Brad Martin

“One day I was drawing a bug, and I thought I’m gonna make some bugs! And Yvonne came along and then I was doing bugs on T-shirts.”

Heartlines explores what it means to create and write – from the heart and soul – and where that creativity takes us. Every creative’s journey is different, so we invite you to take a moment to read, pause and reflect on what it means to bring stories to life.

In this edition of Heartlines, we’re partnering with the Small Stories project by My Place and Centre for Stories. Small Stories is a collaboration between storytellers with disability and subject matter experts to support inclusive, disability-led storytelling in Western Australia. The project is funded through a WA Government Department of Communities Innovation grant.

Storytelling serves many functions. It can help us to understand others and build relationships, give us the ability to convey important information and advocate for ourselves, and contribute to individual and shared identities. Sharing and listening to stories can be challenging for people with intellectual disabilities or complex communication needs (CCN). Over two years, My Place and Centre for Stories are partnering with people with intellectual disability and/or CCN, to build an inclusive community of storytellers.

For the past year, the project team have been working with 13 co-designers who have a diverse range of storytelling experiences. Together they have developed a model for inclusive storytelling and are now designing and testing a range of interventions to support this model, to be delivered in August 2025.

In this interview we speak with Brad Martin, a co-designer for the Small Stories project. Brad also asked his support, Yvonne, to help with some answers in the interview. Brad was originally from Sydney and now lives in Perth, Western Australia with his family. Some of his favourite things to do include time with family and friends, going to the gym, making coffee and being part of community art classes. He also really enjoys rock music, gaming, movies, and birds. Brad runs a business called Grumpy Bug Enterprises where he designs a series of bespoke t-shirts, art pieces and other apparel.

Brad reading and approving his Heartlines article. Photo: Supplied.

Centre for Stories: So Brad, can you please tell me about yourself.

Brad Martin: I lived with my sister and my family. I used to work and… I’m still working! I’m still at home, on the computer.

Yvonne: What are some of the things you like to do on your computer Brad?

BM: Cards. Like, solitaire. I get it out all the time.

Yvonne: He’s an expert. What’s the other thing you really love doing on the computer? Listening to music?

BM: Music. Rock and roll. KISS and ABBA, Little River Band, all kinds of bands.

CFS: KISS and ABBA are very different bands!

BM: Yes!

CFS: So my next question is, why did you decide to share your story with others? Why do you draw and do art?

BM: Because I like drawing. I like drawing!

CFS: That’s a good reason. It’s the best reason!

BM: My sister’s got her art studio downstairs. She came up and said, “I need you to do my face on my portrait.” And all of a sudden I looked up and there was no face on my portrait. She had a big box for me to stand on and she doesn’t like me looking at her. She told me to turn away.

A portrayed of Brad made by his sister. Photo: Supplied.

CFS: How interesting she has a unique approach to doing portraits. And what did it look like afterwards? Was it good?

BM: Perfect.

CFS: An accurate representation?

BM: Yes. It’s in my room.

Yvonne: It’s probably three quarters of the size of that window. It’s very regal.

CFS: That’s like a portrait for a king!

Yvonne: And Brad, didn’t your mum do art as well?

BM: Just me, mum and Julie. My brother…he does dots and he likes crazy music.

Yvonne: Can I ask you about your mum? Cuz I think you told me this before but I can’t remember. Did she teach you to do art to start with?

BM: Yeah. She taught me how to do art.

CFS: So art runs in the family. It must be very natural and in your DNA to be an artist. So my next question is, what is your favourite way to tell a story?

BM: I got stories in my head and I blurt them out, one-by-one. Ah, I did a policeman shooting a peacock – beautiful bird. And he’s a policeman shooting a peacock. That came out of my head, haha…I’ve got so many things in my head.

CFS: So would you say drawing is your way of telling a story?

BM: Yes

CFS: Yes, I love that. Okay, so my next question: what inspires you?

BM: Good question. First of my all I’ve got my art teacher with me [points to Yvonne].

CFS: Yvonne inspires you?

BM: Yes she is a wonderful lady.

Yvonne: Aww thanks!

BM: She does art with me.

Yvonne: Another thing you might be able to talk about Brad is what are some of the types of things that you enjoy drawing that you’ve done drawings of?

BM: Angry bugs. I’ve got them on T-shirts. I’ll bring one in for you. And with captions you’ll enjoy!

Yvonne: That’s for sure.

BM: One day I was drawing a bug, and I thought I’m gonna make some bugs! And Yvonne came along and then I was doing bugs on T-shirts. And I was in my one-man exhibition with five paintings of mine on the wall and I sold them. About $50 a pop.

