For most of my life, I believe that I am not a creative person. My world is built on numbers, spreadsheets, and the predictable logic of accounting. It is a safe, dependable world, and I cling to it because it is all I know. The ghost of my past is whispering a constant, self-limiting truth, I am never going to be good enough for anything beyond the safe, mundane life of an accountant. I am a person who deals in facts and figures, not imagination and art. So, for years, I stick to the routine, the comfort of the familiar. I am an accountant, and that is all I am.

Then, the world turns upside down. The pandemic arrives, and with it comes a mind blowing stillness. My daily commute is gone, the office is closed, and the rigid structure of my life melts away. In the quiet, I am forced to face myself and the beliefs I have held for so long. Is it truly a fact that I’m not creative, or is it just a story I have been telling myself? The more I question that belief, the more I realise I have no evidence to support it. It is simply a feeling, a deep-seated fear.

With a new sense of purpose, I decide to embark on an adventure into the unknown. I quit my job and begin to actively seek out creative experiences. My journey takes me to improv classes at The Free Association and Hoopla, and a challenging clowning course at The Why Not Institute. I also dive deep into creative writing, studying a wide range of genres at the CityLit, including article and column writing, creative non-fiction, memoirs, and micro-poetry. I hone my skills in poetry and short story writing with my local library and even study humour writing at the Faber Academy. Through this immersive process, I learn to master the art of the story arc, characterisation, and scene setting, all skills that are transferable to any form of storytelling, be it fact or fiction. While I enjoy applying this knowledge to non-fiction articles, the most profound discovery is that I am capable of telling a story. It is through this process that I begin to see myself in a new light. I find that my instincts are sharp, my storytelling is engaging, and I have a natural gift for making people laugh without even trying.

The feedback I receive is overwhelmingly positive. Small wins and genuine compliments become the new evidence I am looking for. The voice in my head that once told me I was not good enough begins to fade, replaced by a new one that says, “You can do this.” I realise that if I can change this one core belief about myself, I can change anything. My journey of self-discovery, fuelled by the stillness of the pandemic, has not only unlocked my creativity but also taught me the power of writing. It is through putting words on a page that I can truly express my newfound confidence, transforming my story from one of self-doubt into a testament of creative awakening.

Contact me if you are interested in commissioning a writing project.