About Creative Spirits

How Creative Spirits started

I’ve always been interested in Aboriginal culture and started Creative Spirits to document my travels through Western Australia, recommending Aboriginal points of interest along the way.

Soon I listed Aboriginal resources such as DVDs and CDs I owned or had heard about.

Learning more and more about Aboriginal culture, I wanted to share what I’d read, so in 2006 I added the Aboriginal culture section. Traffic rose slowly but constantly, and today this is the most visited area of my site.

Many students and teachers have a huge thirst to learn about First Nations People from in-depth quality information but have difficulties quenching this thirst:

“Teaching Aboriginal studies has special difficulties for non-Aboriginal people. Very little in their education or experience has prepared them for an in-depth knowledge of Aboriginal peoples and cultures. Knowledge about Aboriginal people is too often derived from popular myths or from a media which sensationalises, distorts or omits Aboriginal issues.” [[#1 ‘Aboriginal education K–12 resource guide’, NSW Department of Education and Training, Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, 2003, p.10]

That is why I aim to present Aboriginal culture without agenda.

Can you trust this site?

Creative Spirits has been online since 1999, starting with a German domain (creativespirits.de). Visits to the site are increasing year on year.

Many visitors are students and teachers, but also organisations and government.

An important site, illuminating, objective, educational and user friendly. Should be streamed into all educational institutions and libraries throughout Australia.—John Lind, film maker, writer, script editor, and teacher

Can you trust my content?

Since 2011 the National Library of Australia periodically archives my content about Aboriginal culture because it considers it “to be an important component of the national documentary heritage”.

Academic staff are often using the site or referring people to the information available.

All articles have references to the sources used so you can verify what I write. Sources are in square brackets like so: [15]. There’s a summary of all sources at the end of each article.

The NSW Department of Education and Communities lists Creative Spirits on its HSC resources page for Aboriginal Studies.

Some of my content, both articles and images, have been published in other works around the world.

This website’s health section was used as a source in a Year 10 textbook of Australian history.

What people say

“[CreativeSpirits.info] is the best resource we’ve come across for Indigenous content,” admits John Hinman, co-editor of the the social education Victoria journal, Ethos.

Aboriginal people have sent me unsolicited emails with feedback. Here are a few of them.

“It is refreshing to see a website like yours, as it is indicative of how far other peoples interest (and yes curiosity) have come in terms of our own history, culture, language, spirituality and our place in the world. Thanks for spreading the word—and thank you for your cultural sensitivity which I feel lately has been very lacking from the general public,” says Laura from the Wamba Wamba people.

And Coralie, an Aboriginal poet, writes: “Dear Jens your Creative Spirits does absolute JUSTICE to and for Aboriginal people. Thanks a trillion for putting us on the world-wide information network. Your efforts in acknowledging our Aboriginal culture and heritage does us PROUD! At last the TRUE story of our suffering, sacrifices and injustices is now being told.”

“Creative Spirits is the light at the end of the tunnel that has engulfed us for the last 220 years. It has taken an overseas visitor to accomplish what many others have failed to do: acknowledge the fact that Australia was indeed occupied by thousands of Aboriginal tribes long before any kind of ‘discovery’ was made. As an Aborigine I thank you for your well researched contribution to Aboriginal culture. May your creative spirits linger forever more. Thank you.”

Thank you for the deadly site – it is the one of the best most honest sites for info I reckon.—Trevor Walker, Walbunja and Brinja people, Yuin nation (south coast NSW)

I think your website… is truthful and current and reflects the beauty and sacredness of my people's culture and history.—Dave Sulter, Gamilaraay man, Coonabarabran, northern NSW

Creative Spirits is an amazing collection of history and an inspiring representation of Aboriginal culture.—Michele Hetherington, Aboriginal woman from NSW

I used creativespirits.info as my main source for my Year 10 assignment—Aboriginal Australians In Prison. It was the best. Thank you so much.—Chris J., student

Good looking site. Must confess I was initially nervous to see a non-indigenous created site but your information looks great and you show great respect.—Denise Freeman, koorikullas.com

I commend you on your work and understanding of our culture as l wish that many more people would take your lead and have understanding.—Craig Robertson, Melbourne

Who am I?

Jens Korff, owner and author of Creative Spirits.

I am a curious and creative person of Australian-German descent. This site’s main focus is now to educate about Australian Aboriginal culture.

This site is not about me. It’s about things you can explore and learn about.

I hope you enjoy this website. If you feel you should tell me something, just drop me an email to the address provided below. Be curious. Always. It’s a spice of life.

Cheers,
Jens

The website is awesome—it's appealing to the eye and the poetry is the icing! Best of all, have no fear, its contents is health and life-giving!—Martin Mhando, film director Liyarn Ngarn

Contact me

Please note:
I create and maintain this website in my limited spare time. Please be patient when submitting a request as I often cannot answer quickly.

While I endeavour to list as many of my sources as possible, some older text might not have all references available. When assessing the quality of my content, note that English is my second language and I do not have time for research as journalists would have. Thank you.

Please read the frequently asked questions before writing in. Thanks.