About

Hey I’m Anna!

I’m a facilitator, podcaster, speaker, singer-songwriter & mental health advocate.

For the past ten years I have facilitated a range of social, creative and business networking groups working with people from all walks of life. I’ve also organised several music concerts and spent five years producing and presenting a radio show focused on personal growth and creativity.

I’m passionate about connecting people, personal growth and creativity. This was sparked by some of my own struggles that inspired me to make a conscious effort to learn ways in which I could build my emotional resilience and manage being an imperfect human constantly learning to adapt to change and uncertainty. There are so many wonderful tools out there and it’s about finding the ones that work for us individually.

Amongst other things, songwriting is something I use to express and understand myself better. I’ve been songwriting and performing for eight years and I wrote an album called ‘As You Are’ which I wrote during a difficult time after I left my sales career and started again. This led me to being commissioned to write songs for campaigns raising awareness for things such as mental health, dementia and grief.

Gigging and late nights are not for me anymore and although I still write from time to time, do the odd gig and share a few songs on my YouTube Channel, my main focus is now in running groups, workshops and events online. These offer you a chance to network, work on your personal development and spark your inner creative.

I also host a podcast called ‘A Cuppa with Anna’ where I interview all walks of life about life! It’s a great space for people to come and give us a window into their life and what their passions are. We can be so quick to judge a book by its cover, but there is almost always a reason why we are the way we are. The podcast has really brought that home to me on a new level. I truly believe once we have a true understanding of ourselves we can bring so much more understanding to others.

When I’m not doing all of the above, you’ll find me being a bit of a home bird! I also love to walk the Devon and Cornish coastlines, dance around the kitchen, explore lots, watch movies, read books, bake cookies and take time to watch the world go by…

——————————-

Music has always been a great love of mine. I remember as a child I would dance around with a hair brush in my hand pretending to be Kylie Minogue or Shania Twain. I also remember the first song I wrote when I was seven inspired by my Dad who was a builder “We are the builders it’s such a groovy job, I am the brick layer and my names Bob”

When I left school music and I took rather a long break. I wrote the odd song here and there and gate crashed a few bands at a few weddings but that was it.

I did a variety of jobs for many years after leaving school, but nothing seemed to keep my attention for long. My last ‘proper’ job as a sales manager came to a holt when my boss wanted to invest money in me. He was such a nice chap and I didn’t want to let him. I was bored stiff of the job and knew my heart wasn’t in it. That following week I left with no plan, but a desire for change.

And change is what came. A note in my local shop window led me to a part time cleaning job which gave me some time back to go out exploring (it also taught me just how little money you can live off and that time is far more precious) I got involved with just about everything I could, charities, school projects, drama groups, a gospel choir, community radio, mental health etc in hope that I would find something that held my attention.

That was six years ago now and as you can guess through having these experiences the music eventually came back to find me. I don’t think it had ever really left. Once the song writing door re-opened I just wanted to keep exploring it. All the times I felt like giving up the desire to carry on was so much stronger.

My first EP is called ‘AS YOU ARE’ It’s a selection of songs I wrote to keep me going through the emotional roller coaster of beginning again. The amazing days, the absolutely awful days, the days where everyone is telling you that you’re crazy, the days where you feel utterly alone and the days you need to have a little word with yourself. Most of all I want it to be a reminder to do what is best for ourselves despite what the outside world is telling us.

A man named Phil once said to me “Anna, you are on the right bus now. All you need to do is keep trying the seats until you find yours” Well, I finally found my seat called ‘Music’ so who knows where it’ll take me next. I’ll let the music decide.