My Poems

I used to go to a spoken word night in Manchester called Paradox  and heard some amazing things and got to hang out with the most amazing, intelligent and bonkers people I've ever met - I miss it!

Here are some crude poems I have written, they are not intricate or clever and most have been written in warm Irish pubs whilst drinking lavish amounts of the black stuff.

'Denim Man'
I see time pass in your eyes
Sorrowful but free
You looked so peaceful
I wanted to keep you all for me
Your denim fades
Your ears bloat
But your eyes remain the same
In that sorrowful state
I once thought so free

'Jelly Belly'
I've a fence around my belly
It holds me in
If the gate ever was to open
I'd flood out
My legs incased in tights
As a snail in his shell
Eyes cloud and fade with age
As purple clovers
Flow from my belly
Scenting the sky
Finally to turn your
Feet to jelly

'You'
You're my good hand
I'm the bad
If ever I knock
The knees of fate
You'll be there
To rectify me

'To Follow You'
I follow
Your plans
And deciper
Your path
Only to find
I'm full of
Mirth

'Her'
I love her love
But do not her
She strives
And changes
As I stay
Still

Healthy Pancake Day!

It’s always interesting, I think, to try healthy versions of ‘bad’ foods. I love pancakes and although I have no problem eating traditional batter pancakes, this year I thought it would be fun to try the healthy version – both for dietary reasons and also as an experiment to see how different or similar they actually taste.

Here is the simple recipe I used, first up the ingredients:

2 cups of cooked quinoa

1 cup of milk

3 eggs

2 ½ teaspoons of baking soda

¼ teaspoon of cooking salt

1 cup of fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey

A dash of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon

To have on standby:

Whole wheat flour (plain is fine if you don’t have whole-wheat)

Milk

Honey

Live oil or cooking spray

Lemon juice

Directions

Combine the quinoa, honey, oil, eggs and milk and mix together until smooth. 

It is worth noting at this point that if you don’t particularly like the texture of quinoa then blending your pancake mixture is an option. This will create a perfectly smooth batter with no quinoa shaped lumps or bumps.

Depending on the consistency you prefer add either the flour if you like thicker drop scone style pancakes or milk if you like a more crepe like consistency. If you have a sweet tooth then add another ½ tablespoon of honey to taste.

Add in salt baking powder, lemon juice and zest and stir.

Heat a griddle or pan with cooking spray or olive oil.

Pour ¼ cup of batter on to hot griddle or pan. I find it easier to transfer my batter into a jug and then I can just pour the batter directly onto the pan or griddle.

Sprinkle blueberries of the top and cook for a few minutes or until the bubbles start to burst on the top.

Flip and finish both sides until golden brown.

Serve with a dash of lemon juice and topping of your choice.

The verdict on quinoa pancakes is that, personally, I think they are nice and a new pancake experience but definitely not a patch on traditional pancakes. However, if you don’t want to feel guilty about having a pancake treat then these are a great alternative.

So don't wait around for the next Pancake Day to try these - whip them up for a truely nourishing and satisfying breakfast. I have mine with yoghurt. Enjoy!

Illustration and How I Fit it into my Daily Life

I love drawing but I find it really hard to fit it in around a full-time job so this year my New Year’s resolution is to find ways to fit it into daily or at the very least weekly life.

The main problem I have is finding inspiration because I live and work in North Shields there is not much in the way of new, exciting, vibrant topics to inspire or give you the seed you need to put pen to paper.

I have been really thinking about this and apart from using social platforms such as Pinterest, Stumble Upon and Instagram I find that I cannot be engaged in my creative side as much as I would like. When you are working and living in the humdrum of the day to day the creativity slowly eeks out of you and one day you find that you really have to make the effort to find that passion again. Normal working life is not the same as when I was at Art College constantly surrounded by ideas, colour, energy, pioneering people and an active social life – one that included taking our sketchbooks to pubs! I do find that throughout the day in work I often make little doodles and I am hoping that I can use these doodles as a way to inspire further art pieces.

Another way I have been encouraging creativity is to sign up for things. I currently contribute to NARC magazine, Firewords literary magazine and collaborative projects like a zine about Grainger Market with local artist, Lydia Wysocki. By putting your name down to do a piece of writing or drawing for someone (unfortunately this is mostly for free) you are pushing yourself to actually complete a piece of work AND you have a deadline. I have found this really effective when it comes to making yourself work. And if you get involved locally then you might just end up making new friends too!

Firewords 'Geeks' illustration

Something that really inspires me is travel but when you’re on a tight budget and mediocre salary this is not always possible so I find that even travelling to local places really makes a big difference. I recently visited Durham Cathedral and I was surprised by just how beautiful it was, every crevice is amazing that I could feel ideas bursting to the surface every time I turned to look at another stained glass window or ceiling. I think it could be easy to say that I will only be inspired by new landscapes and new cultures but there is something very special about taking the time to appreciate where you live and to make the most of that.

Finally, I have also started this blog and although I am not in the full flow of the blogging culture – currently only doing one post a month if that – I find that I now have to THINK of ideas, MAKE the time and ACTIVELY take part in this because if not then it will just end up being one of the many thousands of blogs countless people have started and after a few months have left by the wayside.

In 2015 I want to try and create my own destiny, I want to be open to opportunities and be happy. I would love to be an illustrator or wallpaper designer or draw stuff for people and get paid for it but that won’t happen if I just mope around all the time wishing someone would notice me. You have to make things happen for yourself and put the hard, unrelentless work in.

For now, I will settle with (hopefully) making someone smile.

I would be really interested to hear if anyone else has the same issue as me? How do you keep your morale up and fit your creative life into your working life?