Disabled writer, speaker, and content creator
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Hello, I’m Pippa!
I’m a disabled writer, speaker and content creator based in York, and I also work as a communication consultant in the charity sector. In my free time I enjoy travel, theatre, reading, and fundraising, and can usually be found wearing the cosiest of pyjamas and drinking *all* the tea.
Halfway through my undergraduate degree, after four years of mystery symptoms, I was diagnosed with a debilitating chronic illness. This completely changed my busy, active way of life and it took a huge amount of time and effort for me to find my feet and begin to feel like ‘myself’ again.
When things started to feel a little less like the end of the world, I began using social media to share my experiences and connect with others. Living with a long-term illness has taught me to find the humour in even the most trying of situations, leading to plenty of what my friends affectionately named ‘Life Of Pippa’ moments. In 2017 I decided to launch my own blog of the same name, indulging in writing about the things that bring my joy and sharing helpful tips and advice for anybody navigating similar challenges in their own lives.
I’ve always loved to write, and I’m grateful beyond words that over recent years it’s evolved from being my hobby to being at the core of my career. As well as my blog, on this website you can find more information about my work as a writer, speaker, and content creator, and how to get in touch with me if you’d like to join forces on future projects.
I’m so glad you’re here. Have a nosey around and make yourself at home!
My Books and Ebooks
Work with me
As an expert by experience in chronic illness and energy limiting conditions, my mission is to communicate information and stories that will make the world more inclusive for all. I’m a disabled writer and speaker who works as a communication consultant in the charity sector, and I’m also privileged enough to be a disabled influencer with a wonderful community on social media too.
I’m media trained and open to on and off-screen creative opportunities, so if you feel I’d be a good fit for your project, count me in. Visit the links below to find out more about the different areas of my work, and get in touch by email at [email protected]!
Awards and Achievements
![I’ll never forget how it felt to be newly diagnosed with my chronic illness. It had taken so much even to get to that point and I was so unwell that I felt quite numb to it all in the moment, but I so clearly remember being sent back home to my bed and thinking ‘…well, what happens now?’.
There are so many things I wish l could go back and tell that version of myself. So, if you’re newly diagnosed or adjusting to life with an energy limiting condition, here are 10 things I wish somebody had told me…
- You don’t have to have it all figured out right now. There may be a lot to take in and to learn, but it won’t always feel this overwhelming.
- You can’t simply push yourself through this or think yourself out of this. Your body needs rest, and honouring this need does not mean you are weak or simply ‘giving in’ to it.
- You’re allowed to find this frustrating. Nobody teaches you how to live like this, and adjusting and recalibrating takes time.
- You are the expert in your own lived experience. You may not always feel able to trust your body, but don’t be afraid to trust your gut.
- It takes time and patience to find management strategies that best suit you, and often the things that help or don’t help us are as unique as we are.
- There’s no shame in using mobility aids or requiring adjustments to better manage your limited energy - they can hugely improve your quality of life.
- You’re much more resilient than you think you are. You have it in you to cope and find your way forward.
- Community is everything, but there’s little to be gained from trying to directly compare your experience to other people’s - especially based only on what they share online.
- There are still *so* many good moments ahead of you. This isn’t the end of your life - just the beginning of a new chapter.
- You’re not alone. Even if it feels like it nobody else could possibly understand what you’re going through now, I promise you - you are not in this alone.
What would you tell your newly diagnosed self?
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