June 2025

Well, I am writing this from 33° London, and just yesterday I made this 'pool party' mix to accompany the glorious weather. If you want to get a glimpse into my current mood in audio form, pop this on while you read the blog. (Vibes: hot, peppy, sultry)

My partner is a big bug fan/nerd, and at this point nearly 5 years in I am finding it a little contagious. Turns out there's lots of cool guys in Croydon, WHO KNEW? (Also many less desirable guys like mosquitos, roaches, fruit flies etc, but I am willing to get excited about ones like this)

For most of my adult life I didn't feel confident wearing shorts... it sounds ridiculous, but my tits were too big?! Difficult to explain if you haven't been there and/or don't feel that way personally, but somehow wearing shorts made me feel really unbalanced and exposed. But now my tits are a reasonable size (as of surgery 3 years ago), short shorts suddenly seem like an entirely reasonable choice (leg tattoos also help). At the start of the month it was shorts with leggings season but now it is shorts with NO leggings season, and I for one am celebrating. (Though I do hate the current trend for BIG JORTS)

 

Exremely delicious asparagus and orzo dinner which YOU TOO could make, if you can follow this chaotically illustrated recipe

 

 

Went to see Pan Amsterdam at the Jazz Cafe, and he was great. I'm still trying to experiment with ways of illustrating over photographs in ways which don't feel too much like cheating... (I particularly liked the shadowing in this one) (Also I only ever use photos I TOOK so is it even really cheating at all?!)

Term is finishing! My students really like me (but not enough to show up)

Adventures in no-longer-taking-the-pill continue. I'm, what, 8 or 9 months in now, and every single cycle seems to get longer. This one was 46 days!! Seemingly no ill effects other than me getting tenser and tenser wondering when period's gonna drop. Am I pre-menopausal? I know everyone says the menopause sucks but I for one am 100% ready for my reproductive system to log off

Period arrived along with some brutal bean-induced IBS, but I still had my mega day out, godammit. Visited a few open gardens, went to see my friend Nat do a talk about the exhibition she curated, and did some bits at the exhibition road Festival (Go see Design and Disability at the V&A!! It's the best!!)

The next day I went to see more open gardens! Here were all the ones I saw over the weekend. Bit of a mixed bag tbh and not sure I'd pay the ticket price again another year, but some of them were awesome enough to make it worthwhile.

 I'm really enjoying braiding my hair again, and people keep saying I look nice, so it must be true! (Or people are just disconcerted enough by change to feel they have to compliment it by default)

Went life drawing with my partner and realised I am much better at drawing voluptuous women than bony men.

Our neighbour keeps feeding the local squirrel population sugary baked goods which means we keep finding sugary baked goods in our garden. I am unimpressed.

Personal development! (Or... not)

Emma loves the sunshine! (Emma hates the rain)

My partner keeps reminding me how much we want it to rain for the sake of our garden but I am sufficiently scarred by my rain-sodden years in Hebden Bridge that psychologically I would be perfectly happy if it never rained again (while obviously recognising that we would all die)

Got my nails done and idly noticed that one panel of the nail swatches had a few random ones named after US place names... so I took a picture and when I got home, looked up all the places and plotted them onto a map.

This is one of my all time favourite visual diaries, honestly

 

Got the train down to rural Sussex to go for a Big Hike with my pal James. Stayed over to start early the next day, but did a mini hike in the evening to Sussex's smallest church. The weather was divine and I had an absolutely glorious time. I hope James is pleased to be featured TWICE in the visual diaries, and not too disappointed that I drew him tiny both times...

 

Big Hike itself was somewhat less fun, though I am always happy to spend a day walking with a friend (especially in such lovely weather), I had forgotten quite how many hills are involved in walking the Seven Sisters (which I last did, uh, 17 years ago?!)

Here's the big news! I applied for a job...

And got it!!

In some ways, this will be a barely noticable change for casual Emma fans (lol). I still lecture at LCC, I am still contracted 0.6 (3 days a week)... But for me, it's big!! 

I will be moving from Year 1 Lead of BA User Experience Design to Lecturer on MA Design for Data Visualisation (aka the coolest course out there). It might seem like a step down to lose the 'year 1 lead' title, but in practice, teaching at MA level is a great career move at this point, and super exciting working with students at that level. Not to mention the only permanent staff on this course will me and course leader Keir (who I have worked with previously and had just the best time with) — which means in practice I will have a lot of power to do cool creative stuff (probably more than in my current role). 

I am genuinely sad to leave BAUXD — so sad in fact that I am in the process of negotiating some continued teaching over there, but this is basically the only role I would have considered leaving for, and I am super excited to start!

Is it weird to make fan-art about your new job?! MAYBE (Keir loved this one and said we should frame it, haha)

The problem with boardgames as a hobby is: men

(Here's my partner stood in our sunny living room complaining about men.)

The great joy of academia is that everyone logs off in summer. The great stress of freelance work is that... everyone also logs off in summer. The result of this is that I am decidedly light on work right now (hiiiiii freelance clients), but rather than moping and being anxious about it like last year (when my teaching work was uncertain), I am trying to celebrate having this new role, enjoying what little work I do have, accepting being a bit broke over the summer, and making the most of nice weather and nice things.

