/insert clever title here

I had to sprint for the Post Office this afternoon, after hastily taking a photo at home to get a 'Good' rating from HM Passport Office's online portal. I should have renewed my passport four years ago, to be fair, but now it's being done. I can't tell you why, either, but trust me when I can you're gonna LOVE it. This has been my life for pretty much the last five days too, if I'm honest.

Once upon a time I dreamt when June came around of being part of the Essex Book Festival. Then, there was the first time I booked a desk in Chalkwell Hall (home of Metal Southend) and honestly pretended that I was. The poetry I was writing back then... it was not great. However, it was my entire world and I lived that dream pretty damn fiercely. Pretending has saved me on many occasions.

Then there was that year I performed outside to an audience of one person.

I've met a fucktonne of hugely inspirational people via Metal. Poets, photographers, artists and filmmakers, all who have been in different parts of their journeys. At least one person who was at this event may be reading this now, and without them I'd not have made it this far. It is sobering looking back on where I have been and how far I have come since this all began. It is a LONG way.

In the following four weeks, in no particular order, I have an exhibition opening at a phone box museum in town. There's a seven day residency at Metal that begins on Monday. I'm currently working with six artists with projects at various states of development on the Art Trail. It seems unbelievable that ANY of this is real and the last two days I have very much been hit by the enormity of where I now am.

This is something I never considered would be a reality at ANY point.

I will be doing a post a day whilst I'm 'in residence' at Metal starting on Monday. I have a BAFTA-winning poet and novelist as my floor-mate for three days. Random people can and do literally appear from nowhere during these moments and, depending on what transpires in the first few days, I may have a new thing to do when I leave. I doubt it though. I think we'll go back to the poetry films.

We'll go back there because of some other things that are happening, that I still can't talk about, but it should not be too long now. It might be a plan to get my arse in gear, really. Of all the stuff I NEED to do, I'll get the important thing done before I leave on Monday. Everything else can then literally wait. There's two Open Mic events I'll be a part of (Wednesday and Sunday) and I've already asked some mates to come see me in the day to be introduced to Metal professionally.

What would top this all, probably, is an acceptance from a trad publisher.

This was late because I've basically spent the whole day trying to get the house to a state where I can leave it for a week. It's not done yet, but it's enough. I have Stanza tomorrow in what is now a very sparkly and refurbished space that might be a bit to cool for me, if I'm honest. Then it's two days of getting my shit together and prepping for a month that I may never see the like of EVER again.

This is also absolutely the best my life has EVER been <3