I’ve been handling some really neggy comments recently, and I’m exhausted.

After a long day of batting away the words of nasty strangers and thinking about where I’d prefer to be spending my energy, I felt inspired to write this short piece to appreciate YOU. Thank you xo

Here’s my little poem:

I want to say thank you – yes, thank YOU
For being you. For being someone who
Taps play on a video, clicks “like” when you like stuff
Spends time seeking out new music
Because nothing is ever quite enough
for your curious mind –
and there’s always something new and exciting to find
– and hey, thanks for saying hi sometimes.

You. You’re the one I think about
Every time I get my camera out, and write my notes
And think of ways to help or entertain you
The way that, for me, others do.

In this circle of encouragement
And love
And understanding
And human experience
And documenting
And supporting 
All to try and make sense of our place on this big wonderful planet.

I want to thank YOU
For supporting me to make
The things I hope will add something good to a world
We all take from
It’s about filling the well
And filling it well
With songs, stories and creative encouragement
From me to you

Because you help me so much and so I want to, simply,
Thank you xxx

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Join my mailing list for free songs and stories, subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

Have a lovely day! xo

I wanted to share an average week in my life as an independent artist BUT it went slightly off track because I got a new puppy!!

I still got a lot done though, so join me behind the scenes of this self-employed musician, artist and video maker creating things in my home studio and making direct connections with music fans via the internet.

Join my mailing list for free songs and stories, subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

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…meet Luna the 8-week old Cavapoo puppy from Wales who’s taken over my life. I love her. Tim loves her. Albydog loves her and guards her while she’s sleeping. My heart!

In this video, I use my 41st birthday as a benchmark to compare my January 2022 plans with what’s happened since, talking about what’s gone awry, what’s changed and what’s coming from Obey Robots, She Makes War and Penfriend.

I also discuss what it’s like to be a monetized YouTuber, what I’ve earned so far (oh, the £££!) and what it feels like to have stuck to a weekly upload schedule for 27 weeks in a row.

Plus…puppyyyyyyyyy! Subscribe here for future videos and get involved from the start of Penfriend album #2 by joining The Correspondent’s Club.

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I made this video to help. I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed lately, and I know I’m not the only one. World events can make it feel like our “first world problems” don’t matter, but grief, stress and sadness can be a very heavy load. It can be hard to take care of our physical and mental health, whatever level of privilege we enjoy.

In 2019 I was gifted a bag of poppy seeds at one of my gigs, and this week they’ve been instrumental in helping me find a way forward. 2022 hasn’t been a great year, and that’s ok – I’ll keep trying to keep trying, and I hope you will too x (ps scroll down for the transcript)

I’ve been feeling completely overwhelmed lately. Personal and professional disasters and disappointments have been having unexpected effects. Big sadness, migraine auras, social anxiety, burnout.

I feel…stuck.

And then the news. Horror and helplessness. Truly awful things are happening all around the world, and I can’t do anything to help. In the face of all that, what do my little first-world problems matter?

Do you ever feel this way?

Yesterday, I looked out into my overgrown garden and I saw something magical had happened. Rising majestically from an aggressive clump of spiky weeds taller than me – poppies. Two big, juicy, glorious, decadent poppies.

In 2019, I tried gardening for the first time ever. I’d got bored of describing myself to myself as someone who just didn’t know what to do with plants, so I rolled up my sleeves and I had a go.

Later that year, after one of my gigs, I was presented with a little bag of poppy seeds. A lady who’d been following my gardening adventures through my quarterly zine wanted to share the fruits of her own flowers.

I was so touched. What a cool gift.

She told me to plant them in winter, but I was away touring pretty relentlessly that year, and didn’t get round to doing anything with the seeds. When I realised I’d missed my chance, I stored them somewhere safe for next year.

2020 happened, and I couldn’t find the seeds.

2021 happened, and I tidied up the shed at just the right time of year to find the poppy seeds and scatter them in the garden. I assumed their life force had already faded, but I felt guilty about not trying.

So I tried, and look! Poppies! And more poppies on the way!

Before today, I havedn’t touched this garden since last August when I cleared it for my beloved Mister Benji to recuperate in after his big operation. Since he left us, it’s been too much to even think about dealing with.

2022 hasn’t been a great year, and grief, stress and sadness can be a very heavy load.

But now, seeing these gorgeous flowers just going about their business, shooting up towards the sky, I’ve been inspired to get back into gardening again. I think it might be my first step towards becoming unstuck.

And I wouldn’t be feeling just like this, right at this moment, if it weren’t for the generous gift of the poppy seeds.

Look how we can affect each other.

Look how we can help each other.

Look how we can raise each other up and give each other hope through little acts of kindness.

And look at the beauty that exists in this incredible world of ours.

We all need nutrients, water and light.

We all need hope: space to grow, something to look forward to.

We all need to clear the weeds once in a while, and remind ourselves of what’s important.

You matter. I matter. This matters. We can’t do everything, but we can do something.

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