Here it is....

Welcome to this space where I will be sharing my thoughts, experiences and tips on surviving life being poor, fat and in the artworld.

I am an artist and writer based in Glasgow and have bounced between differing moments of poverty, and regularly work multiple jobs to sustain my practice - which I would describe as the longest running emerging arts practice in living memory. 

Emerging is a complicated term as it plays into the idea of having something to have emerged from, e.g art school. I feel that the notions that come with the term emerging negate those who did not access arts education and found their practises in a lived way. It also suggests that there is an acceleration once you have emerged into an established practice - there is often a time limit put on this transformation especially for opportunities. However I found that because of my specific circumstances there was an active deceleration in my practice both times I completed arts education and it took years to recover from these spells financially (this includes me getting a scholarship) and emotionally.

Through this space and my column in Sticky Fingers monthly newsletter, I will be sharing consumer tips, all things money and finance from the point of view of a person that lived it rather than studied it. I will also be talking about being fat (so covering two things on the extensive list of things people don't like to talk about). 

There are a few things that occupy your brain so completely that it feels like the light will never get in again. One of these things is having no money, and when I say no money I mean nothing in the bank, no savings and no idea when you will next access funds. Couple this with having a larger body and you are in your very own particular kind of fuck show. 

I believe that working class communities are the best at sharing advice and tactics to be able to survive longer on less and I have learnt so much from conversations with those around me. The things I have learnt in these conversations have kept me alive on more than one occasion. 

If you have any questions or particular things you want covered send me a message - it is a no judgement zone. 

Thanks for joining me here and keeping me in gas and electric with your subscriptions - it means so much. 

Love you x

Massive Thanks to Jason Kerley (ig@jasonkerley) for the visuals xxx