Killer Queen Q&A with Dominik Shields
Dominik Shields [she/her] is a New Zealand born, Australian claimed, Actor, Model and Writer.
Dom recently published her very first book, a beautiful, heartfelt collection of poetry about love and loss, appropriately titled “Wither and Bloom”; and is currently working on her second book of poetry Sink or Swim, due to be released next year.
She’s also penning three other novels as we speak, in between modelling and acting gigs.
Dom is also the owner of a pet sitting business called Love Ya, Pet, and a kisser of cuddly animals, helping raise Guide Dog Puppies for Guide Dogs Australia.
When taking time out from her many avenues, you will usually find her drinking big coffees around Melbourne, at the dog park with her labrador Raya or on the hunt for the perfect velvet suit.
I’ve had the pleasure of working on a couple of shoots with this super talented woman and she is the real deal- super genuine, warm, authentic as well as bursting with talent, grace and humility.
I recently chatted to this lovely human about all things beauty, book launches, finding inspiration, and how she finds balance with all she has going on!
Photo, Hair & Makeup: Killer Queen Creative. Dress by @sunnydaysvintage. Flowers by @theflowerdistrict
Welcome, Dom! I have a hypothetical for you…you’ve got 5 minutes to leave the house in the morning- what makeup do you reach for?
I would grab my Mecca Max Wink Ink Mascara, Flower Beauty Dark Brown Eyebrow Gel, the Hurraw lip balm in cherry and of course my La Roche 50% SPF!
What’s your skincare routine and your approach to beauty?
It’s changed over the years, as a teenager I had pretty ferocious acne but this did teach me a lot about skincare! So that was a silver lining I suppose haha.
I am loving The Ordinary balancing set & the salicylic acid mask at the moment - it feels so lush and has been leaving my skin feeling really hydrated and clearing up the pesky mask-ne! I try to keep everything simple as my skin is quite sensitive and doesn’t like too many products being used at once.
I think my approach to beauty is the same as my skincare philosophy, I’m not very good at make-up and never have been haha! I’m so lucky that with my job I get to meet so many incredible MUA’s who give me tips & tricks - I’m such a freak for makeup tutorials and love learning about beauty and skincare.
I really love the less is more type of vibe, lots of cream products and fool proof products - if I can blend it in and then go about my day, I’m there! I love a cat eye (getting them looking even on the other hand...give me 2 hours please) with fluffy brows and a red or muted pink lip - they’re my two go-to’s for beauty.
I think the biggest thing for me beauty wise is people feeling comfortable and confident with who they are & that always seems to come through, with or without makeup or a 48 step skincare routine.
You’re a multi-talented human with so many strings to your bow! How do you find balance and keep your life in check?
Aw, thank you! I’m definitely a big ‘yes-woman’ which I think can cause me trouble, I love activities, creating and I find it hard to turn my brain off when it comes to work. I
I’m a real stickler for journaling, both creatively and to keep my days organised. I got into bullet journalling a few years ago which really helped me out - I’m able to keep creative with design and also vaguely keep my life in order. I’ve found that having a schedule has really helped me find a balance as I’m able to visually see when I have to have things completed by a deadline and when I can take the afternoon off to hang out with my dog.
I’m also very lucky that the people in my life know I’m always working and then force me to take some time to chill out so that I’m not burning myself out.
How did you keep sane during lockdown? What helped get you through?
Great question! I did find that my experience was quite different to a lot of other peoples - I work from home and I’m doing my Masters online so not much of that routine changed. I did miss seeing all my friends and my family and not being able to go to my favourite cafes.
As annoying as they have come to be, Zoom/video meetings managed to keep me connected with everyone and we were able to make the most of the weird situation we found ourselves in - I did a lot of online rehearsals (with gaming breaks in between haha!) I’m lucky that where I live we have so much greenery & walking trails, so the dogs and I were walking our 10kms each day for something to do / clear my head.
I started doing pilates workouts at home and continued with my online meditation classes. These really added a routine to my days and helped me connect with myself when I felt the world falling apart. I also took up crafts haha, I started making all my friends' friendship bracelets and embroidery, so if anyone wants some handmade craft… let me know haha!
Photo: Hana Schlesinger @The Photo Studio, Fitzroy
When did you decide writing was your calling? Was it something you've always loved to do or did it happen organically and take you by surprise?
Hm, I’ve always written. When I was 6 the librarian at my primary school ‘published’ some writing for me in our school's library - so cute. I wrote a story about a magic camel and drew the whole thing, so she laminated the pages and bound it for me and put it on display. My first ever published work haha!
I wrote a lot as a teenager, I’ve always found it to be therapeutic, even if nobody read it, it was something that I was able to do to empty my mind and make sense of whatever was happening at the time. I’ve got stacks of journals I’m scared to open out of embarrassment!
What approach do you take to your writing practice? Do you schedule time to write and do it religiously, or it something you do when inspiration strikes?
