season in Bulgaria, illustrating artefacts being uncovered at a Roman-era excavation site. Finding work with English Heritage as an Aerial Survey Investigator, I also started to explore 3D digital software to present archaeological remains, like henges and earthworks, in their landscape context, recreating them as they are thought to have been originally. Representing ideas visually has always helped me make sense of information, bringing greater understanding by revealing patterns and links I wouldn’t have otherwise noticed.

More recently, as Reserves Manager at Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, I had the great privilege to work with so many fantastic volunteers, communities and visitors on 300+ hectares of wonderful natural habitat. While I was primarily tasked with managing these sites for nature conservation interests, I soon expanded my role to include production of their members' magazine ‘Wild Tees’, as well as managing much of their marketing and communications. I’ve ended up with a lot of experience creating interpretation for nature sites, signage for visitor information, content writing for membership retention, and all manner of leaflets and posters for events and displays. It’s those skills, where I have been part of both making and sharing impactful stories, that I am embracing now. I believe this well rounded understanding of story-making gives me an edge over my competition.

In this new chapter of my life I’m focusing on making the most of my creative skills, while being more present and able to support my family. I look forward to hearing many of the fascinating stories out there, and helping clients to engage in new and exciting ways with their audience.

And, in case you were wondering, TOORN (pronounced: TORN), is Dutch. It goes back to the old Norse ‘torn’, meaning ‘anger’ or ‘wrath’. But don’t let that worry you, I’m actually quite a mellow guy!