Gareth's World

No pretentious pics on here.  Just raw, organic, and unfiltered (I think) pics of a regular person, who lives an "ordinary" life like you. 

Life is awesome, but it's also challenging.  

On the surface, I look as though I live a fairly comfortable life, but there are things that I keep hidden like everyone else.  My writing sometimes reveals what I choose not to share directly, and my stories are like cyphers that only I will ever truly understand.  But, there are things I am willing to share...

It sounds rather cliche, but I always look for the positive in everything.  I see a story in every experience I have, and my family are amazing.

I'm a father of two boys, and I have a severely disabled daughter.  Her genetic disorder is unique to her, so I have a daughter that is well and truly beyond compare.  

I try not to overcrowd conversations, social media and my written work with the fact that I have a disabled daughter, and focus more on how awesome my family is.  Because, in my opinion, if we prefix every sentence with, "even though...," or "in spite of...," or anything else leaning towards the idea that she is disabled, it prevents us and others from just seeing my daughter for who she is.  She is fun to be around, smiley, loving, enjoys watching sports and plays wheelchair basketball.  I don't want people to see a disabled child,  I want them to see Lily.  And I want her brothers to feel as though they can just talk about their sister, and not their disabled sister.  Is life hard? Of course it is.  But stress and difficulties in life are relative to the bearer of the responsibility.  We do what we can, and don't dwell on what we can't.  I could have sat back and wallowed; dwelling on what could have been.  Instead, though, my wife and I climbed the ladders in our careers; I studied a part time degree course alongside work, and my wife completed her Masters Degree; I write my stories; my eldest son plays football, and I volunteer as a coach for his team; I deliver workshops in schools on storytelling, and I have many more projects in the pipeline; we go on holidays, days out, and live life to its fullest.  Obstacles and difficulties are not an impasse, they are a test of your strength of will and character.  I'm lucky I have such a supportive family, and an unbreakable desire to succeed.  Nevertheless, if I can simultaneously be a carer, work, write, study, and have a family, I like to think I can inspire other people to look at life in a more positive light. 

I like to try everything; I've worked, or have qualifications in fitness, football coaching, IT, media, computer science, the NHS, the education sector/teaching/training, sales, retail and more... 

You might say that I have absolutely no idea what I want to be, or what I am doing.  The truth, however, is quite the opposite.  You can pick a career for life, or you can choose life as your career.  I believe there is too much to experience in the world to confine yourself to just one job role, one hobby, or one anything.  I have had lots of different jobs and qualified in areas I will never again venture into.  But, all the while I was gaining knowledge and experience in so many different areas, that I have the confidence to place myself into any environment, converse with anyone, and write about almost anything.

I love telling stories, whether it be my own, or creatively constructing someone else's with their own words (And adding a dash of artistic flair).

I'm dyslexic, and so you may wonder how on earth I was able to become a writer.  Simple.  Dyslexia isn't a learning difficulty.  Dyslexia is a different way of learning.  I found a way to use dyslexia to my advantage, and now I consider dyslexia my gift.  

If you wish to discover what I can do with the written word, then please check out my work.  Likewise, please contact me if you have a project you would like to work with me on.  I would be happy to help.  

Thank you for taking the time to browse through my website ☺︎.

Many thanks,

Gareth