Now then, I’m Shaun (sometimes got by Shorts)

I’m yellow belly through and though, if there’s a town in Lincolnshire without one of my family populating it, it’s not in Lincolnshire. Grew up by the coast but lived in Lincoln for the last 10ish years. Please don’t hold that against me.

After spending my university days at Bishop Grosseteste, studying History and Education Studies, I felt a bit lost and not quite fitting in with the regular rhymes and routines of the more conventional teaching life, much to my failure. So, what is a lad to do but run away with the circus.

A glorious 18 months performing all over the shop as various characters in a multitude of acts with a great deal of workshops in schools, festivals and offices passing those skills on with an alarming amount of volume. May sound a wee bit silly but that time really gave me a focus on what my talents are and how I can use them in whatever scenario, no matter how bizarre.

Following that I really found my passion in education reengagement in a multitude of roles, whether that be working with neurodivergent young people or as a Learning Support Officer at HMP Lincoln. What I’ve learned from it all is to foster an idea of embracing failure, if you can be willing to have a crack and get things wrong, you can gradually build your self esteem and maybe find the solution to a few of those challenges, build on that piece by piece.

Now, the critical bit. My earliest true joy of gaming was me and me bro as kids on PS1 Spyro, no memory card. Every evening getting further and further, yet ultimately having to start again the next day. Thankfully, this no longer haunts me. I adore my PC. Despite it being a respectable rig, some of the games I play could run on a potato (Maris Piper probably.) OpenTTD being a favourite, obsessive transport logistics seem to have a hold on me. Really enjoy my sports/racing sims too (anything Cricket, MotoGP or WRC related especially.) My brothers and sisters have sunk many, many hours into Terraria and possibly the most ridiculous of them all Holdfast Nations at War, a 19th century shooter, where it takes 60 seconds to reload your very inaccurate musket, whilst cavalry are thundering towards you (you can even play as a bagpiper, no weapons, just noise.)

Beyond gaming I’ve been editing video since I was wee via Premiere Pro/After Effects and playing around with music on Ableton.

When I’m AFK I gain so much joy being in the water, whenever I can get down south or more often to Cayton Bay for a surf I’m there. Skated terribly since my childhood and am the proud owner of a titanium clavicle via my lackluster Mountain Biking (still love it though). Most of my pocket money gets poured into gigs, live music is my life blood. I’m also very lucky to have a paid hobby where I stage manage a couple of music festivals a year. I struggled a great deal with reading when I was young, but that has become a great joy of mine too, the lion share of what I enjoy to read currently is non-fiction. I need to flex my fiction reading a bit more, any recommendations are more than welcome!

As mentioned, I live in Lincoln with me, myself and I