WildeHeads: Planet Pots

I've been inspired by many things this year while battling with a serious health condition. If nothing else it proves that one can still be active creatively. I hope I have also proved to people that though many are ill and disabled it doesn't mean that we lose any ability to give moral support or that we loose any knowledge of things that we have learned whether in paid employment or not.

Once a healthcare worker, you don't suddenly forget how to save a life following the correct procedures. Similarly for teaching, admin, ops management, technical skills or any other trade or profession. The one constant of all our lives must surely be... learning.

Far from being idle while ill, I find I have achieved a lot on no income besides benefits from simply using what I already had and budgeting hard for things like a pottery course for the things I wanted to so. I have had to sell many, many things to achieve my dreams; save hard and pick wisely to accomplish every single one of these goals. I have not had to accept handouts this year which has been an improvement and throughout it all I have not ever been tempted to break any law, (although I might have parked in a few places longer than I should have when I got my second hand old banger of a car - fines have been paid).

The result? Well, aside from the team effort of 'The Tourist Guide to An Un-United Kingdom' I have self-published my 'Accounts of an Allotment' and been returning to pottery to prepare for a few more books on that subject.

Coming up next year I hope to release a second collaborative effort with Mindwalking called 'Shrinking' which is at the editing stage. Early 2015 I hope to be securing a couple of part-time work placements in admin once my health has improved enough to allow me to safely, and most of all start delivering Art workshops to the most disadvantaged groups to aid their recovery to enable and empower them to integrate with our broader community. I never forget what it takes, nor how many lovely people it takes to both keep a person healthy or aid recovery following any misfortune.

None of us should.