I have always loved words. I couldn’t wait to read. I used to memorise bedtime stories told to me to pretend I was reading them. I squirrelled myself away in my bedroom, writing stories from the minute I could write. I even used to get my Nans Freemans catalogue and make up stories using the pictures in the women’s clothes section. They went on some right adventures!
As I got older, life got in the way a bit, but when I found myself in a failed marriage at 28, I returned to my old friend writing, where I started writing my first personal blog for about a year. Not one I ever wish to read again. I think it would make my eyes bleed!
Fast forward a few more years, I was engaged to my now husband and stepmother to two boys, and I found myself bored at work. I had been through a struggle with my mental health, and I was shocked at how many people I knew suffered. No one ever talked about this stuff. Why? I decided to start my blog there and then write about my experiences.
Although my mission was to help people, I had one small problem: my self-esteem. I was too scared to tell anyone who I was, so I started my blog with the name Who Am I? Because thats what I felt that I was trying to figure out.
In January 2017, I hit publish on my first post on WordPress. I told a handful of friends about it and wondered if anyone would ever actually bother reading my ramblings. Since then I have branched out to Facebook, Instagram, Medium and other platforms and now an actual website.
I have now swapped my 20+ year career in financial services to become a full-time writer with my very own copywriting business.
My blog has been my constant companion over the years: depression, anxiety, marriage, becoming a cat mother, toxic work environments and, more recently, perimenopause.
I try to share as much as I can without compromising the privacy of others so that people who go through something similar don’t feel alone. There is always someone, somewhere, who can understand what you are feeling.
Hopefully, you’ll not only enjoy them but also find some nuggets of usefulness. Feel free to share the love if they strike a chord with you or someone you know! After all, in these shared experiences, we discover not just strength but a sense of connection.
Happy reading!
Clare x