This is a tricky question - I know I should be more religious about my practice and really set aside time to do it - especially when I have looming deadlines, but I find it takes me longer to get into it that way. While I was working on my fantasy novel during one of my semesters at uni, I would carve out like 6 hours of my day to get chapters written because it would take me a good hour of procrastination to actually start writing. Awful, I know!
I write a lot when I’m walking or before I go to bed - I’m a real night owl so I usually get all my writing done during 10pm-1am.
Elizabeth Gilbert wrote in her book Big Magic that ideas come to us at certain times and if we don’t hold onto them they’ll get bored and go to someone else who wants to use them instead. This really stuck with me ever since I read it & so I like to act on the ideas as soon as they come to mind, I always have a journal and a pen with me or use my notes app so that I can write them down and flesh them out later when it’s more appropriate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve woken up at 4am, quickly written down a note and gone back to sleep - sorry to my ex-boyfriends for that...
What inspired you to write ‘Wither & Bloom’? What did you draw on when you wrote it?
I was so sad and so in love at the same time haha!
I think in terms of writing Wither & Bloom it was something I wrote in an attempt to understand and heal from a relationship that I was in for so long, almost 7 years and in your early twenties that’s a really long time.
I found it so cathartic and I really loved the process but it definitely happened organically, because I think it’s what I really needed at the time. I drew on the love that I felt for the people I was in relationships with at the time as well as what happens once that love eventually goes away.
A few of the poems were inspired by the relationships I see around me & a couple of them were written for poetry competitions, so they were inspired by other people but also elements of people in my own life. I found inspiration from Nikita Gill’s work as well. She has a huge fantasy/mythology energy within her work and I find it so exciting to read.
How have you found the response to your book so far?
Overwhelmingly positive; I’m really blown away by how many people wanted a copy! It started out by making a handful of copies for my friends who wanted to read my work but now people all over the world have read it? So wild!
Releasing a book is often a nerve-wracking experience. What was it like launching ‘Wither & Bloom’ into the world?
I was terrified to be honest with you, I found it quite anxiety-inducing and I wasn’t sure how it was going to be received.
For the most part it was super positive and people started asking when another one was going to be published so that was really lovely. I had apprehension releasing it as I didn’t know how the people closest to me would react or respond, for the most part it was positive haha.
Aside from reactions, it was also quite stressful. I self-published the work so it was only me! I did all the design, organisation for getting it printed etc. I got help from my friend Ren who was able to edit it for me and give me some creative guidance, my friend Kaitlyn was able to help me understand InDesign and format the book and then it was up to me to learn the ins and outs of publishing, pack and distribute all the orders as well as learn about foreign taxes haha!
What are your future plans for writing and creating? Do you have more stories in you? where do you see your writing journey taking you?
I do! I have so many stories, I’m almost finished with my second poetry book Sink or Swim which will be out in 2022, I’m working on a fantasy novel and two Young Adult horror fiction books as well. I’ve always been a storyteller, whether through writing or acting, it’s the number one thing I’ve always known how to do!
I would love to have one of my works picked up by a publisher, do a book reading and hear the stories of others who have read my work. I’d love to work as a mentor for young writers, it’s so important to have someone in your corner and I’d love to help others reach their potential.
What are your top tips for anyone who wants to write a book but isn't sure how to go about it?
Hm. I think start by writing as much as you can, even if you don’t think anybody will read it. Writing, like anything else, is a muscle and the more that you can practice the stronger it will get. Carve out the time in your day or night to write, really sit down without any distractions and just free flow - I’m guilty of not doing this!
Finding your voice - this comes with time and the more you practice the more you’ll realise where you sit within writing - are you a comedy writer, poetry writer, fiction? When you know your writer's voice it’s generally easier to find work that is similar & this can serve as inspiration for your own work.
Also read as much as you can! This will help you so much.
I guess my boujee tip would be to invest in a mentor or someone within the industry who has specialised skills in the areas that you need a little more help with. Writers Victoria & the Australian Writers Centre has great resources!
And finally, what do you do in your downtime?
I really try to actively do nothing, ha! Then usually I feel guilty that I’m not doing something so I do a little bit of work, study or meditate on that feeling.
I like to zen out on the couch watching something on TV that my friends recommended to me like 6 months ago. I love live music so being able to catch as many gigs as possible rules, I really love going to the cinema, catching up for coffee with my favourite people. I love going down to the river near my house and just sitting with my dog listening to whatever is going on. I’m a big fan of wandering around local markets or farmers markets, going to the bookstore and finding the next big book I’m going to indulge in.
Photo, Hair & Makeup: Killer Queen Creative. Dress by @sunnydaysvintage. Flowers by @theflowerdistrict
You can find Dom’s writing and current book ‘Wither & Bloom’ on her website and follow what she’s up to on her instagram
You can see her acting bio here and follow her pet sitting biz over here
Have a question? Feel free to get in touch with me
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