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What key elements in your life do you think shaped you as a writer?

The first piece of creative writing I ever attempted was to honour my grandmother’s passing when I was nine years old. My mother wrote when she was young and her eccentric and creative influence certainly played an important role in shaping who I am today. My schooling was another factor. I attended a Rudolf Steiner school, which places value on individuality and creativity above all others. As for me personally, I’ve always been interested in stories. I’ve always viewed and experienced the world through that lens. I tend to see everything in its most dramatic light, and I suppose that made me well placed to become a writer. 

One of the topics you touch on in your poetry is self-love. What would you say to someone struggling with their self-worth and self-esteem?

It’s an important topic to me because it is a path I’ve always been on. There is so much I could say here, but one aspect of it is understanding that improving your self-esteem and worth is about changing your mindset and taking the right actions; one will not be enough without the other. The flowers in a garden need sunlight to grow, but they need someone to tend to them, too. 

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