My News
I’m a TEDx speaker!
After 11 weeks of training, on the 16th of November 2024, I will step onto the red dot on the stage at Aberdeen Concert Hall and officially become a TEDx speaker in front of an audience of 300.
There will be 10 speakers in total, selected from 97 applicants. The theme for this year’s TEDx in Aberdeen is “Identity,” and all the speakers will be addressing this topic.
The most important criterion for being chosen wasn’t public speaking skills, but having an idea worth sharing. This is also TED’s main philosophy: “Ideas Worth Spreading.”
In the world of public speaking, TEDx is undoubtedly a mark of quality, and quality has been a key focus throughout the preparation process here as well.
It’s a great honour to stand among the scientists, specialists, inspirational speakers, business leaders, designers, and experts in their fields who have made it to the TEDx stage.
The talks will be recorded and later made available on YouTube.
My poem got published!
I’m absolutely over the moon to say that my poem What You Deserve was selected for the pamphlet published by the Seahorse Publications.
It includes satirical poems of things we would give of our worst in our Will and Testament to an individual or individuals who deserve it.
You can purchase your copy of wonderful poems here.
I was at the Wee Gaitherin!
In August 2024, I was absolutely over the moon to be performing at the well-known poetry festival – Wee Gaitherin, at Stonehaven. I read three poems, one of them in Estonian, and ended up being the last one to perform on a Friday evening. It was so heartwarming how people came to speak to me after the performance, and I got some compliments for the sound of the Estonian language, too. Also, one of my poems “I’m a fire” was selected for the festival’s exhibition.
What is happiness to you?
In 2024, I became a guest-author for multiple blogs and magazines. One of them is the Happy Business Express.
The fact that my stories have been published in this magazine for a few times now, and the editor said that she loves my stories, made it even better: it hasn’t been just luck, and I’m not a one-hit-wonder, but my writing is more than good enough. So being a non-native English speaker doesn’t make you less of a writer, it truly might be to your advantage.
I was interviewed from South Korea!
In May 2024, I was invited to be the guest in the podcast, where the host lives in South Korea!
She reached out to me, and we were talking about how to become a freelancer in an English speaking country if you’re not a native English speaker.
My first travel memoir was published!
In May 2024, one of the most well-known publishers in Estonia, Petrone Print, published my travel memoir “My Naissaar. Wildly Beautiful.” The launch was followed by a week-long book tour.
To be fair, there were many moments during those days, when tears of gratitude filled my eyes.
For example, when my family gave me a lovely surprise and all of them – my nephews and wee niece included – could join me for the launch event on Naissaar.
I know the word ‘journey’ is overused but it was a literal and figurative journey.
About 1000 kilometres and hundreds of people later, I have so many feelings to process.
10 launch-events (an hour, or sometimes a bit longer), 1 full day excursion, 1 podcasting recording, and 4 radio interviews later, I can say I could hold my energy levels high when presenting until to the end.
I met people who I had never met before, or hadn’t seen in almost 20 years.
Although we often tend to say that we shouldn’t depend on what other people think, critisism and acknowledgement, even approval, help us. I’m so happy that so many people love Naissaar (Women’s island). The book is doing really well regarding sales and reviews!
Fingers crossed that the book about my wildly beautiful island will be available in English too.
I gave a talk at the Health and Wellbeing Festival
In January 2024, I gave a five- minute talk at Aberdeen Health and Wellbeing Festival. It’s about turning your weaknesses into your strengths with the power of words.
I shared my personal, inspirational story, and you can watch the recording here.
I was at the NEOBLETHER episode 9
In January 2024, I was invited to share my journey at the local podcast – neoblether, created by Johnny Brooks and Neospace.
I was invited to speak at the Busy Mums podcast!
In November 2023, I had a great time chatting with Lyndsey Williams for her Busy Mums Fitness Corner and The Podcast Launch Corner .
We talked about my journey to Scotland and how to use words in a way that empower us.
Have a look here.
Let me know what you think!
How to turn your dreams into reality?
In October 2023, I was delighted to be the guest of the fourth ever episode of the Create Your Kindspace podcast.
We sat down with Caroline, and had a conversation about dreams, but also writing.
You can read and hear more about it here.
How to Kickstart your Blogging Journey?
For all of those, who’ve been thinking about blogging, but not sure where and how to start.
Especially in the current context, where a lot of people use AI for the content creation.
But, let’s not forget that you can’t copyright the content created by AI, but you are legally and morally responsible for it.
