02/04/2021
G’day. It’s me! Hayden M Pannell, Chief Creative of HMP Creative. I thought I would take a few minutes to introduce myself and give you a bit of background behind the imagination of HMP Creative.
I was born in the small town of Geraldton, Western Australia. Growing up I was far from your typical country kid and my interests laid more in the arts, music, and creative classes.
High school wasn’t entirely my thing, so I left in Year 11 and headed to TAFE to study Design, Information Technology and Internet Studies. It was here that I met a woman who saw something in me and got me a job with her husband at the only television commercial production company in Geraldton at the time. I worked on a variety of projects creating graphics for commercials and gained an understanding for the art of lighting, shooting, thinking outside the box, and just having fun on the job being creative.
At 21, I decided I wanted to pursue my passion for music and moved to Sydney where I completed a Diploma of Contemporary Songwriting. After completing an EP, I signed a publishing contract with a Sydney record label that was writing for the likes of Jessica Mauboy, Delta Goodrem and many more. At what should have been the highlight of my life, I was young, made some silly mistakes, and busted a pretty major opportunity.
With life taking a new direction, I returned to study again and completed a Diploma of Community Services and Case Management. I can genuinely say that community services isn’t for everyone and give credit to those in the industry… but it turned out it wasn’t for me. I guess like many, I just “wasn’t sure who I wanted to be when I grew up.”
Fast forward a couple years and I landed a sales role for a big retailer in Sydney. It was here that I knew I wasn’t making the most of my creativity, so I approached the director of the company and asked if I could pitch myself to him. This company was spending a lot of money on big agencies and outsourcing things that were within my skillset. After presenting my portfolio, I was given the role of Graphic Design and Marketing Coordinator for the business and did everything from manage the content of their website to creating weekly eDM’s, copywriting for radio, designing promotions and campaigns.
Finally I knew I had found my groove. Something with a lot of variety and that I knew I was good at.
After leaving the rat race of Sydney and settling down for the more quiet country life in , I landed a contract with Tamworth Regional Council in their marketing department and worked on a range of projects including Tamworth Country Music Festival, The TCMF Gig Guide, Destination Tamworth and more. I then became the Marketing Manager for CH Boutique Hotel and spent a couple years building their brand as the business grew and expanded. Never one to sit still, I took on a highly creative role with Downtown Magazine/Downtown Media Group and found myself learning the ins and outs of publishing.
In 2020, after many years of self-doubt, and thanks to the encouragement and support of many friends and family , I took the plunge and opened HMP Creative… and it has truly been the best decision I have made.
With a range of clients, I am lucky enough to offer creative direction, photography, copywriting, marketing, styling, video, social media management, direct mail campaigns, website management, graphic design and so much more helping local businesses with whatever creative needs they might be.
So here we are, after a long journey, the beginnings of HMP Creative.
If you have read this far, I truly thank you for your attention.
If you are a business that is looking for creative input, I encourage you to get in touch with me.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Hayden Pannell
Chief Creative @ HMP Creative
✉️ [email protected]
📱 0438 232 706
