Every month Brave Island runs a Young Creative of the Month fund, where we spotlight a local young creative with an interview on our blog, and support them with funding of £100. For September, it’s Writer and Filmmaker Isaac Leal. This fund launches at the beginning of every month, you can apply to be Young Creative of the Month for October here.
Please can you tell us about your creative practice?
I’ve had a creative side for as long as I can remember and have always been interested in discovering films, books and music; from the classic works of Alfred Hitchcock to the films of David Fincher, the back catalogue of novels by J. R. R Tolkien and songs from Dylan, Gorrilaz and Billie Eilish to name but a few, and all of this has shaped my writing style and film-making interests. Since 2012 my life was greatly changed by the diagnosis of a brain tumour and the life altering, physical effects of major surgery and the following years of extensive medical treatment. However, the fallout from this, and having to deal with subsequent disabilities (damaged eyesight, hearing, voice and ability to walk unaided) did leave me with a lot of recovery time, either in hospital, or at home. During this period I spent time finding work-arounds so I could continue to pursue my creative practices; consuming numerous films and books, as well as revitalising my passion for writing. I went to 6th form and then the University of Southampton, where I primarily studied film, but took optional literature or TV modules when possible; this education gave me a deeper understanding of topics like narrative structure, media analysis and the history and influences behind specific creative practices.
I now use these skills to write reviews, opinion pieces and to highlight important elements of life that impact marginalised people, which I post on my blog, 10 Years Post Diagnosis. I’ve written non-fiction pieces on the need for greater accessibility consciousness, the inequality seen in the medical industry, the concerning prevalence of AI in creative and paid fields as well as the misconceptions surrounding sleep apnea. I have also voiced my, sometimes humorous, opinions about Batman being too edgy and Big Trouble in Little China being the perfect type of escapism for when you just don’t want to think about things too hard. These are only a few examples of pieces I’ve written, but it’s fair to say that I do tend to stay within my non-fiction comfort zone most of the time.
I am currently working on developing my creative writing skills, taking a short character developing course at the open university. I have written some minimalist, allegorical stories, that are available on my blog; one was inspired after watching The Flight of the Phoenix (1965). For many years I’ve been writing screenplays and coming up with ideas for several low budget short films I’ve made with friends; such as the dystopian 2025 and the western inspired A Hand Soaked in Blood, which are available on my YouTube channel, HunterRaoul Productions. I also like to design the costumes for our films, as well as sourcing components and enlisting help in making props and accessories. I aim to eventually create more work like this, it’s just a matter of developing the necessary skills and finding opportunities that suit my needs.
What led you to start your blog, 10 years after diagnosis?
After graduating from university in 2022 I was immediately hospitalised for several weeks, missing amongst other things, my graduation ceremony. After I was discharged and sent home I had a number of new medical concerns to deal with, as well as feeling generally depressed about my current situation, this also tied in with me reflecting on it being 10 years since I’d been diagnosed with the brain tumour; hence the blog title. So I decided to channel some of the skills I’d learned into striving for a positive creative outlet, and to prove that I am more than the negative assumptions based on my disabilities suggest. Initially I would sporadically write down, and upload, my un-researched observations about Star Trek, cosplay design and film. This (lack of a) schedule hasn’t really changed but I find I’m generally taking my time and looking into the subjects I write about in more depth.
Typically I now tend to connect the topics I discuss, with important pieces of information, that will positively inform people, for example I’ve written advice for people preparing for their first MRI scan, and have also highlighted the often dismissed struggles faced by transgender people navigating the National Health Service. I have come to recognise that there is a lot of intersection between my own situation and those of all people; we are all humans attempting to live our lives and facing our own obstacles in an imperfectly designed world. I try to work this kind of perspective into my writing and hope that recognising this innate similarity will ultimately factor into people gaining a more inclusive view of life.
Who or what are your biggest inspirations?
As I’ve said I’m a big fan of film, tv, music and books so am naturally inspired by a lot of this creativity. For a specific example, I find the sci-fi / horror atmosphere of the first Alien film very effective and would one day love to make something that felt similar to the unsettling and deeply allegorical nature of Ridley Scott’s 1979 classic. I do also enjoy the positive optimism, understanding and diversity present in the narratives of pulpy tv shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who. I specifically like the way they use metaphor to, on the surface, present their viewers with alien creations, ranging from the outright terrifying to the completely laughable, but actually tell important stories with strong parallels to the real world.
I’m not just into sci-fi and horror though, I like all number of different genres such as westerns, action films, comedies and superhero based media. I also enjoy the largely comedic films of Edgar Wright, especially the way they match music or heightened sound effects with well edited movement, and they’ve had a major influence on my creative ideas. As long as it’s clear that passion and a creative’s undiluted vision has been poured into a piece of art, I’m likely to at the very least appreciate it.
Book wise, well Audible, I enjoy a wide range of fiction and non-fiction titles. I read works by contemporary authors such as Erin Kelly, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Tana French, as well as older books from writers like Iain Banks and Stephen King. I’ve have an interest in classic horror, often reading and exploring the works of people like Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley, I find deciphering their dramatic, gothic writing styles fun and rewarding. On top of reading these kinds of novels I consume a lot of video essays and listen to several different podcasts, the various interests discussed on the YouTube channels Thought Slime, and Jessie Gender, as well as on the Kill James Bond and Blind Boy Podcasts have greatly shaped my interests and writing style.
Where can people find your work if they’d like to support you?
I post the majority of my written work on the Word Press blog,
https://10yearspostdiagnosis.wordpress.com/ . But if you’re interested in the short films I’ve collaborated on, then they’re available to watch on my YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@hunterraoulproductions5307?si=InPttn-vkxuCwLgj
You can also find some reviews of Ventnor Fringe shows, written by Isaac right here on the Brave Island Blog!
