2019 is fast coming to an end. This year has honestly been one of the best I’ve had in a long time, and I can sum up my feelings for it in two words: Busy and Proud.

I HAVE BEEN SO BLOODY BUSY THIS YEAR I AM HELLA EXHAUSTED!!! Honestly, I’m so tired!! This year has been non stop, but I am so incredibly proud of myself because I have achieved so much both professionally and personally. So fuck it, I’m being proud. I’ve worked ridiculously hard this year, and have the mental breakdowns to show for it. But I am very, very proud of myself. I am a winner. A motherfucking winner.

So what have I been up to that’s making me so busy? Everything. All the things. All the bloody things.

Fonmanu Creative

This year, I wrote, produced and performed my first ever one woman show, Don’t Talk To Me About Love. It was an hour long. 60 minutes of me talking. Like a stand up show, but with more narrative. I had never done any sort of stand up before- no five minute slots or anything- just went all out with an hour. And it went really well. The opening night sold out, and I had two successful shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. I am now working on it for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (tickets available here), with help from Rhymes with Purple and it is gonna be off da chain. You should come.

Mad props again to my boy Rye for the banging photo.

Writing

As you all know, I am an excellent writer. I am so good at writing, I am so smart. This year, I began studying a Masters in Television Fiction Writing at Glasgow Caledonian University. It is a lot. But it is hella interesting and I’m loving it. Through this course, I have not only improved my writing style, I’ve also met some incredible people and made fantastic pals. It’s been so great being in an environment where everyone shares the same passion as you- being a big TV nerd. Being with new creative people and sharing ideas has been a breath of fresh air and inspiring. Plus we got to visit the River City set in Dunbarton. I cried.

Aren’t we sexy?

I’m not going to lie though, I’m absolutely shattered. I’m studying this masters, doing all the assignments, plus working full time, so I do not know what sleep is. But my grades are great, because I am super smart. 13 weeks of classes still to go, plus 13 weeks on the final project. Let’s be having ya.

Improv

2019 is the year I did all the improv. All of it. So much improv. I have performed countless times, sometimes guesting with some of my favourite teams (Improv Killed My Dog and The Spontaneous Players), but mainly performing with my own teams. I’m in three teams. Three. Some would say that’s too many, and they would be hella right. I have no social life outside of improv, but you know what? I bloody love it. I love my teams, and I have so much fun both on and off stage with them.

This is Trojan Hearse:

You can catch us at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival on Thursday 26th March. Tickets available here.

This is The Bitchdel Test:

You can catch us at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival on Thursday 12th March. Tickets available here.

This is Fiji and a Weegie:

You can catch us at (you guessed it) the Glasgow International Comedy Festival…TWICE! Once in a show for KIDS on Sunday 15th March, and once in an adult show on Thursday 19th March.

It is looking like 2020 is also going to be a busy year for the improvs. Oh boy.

As well as performing a shitload, I also now co-produce a monthly improv show called On The Fly with two of my friends. Every second last Sunday of the month, 3 teams get 30 minutes to do whatever they want. And they get paid for it. We work tremendously hard to put this on every month and it has been fairly successful, with an average audience of 20 per month. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it. We are also at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, because it appears I love that festival more than life itself. Sunday 22nd March.

However, the thing I am most proud of is HER-larious. HER-larious is a regular improv workshop for women, female-identifying and non-binary people of all experience levels, which I run with my friend Anna. It is one of the most rewarding things I have done for a while. We started the workshop to encourage more women and female driven teams to be involved in improv. We wanted to create a safe space for those who, for whatever reason, feel they would benefit from an all-female/woman workshop. Every month we have had people come and try out improv for the first time, as well as regulars. We’ve made friends, we’ve created a wee community, and we’ve got two new lady-only teams out of it. I’m so happy, and can’t wait to see what the next year will be like.

Here is us at our first and last workshops of the year:

The next one is Sunday 12th January. Can’t wait!

Work

So yes, alongside my own show, studying, performing, producing and teaching, I am also working full time. Yes. 40 hours a week. How do I fit it all in? Like I said, I do not know what sleep is. I am very lucky that I have a job that’s fairly flexible rota-wise which allows me to do all these things, and I get on very well with the majority of my colleagues. I enjoy my job and have a good work/life balance. I am so good at my job too, I’m the best employee they have every had. They are lucky to have me. (please don’t ever sack me. I need this job. Please. I love you.)

Relationships

Well, as you may be aware, my love life has always been a bit of a riot, and 2019 was no exception to that. But before I go into that, I’m just going to talk about platonic relationships. Throughout the year, through all these various activities mentioned above I have made a bunch of new friends and gotten closer to existing improv pals. It’s been great. I’m so popular, I’m the most popular. I have so many friends, and not even a pogo stick! I got to hang out with my Aberdeen lads- my bestest pals in da whole wide world- quite a bit this year too, which made me super smile.

However, seeing as I am super busy, I haven’t seen as much of my non-improv/writing pals as I would like to. We’re all on different schedules and have shit going on, so I get it-we’re busy people. Still make an effort though, and try to stay in touch. It’s hard, but I love them and we will be reunited again. If we ever have the same days off.

Now, to the love life. It’s been…weird. The first half was spent the usual way- getting my hopes up, liking someone, feeling positive, then BAM, dumped. But this time, instead of getting over them by getting under someone else (like a top lad), I kinda…stopped. I didn’t kiss anyone for about four months. That’s not like me. That’s not like me at all. I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t go through that whole cycle. So I closed myself off and said goodbye to romance.

Then I got super horny.

I am happy to say that I am finishing 2019 in a relationship with a man who is The Sexiest Bitch Alive, who makes me very happy. It’s terrifying, but it’s a very healthy relationship with excellent communication between us and I feel very comfortable around him. Plus, he is Hella Hunky, which always helps.

In summary:

2019 was the busiest, best year I’ve had in a while. So bloody creative. So much fun. So much achieved.

And yes, I am still smoking hot.