Hi there,
It’s the Summer Solstice and I’m writing to you from a cat sit near where Brighton borders Hove, where I am enjoying being near the sea and pondering my next life steps.
I am very excited to bring you a life advice edition of The Uplift today and my guest is the brilliant author Samantha Baines, whose latest book Living With Hearing Loss and Deafness: A guide to owning it and loving it is out now. You can buy it here. Samantha has also written two children’s books with deaf protagonists: THE NIGHT THE MOON WENT OUT and the award-winning HARRIET VERSUS THE GALAXY. She also has a multi-award nominated podcast, THE DIVORCE SOCIAL.
The life advice edition of The Uplift aligns with the questions I asked on the first series of my podcast Life, Oh Life. Without realising, the date this email lands with you will be two years since I dropped the fifth and final episode of the first series.
I connected with Samantha via Twitter and I have just started her important book and will report back. As she says below, only six percent of books published have deaf and disabled authors and they get a lot less press coverage too. Do give her a follow. Her recent highlights have included being featured on the front page of the Telegraph and being an RNID cover girl. She will also be covering Gaby Roslin on BBC Radio London this Saturday, June 25, from 12pm to 3pm.
Here are Samantha’s answers to my questions.
In life, what is the best advice anyone has ever given to you?
“Sleep on it”, was very useful during my divorce. Taking a beat before launching into something you might regret is something I always try and remember, although often I fail!
If you could go back and give yourself some advice to yourself at a certain point in your life, when would you go back to and what would you tell yourself?
I’d go back to when I’d just been told I needed a hearing aid and I was crying in a bike storage shed in Westfield Shopping Centre. I’d tell me that being deaf was one of the best things that will happen to me: it will open me up to incredible new experiences, I’ll meet awesome deaf people, become an author, learn a beautiful language, work on campaigns that will change the law for the better and find myself along the way. So dry those tears newly deaf Sam, it’s going to be great!
What's your best life advice for other people?
“Just go for it!” I think so often we hold off on following that creative idea or dream job out of fear, being told it will be hard and that we could fail. Yea, sometimes things fail but I’ve never regretted trying and sometimes things work out amazingly too! So go for it!
Who is your latest book for and what would you say to anyone thinking of reading it?
Please do read it. Only six percent of books published have deaf and disabled authors and we get a lot less press coverage too, so I’d love your support. It’s the book I searched for when I found out I was deaf and had no idea what that meant for the rest of my life.
One in five people in the UK have some form of hearing loss or deafness so this really is a subject that affects everyone! If you have full hearing it will educate you on what it’s like living with hearing loss and deafness so that you can support family members/friends/colleagues.
If you are deaf, like me, it will hopefully make you feel seen and there might even be some new learning points in there too. Eg. If you have any level of hearing loss or deafness you can apply for a disabled persons railcard that gets you a third off travel and who doesn’t love a discount!
Thank you so much Samantha. I particularly loved the advice to your younger self. Beautiful. A reminder you can buy her latest book here.
Uplifting News Stories
Evie Muir is writing a book on ‘Radical Rest’ | The Bookseller
Miriam Margolyes makes her British Vogue debut | Vogue
Thousands welcome summer solstice at Stonehenge | BBC News
Why becoming deaf has changed my life for the better | The Telegraph (written by Samantha Baines)
Stuff Worth Sharing
How I found joy in life without children of my own | The Guardian
Dr Radha: The valuable qualities required for making meaningful connections with others | The i
How Catching Lives combats loneliness and reduces social isolation | Catching Lives
Also: The latest news from Catching Lives (disclaimer: I work at the charity and write these)
This Twitter thread on life advice | Twitter
Podcast: Donna Lancaster on Open with Emma Campbell
Recommended
Coming Home: A guided journey back to who you truly are. Therapist Beth Turrell has a couple of places left on their Margate in-person workshop on Sunday, July 2. Beth also offers low cost places to queer and trans folx, with more information on her Instagram.
Corinne Peacock, who previously took part in the life advice edition, is running two art workshops for adults on Sunday, July 9; Tree Of Life from 10am to 1pm and Art Play from 2pm to 4pm at The Pod, Jetty Lane, Woodbridge, Suffolk. More info on her Instagram.
OK, that’s it for now. Do give this post a like by clicking the heart if you’ve read it and feel free to start conversations in the comments below. And thank you to everyone who has sent messages of support or got in touch after previous newsletters. I appreciate you.
If you liked this newsletter, please consider a donation to Catching Lives.
Until next time,
B x