Daniel Short

After years of working long hours at a factory, things changed for Daniel when the company he worked for closed down, and along with his colleagues, he was made redundant. 

Rather than let the setback define him, Daniel saw it as an opportunity to pursue something he had always enjoyed but never had the time or confidence to pursue: art.

Daniel enrolled in a Certificate in Arts and Design (Level 4) at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology’s Tauranga campus. The 16-week course runs four days a week, with each day focussed on a different subject area, including visual arts, graphic design and design principles, fashion design and even tattooing.

Daniel says studying hasn’t just help him reconnect with creativity, it has transformed his life. 

As well as learning new technical skills, and processes and frameworks to support design creation, this month Daniel marks one year sober. He credits the course and the welcoming learning environment as a key part of his recovery.

“The tutors at Toi Ohomai are awesome. As a mature student, I didn’t know what to expect. I shared my story and what I was hoping to get out of studying, and everyone was really welcoming and supportive. That definitely helped me succeed,” he says.

Daniel’s results speak for themselves. He completed the course with one A and three A-, achieving marks higher than 80% for each assignment.

Outside of class, Daniel has turned a space at home into his own art studio. He is currently working on a Celtic wolf canvas for his daughter, and using airbrush painting techniques and layered textures to create a Marvel’s The Punisher piece.

“I’ve always loved design and art, but I used to pick up a paintbrush and have creative block. Now, I know how to get started, because I have tools and processes from the course to lean on.”

At Toi Ohomai, Daniel also gained new digital skills by working with apps and technology during the design process, and he learnt new artistic techniques such as bleaching, vinyl wrapping, and draping. 

He says it was the fashion design classes which surprised him the most.

“I thought I’d struggle with sewing, but I actually loved it.”

Throughout his 16 weeks on campus, Daniel created a wide range of work. One piece was a Viking-inspired hoodie that paid tribute to his Norwegian roots, and another was a graphic design project for ANZAC Day which included bold text, poppies and other symbolic references.

Looking forward, Daniel plans to take his creativity even further by enrolling in the Bachelor of Creative Arts in 2026, with a focus on Visual Arts. His long-term goal is to have a full-time career in art and design. Currently, he’s exploring scholarship options open to Toi Ohomai students to help support this next step.

These days, Daniel says he feels the healthiest and happiest he’s ever been, and that he has a clear pathway forward. Because who says it’s too late to start at 50?