A writer? I wish.

Blogger. Marketer. Videographer. Presenter. Social Media expert. Podcaster. Writer?

I'm a nerd who likes to be good at things. No, great at a lot of things. For me, turning my hand to new skills doesn't simply mean 'knowing enough to get by' but obsessing over it until I'm the best I can possibly be. I've spent the last eight or so years adding such strings to my professional bow. And now I'm lost. 

Somewhere in between the YouTube videos, print magazine features and global marketing campaigns, I feel as though I've forgotten how to write. In fact, being the very best writer I can be is the thing I've been putting off the most. In truth, it's the only thing I want to be great at. Sure, I can write brilliant brand copy, advise on your tone of voice and pull together a marvellous power point presentation on your social media strategy. But when it comes to really writing, you know the personal columns and, heaven forbid, that heart-wrenching short story, I'm all out of ideas. Or it's possible I have too many ideas.



I joined the fabulous ladies at Write Like A Grrrl earlier this year to help get my creative juices flowing again. It's a really brilliant six-week course that I'd absolutely recommend to anyone who wants to get stuck into creative writing, with a Next Step course that I regrettable wussed out of. Why? Because then I would be required to actually finish at least one of the four short stories I'd attempted to pen during the course. 

Now I edit an 'award winning blog', head up all sorts of video content for a global entertainment company, freelance for a major music magazine and run a podcast. I'm essentially running out of ways to procrastinate from trying to write again.

'Read more and write as much as possible'

That's the best advice I've been given but with so much else going on, it's long been the easiest one to ignore. I could read, or I could make another YouTube video, grow our social reach and score some record blog visits. That's a whole lot easier than trying to write.

Ideas and inspiration welcome, for a former writer who just wants to write some more. 

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Male-dominated music industry?

At the end of last year, I spoke to some of the women who've inspired me while working in the music industry for a Marie Claire feature. 

The idea came at a time when I was questioning a lot of the behaviour around me, and despite my ignorance, accepted that there's still influential pockets of gender discrimination in that world. 

It's simply the beginning of a very big conversation, and a help to a writer that was looking for some hope. 

Read the full feature online at Marie Claire >>>>>>> Is The Music Industry Still Male-Dominated? We Ask The Women Working In It...

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Here's what happened in January

So, January went fast? My first month as Blog Manager of Ticketmaster's tmBlog is firmly in the bag and it's been a busy one. 

Despite everything that's getting going behind the scenes (there's a lot), January was a great month for new content on the site. I've rounded up some of my favourite posts below and if you're taking the time to read this, I'd always welcome your thoughts on what you see. 

Features:

Neck Deep tell us their ultimate guide to wrestling

Moose Blood share snaps from their UK headline shows

Rob Lynch hits the road with Allison Weiss

5 life lessons you learn after seeing Wicked on the West End

The co-headline tours shaping rock music in 2015

8 emotions everyone goes through at a One Direction gig

Turbowolf tour the UK with Royal Blood

Five reasons why Enter Shikari’s new album is the perfect tour warm-up

Interviews:

Milk Teeth tell us their must-see gigs of 2015

Papa Roach talk tour, new music and the 15th anniversary of Infest

Exclusive: McBusted’s Matt Willis reveals the gig he’s “super stoked” for

Reviews:

Creeper join Funeral For A Friend at Electric Ballroom, London

Polls:

Vote: The best song on the West End right now

Which pop tour are you most excited for in 2015? Vote now

Music wise, the next few weeks will see stuff from McBusted, As It Is, Pianos Become The Teeth, Kodaline, Trophy Eyes, Roam, Don Broco and FFAF. Plus so much more I'm beginning to get brain ache.

February, I'm coming for ya. 

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Slipknot and Metal in 2015

After hitting up three dates on Slipknot's Prepare For Hell tour (worth the financial dent that followed), I poured some posi thoughts into a tmBlog post. 

It's my first real opinion piece since joining the site, and is full of more excitement than I've been exuding of late. Do give it a read if it's of interest >>>>>>>>>> What Slipknot’s Prepare For Hell tour taught us about metal in 2015

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My Love Letter To The Movielife

When one of your favourite bands reforms in the midst of your own identity crisis, there's cause to write some words about it. A dear friend, and boss man of Louder Now, allowed me to borrow his great site to do just that. Read the full post here at getloudernow.com. 

I believe this marks my first foray on reddit, which I was pretty stoked on.  

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BLOG: In defence of change

Change has always been good to me, even if it takes a while sometimes, and I feel like it gets a hard time (even in the revolutionary month of January). On the eve of a new job, I've got that nervous tummy ache that's reminded me just how great change can be. 

I love the adrenaline and fear of it, like you're hanging on the edge of a gigantic roller coaster drop. In the midst of trying not to convince yourself you've just heard a screw pop out, you hold on tight and plummet to the floor. Just as everything turns to pitch black (and your face gets a little damp...), you soar up from the earth screaming your guts out. I like roller coasters, okay. 

My point really, is that things tend to get a bit scary before they get amazing again. 

When I was 18, I ditched my plans to go to uni and moved to a different city with a new master plan. The end goal was the same - qualify as a journalist - but everything in between me and the end result was different. Thankfully, it was the best decision I ever made. 

By 19, I two new cities down and thoroughly petrified. 

By 20, I'd checked 'living in London' off the bucket list and had myself another new batch of people to win over. Now, 24 (keeping up?), I've moved jobs for a bunch of different reasons - to improve my prospects or seize terrifying opportunities, to better my living situation or to risk everything I've worked for. 

It doesn't always feel like it's paying off, either. With social media the way it's become, the grass always seems greener. And it goes way beyond work...

Hair, clothes, favourite coffee shops, supermarkets, your go-to font (S/O Calibri) ... they're all interchangeable habits that go a little way to refreshing your daily routine. Changing how you feel about yourself doesn't always come so easy, in my experience, but changing the people around you is a good place to start.

This really is a nothing blog post, written to occupy my time between washing my hair and watching the darts... But if 'change' was a person, I'd like to give it big squeeze and say, 'here we go again, please be nice to me!'

I think we're all doing just fine. 

P.s. You can't change the past though, so maybe just get over it. 

*peace up, a-town down*

P.s pt2. If you're reading this because we work in some capacity together, I'm still writing for the same fabulous freelance publications as long as they'll have me. 

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