I seem to be making monthly updates now; I'm so sorry about this, but I really am rushed off my feet right now and just don't have the time to update as often as I used to.
What have I been doing? Well...

Learning to drive is going really well and I'm enjoying it so much! I go out on lessons once a week with my instructor, Neville, and it's fab. I love it. He's an excellent teacher and I'm learning extremely fast. On my second lesson, he had me out doing 60mph on the town bypass; hehe! He doesn't think I'll need loads of lessons...it's just a case of perfecting what I've learnt now. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to be all finished by Christmas (or before!) and then I can buy my car and be all independent and shit. So exciting! So, once I get the wheels, you can expect a shitload more work than I produce at the moment. I won't be restricted to waiting for lifts, so that I can go out. I'll just go wherever I please and have a lot more photographs because of it. Like I already said, it's very exciting!

Another factor towards how busy I am, is that I've started a new job. I still work at Oxfam for 10hours a week, but I now have a second job working at Dorset County Hospital, for a company called Hospedia, for 20hours a week. I sell those television consoles by the beds, on the wards. It's a good job and i absolutely love interacting with all of the patients. I get on really well with my team as well, and they've made me feel so welcome! After this week, I'll have been there for a month (it's gone so fast) and it's going really well. I have three months of training before I'll be fully prepared to go out on my own. It's going very well, although there is a lot to remember. There's so many codes to put into the consoles, and I have to remember to explain everything we have to offer, to the patients. It's good though and I am picking it up now, so that's a good sign!
The new job has boosted my work hours up to 30 a week, which makes me pretty normal now, I guess! It's good, and although I am tired, I'm enjoying the challenge.

Yet another thing making me busy is the exhibition. Oh god, I cannot tell you enough how excited I am! You're all invited; seriously, if you're in the Dorset area then please pop in and say hello (bar a couple of people reading this...you know who you are, so don't come). It's going to be awesome though; first solo exhibition at 20 years old! What an achievement..if I manage to pull it off, that is haha! It'll be fine. I've got the advertising pretty much nailed; I've been shocked at the wonderful reception I've received. One of the guys at Oxfam printed my poster and put it up in the local arts centre - how sweet is that? I've invited friends and family, and hopefully a lot of other people are going to come down as well. It's very much a spread-the-word kind of thing, so if you do know someone my way then do let them know. I'll post details on how to get there, nearer the time.
The hall is all booked, and I'm going down to have another look at it at some point in the week (I hope) so that I can start working on a layout and stuff. I'm already ordering greetings cards, so that there's going to be enough to sell, and I'll start on the prints this week. It will be a tight squeeze to get it all done in time, but it will work and like I said, I'm so excited! Obviously i'm nervous too; there's always that nagging in the back of your mind telling you that no one will turn up and that you'll just be stood on your own, but I really do think that there will be a nice gathering, so here's hoping! If I can coax you in with the photographs, let me tell you now that there will be refreshments, including some of my Mum's famous cake. Seriously, she's well known for her incredible cake...so surely if you're not interested in the photographs, come for the cake! Some of the proceeds from that will go to the Abbotsbury Heritage Fund, to give something back to the beautiful village I'm hosting in!

So, details. On Sunday 13th September I will be showing a collection of floral and landscape photography, at Strangways Hall in Abbotsbury, Dorset. I will post a map and more details nearer the time.

As always, greetings cards and prints are always available to purchase personally through me (I don't sell via dA). Please feel free to contact me through the contact page on my website [link] and I'll see what I can do for you!

Hope you're all well; I'll try and update more frequently soon, I promise!