Being an artist, my finances fluctuate regularly. Sometimes I’m flushed and sometimes I’m broke. That said, I now have much more security when my accounts are low compared to 20 years ago when it was literally a case of feeding myself or my cat, but I still sometimes experience that horrible feeling of my card being declined. It’s a situation I can generally write myself out of if I get to my desk and bash out some words quickly, but I only get paid when I produce work. There is no salary. I have to stay really on it with my output, which is sometimes quite stressful – but that is the nature of my work, and I’ve had to get more comfortable with it over the years.
On Friendships, Relationships & Marriage
I’ve come to realise that female friendship is the backbone to my life, which is why it’s the theme of all my novels. I couldn’t get through a week without the women in my life. Everyone from my sister to the women I’ve met through work – they all play a vital role in my life. My WhatsApp is alive with different groups of women, all of which contribute daily to my mental clarity. The way women share and lift each other up is pure magic. I tell my friends everything. Men don’t talk the way women do, which I think it’s one of the saddest things about the world. If men were more open with each other, if they really opened up and ripped into their feelings in the casual way that women do, I think the world would be a much gentler place.
No matter how busy I am, motherhood is my number one job. My kids are seven and nine now – arguably this is the sweet spot before the teenage troubles, but we are having such a great time together, especially now we’re through all that toddler nonsense. I love hanging out with my kids. I cook all their meals and sit with them while we eat, and we have the best conversations. Of course there is drama too, like any family, but I’m loving this stage of motherhood. It feels like all the hard work is paying off. They’re nice, funny people and have lots to say.