peter
“January 4th 2014 was a huge turning point in my life. I’d been struggling with my mental health, juggling some toxic relationships and had a fairly chaotic life. The only things keeping me sane were performing poetry and hanging out with my mates, but I’d convinced myself that these were the very things making me unhappy. I decided my last performance was to be a poetry competition called Slam Sunday, and after that I would stop writing and remove myself from everyone I knew. At the time I felt this would give me perspective on what was important. That night, I went on to win the competition and the prize money. It was an amazing feeling. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that happy. I called my friends who were having a house party out by DCU, went to the gaff and didn’t leave for three days. Walking home after it all, I sat in Albert College Park with all my friends and watched the sunrise. It was then that I realised it wasn’t my environment that makes me happy, but rather my perception of myself in the world. Two years on I have an amazing supportive girlfriend, an exciting poetry career and the best friends in the world. Absolute madness to think that if I hadn’t won that competition my life wouldn’t be where it is now. Funny how these things end up.”