Mae hen wlad fy nhadau – Land of my fathers

Born and raised in Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr (Bridgend), I’m very much a product of my environment and family. My mother’s side were farmers in the fields of the West, and my father’s were coal miners in the valleys of the South. These are two different identities that have shaped the modern history of my country, but have also instilled a silent national pride early on.

Bridgend itself, is a post-industrial town that still struggles to find it’s way since the prominent factories closed their doors. I was often in my head a lot as child, an active imagination dreaming of far away places and worlds (that were slightly less grey).

In school, design, art and business became the only subjects I enjoyed – they fit the new dream to become an millionaire, a way to move away and solve everyones problems through luxury.

– Only issue was, I wasn’t seeming to get closer to that reality by working in Tesco.

So, I decided to study creative advertising at university (to learn how to create a business).

But while I was there, I learnt something far more powerful – reality.

Getting to meet people from across the UK, and the world while living and working (still in Tesco) in Cardiff – it quickly smashed a lot of small-town preconceptions I had grown up with.

That fuelled a greater understanding in me of humanity, and the desire of money faded into longing to just do something I could enjoy.

The creative advertising industry became that solution, here is a chance to do an enjoyable job where I could come up with ideas everyday and occasionally I could work for causes that actually help people – what a bonus.

I worked hard throughout my BA in Advertising Design, but finished just as covid kicked off so decided to start my MA in Design Innovation (as my internships all fell through anyway, because everyone was on furlough).

After my master’s, I managed to land my dream internship in the biggest creative agency in Wales but not long after they went under.

Told that the best option would be to move to London, but put off by the size of the city and the cost of living there – I decided I would visit family and do a working holiday on the other side of the world in Aotearoa (New Zealand) instead.

So I worked in any marketing roles I could get, a short stint in a digital marketing agency, a tech startup, but the most time learning and saving at a content marketing agency.

Then in NZ, amongst many typical backpacker jobs like in bars, cleaning, a supermarket, a warehouse, a farm – I managed to land a marketing job in a hotel.

I enjoyed my time in NZ so much, I decided to go and work over in Australia. Even though I initially applied for cleaning position, I was lucky enough to get a marketing job there too for a real estate company.

While there, I met my Colombian partner and after her visa ended we decided to go back to Cymru (Wales). I found a role working in a Welsh charity, and a Welsh sports brand – but as both are part-time I am still open to new opportunities.