Leftwing Idiot, among other things, is a self-confessed Sneaker Head. As he often reminds me, he’s been that way since secondary school when having the wrong pair of trainers was a risky business. Apart from the occasional wild goose chase across town for an exclusive release (and a controversial amount of storage space in the castle) this obsession has had very little negative impact on me.…

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of introducing our new Practical Intervention Fund, and in case that wasn’t exciting enough, I now have another brilliant opportunity to tell you about.

This one’s called the Young Artists Development Programme, and it’ll aim to do exactly what it says on the tin: help to develop young artists and their practice.…

I woke up this morning, opened my blind and wished the lamp-post a Happy New Year!

Chatting to the lamp-post has been a part of my daily routine ever since I moved into the castle, almost ten years ago. I have no idea why my tics settled on the lamp-post as the recipient of so much attention but our surreal conversations have given me a lot of joy.…

Since we started Touretteshero ten years ago we’ve traditionally shared a funny festive video each year. You can watch the classics here.

This year, though, we wanted to do things slightly differently. Rather than create a playful video aimed at everyone, this year’s message is one made with love and solidarity for disabled people, those who are sick, our elders and our allies.…

A few weeks ago, I drew a treasure map for my niece Bean. It was a way of playing with her, creating memories and feeling connected without getting too close or breaking any lockdown rules. I created some for other children too.…

I’ve been using an iPad to draw with for just over a year. It’s changed my relationship with drawing and made the process much more enjoyable and less stressful for me – mainly because there’s an ‘undo’ button for when my arm tics cause chaos.…

When I started this blog ten years ago, it was the first time since leaving school that I’d written in any significant way. Up until then I’d always thought of myself as someone who struggled with writing, and it wasn’t something I’d ever felt would give me confidence or joy.…

I’ve written a lot about the view from my window. It’s mainly been about the lamp-post which my tics often chat to as I’m settling down to sleep. I’ve also mentioned the trees, but generally just in passing. However, during lockdown they’ve become a constant reassuring presence, their massive bulk marking out the edge of my world.…

Over the last couple of days I’ve felt a lingering sadness. This isn’t surprising given that we’re living through a global pandemic, but there was a bit more to it than that – I just couldn’t quite work out what it was.…

My challenging behaviours and oppositional tics, which I’ve written about before, are still very much part of my life. Confusingly, I’m usually able to manage major feelings or emotionally complex situations, but when it comes to tiny things, I often overreact.…