My brand name, The Not So Miserable began as a joke, but very quickly stuck. In my late teens, early twenties, I discovered gothic and alternative music and the culture which accompanies it. But I was repeatedly told that I was far too cheerful and smiley to be a goth. It’s true, I am a serial smiler. It’s just always felt rude not to respond to eye contact with a smile. Not that I judge others by my own standards! Anyway, that’s a bit of a nonsense as there is even a term for goths who smile – perky goths.
These days, I’m less into headbanging and wind milling at the local goth and metal night. However, I’m still attracted to the things which drew me to gothic culture at the start of my career. A close relationship with nature, an embracing of difference, a passion for art and literature and a rejection of toxic masculinity.
My website get’s a little neglected at times because I have a full time job and try to spend as much of my time off away from the screen. As we all know, there is not enough time to do everything to the extent we want to or feel we should. But lets all just give each other a break. We can only do what we can do.
Educational background:
- BA Fine Arts, University of Gloucestershire
- MA Design Innovation, Graphics and Multimedia, De Montfort University
Current roles:
- Frontend Developer at Spindogs
- Independent Artist for The Not So Miserable
My brand name, The Not So Miserable began as a joke, but very quickly stuck. In my late teens, early twenties, I discovered gothic and alternative music and the culture which accompanies it. But I was repeatedly told that I was far too cheerful and smiley to be a goth. It’s true, I am a serial smiler. It’s just always felt rude not to respond to eye contact with a smile. Not that I judge others by my own standards! Anyway, that’s a bit of a nonsense as there is even a term for goths who smile – perky goths.
These days, I’m less into headbanging and wind milling at the local goth and metal night. However, I’m still attracted to the things which drew me to gothic culture at the start of my career. A close relationship with nature, an embracing of difference, a passion for art and literature and a rejection of toxic masculinity.
My website get’s a little neglected at times because I have a full time job and am also a trustee for amazing local charity and community focused arts centre Black Swan Arts. As we all know, there is not enough time to do everything to the extent we want to or feel we should. But lets all just give each other a break. We can only do what we can do.
Photo taken by Simon of Etcha Sketch