I’m Eleanor.
I live on Earth.
I’m a female human being, who lives on planet Earth, orbiting the Sun in a magical, vast solar system, under a sky of moonlight and twinkling stars. I’ve been alive for 36 Gregorian years.
I was born in 1990 and grew up alongside the birth of the internet. I learned how to use a computer when I was 2 years old.
I’ve always been fascinated by life. People, ideas, spaces. I have an insatiable curiosity and question things deeply. I often see opportunities to make things better. I want to help.
I live in Brighton, in a country called England, part of the ever-changing United Kingdom. I’ve lived along most of the south coast of England, sometimes nomadically in boats & vans. I spent a lot of time sailing around the UK and abroad. I also lived in the Netherlands, travelling to artist communities in Amsterdam. Ik spreek ook een beetje Nederlands! And then Brexit happened…
This is a fascinating and scary time to experience life. The birth of the internet, wars and terrorism, pandemics, AI, late-stage capitalism. Alongside it all, an increasing awareness of mental health and trauma. And now we have the climate crisis. Our poor planet Earth in pain, as many people are too. It’s all connected.
I have experienced incredible things in my life, but also a lot of struggles. I can see the roots of this in complex intergenerational and epigenetic trauma.
I don’t like the word ‘disabled’ but alongside all the good things in my life, I also have lived experience of trauma, suicidal ideation, homelessness, addiction, neurodiversity… yes, the list continues.
I tried to get help from the mental health system for many years. It ended up causing me further harm. In the end, my research led me to discover ‘Complex PTSD’, and that explained everything. Finally, I found useful help.
I am now passionate about using my lived experience to help others. I use my entrepreneurial spirit to launch creative projects and undertake research, consultancy and academic work.
I left school when I was 14, so I have an unconventional approach to academia too. I completed a BSc (Hons) with the Open University over 7 years alongside sailing, volunteering and work. Now I have a mentor helping me find funding for my PhD proposal.
Oh, I should also probably mention the book. When I was 15, I wrote a book and it was published the day before my 17th birthday. How Teenagers Think was an insider’s guide for parents about bringing up teenagers, written from the teens’ perspective.
I love deep-diving into topical issues that affect women, sharing insights via creative projects that explore lived experience, community, insight and innovation.
I build communities that bring people together. I want to help others do better, for each other, and for our planet.
I do things differently.
This site is a growing collection of things I’ve made.