Nice things like A BIG BOWL OF DUMPLINGS

As previously mentioned, it is SO GREAT not having massive tits any more. I celebrate it every single day and will probably continue to do so for the rest of my life. Several people have privately reached out to me over the last few years since I got them lopped off considering doing the same thing, and this visual diary is for all of them. IT'S GREAT, if you can get the money together, do not even hesitate. (My only slight regret is being talked out of going fully flat, but gotta take the wins where I can)

I like her funny poses, I like less when she spends all her time lying in doorways

My partner got a terrible cold, but at time of writing, I have NOT YET SUCCUMBED. Dare to dream that we have somehow managed to share our flat and not both get sick?! Has this ever happened? Pretty sure I am going to go down any day now...

Had the immense privilege of running a workshop about my visual diarying for LTUX Brighton. It was so much fun to share this stupid hobby with lots of lovely women, and run some activities encouraging people to pursue it themselves! Ironically I did this Not Very Good one, but in my defence I did it hurriedly during the workshop itself. 

It's funny because when I look at each month's drawings in isolation I'm often like 'okay sure, some average drawings', but then when I revisit them and/or see loads of them together, I'm like... wow, this sure is a body of work?!!

Maybe at the 20 year mark I'll do an exhibition or something. (That stupid one above about the nail polish colours will definitely have a place in it, haha)

My pal V makes games, and sometimes I am lucky enough to get to test them out. This one relied on hyper-realistic models of chips and sausages, and I loved it.

While technically I don't start in my new MA Data Vis role until August, I am TOO KEEN, so went along to help out with their annual Data vis conference Design:Data. It was super fun and thought provoking, and I particularly enjoyed this workshop warm up activity encouraging us to find different ways of visualising the difference between now and ten years ago

Dragged my partner out in the heat to WADDON, home of Wing Yip and Pets at Home (this is my idea of a good time, okay)

 In case you didn't get the hint already: EMMA LOVES SUMMER

What I love less though, is trying to work in this heat.

So instead, I am writing this blog!!! Which is also a struggle tbh. Time to LOG OFF and head into July!

May 2025

May has been another broadly good month, albeit with one or two light background work-related stresses. 

But who can be too stressed when THE SUN IS OUT?!!?

The Samaritans Branch I volunteer at recently got a new building. The old one was near Carnaby Street where I had LOADS of different delicious dining options before my shift, but the new branch is near Marylebone and Marylebone kinda sucks. I had these great Bao but I got them from all the way over in Seven Dials, which is... not convenient. If anyone has any good eats recommends near Marylebone, let me know...

Talking of good eats — an always joyous tram excursion to Croydon Ikea for plant balls on a Saturday

 In about one week several different people were like 'wow Emma your hair looks good', which is weird because I hadn't done anything to it, but I realised it's somehow just crossed into the 'long' threshold, so I need to consciously change how I draw silly cartoon Emma. (Also I had the realisation that it's now long enough to tie up, so I am having fun with fancy braids again!) I have still not found a hairdresser I like since my good one retired, so I guess I'm growing it out again.

Had a cute fun time over at Ellis's starting to lino cut this drawing of a tube carriage I made (but didn't even get close to finishing it, so still lots more work to do) 

It's fancy aubergine season...

One of Jessie's regular walking spots is a lovely wild space near the railway depot. It's usually pretty quiet (good for Jessie), and at this time of year, there's lots of lovely (occasionally scary) nature stuff to see

My class of undergrad students' attendance has been pretty poor this year, it's very frustrating, even if I know it's mostly out of my hands. I wasn't a very competant student when I was an undergrad, but I did at least show up...

Went to see Baths play at Corsica Studios and it was GREAT (and hit me right in the feels as I briefly travelled around a lil bit of Europe with him and Daedelus way back in 2018 which was an incredible adventure, so his music is the soundtrack to a lot of that time for me)

Me and my pal Vicky (who also lives in my little corner of Croydon) are trying to do more local stuff together — we very much enjoyed going on this weird guided D+D themed walk of a local nature park at the end of the tram line that neither of us had ever visited before 

Attending Quaker Meeting for Business (which I should really go to more often but I am always busy and/or unmotivated for another meeting, even if these are actually quite interesting)

 I'd been in a bit of a video game drought recently. For most of the last 5 years since covid times when I got a Switch I've spent the majority of my evenings playing at least one or two hours of some game... I've worked through Animal Crossing, Breath of the Wild, The Witcher 3, Kirby and the Forgotten Land, Super Mario Odyssey, Tears of the Kingdom, Stardew Valley, Skyrim (though I never finished it, despite sinking hundreds of hours into it), No Man's Sky (ditto), plus myriad other smaller games (Spiritfarer, A short hike and Lil Gator Game being particular highlights). But after finishing (or growing tired of) No Man's Sky, I was a bit stumped as to what to play next. I purchased and started one of the Assassin's Creed games, but didn't gel with it. Part of the issue was that the Switch port kind of sucks (the controls are really bad), but also I just didn't feel any connection with the main character — he's just like, some stupid guy, and there's this whole thing about him being in the future but also the past that just felt really convoluted, and... eh. It just kinda sucked. Maybe I'll revisit it sometime and give it another chance, as they must be such a popular franchise for a reason.

