I’ve a lifelong love of creativity and a desire to understand the world in different ways…

…whether through art and design, psychology, science or engineering. Being a quiet child who always carried a pen and pad to doodle , visual expression came more naturally than vocalising how I experienced the world. I always imagined Art would be a big part of my life but my capabilities in maths and sciences received more nurturing in the UK education system. Throughout my adult life I've been pulled back again and again to visual expression.

My fascination in the human condition led me to take a degree in Psychology. I learnt how the way humans perceive the world affects the way they interact with it, and specialised in the psychology of design. Alongside my first job in industry I started a part time degree in the history of art, and took classes in painting and computer aided design when the time was right to start a family .

I wanted a more creative career but feared the precarious life of an artist.

So…. I opted to retrain in industrial design - its ‘respectable'' focus on maths and physics playing a key part. I absolutely loved the emphasis on creating and communicating in diverse mediums and It was here that I learnt more about Human Centred Design, and its ability to improve peoples lives by enhancing their experience with products and environments. Intrigued to discover more, I embarked on a PhD to encourage more sustainable behaviour through the design of technology by understanding peoples mental models of the world.

My  academic career taught me how the systems people find themselves in, impact how they think, feel and act (whether a family, an organisation or society itself). Bringing to light the inequalities in the world and building on my keen interest in inclusivity. The creativity and variety within research was exciting and interesting. But, I felt something was missing. The emphasis on left brain thinking and the written word as a currency for success was unfulfilling. The call to bring my 'right brain' to the conversation and express myself visually became too strong to ignore.