WHERE I WAS...
I was born in Stoke-on-Trent, England, where I live to this day. Although I love travelling, I could never see myself moving away from here - it's where my family are and it will always be my home.
Despite having wonderful, supportive parents, growing up was tough for me. I got kicked out of every school I ever went to, got severely bullied, and missed out on a mainstream education. Little did I know, I was living with undiagnosed ADHD, Asperger's Syndrome and Dyslexia. It wasn't until I reached adulthood that I received my diagnoses, by which time I had built up an over-sensitivity to the world around me.
I developed a fear of people and being out in public. I became shy, introvert, scared. As a result, I am unable to cope well in a workplace environment, and have at this point lost count of how many jobs I have actually had.
This being said, I did manage to go back to college back in 2008 to study my A-Levels - albeit only leaving with 2 qualifications (out of 4): an A-Level in Art & Design, and a GCSE in Photography.
I surprised myself even more when I gave university a try. After being out of education for nearly a decade, I was offered a place at Staffordshire University in 2017. I joined a course called 'Step Up' which enables adults like myself, who may not have the necessary qualifications to get into university, the opportunity to study a degree.
I not only passed this course, but I received an award: 'Academic Excellence', for getting the highest grade out of all the students on the course. This blew my mind, and gave me a much needed confidence boost!
A few months later I had been offered a place on a BA(Hans) Photography degree course at Staffs Uni, and I spent the next 3 years studying harder than I ever had before. It was during this time at university that I was diagnosed with Dyslexia. My diagnosis enabled me to get extra support at university, by way of a mentor and personal tutor.
Jacky was an absolute God-send! She helped me with time management and with organising my workload, and offered me words of encouragement. No way would I have passed the degree without her regular input and support. Thanks Jacky!
I graduated with a 2:1 in 2020.
WHERE I AM...
Fast-forward a few years to now. I am still unemployed and still struggling with my mental health (for which I am medicated). I still struggle to communicate with people, and I'm still as shy as ever.
I don't know what my long-term (or short-term for that matter) goals are, and although I have a few ideas of the sort of career(s) I would like, that's all they are, ideas. All I know is, I want to be my own boss. Deciding on exactly what area I want to go into is a lot more difficult of a decision.
At present, I spend my days watching LinkedIn Learning courses to improve my skills in different creative outlets; spending time with family; doing a bit of DIY and repairs; and playing music (I enjoy singing, and playing the piano and guitar. (I used to perform at local open-mic nights, but my mental health has once again declined to the point where I can currently no longer do this).
I said I don't know what my short or long-term goals are, but I guess my main goal is to get myself back on track with my mental health. To "keep on keeping on", and just try my best. That's all any of us can do, right?
The content on my website will hopefully give you a better understanding of who I am and what I enjoy. I've included examples of my photography, and also plan to develop my YouTube channel with vlog-style videos.
Thank you for visiting my website, and for taking the time to read a bit about me - it is greatly appreciated.
Take care.