Why did I write Chopped-Up Jelly Heads?

It won’t surprise you, I have a chopped-up jelly head!

Sadness, unfounded guilt, and fear held me back for many of my years. Sadness still does. It’s never beckoned nor does it give warning. It’s suddenly just with me, the same way that hiccups grab your throat when you are not expecting them to…

We hear people talking about things that hold them back, and in my experience, it tends to be some of our primary emotions: anger, fear, guilt and sadness. And whilst they have no physical substance, they feel like giant alien hands with the strength of leeches that wrap themselves around your ankles. The sensation is real. It feels as though something is physically restraining us.

If we are unlucky and don’t think about what’s preventing us to make decisions – those tiny pigeon steps of manageable progress – then we start feeling numb.

Numb is how I felt. Numb still sometimes visits me too.

However, my experiences taught me how to grow as a person. Writing, for me, is hugely helpful, and I have come to realise that some things cannot be resolved or made better.

So all I’ve simply done is write about what I know about. What I’d love is for people to talk more candidly about their feelings, and to be kinder. Even small nuggets of support can help us become stronger as individuals and help us live with both happy and sad. We all deserve to be the best version of us.