Silver lining

Edinburgh on lockdown I thought the apocalypse was going to be a little more thrilling than this if I'm honest. I pictured the world in flames, with aliens chasing us and stomping on us as if we were ants. Turns out, for me, it just means feeling the usual dose of existential dread. There's still a bittersweet sense of normality in all this anxiety. We're gonna be fine, they tell us and we want to believe them. We're not seeing the end of the global pandemic yet and in just under two weeks it's already changed our lives and taught us a few lessons. Here's a list of ideas that are being learnt or reinforced since COVID-19 attacked the earth. 1. People on "low-level" jobs keep the world go around .  And, of course, in theory we always knew this. We need the nurses, the carers, the shop assistants, the delivery people, the farm workers, I could continue. We know in reality they are just the lowest-paid jobs, not the lowest-needed jobs. S...

Note: This reflection was written in May 2019 and edited now. It's the first part of a "thoughts on sexuality" series where I basically come out as queer and try to break down difficult questions of sexuality. So much has happened ever since I wrote this and my own identity has been transforming. However, this text has laid the foundation of my queer journey. In this reflection, I disseminate where I came from and how this discovery has enriched and changed my life forever. Enjoy! Discovering queerness   "Heteronormativity* doesn’t allow much space for reflection and when you’re naturally attracted to the norm, why question it? If you’re on the “right” side - why be gay?" I’ve been thinking about the concept of sexuality more intensely lately. In particular, I’ve been thinking about my own sexuality, my own orientation(s). What am I? What is my own sexuality? Can it be defined by one or more labels? Does it matter? Does any of this matter? Why are THE...

... what have we learnt? Have we learnt things? Let's find out! Mr Peanutbutter from Netflix series BoJack Horseman, the best series in the world. I'll be using this meme more times than I should. It was August 2018 when I knew I was going to start my nursing journey. I had applied to my Bachelor of Nursing (Mental Health) just a few months before, through clearing , a process which allows students who either didn't get a place in their desired courses, or applied too late, to apply again for any places that are still left. I had very low hopes and expectations and was starting to plan my life around not being accepted. But I was accepted and in a month I'd be starting on a very different journey. In me, there was a desire to explore the realm of mental health - which had always been a dream of mine - and to work with people in a truly meaningful way. And at that stage, that was all I knew. No one is expecting you to be a nurse, but they expect you to begin ...

Last weekend, I went to the launch of the 5th issue of locally and independently printed magazine, Marbles at the Lighthouse bookshop here in Edinburgh. Marbles is a magazine that covers all aspects of mental health and destigmatisation and it counts on the contributions of people who live with mental health problems. In the words of the founder and editor Kirstyn Smith, Marbles intends to provide you with "plasters for your sanity" or, as I see it, with an outlet for self-expression for when your heart hurts.  One of the things that interest me about Marbles is this exploration of creativity in the healing and recovery process.  This is the second launching event I attended and I always leave feeling inspired to do something to foster my own creative juices. Contrary to popular belief, creativity is a skill and as such, it is possible to foment its development.  The theme of the 5th issue is Unfinished . It's about starting and not finishing, or not even starting a...