Tell us about yourself and your creative background
My creative journey started in 2018. Before then, I’d never studied or worked in the arts or creative industries at all. I'm registered blind, so I didn't ever think that sector was for me. By now, I’ve found my place in the industry as a blind awareness trainer and access consultant, mainly for the arts and theatre. I’ve also done a bit of assistant directing and some stand-up comedy as well.
I first tried stand-up with the Royal National Institute for the Blind, after seeing a call-out on social media. The call-out asked for people who were registered blind or had some slight impairment if they’d like to get involved in a workshop and comedy writing opportunity, led by a stand-up comedian who was also sight impaired themselves.
The performance element was only going to be a five to ten-minute thing. So, I thought, why not? And that was where my creative journey started.
So, what’s your creative first?
My creative first is performing my first stand-up comedy gig. I attended this workshop in Birmingham where I had a chance to develop my own comedy writing. After a week of writing and developing my script, we all met up again to perform in front of an audience.
Before then, I’d only performed in school assemblies, and I’d never performed on stage like that or imagined I’d be doing it by myself. I was so nervous, but once the first few jokes were out of the way and well-received, I started to relax into it. I really enjoyed it, and probably could’ve done a longer set! I think because my eyesight isn’t great, I couldn’t see the audience staring back at me, which made it easier!
What was the biggest challenge you faced?
I’d say the comedy was less of a challenge, as it’s always been part of my daily life. The challenge for me was putting my ideas down on paper, remembering them and then making them sound natural on stage. You want to rehearse and feel confident that you know your routine, but not over-rehearse to the point it doesn’t sound natural.
I also think nerves could’ve been a challenge, but I sort of stepped into a character version of myself, a persona of me. I think that helped me come away from the nerves because you don’t feel as exposed, it feels like you’re playing a character.
Do you have any tips for people wanting to work in the creative industries or start doing stand-up?
- There isn’t a golden path to get into the creative industries, you’ve just got to work out where you want to fit in. Do your research, join a board, follow people on social media, meet as many people as possible, make yourself known, and go from there. It’s a very welcoming community and people will help.
- With writing stand-up, make sure it doesn’t feel like something you have to do. Just let things settle in, take notes, voice notes, and listen to stories from your daily life. Then, when you come to writing, you’ve got loads of material ready for you to use.
- Give yourself time. These things don’t happen overnight, and you’ve got to be patient. You’re not going to just have one draft of a play or routine. It’s a process and you can’t rush it.
Why choose Cardiff for your creative first?
Cardiff’s creative community is such a nice community to be a part of. The people that I've met and worked with are nice, down-to-earth, and willing to support you and help you find your place. Regardless of the creative art form, you can all still help each other somehow. As creatives, we’re evolving all the time. I’ve done stand-up and consultancy, but now I’m interested in writing and becoming a dramaturg for theatre. In this city’s community, we’ve got creatives with a wealth of experience in lots of different things, so we can learn so much from each other.
