The Overshare on How I Got Here.
(ie. My rambling life story)
I initially posted this over on my Instagram as a carousel, and was umm-ing and ahh-ing as to whether to post all this, because now once I’d done it, I realised it's VERY RAMBLY!! However I thought it would be a good way for people to really know my professional background, and my journey as to how I got where I am today! My followers have all met me at completely different times in my life, so I thought it would be a good way to connect the dots, and maybe for you to find out something about me you didn't already know!
In school I always enjoyed art & English most, and was a very keen artist. I did a double GCSE in Art, and got A levels in Art & Design, English Literature & Philosophy. I was far more focused on becoming an illustrator at this point. My sibling was already (at the tender age of 15!) building an impressive career as a photographer, so I figured that was their thing - not mine. However, I was always so inspired by their work, and regularly modelled in their early shoots.
In 2009 I went to Oxford Brookes University to do my art foundation and build my portfolio. I almost specialised in illustration, but instead decided to pick fashion, because I felt it would give me a broader range of mediums to work in (plus all my drawings seemed to be very fashion influenced). This was pivotal, as it’s when I first properly picked up a camera for photography’s sake, rather than taking photos to draw from. My final major project was a magazine focusing on the theme of androgyny and gender, featuring photos, articles, illustrations and collages - though I didn’t come out until my early 20s, it was definitely very queer coded!
The following year, I managed to get a place at the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London, to do a BA in Fashion Communication & Promotion. There were over 1000 applicants to get onto what was a course of less than 20 people, so this was really validating! However I quickly felt out of place here, when I realised I didn’t really care as much for the fashion industry as my classmates. My final project was again, a magazine - it wasn’t even remotely a fashion publication, and instead focused on alternative lifestyles of those on the fringes of society. I ended up being one of two to receive a First. Being the big nerd I am, I chose to write a double dissertation on ‘The Sexualisation of the Tattooed Woman in Magazines’. I enjoyed writing it so much that I considered going on to do a masters in gender studies, but this didn’t happen in the end!
During my uni years, I’d study hard in the week, and in my spare time was co-running an immersive theatre collective called the Weird Kid Collective. This was a really significant period for me - as it introduced me to the London club and UK festival scene in such a unique way. We’d attend some of the most outrageously creative events in full character, me with my camera, and be doing the most off-the-wall nonsense, right at the cusp of when immersive theatre was kicking off and reaching these kinds of mainstream audiences. A great deal of the friends I have now are people I met during that time, and it made me realise that work & fun could actually co-exist.
After graduating from university and having worked multiple internships at the likes of Vice, The Sunday Times and the White Cube Gallery, I realised very quickly that the office life was not for me. Assuming my CV and grades would get me a impressively well-paid job in the arts (surprise - it didn’t), I ended up working as the digital marketing manager for The Magic Garden pub in Battersea - a place I still visit, which still holds a special place in my heart! Meanwhile, as Weird Kid Collective had dissipated, I ended up going into business with my friend and housemate, Luke Shaw, and we created Forgotten Circus - an event production company and booking agency specialising in circus arts.
All the while (as well as bartending), I was taking photos at events - the ones we were running, plus other club nights, festivals and gigs. I’d also begun doing photo shoots for people - typically those in my ever-growing network consisting of circus artists, body painters, costumiers, musicians and cabaret performers.
After a couple of years in 2017, Luke, his partner and I (plus some others) moved into an empty warehouse in north London, and Forgotten Circus turned into Forgotten Circus School, as we turned the warehouse into a fully functioning training space for circus, aerial arts and acrobatics. Here I was the marketing manager, and did a lot of work behind the scenes. I also now had the space for my own studio, where I quickly developed a name for myself as one of the few London photographers specialising in shoots for aerial acrobats at the time.
In the years since, I became a part of the core crew for Cirque de la Quirk, an area at the Isle of Wight Festival run by my good friend, Molly McQueen. Forgotten Circus School eventually closed, as we needed to go our separate ways to focus on our own projects. Amongst countless ad-hoc clients, I’ve also worked as a marketing manager and content creator for small businesses such as gender neutral hair salon Barberette, The Big Market, and most recently a new venue in Deptford called Home. All the while, I’ve been shooting countless events and promo shoots for all sorts of people and small businesses - from fashion and boudoir, to fitness and wellness - but always with my foot firmly in the performing arts world.
Today, I’ve managed to solidify my skill set in a way that works for me, for clients I truly understand and connect with. I’m not just a photographer, but a videographer, graphic designer, content creator and web designer. There’s constant fine-tuning to do when you’re self employed, but it’s really cool being able to look back at what’s brought me to where I am now. As a (recently diagnosed) neurodivergent creative surrounded by other neurodivergent creatives, work is often a source of both challenge and incredible inspiration. My brain thrives on the hyper‑focus, rapid idea‑hopping my inability to ever stick to one role - so now, I’m leaning into the ‘jack of all trades’ label, and actually making that my superpower.
