Monthly mindscape – storm
Well, October just flew by didn’t it? I probably feel that way because I had a lovely break at the start of this month, so I had to squish some work into the remaining weeks. It’s been a month of connection, that’s for sure. Lots of meetings, dinners and talking which has been pretty wonderful. Now though, it’s my favourite time of the month – the time I get to…
Monthly mindscape – clean
How is your summer going so far? Mine started off in a flurry of activity but is slowly calming down, which is nice. We’re at the end of July which means it’s time for another piece of flash fiction. Every month I find an image on Instagram that inspires me and flex my creative writing skills. This month, I found an image by Bronte that immediately got my mind whirring.…
Monthly mindscape – in bloom
Every month I look through some of my favourite Instagram accounts to find a picture that will spark an idea for a short story. Some months are easier than others, this month it took quite some time, but when I saw the right picture, it stopped me in my tracks. The last year or so have been full of growth and transformation, so I found Marie’s picture really spoke to…
Responding to terms of endearment at work
In my working life I’ve had three male managers that have made me feel uncomfortable. The first one lingered after conversations too long, looked a little too much and called me ‘sweetheart’. The second was aggressive, loud and called everyone in the office “fucking idiots” once. The third was a lovely well-meaning man who loved a chat. But he had a tendency to call myself and other female employees ‘darlin’.…
In defence of online activism
Would you call yourself an activist? If you asked me that question, I think I would say I’m dipping my toe in the water, discovering my passions and getting more vocal about them – especially online. This is what I want to talk about today – online activism. Some people have a bit of a problem with it, believing it can’t create real change and that some people post about…
How we use language to undermine ourselves
I remember a while ago reading about using the word ‘just’ in work emails, and that it can make us come across as less competent. I thought about the emails I sent at work and realised… I always use ‘just’. Here are some phrases that come up a lot in my sent mail folder: “Just to let you know…” “I was just thinking…” “Just my thoughts on the subject!” “Let…
What feminism means to me
Feminism. Feminist. What do you think of when you hear those words? Everyone has their own interpretation, so I wanted to chat about what it means to me. Before we get into that though, I want to touch on the fact that feminism has gained a lot of attention recently in the media and has even become ‘trendy’. And thank god for that. What kicked this off then? For me…
The Radical Monarchs
I used to be in the Rainbows, the Brownies and very briefly the Girl Guides. From what I remember, I enjoyed it. It was a great way to gain social skills and learn more about the world. I wasn’t particularly outdoorsy (I’m still not) so I didn’t love that aspect, but it was a nice way to spend time at that age. But what if there was a group that…