Well hello there, thanks for clicking through and taking the time to read about me.

My name is Joanna Myles, otherwise known as Jo, Jo-Jo, Mummy, Mush, Babe, and *Grasshopper (I’ll explain that last one later).

I’m 43 years old as I write this in June 2021. I live in Haywards Heath, UK with the love of my life & our gorgeous blended family of:

7 children (yeah I know but 2 of them are adults and have flown the proverbial nest).
1 x dog, Sherlock, a Schnoodle, and all-round ‘top doggo’.
2 x cats, Agnus (doesn’t like to be touched much) and Prudence (aka scarf cat… she likes to drape herself around human necks).
3 x chickens, Henrietta, C-4 (c for chicken) & Kaka (its the family call),

Born in Brighton, raised in Lewes and then headed off to do creative stuff elsewhere. I went to Ravensbourne University to do an arts degree and was lucky enough to end up working with the great Alexander McQueen afterwards.

Throughout my creative career to date, I’ve been in a multitude of roles and have founded and run a fair few companies. As a fashion buyer I worked for : Laura Ashley, Warehouse (fashion), Gossypium. I founded and ran 3 Blonde Bears Ltd (3BB), a design lead gifting company. As a company, we won several awards over the 10 years it existed. Jason & I founded Brighton Gin Club in 2016, an events company pairing fine gins with outstanding Brighton restaurants and chefs which in turn lead onto Sussex Gin Festival an annual festival of all the amazing gin makers we have here in Sussex, UK.

In 2017 my life was turned upside-down. 3BB had taken a downturn in sales after the Brexit referendum of 2016 and so in early 2017, I took what felt like a very difficult decision back then to dissolve the company as it was no longer working financially. Then on the 25th of July of the very same year, I received a cancer diagnosis. Hodgkin Lymphoma Nodular Sclerosis CHL, a rare type of blood cancer., (I call it ‘the bloody cancer’).

That particular year (2017) was majorly pants, and lead me to reassess virtually every element of my existence.

So roll forward 3 years I’m back in cancer maintenance treatment after a relapse, a successful artist a market food stall trader (twice a month at our local villages), and back to writing. I used to write a lot but you know, life gets in the way!

*Grasshopper name explanation interlude. Comes from loving having several outlets for business and creativity. Always been like it, pretty sure I always will be too!

In my free time, I love to walk Sherlock, go to art exhibitions, visit national trust properties, eat out at marvelous establishments with Jason, and read, read, read… I love to read!

I’m passionate about the environment, mental health wellness, the pursuit of true happiness, conscious parenting, racial and gender equality, and food (I also love food).

I’m a proud globalist, rational feminist, font nerd, painter, political junkie, and I do like a good laugh as well.

I only just recently got back into writing, starting a Medium blog journey in October 2020.

Thank you for reading this dear reader, if you enjoy my musings pls do sign up to my newsletter to get my latest writings landing in your inbox.

J x

About Me