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 think life for me is a mixture of a love for the outdoors and creativity. Both things have given me great joy and I feel like I am my best in those elements. I studied Creative Digital Media at ITB and received a first-class honour. Those four years allowed me to explore mixed media and open my mind to digital creativity. After college I packed everything up, bought a bicycle and started a world cycle adventure. I covered a distance on 44,000km in 34 Countries on 5 Continents. This trip has been a real foundation for my personal growth over the years and I took away so many positive aspects from it. Travelling on a bicycle makes you slow down and really appreciate all that’s around you. I was welcomed into many homes and many people helped me along the way. After coming home, I moved to Galway and made this city my home. I’m currently 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 and I slowly started to push myself in the sea, 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. I’m currently also training to become a mountain leader. This involves gaining hiking experience to take people up to the mountains.