Hey, I'm Kat.
So lovely to meet you. Let me introduce myself - I’m a mentor, writer and podcaster who helps creatives and those with creative dreams build confidence so they can live a life of freedom and fulfilment. After mental illness stripped me of my confidence, I was forced to start from scratch. In my recovery I built the self-belief needed to get where I am today - doing work that I love, feeling creatively fulfilled and, most importantly, content with who I am. Now I teach others to do the same.
When I’m not doing this, you’ll likely catch me…
Drawing
Taking Pictures
Cat Adjacent
Why I do what I do
In my teen years I never felt like I fit in. I was quiet, anxious, and didn’t perform well academically. While I know this isn’t a unique situation, for me it turned into a sense of not feeling ‘good enough’ and my self-esteem plummeted. My mental health suffered as a result and I developed an eating disorder and began self-harming. This proceeded to steal away any shred of confidence or self-esteem I had.
One day, I woke up and realised I was tired of this war. I was tired of hating myself and not doing the things I knew I was capable of.
Something had to change.
Through therapy and a whole heap of self-development work over the years I’ve managed to rediscover my worth, believe in myself and feel confident again. This helped me follow my dream of becoming a writer and create a life I love. Today I make a living through my writing (I work for Happiful part-time), regularly speak at events, host my own podcast and have even been interviewed live on BBC News.
Throughout all of this creativity has been a companion; whether it’s been writing, drawing, photography or art journaling, expressing myself through these mediums has been integral. As a creative myself, I know how self-doubt can hold you back… I also know how creativity itself can be a tool to support confidence. This is what I want to explore in my work, so I can help you utilise your strengths to find the clarity, calm and confidence you need to feel more freedom and fulfilment in your life.
My values:
Self-compassion: I believe showing yourself compassion, patience and acceptance allows you to be content in the now and creates a safe environment for confidence to thrive.
How I incorporate this value into my work: Developing self-compassion and self-worth is the foundation of any confidence work I do, teaching you to first find acceptance before building confidence.
Creativity: I believe creative pursuits help us express ourselves and become more present in the moment. Using creative techniques such as writing, drawing, photography and art-journaling, we can tap into this power to harness confidence.
How I incorporate this value into my work: I aim to incorporate the use of creative mediums in my work, consistently learning and developing my own creative practice as I go.
Equity: I believe in order to grow ourselves, we need to grow as a society - together and with equity at its core. Recognising our impact and prioritising equity and inclusivity helps us do this.
How I incorporate this value into my work: I recognise that we do not exist in a silo - we must take into account the societal structures and oppressions at play when looking at confidence building. I want Blue Jay of Happiness to be a truly inclusive space as I continue my own unlearning, recognise the privileges I hold and donate to causes dedicated to equity.
Why learn from me?
I’ve been through the process of building confidence after my recovery from an eating disorder, recognising the importance of self-worth and the need for clarity first. I also live with anxiety and know how overwhelm can make confidence hard to come by. I’ve found ways of coping with overwhelm and making space for personal growth that I now want to teach.
I’ve pursued my own creative dream of being a writer after studying media writing at Uni, working in retail, writing for free (a lot) and finally finding work that fulfils me creatively. I’ve built my own brand of quiet confidence that’s helped me not only do this, but also launch a business, do speaking gigs and generally feel fulfilled in life. I’ve discovered how tapping into creative mediums (like drawing and art journaling) has helped me with self-expression which has in turn, also built confidence.
Finally, I’ve trained in coaching and NLP, gaining an Advanced Certificate in life coaching. This has given me the skills and awareness to support others, hold space and bring clarity around your situation.
Ready to start your confidence journey?
My mission is to help you build the confidence you need to pursue your creative dreams and live a life of freedom and fulfilment. To help you do that I’ve created a range of digital products, all based on tried and tested methods, including an audio course on overcoming overwhelm (so you can start from a place of clarity) and a workshop on building quiet confidence.
Visit my online shop to learn more and to start your confidence journey today.
Fun facts
- I have seven tattoos and counting
- I’m an INFJ Advocate, through and through
- I live with my partner Dan in Surrey, UK
- I’m a huge Marvel fan and have watched the films too many times to count
- My writing career started in the music and fashion industry
- Under a blanket on the sofa reading is my happy place
Let's connect...
If you want to connect and get to know me better there are lots of ways to do that. You could follow me on Instagram, read the blog, give my podcast a listen or subscribe to my newsletter. Either way, I’d love to get to know you better, so don’t hesitate to say hi.