‘Play’ on BBC Introducing
Last night, BBC Introducing Solent emailed to say that ‘Play’ would be featured on the BBC Introducing Solent show.
As well as playing the track — and saying some very kind words about it — the show shared some of what I have written about here: the way way music and mental health have walked hand-in-hand in starting this blog. It is a slightly terrifying moment, to hear your story shared so widely, but it has also been great to hear the positive response too.
Thank you BBC Introducing Solent for your kind words, and thank you for sharing my part in a much bigger, but important, conversation.
Family Birthday Party
I felt very spoilt this weekend, getting to spend time enjoying family, food and presents.
Birthday Games
My wonderful friend Ellie hosted a night of food, games, and a surprise birthday cake on Saturday night.
iPhone Summer Vlogs
iPhone vlogs filmed, soundtracked and edited on iPhone in the Summer of 2017.
They say the best camera is the one you have on you. And so, as moments flew by this summer, I tried to capture them using just my iPhone. To me, the moments I was able to record were more personal and more spontaneous as a result.
Film Photo Blog: Ocean Village
Back in June, I took my old SLR out around Ocean Village. These are the photographs that came from the expired film that was in the camera.
One Year On
Today marks one year of this blog.
Starting as an excuse to be creative in the final few weeks of last summer, this blog has become a place to share new things: some things more humble and some more ambitious; sometimes more frequent and sometimes less so.
As I wrote about on World Mental Health Day, the most important thing about this blog has been the freedom to share in ways that feel easier to me. Trying new formats has been a big part of that for me. Starting with one-minute videos on Instagram, and then adding blog posts, video blogs, and music videos, each has opened up new practices and approaches.
I'm someone who likes to share things only when they are finished. I don't usually go in for astrology, but it is, apparently, a common trait in Virgos. In someways, it's a great thing: I can happily sit for hour, whittling away at ideas until the final piece emerges. However, the downside of wanting only to share final, polished pieces, is that it can become impossible to call anything finished at all.
Maybe it's getting older, maybe it's watching too much Ru Pauls's Drag Race, or maybe it's watching too many daily vlogs on YouTube, but over the past year, I've found myself looking to find a voice for my work that feels more authentically mine, even when that means embracing imperfections.
I have a tendency to be very neat and precise: another Virgo trait I believe, but I'm honestly not in to star signs — I swear! At college, I studied Graphic Art, and in the second year of my course, I was working on a street art themed project. I had made a mood board, collecting ideas for elements, textures and images that would inspire the project. I thought I was nearly done. But my tutor, Joel, looked at it, and with a roller of black ink, smeared a huge black mark right through the middle. "It's street art. It needs to be more dirty."
After the initial shock settled, I embraced the new direction. And in fact, it kicked off a whole new aesthetic for my work. This blog has been a little like that. Working in shorter formats has helped me look at songwriting in new ways. Working with friends on soundtracks and songs for videos has helped me to try new approaches, and embrace the little mistakes that give things their charm. Documenting special moments with friends and family in video blogs has helped me to just capture moments as they happen.
So maybe it is too much Drag Race, or too many daily vlogs, but for this next year, I want to make things that feel more personal, more expressive, and more authentic, even if that makes them a little messier. I hope that leads me to be little easier on myself, to open up and connect more with others, and to embrace imperfections. Because, remember, if you can't love yourself, how in the helllll are you gonna love somebody else? Can I get an amen up in herrrreeeee?
Film Photo Blog: Abbotsbury
These photos are from another of the camera films I got developed this week. These photos were taken in Abbotsbury on a film that was in my vintage SLR and the expired film really shows in some of these.
Film Photo Blog: A Sunny Day in Winchester
During the May half term holiday, I spent the day in Winchester with Alice. I took my point-and-shoot film camera, and, after a little delay, I got the photos processed last week. Here's the results:
Lydia's 5th Birthday Party
A trolls themed party for a special fifth birthday celebration!
An Adventure on the Isle of Wight
At Christmas we promised my niece and nephew a trip to the Isle of Wight, two weeks ago, we got to go on that adventure.
A Day in Brighton
On the last day of half term, Pip and I took a trip down to Brighton.
After a journey of sing-along songs, we grabbed a light lunch at Plateau, followed by ice creams at Boho Gelato (totally worthy of the hype). After wondering around the lanes we found ourselves on the beach, totally chilled out, and, before heading home, we had dinner at Jamie's Italian.
Video Blog: Abbotsbury
During half term, I drove west along the south coast, to meet my very good friend Corrie in Abbotsbury.
Corrie works at The Clock Workshop, just at the bottom of St Catherine's Hill. After meeting her for work, we walked up, past St Catherine's Chapel, and sat overlooking Chesil Beach.
We walked back down for dinner at the village pub — a halloumi, pepper and humous burger, followed by a chocolate brownie for me — before going to watch the sunset from Chesil Beach.
Video Blog: A Sunny Afternoon in Winchester
Last week seems like a million years ago — it's been a busy first week back at work — but it was so good to spend a lazy, sunny afternoon in Winchester with Alice.
Vintage Camera
When my parents got engaged, 40 years ago, they bought a cheap ring, so they could afford a good camera. This week I loaded it up with film and took it around Ocean Village.
Eggs in Clouds
Never one to shy away from an Instagram food trend, I tried my hand at Eggs in Clouds this week.
The making is fairly simple: you separate the eggs, whipping the whites in to clouds which you bake briefly — 7ish minutes, so I'm told — and then add the yolks for another short flash in the oven — 3ish minutes, apparently. I chose to fully embrace the hipster food trends, and serve mine along side mashed avocado, sour dough toast, halloumi and grilled tomatoes on the vine, all of which, frankly, were by far the better elements on the plate.
Video Blog: Saturday 20 May 2017
After a walk around Ocean Village, I took myself for a late night treat at Five Guys...
Video Blog: Wahaca with Corrie (Saturday 6 May 2017)
Corrie came to visit this weekend, and we went for dinner at one of my favourite places: Wahaca,
Video Blog: Monday 1 May 2017
As the bank holiday weekend comes to an end, I spent the evening grabbing junk food with friends.
Video Blog: Five Guys Friday (Friday 28 April 2017)
What better way to start a Bank Holiday Weekend than with a Five Guys (burger and fries)?