I was born in Fulham, London to a Singaporean born father of Burmese/Phillipino heritage and an Irish mother. I was raised in North Finchley and although I now live in Watford, I still consider myself a Londoner and because of my multicultural background, consider myself , most importantly, a citizen of the world.
Life Drawing
I fell in love with classic black and white movies at an early age. A documentary on Garbo was my gateway to this fascination with the style, stories and heroines of the golden age. My Mum gave me a wonderful book “A Pictorial History of the Talkies” for my eighth Christmas and a curiosity became a lifelong passion.
My dream was to become a performer. My father was a jazz musician and from about the age of three I was regularly called upon to sing for dinner guests. I always loved musicals whether on stage or on screen. Seeing Barbra Streisand in “Funny Girl” when I was seven gave me hope that there was room in the business for girls who weren’t conventional in looks or in attitude!
My role model in life has always been my mother, Bernie. She died a year and a half ago but her strong energy and principles will be a guiding force in mine and my children’s life for years to come. She was an empathetic and ‘authentic’ ( if I may use that overused word in a fitting way) person who preferred to learn through life experience rather than rigid dogma. Although my father was a musician by profession, my mother mastered the art of life and unconditional love. The way she overcame challenges is a recurring theme in my memoir.
My role model as a performer is the legendary Judy Garland. Her extraordinary skills as a singer, actress and all round entertainer still entrall in the fifty years since she died. She spent her childhood in the public eye and the cliche of the performer who ‘never felt loved enough’ must have started with her. Ironically, her fundamental sense of inadequacy and insecurity gave her the vulnerability that was her greatest asset as a performer.
Drawing was something I did as soon as I could hold a pen. I did Art at ‘A’ level and never drew again until 2010 when a book called “The Creative License” by Danny Gregory, inspired me to take up sketching again. And a year after that I started creating my first comic strips.
I have a long lost brother who is Icelandic. I found out about him when I was eleven. The whole ‘life-altering’ experience is recounted in my book. I thought it was very cool to have a big brother in a remote part of the world. Davina McCall played no part in the reunion!
Why a graphic memoir and why crowdfunding? I wanted to share my story of living life following one’s creative dreams and balancing that with a fulfilling family life. Is it even possible?When I pitched it to Lizzie Kaye at Unbound and she said yes, I didn’t have time to consider whether or not I really wanted to crowdfund. But now that I’ve done it and have over 200 people who’ve bought the book in advance, it seems a great way to market and incentivise yourself to finish the book.
If I could pick a favourite period of time to live in it would be the Twenties and Thirties. Great style, films, female writers like Dorothy Parker, Anita Loos and Agatha Christie. And I would want to be in play or revue by Noel Coward..naturally.
I’ve accomplished a lot in my life but there have also been many disappointments. The great thing about reflecting on the past in a memoir is the realisation that seeds are sown unconsciously and bear fruit when you least expect it. I lived the first part of my life in a ‘dream world’ of entertainment and the latter part in ‘real life’. Striking the balance between the two will always be a challenge. But I relish it!