The festivities begin, the nights draw in and the heating kicks in...with an awkward thud and a familiar sense of warm dust tantalising your nostrils. It's finally here! Chunky old knits and crochet scarves re-surface. The coffee's topped with cinnamon sprinkles. And kitchen cupboards wink at you, enticing you with maple syrup and roasted nuts, … Continue reading Autumn bliss
Review: Clear White Light
Live Theatre, Newcastle, 24 Oct - 10 Nov It's a brave move to use Gothic horror as the backdrop for a story exploring mental health problems - you've got to be pretty confident in your approach. However, writer Paul Sirett and the production team at Live Theatre have managed to pull it off. When I … Continue reading Review: Clear White Light
Pilled Up
Trigger warning - the anti-psychiatry movement are at risk of foaming with fury at this one... Sorry if the headline feels like click bait. Because no, this 40 year old is not pilled up in that sense. I spent my Saturday night reading my new Christmas magazine and wearing my new pink slipper boots (with … Continue reading Pilled Up
Ode to a Tormented soul
TW: description of depression I want to share this poem that my dad sent to me today. I hadn't seen it before, but he wrote it back in the 90s. It's about depression. It's pretty powerful I think. He's always been really artistic - he writes, plays music and he used to paint, too. He's … Continue reading Ode to a Tormented soul
My head, write now
I'm writing this right now to calm my brain. I've no idea what I'm about to write but I am hoping it will untangle the restless procrastination coupled with a sense of urgency that is whirring round my head right now. I joked last night on Twitter that: "Today I feel like that 14 year … Continue reading My head, write now
6 freelance rules we should all obey
Never. NEVER thought I would do this. But I'm two months into flying solo as a freelancer and so far....so good, actually (and my final beta blocker is still sitting wrapped in its foil, not needing to go anywhere. Yet...) Ah, if I'm honest, I've had the odd panic. But given the ups and downs … Continue reading 6 freelance rules we should all obey
School’s out – how we spent a 1980s summer holiday
The halcyon days. We were so much healthier in the 80s weren't we? All that time outdoors, making dens in the woods, playing bulldog on hard concrete playgrounds, eating Findus crispy pancakes and learning how to smoke with candy sticks... But regardless of the e-numbers and carcinogenic habits that were formed in our formative years, … Continue reading School’s out – how we spent a 1980s summer holiday
Book Review: Taming the Beast Within
It's always nerve-wracking picking up a book that's clouded in controversy when you're usually outspoken. Especially as a non-professional who has no lived experience when it comes to the subject matter (personality disorder diagnoses) but I'd be a bit of a wuss if I didn't share my views - for what they're worth... Although I'm … Continue reading Book Review: Taming the Beast Within
It took having a breakdown on stage to take my mental health seriously
There's this idea that acting, performing, being creative, etc, is a cushy way to carve out a career. We've heard people complain on social media when a show or a gig is cancelled because of the performer's illness or exhaustion. Surely they can just get on with it for one night? But the pressure on … Continue reading It took having a breakdown on stage to take my mental health seriously
Soap fan and proud: Why TV soaps have a crucial role in education
Our beloved Philip Schofield has just hosted another raucous British Soap Awards and the usual best dressed / worst dressed nonsense has hit the headlines again. But the soaps do a lot more for us than generating gossip on the cobbles, leaving us hanging with duff-duffer moments and making us gasp for breath as something … Continue reading Soap fan and proud: Why TV soaps have a crucial role in education
