Some people juggle hobbies. I juggle a creative agency, three children, a very patient wife, crime fiction deadlines, and a social media feed where I regularly pretend to be funny. It’s less of a schedule and more of a live-action game of Tetris where the blocks are on fire and I’m narrating the chaos with a smile.
There was a time — not that long ago — when I mistook being busy for being fulfilled. I filled my days with tasks I thought I should do, said yes far too often, and sprinted through life like I was trying to win a race I didn’t remember entering. But getting older has a strange way of turning the volume down on all that noise. You start to question the script you’ve been following — and whether you were ever the one writing it.
Now, I try to make conscious choices about how I spend my time. I carve out space for my family, because if your own kids are growing up and you’re missing it while editing a pitch deck for someone else’s dream, what’s the point? I commit to clients and deadlines, because running a business still pays for cereal, lightbulbs and the WiFi that powers Peppa Pig. And I create comedy content online, not because I have to — but because, honestly, I want to make people laugh. Especially now. Life’s heavy. A few laughs can go a long way.
Somewhere in the madness, I still write books. Dark ones. Usually involving murder. It’s a nice balance — jokes by day, fictional homicide by night. Keeps things interesting.
The truth is, I’ve stopped chasing everything. I’ve started choosing. Choosing to make things that matter to me. Choosing to say “Not today” to things that drain me. Choosing to enjoy being a dad, a husband, a creator — without constantly apologising for needing more hours in the day.
And maybe acting’s next. Maybe it’s not. I’m not putting pressure on it. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that time is too precious to spend living someone else’s version of your life.
So I juggle. Imperfectly. With the occasional dropped torch and a laugh at my own expense.
But at least now, it’s my circus. And those are definitely my flaming torches.