Jason Tolmie spends his days teaching psychology at Canberra College and his nights designing ethically manufactured children's T-shirts for his new online brand Foxtrot Threads – when he's not looking after his two young daughters.
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He never pursued his persisting passion for art for fear of becoming a struggling artist. But as he continued to draw for fun, his younger sister suggested he turn the hobby into children's clothing designs ... He couldn't take the financial risks. However, thanks to the global crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and a hugely supportive community, he was able to follow his dream (and stop his sister's nagging) and start selling organic, ethically manufactured clothes for kids featuring his own artwork.
The 2013 collapse of a Bangladesh garment factory, which exposed human rights abuses in the textile industry, was in the back of Mr Tolmie's mind as he set the foundation for his campaign.
"With my garments, some are made in Sydney and some are made up by a company that set up a factory in Bangladesh after that disaster as a way of instigating positive change in the textile industry and providing good jobs," he said.
"Ethically manufacturing" means the clothing is made in healthy and safe environments where workers are paid a "living wage", an amount that assures they can pay all living expenses and support their families.
It's also made with organic cotton, giving farmers a more sustainable and consistent income.
"I think the more people who are forced to face the reality of what happens when clothes are made cheaply and how people who make those clothes are suffering, then it [ethically manufacturing] will probably become more common," Mr Tolmie said.
Raising the funds was easy, as he smashed the initial target of $6200 in 30 days by $1500. People show interest in a Kickstarter project by pledging money, and if it reaches its target all "backers" credit cards are charged, but no one loses out if it fails.
Mr Tolmie put just $200 of his own money to get the project off the ground and is now successfully selling his clothes in three designs. The colourfulness and playfulness in the drawings are his way of experiencing the world through his children's eyes.
"Seeing how the simplest things can be incredibly fascinating to them brings a whole bunch of things to life that you walk straight past normally," he said.
"I know that in kids' fashion there is a massive trend for monochrome stuff and kids don't live monochrome lives. They live these crazy, psychedelic Technicolor lives that are always so full of excitement and stimulation, and I guess I've rekindled some of that in myself since having kids and that's kind of influenced what I'm doing."