Anyway, as well as playing games myself, I also sometimes watch my partner play games. Amongst many other things, I've watched them play a couple of different games from the Yakuza series — for anyone not familiar with these games, it's basically a Japanese language soap opera where all the main characters are Yakuza (kinda like the Japanese Mafia). Ostensibly they're fighting games, but actually every game also contains LOADS of stupid addictive mini-games (including some iconic karaoke), countless side quests, an astonishingly detailed rendering of a small district in Tokyo that you can freely explore, and extensive lovingly animated cut-scenes of whatever big drama the boys are going through. The basic premise of the games (men fight each other) did not interest me — but actually watching the games be played, I was totally sold. (If this piques your interest, the prequel Yakuza 0 is a masterpiece)

The main thing that put me off playing them myself was that they're not available on Switch, so I'd have to play on the big TV in the living room (I like to be cosy in bed!) But they recently released a particularly ridiculous spin-off game in which my favourite Yakuza character becomes... a pirate? It is an utterly ludicrous premise and very over-the-top in its realisation, but also kind of has everything I could possibly ask for in a game. It is so good... that I made some sexy fanart. I'm in my sexy fanart era now, okay. (I have actually always loved fan art but the main thing which puts me off making it is a crushing sense of inadequacy, but maybe I have finally got good enough and/or found my muse, haha)

The ultimate dream as a lecturer (well, my ultimate dream) is for my students to like me. So when some of LAST YEAR'S STUDENTS came to see me especially to tell me how much they appreciated my teaching and general support, and bought me some vegan chocolates and biscuits... Well, I HAD A MOMENT 🥹

I do love my (teaching) job, but infrastructually, it does sometimes leave some to be desired...

Went to give blood and was a bit worried about whether I'd have enough iron in me, as my periods have been a lot heavier since I stopped taking the pill, but I am pleased to report I am still powerful and full of iron

Some weekend days you get to go out and do cute fun stuff, other times you have to stay in and work while the sun's out :(

After spending a grumpy Saturday working, on Sunday I went out with visiting friend honor to have tasty lunch and a gossip, and see some fun art in Croydon

Ongoing lift adventures in the LCC tower block, where one out of three lifts has been out of order for some months, and one of the other two is... temperamental. Ended up on a lift voyage with three different people, all of whom I know, none of whom knew each other, pondering on whether we were in fact, about to get stuck in there 

Some days I just make a nice pattern (inspired by a scene in the 'King Worm' episode of Adventure time)

 A perpetual busy-day question

 Spen has made tempura lots of times with varying results — this time was PERFECT

I have been trying my best not to think about any of this but dear lord, we're so fucked, Labour suck so much, how did we get here?! How do we get out?! I hate it all!!!

Went to a 1 year old's birthday party. He had an adorable crown.

Despite attending Quaker meeting on and off since 2007, I've never formally become a 'member'. Mostly because I feel that, in some ways, membership is a bit of an outdated tradition, but also because I've been quite flighty in some ways — since starting to attend I've been a regular at three different meetings (Brighton, Hebden Bridge and Wandsworth), but also had prolonged periods of absence from all three (for various reasons). But it's nice to feel part of something, and despite moving to Croydon, Wandsworth is still close enough that I've been able to keep going there, so... this is home for the foreseeable (spiritually at least, and in terms of the community of people). It's a nice thing. 

The other thing about the Yakuza games (sorry I will shut up about the Yakuza games soon) is that they take any opportunity to put their characters into hilariously sexy/compromising positions in side quests with just barely coherant plot points. Oh, this homeless cat only likes sexy women? But no one else can possibly rehome him apart from our hero? Well, you know what that means... 

My lil cinnamon swirl girl

 It's DELICIOUS GAZPACHO SEASON!!

I normally do my Samaritans shift on Fridays, but I had to move it to Thursday this week, and it totally threw off my weekly rhythm

The reason I had to move my Samaritans shift was because it was DEGREE SHOW OPENING!!! I absolutely love degree show season, it's so fun to see students final works, and for the first time I've been teaching at LCC long enough to actually see some of my students come through to final year. They done so good 🥹

I had planned on doing a London Loop today, and enthusiastically set off bright and early, but en-route rapidly discovered that with the Jubilee line and the top end of Thameslink both down for engineering works, I couldn't get to my required far flung suburb without a lot of bus-related suffering, so I decided to GIVE UP and instead have a different day out. I hopped off at Kings Cross, and visited:

The Wellcome Collection (for their exhibitions about zines and disability, and sign language)

The Wallace Collection (for the Greyson Perry Show)

North and South Serpentine galleries 

And Japan House for their Japanese carpentry show

I also walked between all of them to (kinda) get my hiking fix. I am very tired now, but it was another gloriously sunny day, and it was good to finally see a load of exhibitions I'd been wanting to get to!

Here's hoping the lovely weather and lovely outings continue...