Hi, I'm Gemma!I’m originally from Belfast and moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2011 for university where I studied languages (French, German and Spanish). Since then, I have worked at both small startups and larger companies within the customer service sector.Having experienced stress and burnout in previous roles, ClassBento’s mission to improve people’s mental wellbeing through creative workshops is really important to me and I love being able to help empower independent artisans and teachers to deliver these through an innovative platform! As someone with a passion for arts and crafts myself, my role at ClassBento has also opened my eyes to so many creative avenues that I would never have thought of exploring!Inspired by the wonderful teachers on our platform, I've even started teaching crochet in my spare time, of course, using the ClassBento platform to promote and manage my bookings!Alongside this, I'm a pet portrait artist and spend a lot of time creating photo-realistic drawings of dogs (though occasionally get the odd requests for cats or horses)! The rest of my spare time is mainly spent playing roller derby with my amazing team Tyne and Fear!My favourite ClassBento class so far has definitely been an online cheese tasting session with a delicious array of cheeses delivered to my house!A little trivia: I eat hot sauce with almost everything!
I live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne with my partner.
When I'm not drawing, I'm probably crocheting – clothes, bags and, more recently, micro crochet.
About me
- BA (Hons) Modern Languages (French, German and Spanish), Newcastle University
- I've played roller derby for around 8 years and am captain of Tyne and Fear's B Team – 'The Inglorious B*Stars'.
- I'm addicted to hot sauce and eat it with basically everything. My favourite is habanero Tabasco.
- I spent some time in Colombia during my year abroad at university and it was one of the best places I've ever been! It's my dream to go back!
Top weekend activities
- Roller derby tournaments – there's usually one every month or so, often in different cities in the UK. They're hot and sweaty, but great fun!
- Brunch and an oat latte somewhere in Newcastle – my favourite spot is Lagom in the city centre.
- Wandering around a local market, or heading out for a hike and a picnic.
Craft I'd love to try
Working at ClassBento and being a lifelong crafter means I've tried most things, so I'm a bit more interested in trying food-related workshops at the moment! I'd love to get stuck into either sourdough making or pickling and fermenting, so that I can make my friends and family delicious gifts!
3 top tips to recharge and unwind
- Don't underestimate the power of nature! If you're feeling overwhelmed, getting outside and going for a walk can help to clear your head.
- Write things down. Think about what's worrying or stressing you, and write it all out. It helps me clarify what's most important, what I can actually do and what can wait!
- Make time to do things that you enjoy! Life is not ALL about the hustle – read that book, watch that film, bake that cake!
3 top tips for embracing creativity
- Try something NEW. You'll never know if you like something until you give it a go! If it's not for you, move on to something else.
- Stop scrolling! Ditch the screens and put pen to paper, get your hands on a lump of clay, grab a bunch of ingredients – you might be surprised at how inspired you feel!
- Craft with company! Crafting together is a great way to connect while unleashing your creativity. Whether it's your partner or a group of friends, at home or at a workshop, you can't beat getting creative with some good company!
