Liebster Award

Thank you to Lasamaritana888 for nominating me for the Liebster Award. 🙂 Be sure to check out her feel good blog.

11 Random Facts About Me

1. I’m a hopeless romantic. In the past the emphasis was on the “hopeless”, nowadays thankfully it’s on the “romantic”.
2. I have a weird eye condition which means that I can only focus one eye at a time, which means I’m classed as half-blind.
3. I ran two marathons for charity last year: one for Coram and one for Action For M.E. After finishing the first marathon, I swore I’d never run another one. Then I met & quickly fell in love with my girlfriend Phoebe. On date two, I said I’d run a marathon for her (she has M.E).
4. I have dyspraxia, so probably not the best person to ask to field or bat for your team.
5. I bought my favourite jacket as a part of a costume I wore for a Fun Run. The theme was superheroes. I dressed up as Star Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy & now know that motorcycle trousers are not good for running, as they don’t want to bend at the knees. Painful.
6. I’ve worked in the games industry for over 12 years. Currently I work for Herotainment on a work from home basis (they’re based in Florida & New York, I’m in Wolverhampton in England).
7. I’ve struggled with self-esteem issues since my early teenage years. My girlfriend has helped me feel better about myself recently. Due to self-esteem issues, I get nervous about my poems & stories until someone Likes them or Follows me. That reassurance lets me relax.
8. My daughter Kira’s name comes from The Dark Crystal. Her middle name is Gaia, after her Italian Godmother.
9. I enjoy playing the glockenspiel, even though I’m not very good at it.
10. I helped build a primary school in Belize before going to university. Lovely country. 🙂
11. I have heterochromia iridis, which means that one of my eyes is two different colours.

11 questions Lasamaritana888 asked me.

1. What is one of the hardest life lessons you ever had to learn?

How to keep on fighting even when it seems like you may have lost that which matters to you most in the world. I’m still fighting to get it back & it’s painful but I keep trying. 3 months from now, hopefully the fight will be over & I’ll have a result I can live with. Sorry this one’s so obscure…currently it needs to be.

2. Thinking back to your 10 year old self, what did you want to be when you ‘grew up’, and why?

I wanted to be a superhero!

3. What would be your DREAM job and why?

I currently work in the games industry on a superhero game for kids, which is a close second I guess in my dream job list if I can’t actually get super powers and be a superhero. 😉

4. If you could relive one really fun, happy moment in your life, which one would that be?

Taking my daughter Kira on a walk down the “secret route” in Stafford to find the faeries. Doing so inspired one of my short stories. See https://philipcraddockwriter.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/believe-in-fairies/.

5. What is an activity you want to try out, but have been afraid or nervous to?

Sending my writing off to publishers. I’d love to be a published author but I’m afraid of rejection. Hoping that as I gain more Followers on my website, my confidence will improve & I’ll be able to do this. Unsure how many I’ll need to get to feel confident enough. 500? 1000? We’ll see. Alternatively, maybe my girlfriend or one of my other friends will send it to a publisher on my behalf someday *hint hint*.

6. If your life were a movie, what would be the name of it, and who would you cast to play YOU?

The Forgetalot. It would be a children’s cartoon movie and heavily exaggerate aspects of my life for comedic effect, so I’d be animated. I’d love Johnny Depp to provide the voice for my cartoon form. Not because we sound alike but because he’s one of my favourite actors.

7. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Apart from “being a father”, I’d pick finishing the marathon I ran for my girlfriend Phoebe for Action for M.E. It was a very hilly route & running is more difficult for me anyway due to dyspraxia. About halfway through the marathon my left leg gave up. Although it was painful, I still managed to alternate between slowly jogging and limping to the finish line.

8. What do you think is a serious problem facing your community today?

Disability benefit cuts in the UK. Some people can’t afford medicine they desperately need and are being told they can no longer have it via the NHS.

9. Who are 3 public figures you would be thrilled to have dinner with, and why?

Natalie Portman. She seems like a really nice person. Loved her in Leon and Black Swan. Imagine conversation with her would be pretty easygoing once I’d got over being starstruck.
Neil Gaiman. Fantastic author. Love pretty much everything he’s written.
Tim Burton. My favourite director and maybe he can sneak Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter into the dinner party with him too.

10. What are 4 of your all-time favorite songs?

Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. A huge slice of cheese. My feel good song.
The Valkyrie by Richard Wagner. One of my favourite classical tracks.
The Dog Days Are Over by Florence & The Machine. It was either this one or Seven Devils but as my Dog Days are (more or less) behind me, I’ll go with this one.
Red Right Hand by Nick Cave. Or Foxey Lady by Hendrix. Or Take Me to Church by Hozier. Or Imagine by John Lennon. Erm…

11. Where is your go-to happy place (somewhere you would take off to in a moment’s notice, assuming time and money are not an issue)?

Belize. Would also love to go to Japan someday but as I’ve not been there yet, unsure if I can count it as my happy place.

I nominate these bloggers

1. https://askateenageaspie.wordpress.com/
2. https://diaryofanarcissus.wordpress.com/
3. https://blackheart111.wordpress.com/
4. https://sevenstarhalo.wordpress.com/
5. http://janetswritingblog.com/
6. https://bellisimablue.wordpress.com/
7. https://sordidstoreytales.wordpress.com/
8. http://shandraeats.com/
9. https://splinteredverse.wordpress.com/
10. https://wwellend.wordpress.com/
11. https://curlywildandfree.wordpress.com/

11 Questions For You

1. What is your favourite poem?
2. What is your biggest regret?
3. Which country would you most like to visit/visit again?
4. What is your favourite dessert?
5. If you could travel back in time to any point in history, what time period would you visit?
6. If you were a superhero, what would your superhero name & your superpower be?
7. Do you have any phobias?
8. What are your goals for 2016?
9. Not including your own blog, which blog would you most like other people to Follow?
10. What motivated you to start blogging?
11. What is the strangest fact about yourself that you’re willing to admit to?