In the beginning

Since I was young, the creative arts have always been my safe space. Whether it was film, art or music, I always found something that would allow me to escape from whatever was happening around me. I would not just spend hours creating stories in my head; I also loved to lose myself in whatever I was making. 

I initially left school to study to become a PE teacher. Then I changed to something in multimedia, then some random musical theatre courses and then I switched again to learn jazz piano for a year. However, I decided that university wasn't for me. So, I left without finishing any degrees. 

I was a little lost when the global financial crisis hit. And being in my early 20s, I wasn't happy and felt there was more to see and do than working in retail. I wanted to create something. Challenge myself and make an impact.

While I initially left school to study to become a physical education teacher, then something in multimedia, some random musical theatre courses and then a year studying jazz piano. But I didn’t finish any of these and never really settled on just one creative field. 

Exploring the world

So, in 2011, I moved to London with the goal of working at the BBC. I wanted to work in film, TV or radio. However, that didn't happen. Instead, I fell into tech and have spent the last 10+ years delivering some of the biggest projects online worldwide for global audiences. What I have achieved in this field are some of my proudest moments. I may not have been working in a creative field, but I was making an impact. It also allowed me the freedom to go and explore new places, learn about new cultures and meet new people.

As time went on and I was doing less and less in being creative and many other things going on, I fell into a deep depression. With my anxiety also taking hold, I started to really question what I should be doing with my life and if I would ever find a forward. It was a rabbit hole that I was struggling to get out of. 

Then, on the 13th of March 2020, The UK were told to stay home due to COVID. The world literally stopped. I decided it was a good time to try and get myself out of the hole I had fallen very deep into. 

What started with one...

An idea from somewhere unexpected came. While on several daily calls, I noticed the blank wall behind me. If I was stuck there on calls staring at this blank wall, I would quickly get bored of it. And if I was already getting bored of staring at this wall, then people on the call would also get bored of it. 

So I decided to do a painting. What else was I going to do? I had all the time and wasn't allowed to go anywhere. I might as well do something. I decided to do a pour painting, and after a month of teaching myself how to do this, I bought the materials and planned out what I would do; one Sunday afternoon in April, I painted. 

Throughout lockdown, I got reacquainted with the creative side I hadn't let loose for a long time. And it wasn't just art; I also created stop motion videos, wrote stories and started my journey of sharing how we are all leaders.

New Challenge

I have climbed to the top of many mountains over the years. I am always looking to challenge myself, grow and learn. Despite my anxiety, constantly trying to stop me by asking, 'What if it doesn't work out?' I say, 'But what if it does?'. 

So here we are, my 3rd career and one that allows my creative mind to run free. I paint with different mediums depending on my mood and what I want to paint. While my mind may be noisy and chaotic, anything I create is my way of looking for the calm and trying to make sense of the world. 

I hope you come on this journey with me.