When I’m not writing poetry, I’m also moving into writing for television – a world I’m realising just makes disabled people almost completely invisible – most of the time. The MacTaggart Lecture is the keynote of the Edinburgh Film and Television International Show, and is delivered by a leading light of the industry. This year,Continue reading “Shield (MacTaggart Lecture)”
Category Archives: Personal
Keeping creating when inspiration has fled
I’m passionate about my creative career, and when people ask me how I work, one of the first things I say is that I make time to produce creative work every day – even if just a tiny bit. Why do I do that? I’m often uninspired, I struggle to figure out what to write,Continue reading “Keeping creating when inspiration has fled”
Shield – my poetry pamphlet is RELEASED
At the beginning of the pandemic, I spoke to my GP about being ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ and intensive care treatment, and he told me that I was “stuck between a rock and a hard place”, that the factors that made me extremely vulnerable would also make me low priority for intensive care treatment. I wasContinue reading “Shield – my poetry pamphlet is RELEASED”
Compassion: when work stops working
I work. I don’t necessarily have a good work ethic (which I would define as requiring a healthy relationship with one’s time working and not working), but I work. When I’m depressed, I work. When I’m struggling, I work. When I’m anxious, I work. Call this all kinds of maladaptive – when I’m asked whatContinue reading “Compassion: when work stops working”
Surviving Inside – fifteen tips on how to cope with self-isolation
Last summer I spent 6 months in hospital. Three months in one room in one hospital, 3 months in one room in another hospital. I won’t pretend I didn’t go a bit mad during this time – clawing at the walls and wishing I could get out more than once or twice a fortnight –Continue reading “Surviving Inside – fifteen tips on how to cope with self-isolation”
Wheelchair Access – why it matters
When non-disabled people attend inaccessible events, they’re building their careers by treading on disabled people. Why does this matter?
Complaining About Access: How non-disabled people can help
It is a sadly common fact for disabled people (and in the context of this blog, specifically wheelchair users) to be blocked from attending events because of a lack of access, but whenever I discuss this with non-disabled people, they’re shocked that this happens at all. A lot of people fall prey to the JustContinue reading “Complaining About Access: How non-disabled people can help”
Wheeled – a poem for International Wheelchair Day
Wheeled I am wheeled. My weightin legs as flesh made solid ashalf dead and halfalive as weakness but I. I – my movement joy. Myleap up jagged kerbs. Myspeed. I trail people; walking –half running. Failing tocatch me. I keep going. I; after your hoursand blisters my battery runsI speed. I swerve. I keepon going.Continue reading “Wheeled – a poem for International Wheelchair Day”
Pacing and priorities: managing energy impairment
A friend recently asked me how I manage to not use social media excessively and balance energy requirements to achieve things I want to. In writing up my answer, I thought it might be useful for people other than them, so it became a blog. I deal with quite significant energy limitations. While they’re betterContinue reading “Pacing and priorities: managing energy impairment”
2018: A year in review
Looking back: the personal and career successes of the past year.