I’m in my 50s, and I love it. My face and body may not be what they once were, but my heart, mind and soul are warriors, and I wouldn’t trade their mature wisdom for the shallow beauty of youth if you paid me £1 million.

From being a small child, I’ve always felt like I didn’t fit in. So many reasons for that, but I’m at the age now where it feels like a strength. My differences set me apart from the crowd and I’m finally able to embrace all the things which make me uniquely me.

My photography has matured a lot in the past decade. I’m tackling subjects dear to my heart, particularly through my series images, and feel less afraid to put my thoughts and feelings ‘out there’ in my storytelling pictures.

But this past year in particular I’ve felt like a caged bird. I often have so much going on on the inside that I feel like a pressure cooker whose lid is about to blow off, and while I can express some of my rich inner world through photography it’s not refined or subtle enough to really scratch my itch.

Since I was a small child I’ve loved to write. It’s cathartic to put the myriad of thoughts which swirl through my mind down on paper, freeing my head and heart from their stranglehold. Until now, though, I would never have dreamed of letting anyone read what I write. There’s a vulnerability contained in words which is scary as hell, like I’ve opened the doors to my house and let any Tom, Dick or Harriet walk in!

However, I’m a bit pissed off. I’ve had 3 different men tell me this past year that I am “too much” and what I wanted to say back to them, but didn’t because I’m way too nice, is that it’s not true. I am not “too much”, they are “not enough”. There’s a difference. And the difference is that I feel on a level, and to a depth and breadth, which they can never hope to know. A wondrous and beautiful gift, which I finally feel ready to share.

So, with courage, I’ve started a new section here on my website for Words. There are only a few poems as yet and I’ve no idea what else will end up there, just like I had no idea what kind of photographs I’d be taking when I bought my first camera, but I hope the space evolves with me as I grow in both strength, wisdom and grace.