ABOUT ME

Twenty years ago, I began the arduous task of writing my dissertation for my BA (Hons) in Photography. As a mature student, before starting my degree, I had been diagnosed with multiple aspects of dyslexia. So much so that at the end of the three-hour dyslexic assessment, the assessor questioned my desire to advance from a part-time access course to a full-blown degree, citing the fact that I "did not see what others saw".

When I asked the assessor for an example of what I did not see what others saw, he stated that "it was not part of the assessment", a statement that would bring tears to the eyes of my dyslexic support, Yvonne, as she said, "not knowing would hinder my progress" a course that she subtly nudged me towards through fear of my lacking purpose if I did not have a vision for the future to keep in mind having battled depression for several years prior.

With the help of the dyslexic department at the university, Jonathan, Bridget, Abs and Bex, I excelled in ways I could never have imagined, especially given the hostile environment. Not seeing what others saw or, more to the point, wanted to see led to acts of suppression that had no place in a creative setting. It didn't help that I was the only mature student surrounded by teenagers and young adults who were too afraid to question the status quo. So, it was, I became cocooned in the safety of a small group of people who helped me to produce two creative pieces of work that allowed me to complete the course. Bridget took me from scraping through my essays to gaining a first in my dissertation, Kairos: An Exploration through History, Identity and Photography.

Bex helped me produce a work of art, The Games People Play, which takes pride of place in my home. I still gaze at it in wonder, as I believe it was divinely inspired, having woken one morning with the vision mapped out before me. Bex, alongside a host of supporters and proud Anglo-Indians from around the world, helped me produce my book, Scattered Seeds: The Diaspora of the Anglo-Indians, which was launched on August 15, 2007, the 60th Anniversary of Indian Independence.

Unfortunately, unbeknown to me at the time, the virus that had dogged me on my travels throughout India would lead to the shutting down of my mind, body and spirit with an official diagnosis of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). A further diagnosis of Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) ten years later burst the bubble of hope in pursuing creative projects on my own accord.

Therefore, after spending many years in the dark creatively, I am venturing back into the light and reigniting my creative pulse, as a creative mind will always be open to exploring opportunities that lead to a rich and rewarding existence... it begins with Reclaiming the Narrative.

“There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing and be nothing.”

~ ARISTOTLE