Lightward is a direction, yes—and it’s also an energy. And rather than talk about that energy, we’d rather introduce you to the people who embody it, here—the people we get to work alongside on a daily basis.

A few months ago, I had a video call with Tristan to do some research for an exciting, yet-to-be-announced project we’ve been working on here at Lightward. When we wrapped our session, my mind was on fire. His thoughtful, philosophical approach to life makes him a fascinating conversation partner (for those of you who’ve encountered him via Locksmith support, you know exactly what I’m talking about). We feel deeply lucky to be in Tristan’s warm, expansive, and inquisitive orbit and are stoked for you to learn more about him here. Everyone, meet Tristan!

Preferred pronouns?

He/him/his

Where are you based? 

Sydney, Australia

How long have you been working at Lightward?

Two years this August!

How would you describe the work you do here at Lightward? 

Supporting merchants with using Locksmith, which includes helping to problem-solve or troubleshoot different solutions and ideas, and occasionally adding or modifying some theme code. I also help with identifying what can be fixed or improved, and working on Locksmith’s documentation. 

Locksmith’s a tool built on some simple rules and settings, this flexibility is part of what makes Locksmith so useful and powerful. I love being a part of this human interface that helps people navigate Locksmith to implement a solution that works for them.

What was the impetus/curiosity for joining Lightward in the first place? 

The values, the structure, and the kindness that underpins Lightward. To me, joining Lightward has been an opportunity to work with and learn something technical, which I love, and also to participate and contribute to an organization of humans with different backgrounds but common values. 

What have you learned about yourself and the way you like to work since joining Lightward? 

I like just enough structure. Enough to make sure I have some idea of how to approach each day or the week ahead, but not so much that I can’t tolerate a change in plans, or something taking longer than expected. This also allows room to explore and to learn things.

The flexibility here has allowed me to prioritise my health and repair a lot of damage that had been done to my sleep.

I also had baggage from unhealthy work environments that I didn’t realise I was carrying around. It took working with people who don’t work in that way to properly realise that, address it, and grow from it.

What’s your favorite way to recharge and relax?

Walking, reading, and getting totally lost is in something that is partially disassembled —be it a concept, object or my own ignorance.

What’s an essential part of your rhythm that helps you connect to and show up with your most authentic self? 

Going outside, first thing, for a walk and giving my brain some space to process whatever thoughts are hanging around that morning. 

How do you prefer to express yourself creatively? 

Exploring, interrogating, and finding solutions to all sorts of everyday problems, is a creative process where I can express myself. Problem-solving is a creative outlet for me, and finding a fix where there wasn’t one before, excites me—it gets the synapses firing, and helps me apply solutions in a variety of situations. And cooking! Getting creative and making a delicious mess in the kitchen brings me a huge amount of happiness.

What’s a book you recommend to people often? 

Dune by Frank Herbert

In some ways this is an inconsiderate recommendation. When I say Dune, I mean the six main novels in the Dune series. I love these books. They are full of big ideas about how humans are shaped by the environment, politics, religion, and cultures.

Where/how do you tend to gather new ideas and put yourself in the way of expansion? 

I have a diverse group of friends. Conversations here can be amazing and bring a lot of different perspectives from everyone's disciples/interests and life experience. Listening more than talking in these conversations can be hard sometimes, but so valuable. 

I also love listening to podcasts with journalists talking to academics about different topics. I find they provide accessible, up-to-date insights into different subjects.

What’s something you’re proud of? 

My university degrees. Not the paper or status, but rather for focusing on something for so long and finding a lot of personal reward and friendships through doing that. I’ve previously found it impossible to commit to an interest long enough and with enough intensity to get so much out of it.

If your current life phase had a chapter title, what would it be? 

Part 3 :)

Favorite place you’ve traveled to, and why? 

Cambodia. I was fortunate to experience many aspects of Khmer cultures, modern and ancient, and the history of the genocide by the Khmer Rouge. I met some local students and one of their Buddhist teachers, who shared some profound wisdom with me. As a philosophy, Buddhism emphasises the importance of educating one’s own heart as well as one’s head, in order to be a good human, to be generous, forgiving and humble. This is a choice that we can all make to be kind and loving despite what we might be experiencing. 

Knowing this, and seeing the killing fields and meeting people who have escaped—and who are healing and have forgiven such atrocities in order to heal themselves and future generations—has shaped how I think about how we all connect to and interact with each other. We all want to live in a caring community, and we can all take part in shaping how that happens.

The album you keep coming back to? 

Grace, by Jeff Buckley 

What song is playing in the credits in your life’s movie? 

Iggy Pop’s Passenger

OR

L’Absente - Yann Tiersen

When do you most feel like you?

In the morning with a coffee and a book.

What does “Lightward” mean to you? 

Lightward is permission to join and to grow in this space. To me, Lightward is an invitation to grow and create something that is healthy, something that is good, and something that is meaningful and useful. 

I can contribute to and shape what we do here. I can bring as much of myself as feels right. There’s trust here, there’s autonomy here, and there’s other humans here that care about you and that you're a human, not a cog, not an expectation and not just a title.

Lightward is heading in that direction but also encourages us to do the same for ourselves.