My failed, happiest, involuntary, vague and quite successful careers

My failed careers so far are as follows; ballerina (age 3-12), artist (12-16), nude model (16-19), classical civilsation studies and italian language student (TCD, 18-19), actress (19-24, including a BA degree in Theatre) and my happiest, punk-rock singer (24-26).

My teenaged successes were as an introverted Goth and writer (16-19 - Highly commended in Young Irish Writers, national creative writing awards), lots of lead roles in school plays and an A in leaving cert honours art. Bizarrely enough the person I gave english grinds to got an A in honours english whereas I got a B!

Among my involuntary careers are mad woman (26-29, very hard work) and Mother (30-till present day, even harder but also happiest - even more than singing).

Among my vague attempts are drummer (33-34) and receptionist at a sports centre (I know, a ridiculous concept if you know me well, 33-34).

My more successful attempts include becoming a mental health activist and protestor (political module in Theatre degree came in handy after all, 33 to present day).

However my most successful careers to date have been waitressing, clocking up enough experience to run a restaurant - I was in fact manager of BAC (Battersea Arts Centre) Café in South London for a time. I was a very good sought-after nanny and worked both as an au-pair in France at 16 and as a nanny in London and Rome at 19 and 20. And of course my other most successful career is as a single-mum extraordinaire, surviving two pregnancies, two births and two babyhoods, two toddlerhoods (is that a word?) and, well, just two kids ALONE. One ran off with an Italian, the other decided to become a mad man (yes, it's the Fathers that I'm referring to).

Apart from resorting to a few glasses of vino to let off steam occasionally, I'm a good Mum, very devoted and into attachment parenting while trying to balance my own life too (keeping up with Facebook).

And so now I embark on my writing career in earnest. I have been writing bits and bobs towards my novel during the last five years. I have found that, at times, I need to write. I have found, at times, that I need to read. But it takes a leap of confidence to write my own novel, to believe that I can do it. This blog is a way of processing that overwhelm, this new confidence that I wish to embrace and a way of inspiring myself (as bizarre as that might sound) and perhaps chart, share and get support during my creative process. It was Dr. Maureen B. Roberts who re-ignited my creative fire just around the time of the lunar eclipse, that full pink moon glowed and I lay awake for three nights in a row with something stirring in my soul.

And so, my novel was born... and I hope that my failed, happiest, involuntary, vague and quite successful careers will serve it well.