I grew up in Dorset with a deep love of nature, beachcombing, and singing.
One of my earliest memories of writing is from around age six, when I would post letters and poems to my dad. One such poem was titled “It’s gone black”, inspired by the time my fingernail fell off!
As a teenager, I kept a diary and often filled its pages with personal ramblings and song lyrics. I even remember ceremoniously burning it at one point…
When I was ten, I was present at my sister’s birth, an experience so raw and magical that it sparked an early fascination with midwifery. That seed eventually led me into nursing, where I began my career on a general medical ward. At 21, the weight of responsibility was often overwhelming, so I took time out to travel solo through Asia, my backpack far too heavily laden with books! That journey taught me a lot about the world…..and even more about myself.
After working within the NHS and hitting a period of burnout, I entered a deep self healing journey. I began exploring holistic health practices and the positive results encouraged me to weave them into my allopathic nursing work, wherever possible. I soon became a bit of a course addict, studying ayurvedic yoga massage, reiki and anthroposophical nursing. I find varying health practices fascinating and think there is still so much that we don’t know or cant even quantify.
One of the most challenging and transformative experiences was attending a ten-day silent Vipassana meditation retreat. No talking, no eye contact, and much to my dismay no notebooks or pens. Writing had always been a core self-care practice for me. But in that silence, I encountered something new: a stillness that allowed deeper insight and inner wisdom to arise. I was desperate to capture it all, but the very lesson of Vipassana is to let go. Let go of craving, of attachment, of needing to hold on. It’s a lesson I’m still practicing.
More recently, I’ve begun the inescapable, magical journey into motherhood. Becoming a parent casts a kind of spell over time, days blur, childhood is relived, and presence becomes everything. Writing has been a lifeline for processing and documenting this chapter. I love writing poems and silly songs with our boys. They remind me to stay playful and curious.
The “mum juggle” is real, but I’ve realised I need to keep dipping my toe into my own passions to stay connected to myself. That’s taken many forms: expanding my nursing practice to palliative care, hosting writing-for-wellbeing workshops, holding moon circles, and publishing a children’s book, with an interactive workshop alongside.
Its beautiful to see how motherhood awakens creativity in so many of the women in my circle (and in me too)
I still don’t quite know what I want to be when I grow up, but for now, I’ll keep playing…Especially with words.
Thank you for reading. I hope my writing gives you something in return. Feel free to reach out …I’d love to connect.
