Copy of My Story
The Colour In series all started as a lockdown project as a means of combating the boredom of the long winter nights. With restrictions in place and limits on the distance you could travel I started to slow down and walk around Galway city
where I was living. I walked everywhere from back streets to industrial estates. As I walked, I looked around and started to notice the smaller details of the city. Things I had passed hundreds of times before but never took the time to look at. My daily walks open my eyes to more of the city and I started to appreciate it more. At the same time, I wanted to learn how to draw and do illustrations. I started by signing up to online classes and took a few beginners class on Adobe illustrator. As my skills improved, I wanted a project to work towards. This was where the concept of Colour In Galway came from, the first book in the series. I wanted to draw the city that I had been walking around but I wanted people to enjoy the city as much as I do. After several months the book was finished, I got a few copies printed and posted it online. The response was overwhelming, people really loved it and I was getting images of people colouring in the pages. From here I decided I would make more version and spread the Colour In concept all over Ireland.
I'm an avid sea swimmer and use the exercise and cold water exposure to help clear my mind. I only learned how to swim at the age of 28 and after moving to Galway I slowely started to push myself in the sea and building up confidence in the water. Leaning how to swim as an adult is very hard and I've learned that being consistent and continuing to work on yourself and your technique will eventually get results even if it takes years. Some paths in life are very long but you just got to keep on them. The swimming helps keep my mind clear, where I'm away from the distractions of modern life, social media and worries. When you're in the ocean everything melts away and you just focus on the present.