CFS: That must feel pretty good to sell your art.

BM: I was happy. Very Happy.

CFS: I want to know more about these angry bugs.

BM: Do you want me to draw you one?

CFS: Oh yes please. The artist at work!

Brad draws some angry bugs on a small piece of paper.

Yvonne: We have a funny story about those two t-shirts that Mike told us. A couple that is a family friend, the wife bought the t-shirt ‘I’m having a meltdown’ and the husband bought the one that said, ‘give me a break’. Quite a pair! Brad had some t-shirts printed that were just like an outline. And now he’s going back and he’s doing some of those, we call them bespoke T-shirts where each T-shirt is unique.

CFS: I like the ‘give me a break’ one. I feel that’s speaks to me. Each t-shirt is unique. Thank you Brad. So, you were a research partner for the Small Stories program, which is here at the Centre for Stories. Can you tell us what you were doing?

BM: Just telling my stories. To…

Yvonne: Allison and Danielle

CFS: Did they ask lots of questions?

BM: Easy. And questions for Yvonne. And my brother in law.

Yvonne: They came out to your flat didn’t they? Do you remember what we were doing with that?

BM: I can’t remember. Oh dice! Throwing the dice.

Yvonne: They had little pictures on them Brad. And then we had to make up a random story. You did a great job at that.

CFS: That’s sounds really good. I like your ring by the way. It’s really cool.

BM: It’s a Harley Davidson ring. I’ve been on three Harley Davidsons. One guy came to my house and he says, “Does Brad Martin live here by any chance?” And mum answered the door and she says, “Yes”. And I’m just literally coming in the door and I said “Hello.” And he said, “I’m here to take you on a ride on a Harley.”

CFS: That would have been intimidating, a big bikie. But, also fun! So you’ve been on a bike three times?

BM: Yes. One in Tasmania. You know the tandem? My mum and I went on it. And there was a sharp bend coming up. He (motorcyclist) looked in the rear vision mirror and he went “Hold on!” to me. And he sped it up a bit and he went around the corner and here’s mum hanging on to her belt. And she then held onto me!

Yvonne: I haven’t heard that story before, Brad!

CFS: It’s been in the vault. The things we put our mums through.

BM: I’ve got a story to tell you. When I was little, I used to go walk-abouts down the… about that away. And I went down, mum was hanging out the clothes out the back. And I went down the street – this is in Parramatta in Sydney – crossed the main street, and a lady took me to the police station and one of the policemen says, “That’s Les’ little boy.” She took me home and one of the policemen knocks on the door and says, “Les’ not home at such-and-such a time.” So she opened the door and mum says, “Can I help you?”. “Does this little boy belong to you?” [Talking about] me of course. And she says, “Where was he?” “On the bridge sitting in the gutter.” On the bridge. What was I doing?

CFS: Looking for angry bugs or something. Wow you escaped! Escape artist.

Yvonne: There’s a number of escape stories. That’s one I haven’t heard of.

CFS: Like you said, you’ve got stories in your head, and then out they come. So Brad, last question: What are your future goals?

BM: Get a car.

CFS: Not a Harley?

BM: No. Not a Harley. A car, a sports car. A red one. And go travelling around the world by myself. Go travelling in Broome.

Yvonne: It’s worth it but you have to pick the right time. Don’t go when it’s cyclone season.

BM: My mum had, you know, those holes those firemen put their hose? She was walking, and her foot went into one. Fractured her foot. I helped her up and she was hobbling on her foot. And I helped her along to sit down. And she was fine.

CFS: In that moment, where you stressed?

BM: I haven’t got a stressed bone in my body.

CFS: That’s an amazing talent, Brad. So you’re good in an emergency situation? We will come to you!

BM: Exactly.

Small Stories is a collaboration between storytellers with disability and subject matter experts to support inclusive, disability-led storytelling in Western Australia. The project is funded through a WA Government Department of Communities Innovation grant.

Storytelling serves many functions. It can help us to understand others and build relationships, give us the ability to convey important information and advocate for ourselves, and contribute to individual and shared identities. Sharing and listening to stories can be challenging for people with intellectual disabilities or complex communication needs (CCN). Over two years, My Place and Centre for Stories are partnering with people with intellectual disability and/or CCN, to build an inclusive community of storytellers.

These stories have been licensed to the Centre for Stories by the Storyteller. For reproduction and distribution of these stories, please contact the Centre for Stories.

This interview was published in September 2024.