This month marks one year since my first solo market at The Garage, the market that gave me the bug – and I’ve been doing them consistently ever since.

What I didn’t realise is that taking my work (and myself) out into the world would trigger a cascade effect that would improve my life beyond anything I could’ve imagined.

It’s safe to say, I was a geek at school. It’s a chicken and egg thing. I don’t know which came first: the expectation of faultless behaviour or my desperate attempts to be exemplary. I still feel the pressure now: people expect me to always have the answer, and I expect myself to never let anyone down. Having principles is essential, but rigid, unrealistically high standards can become a prison. And I’m finally breaking free.

I want to get personal. This first journal entry marks a turning point in my business and, as you’ll read, in my life, really.