So, the question is – what to do with that idea of writing a blog.
I had the privilege to be a guest blogger.
You can read my posts here.
I’m part of the FINE
FINE: Freelance Independents North East is a work in progress peer-led members organisation, and the activities are aimed to bring creatives in the North-East of Scotland together to connect, and establish connections to collaborate.
To enable that, we’ve organised three drop-in sessions in September – Creative Continuum, and in collaboration with Culture Aberdeen and Look Again Aberdeen, we’ll also deliver workshops at the all-day cultural event Cultural Exchange.
My customer became a published author
Usually, I can’t share who I’m working with because this is the point of having a ghostwriter. Not knowing that someone else did the writing part. This time is an exemption, as Mrs Simone Gisondi asked me to write a foreword into her book, too. She did most of the writing, I helped her with developmental editing, plus walking through the publishing process, and marketing ideas, too. Her book is available on Amazon.
TOP 3 Tips to Writing Brilliantly – Even When You Think You Can’t!
Not only was this my first even podcast in Australia, but it was live, and it was 6AM in the UK.
I was very grateful, when Carmel Murphy chose me among the hundreds, who applied.
Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this.
I’m also doing occasionally workshops in groups. Some coaches have invited me to share my writing tips for their members, students. I’ve worked with Conscious Wealth Creators, Kai Oja, and others, we still run our Fb group Confident Content Creators. Keep writing!
I’m a student!
I applied for a course about NE Scotland history, landscape, culture, and economy in the University of Aberdeen, and I got a free spot!
I even got a student ID. How cool is that?
Well, never did I imagined when moving to Scotland that I can study in one of the oldest universities in the UK. I did want to learn more about the area that I now call my home, but having an opportunity like that is something to be very grateful for. And I sure am.
I also keep up with my professional development, taking courses about writing, writing industry and mindset, too. What would professional skills be without a supportive mindset? I’d be a doer, not an achiever.
I also continue 1:1 sessions with my coach Jamie Jauncey because I’d really like to develop my creativity in writing. And I like his teaching very much.
Better Read Books
I cried today. It’s 18/09/2021, I watch this picture, and tears of gratitude fall down on my cheeks. This is the window of an independent bookshop in Ellon, Aberdeenshire. They decided that they are taking my book to sell in their shop. To see this image on social media was more than I could expect. Or dream. Sometimes, writers and speakers are lack of words to express the gratitude. This is one of those moments. In Aberdeen, you can find my book in Books and Beans, Belmont Street.
Another wonderful podcast session!
I think I lost the count of the podcast I’ve invited to speak after I did the 10th recording. Still, every single one of them is special. It’s special because of the emotion that is created during the recording.
Although people see it as a good marketing tool, for me it’s more than that. It’s an opportunity to inspire. And to inspire is a part of my purpose. We could all be inspired by our own lives but for some reason – maybe because we are social beings – we are looking for an inspiration in stories that are told. Here’s another version of my story. Thank you fro watching!
International Mother Languages Day
Local media found my story inspirational
The day when the national lockdown was announced, started well. The Press and Journal published a little story about Aberdeen author (I love the way it sounds) and her book. Thank you very much.
It came as a little surprise for me, as we had the lovely conversation (and a lot of laughs) with the journalist long before Christmas. I must admit, I did check their page on the 30th, when we celebrated our first year in Scotland. But to have it on a first Monday of 2021, felt like a small motivation boost.
#becominghappy is also in Amazon Kindle!
About a month ago, when we put together this ‘little happiness-book’, as my writing coach Jamie Jauncey describes it, me and my publisher in Estonia never thought that we’ve created something so unique that it’s out of Amazon formats in many ways. Now we know. On the 7th of November, after re-sizing, numerous times of re-designing, changing details, it was approved and it’s on Amazon.
#becominghappy is also in Amazon Kindle! This is great news for anybody who enjoys reading on an electronic device and and couldn’t care less about the pictures! All quotes are numbered – so you can keep track – and the simple design prevents distractions.
Greeting cards for Lockdown Heroes!
What happens when an artist meets a writer? Well, me and also Aberdeen based Gemma Hare actually haven’t met but we’ve had some very inspirational video-calls. From one of them, a collaboration idea for greeting card collection was born.
Gemma is drawing colourful insects, and we both believe that evey little insect is abolsutely valuable and many of them are often overlooked. So, we came up with an idea to bring more focus to people and professions that were often overlooked before lockdown. 12 cards, 12 insects, 12 poems. Look for more from her website!
