WHAT DO YOU DO?
I’m a freelance journalist and broadcaster, focussing on beauty, health (both physical and mental), and travel. When I’m not writing or consulting for brands, I can mostly be found wielding a brush as a make-up artist or presenting videos for various platforms.
WHERE DO YOU CALL HOME?
I don’t have a simple answer to this question: my mum and dad come from Austria and Hungary respectively so school holidays were invariably spent in one or the other, and though I grew up in North London and spent some time at school in the Midlands, my parents have had a restaurant on Westbourne Grove for over 50 years now that we spend a lot of time at as a family. I live nearby so West London feels as good a home as any, but I think I, like many children of immigrants, have assigned emotions and memories to certain places without truly feeling like any of them are ‘home.’ For me, Salzburg and the lakes surrounding it resonate with me on an emotional level, while my way of living has been fostered by spending a lot of time in West London.
In short, whenever I am in one place, a part of my heart always yearns for another.
WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT STATE OF MIND?
Hopeful. I find spring invariably engenders a more positive mindset, and the idea of travelling to sunnier spots makes me feel more vibrant and energetic - even before the trip itself.
HOW DO YOU KEEP PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY FIT?
The two are inextricably entwined in my view. I walk my dog as often as possible in the park, and doing so helps me to reach a decent step count and to see the seasons, which I find helps my sense of well-being enormously. I like to stretch out and do a series of yoga poses in the morning which, again, has an impact on my mind, imbuing me with a sense of calm with which to start the day. When I am struggling with panic attacks or stress, as I do periodically, I go to see a psychiatrist. I strongly believe that there is only so much you can do alone on that side of things and that, just as you’d see a doctor if a bone in your body was broken, tending to mental health sometimes requires the intervention of a professional.
WHO ARE YOUR HEROES?
Kylie Minogue for her unfaltering grace and work ethic, Elvis for the sheer magic he brought to everything he did, and my Dad for his unassailably positive attitude.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN TO YOU?
It means feeling energised by what you’re doing at work and outside of it, and to be able to look back on the week and to feel like your contribution has been a good one, that perhaps you’ve entertained or made someone feel less alone, less isolated. I don’t think success can ever be enjoyed or achieved alone, but equally too much rubbernecking at what other people are doing and the comparison seems to me to be the antithesis of success.
