I like the idea of writing online to connect with likeminded people, and in some cases inspire or entertain people. On this website I write to share ideas, thoughts and experiences, and to share my photography and other projects. Some of my main interests are listed below. I also have a great interest in whiskey, but that’s just too niche, and I write about that elsewhere.

Me and fitness

After a mostly inactive life, in 2022 I started strength training in a small gym with a personal trainer. When I started seeing results after only 8 months of training, it triggered a passion for fitness and training, and I wanted to do more of it, because – what if? Where could it take me, in terms of health, strength, and body composition?

I discovered a new lifestyle with more energy, oomph, and purpose, and learned to push and challenge myself. Seeing the muscles grow and the weight plates increase on the bar has been incredibly empowering and has given me a self-confidence I’ve never had before. I still have a long way to go but I’m loving the process and how it makes me feel.

In addition, lifting weights at this age is absolutely essential. Did you know that after 40 you’re too old to not be lifting weights?

Me and music

I fiddled around with various musical instruments and styles for many years. My main instrument was the mandolin (after falling in love with bluegrass) but I was also interested in accordions, guitars, bouzouki, concertina etc….

But you can’t be good at all those and music is more fun if you’re good at it. During a concertina workshop I made the decision to focus on guitar for bluegrass and similar, and concertina for Irish music.

Shortly after that workshop, Covid hit and after a few months my husband decided to get better at playing the mandolin, and started practising every morning, then he signed up for bluegrass mandolin lessons at Artistworks.

It was only natural that I picked up the guitar to play rhythm to his tunes. After a while I started playing around with some bass runs and other flatpicking phrases, and soon I realised my small body all-mahogany Taylor wasn’t the guitar for this job.

When I used my husband’s D-18, suddenly everything sounded so good. And this was what made me decide to learn bluegrass guitar. A few weeks later I also signed up at Artistworks, for Bryan Sutton’s flatpicking course. Later I added bluegrass vocals to my account.

I’ve also participated in a few Zoom classes to study the style of some iconic guitar players.

Now a few years later, I need to get back to regular music practice, but we are decent with our instruments and until recently we played in a pub every Saturday.

I take the concertina to a slow trad session in town every week, and I’m getting much better at that too. Music is an important part of my life, but sadly it’s the part that gets de-prioritised when things get busy. In 2025 I hope to change that and get back on track.

Me and photography

I’ve been into photography for as long as I remember, I just didn’t start actually learning it until 2013-ish, when I was on holiday in Italy and was disappointed with my photos. After we came home I decided to buy a “real” camera (I was using a compact camera before this), so I bought an entry-level Canon DSLR and started learning how to use it.

Later I got a Panasonic mirrorless camera for the smaller size, and the Micro Four Thirds system has kept me shooting with joy for many years.

Now I’m back to full-frame, but a mirrorless full-frame camera that I bought in 2024, and this is the perfect fit with both acceptable size/weight and great detail in the photos. I’ve sold the old Panasonic but I have an Olympus that I use for macro and for when I want something smaller.

My preferred genres to shoot are macro, gigs, urban and anything nature. I’m exploring still life photography (because in northern Europe you really need an indoor option in the winter)… and I’m open to try anything for learning.

Me and graphic design

I started studying graphic design shortly after we moved to Ireland. I had been doing it for free for years, using the trial and error method, learning layout software and Photoshop. Then during the pandemic i decided to buy a Udemy course to learn Adobe InDesign properly, and that’s when I realised this is something I would enjoy doing for a living.

Perhaps stupid in today’s work situation? Graphic design as an industry is highly saturated and competitive. But that also tells me that people make money from it, and that’s a good thing.

And if you want to build a new career, you need to build from where you are and from what you’re decent at and interested in. Graphic design skills are useful in whatever else I choose to do, so I keep going. Now I just need to build up the self-confidence to actually start the business too.