About Me — Bonnie Evie Gifford (Read)
Writer. Procrastinator. Mother. Geek.
I’ve never been very good at finishing projects. Need someone to lose hours to a research binge? Interested in hearing a passionate monologue about horror manga, neurodiversity, or the inequalities in access to mental health and wellbeing resources? I’m your gal. But I’m not exactly great when it comes to self-motivation without a specific goal in mind.
Writing has been my special interest for as long as I can remember. It’s been my go-to when I’m feeling at my best (and at my worst). I loved it enough that I went and got my undergrad and postgraduate degrees in the subject, and I’ve never looked back. I’d still love to get my Ph.D. in Creative Writing, but in the meantime, I’m loving what I get to do every day: write about mental health and wellbeing.
Getting into writing
Following a short internship with a publishing house and the completion of my MA, I had no clue what to do. What kind of job could a wanna-be author actually do? Before long, I found myself stumbling into the world of copywriting. It’s been almost a decade now since I graduated. Over the years, I’ve written within the travel and leisure industry, video games and commerce, before ending up in mental health and wellbeing.
While I have continued to study and brush up on my skills, 2020–21 became a time filled with self-doubt for me — not because of the pandemic, but because I took a break to expand our little family from two to three.
Becoming a new mum really shook my confidence
After a year and a bit without a moment to spare for myself let alone writing, being faced with a blank page left me filled with a sense of dread and panic that I had never experienced when writing. What if I’d forgotten how to do it? What if I was no good all along? What if I had fallen so far behind, I’d never catch back up?
What if. What if. What if.
I’m still struggling to get my confidence levels back up to their (admittedly low) pre-motherhood levels. I question everything I write. I hesitate, holding back where I once would have pitched with far fewer nerves (but undoubtedly with an underlying sense of fear). I second-guess myself, even when writing just for me. But I’m determined to keep pushing forward, to regain and improve my self-belief, and to stop practicing self-rejection at every turn.
So… What do you write (and where can I find it?)
I currently write about motherhood, mental health, self-care, and all things wellbeing-related. With a keen interest in neurodiversity, travel, manga, and literature, I have been known to branch out to write outside of my comfort zone and indulge in research-binges.
I write occasionally for Happiful Magazine and Happiful.com, as well as their sister sites Counselling Directory, Life Coach Directory, Hypnotherapy Directory, Therapy Directory, and Nutritionist Resource. My latest work can (almost) always be found on LinkedIn.
In my spare time, I occasionally judge for NYC Midnight, have judged The Learning Disability and Autism Leaders List in the past, and help out with moderating a number of Facebook and Reddit communities.
If you’re interested in checking out more of my writing, collaborating together, or keeping up with my latest projects, follow me on Medium or head over to Twitter or LinkedIn to connect.
