I'm a writer and entertainer with a thing for happiness.
Not just the pleasurable, happiness of joy. Though I do love that too.
But also the deeper, life-long happiness of fulfilment that I think we all crave.
I love to share what I've learnt in ways that help others.
Here's my story (so far)…
the early years
the early years
I was born in Manchester in the 1970s when humans were blurrier. And seat belts weren't a thing.
I used to love bashing the piano and singing my own nonsense songs. Little has changed.
My mum died a few years after this photo was taken.
Maybe it was that (or just growing up in Manchester in the 1990s) but after a brief spell as a born again Christian, I took a fancy to psychedelic drugs. My teachers said I'd never amount to anything and I was expelled from my fancy grammar school.
I was born in Manchester in the 1970s when humans were blurrier. And seat belts weren't a thing. I used to love bashing the piano and singing my own nonsense songs. Little has changed.
My mum died a few years after this photo was taken.
Maybe it was that or just, you know - growing up in Manchester in the 1990s - but after a brief spell as a born again Christian, I took a fancy to psychedelic drugs. My teachers said I'd never amount to anything and I was expelled from my fancy grammar school.
I was born in Manchester in the 1970s when humans were blurrier. And seat belts weren't a thing.
I used to love bashing the piano and singing my own nonsense songs. Little has changed.
My mum died a few years after this photo was taken.
Maybe it was that or just, you know - growing up in Manchester in the 1990s - but after a brief spell as a born again Christian, I took a fancy to psychedelic drugs. My teachers said I'd never amount to anything and I was expelled from my fancy grammar school.
the quarter life crisis
To prove my teachers wrong, I went to university and got a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in artificial intelligence.
To prove them right, I started a PhD and went mad. I stopped taking psychedelic drugs. I went madder.
I ended up being homeless, arrested, sectioned and diagnosed bipolar. I spent 4 months in 3 psychiatric wards and was told I'd be sick for the rest of my life. It was worse than it sounds.
To prove my teachers wrong, I went to university and got a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in artificial intelligence.
To prove them right, I started a PhD and went mad. I stopped taking psychedelic drugs. I went madder.
I ended up being homeless, arrested, sectioned and diagnosed bipolar. I spent 4 months in 3 psychiatric wards and was told I'd be sick for the rest of my life.
It was worse than it sounds.
To prove my teachers wrong, I went to university and got a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in artificial intelligence.
To prove them right, I started a PhD and went mad. I stopped taking psychedelic drugs. I went madder.
I ended up being homeless, arrested, sectioned and diagnosed bipolar. I spent 4 months in 3 psychiatric wards and was told I'd be sick for the rest of my life.
It was worse than it sounds.
the first comeback
To prove my psychiatrists wrong I started working in mental health to change the system from within. 5 years, 10 jobs and 2 countries later I admitted defeat.
(2 countries as I emigrated to Aotearoa | New Zealand)
I went freelance to be able to be independent and help build a different system based on human rights, peer support and online self-help. And I started writing, recording and performing songs about the light and shade of my experiences.
I wanted to make the world better. I ended up proving my psychiatrists sort-of right by getting chronic adrenal fatigue and panic attacks.
To prove my psychiatrists wrong I started working in mental health to change the system from within.
5 years, 10 jobs and 2 countries later I admitted defeat.
(2 countries as I emigrated to Aotearoa | New Zealand)
I went freelance to be able to be independent and help build a different system based on human rights, peer support and online self-help. And I started writing, recording and performing songs about the light and shade of my experiences.
I wanted to make the world better.
I ended up proving my psychiatrists sort-of right by getting chronic adrenal fatigue and panic attacks.
the last comeback🤞
To avoid a pre-mid-life crisis I went to a yoga retreat on a mountain by the sea in the middle of nowhere. 3 months later I moved my family to Nowhere to record my first album and start an organic farm.
I went to an ashram in India and was named Ganapati (a.k.a Ganesh). He removes life's obstacles and is the lord of learning and success. And sweets.
It is a name I can live with.
I trained in laughter yoga and have spent many hours laughing like a child with thousands of people. It is as good as it sounds. Better, actually.
To prove my teachers wrong, I went to university and got a bachelors degree in psychology and a masters degree in artificial intelligence.
To prove them right, I started a PhD and went mad. I stopped taking psychedelic drugs. I went madder.
I ended up being homeless, arrested, sectioned and diagnosed bipolar. I spent 4 months in 3 psychiatric wards and was told I'd be sick for the rest of my life.
It was worse than it sounds.
To avoid a pre-mid-life crisis I went to a yoga retreat on a mountain by the sea in the middle of nowhere.
3 months later I moved my family to Nowhere to record my first album and start an organic farm.
I went to an ashram in India and was named Ganapati (a.k.a Ganesh). He removes life's obstacles and is the lord of learning and success. And sweets.
It is a name I can live with.
I trained in laughter yoga and have spent many hours laughing like a child with thousands of people.
It is as good as it sounds. Better, actually.
here is what I offer
I love to help people feel good about themselves.
That's what you'll hear in my songs and at my events.
And it's what you'll read in my blog and books.
You will also get it in your inbox - subscribe below.
If you want to see if I can help you, let's talk.