About Me — Adeola Sheehy
The person controlling the pen
I’m a mother, daughter, and sister. A home educating single mom, a yoga teacher, a Moon Mother, and a Reiki master.
But this isn’t a resume, is it?
Well, in that case, I’m simply a writer, and I always have been.
I find the words of others rich, wonderful things that have the ability to transport, elevate or destroy. I have always turned to books as a solace and given half the chance I can stay happily lost for days.
My own words are a release as well as a consistent aspect of myself that I can always rely on no matter how much changes on the surface of my life, and change it dramatically has. I am very far from the council estate South Londoner of my childhood, but every twist and turn has brought greater depth and experience to my writing and of course, to myself.
My poetry is a way of exploring my deepest and most hidden self. It’s a way of attempting to put into words the emotional experiences we all share.
My articles are how I explore the ideas that make me pause, that act as a catalyst for my own learning, and that challenge my perspective.
It is my goal to verbalise the wordless and in doing so, bring connection and a little light into the dark of our sometimes solitary experience.
What does that look like here on Medium?
I’m an editor at The Black Veil, a poetry publication created by Ravyne Hawke dedicated to holding space for the darker parts of ourselves that spill onto the page in poetry. And I’m also on the editorial team of Ravyne’s very popular publication Promptly Written. It genuinely has some of the most delicious prompts I’ve found on this platform and the writing is richly diverse and so much fun to read.
I am the lead editor at Modern Women which even above my own publication The Honest Perspective, is my favourite place on Medium. I’ve been holding space for women’s voices for a decade, in-person during circles I facilitate and through the written word, and there is something so powerful about finding your own experience in someone else’s words. It really does heal that part of you which believes you are alone in your struggles.
I’ve lost count of the belly-laughs and connections I’ve made around the world thanks to women being brave enough to share parts of themselves.
The most exciting part of my Medium life has come only recently when I became part of the beta boosting program. Being a curator is like being on a treasure hunt, and finding hidden gems and stories that genuinely deserve a wider audience is the most rewarding part of my work week. If you’d like to increase your chance of me seeing your work, join one of my publications or tag me in your writing, I’m eager to hear your stories.
Outside of Medium I’m the author of a poetry collection called Climbing in The Dark. Written over the course of 100 days after the break-up of a 20 year relationship, I gave myself permission to feel and release everything that arose in me as I put myself back together, growing stronger, more self-aware and empowered by the journey back into the light. Sometimes we all need a space to let go and simply feel what is present, especially after an ending. I published the book to give voice to an experience shared by so many, to show women especially that making space for ourselves is essential so that we can continue on through our days without suppressing parts of ourselves to make life with children and work manageable. We all go through dark and hard times, and can feel lost in darkness, but there is always a way out if we can listen to and trust ourselves.
I write a weekly newsletter which arrives to the screen of your choice early on Monday morning to start your week off with a little introspective thought, some new ideas, a book recommendation or two and access to the Cyclescope and its journal prompts. As a menstrual educator and women’s coach I created the Cyclescope to be a weekly guide to the feminine energy cycle so women could become more in tune with their personal cycles and the energy and mood, and the challenges and advantages of each phase. To sign up for a taster of our Monday Conversation click here.
Otherwise, I’ll see you around the Medium world.
If you’d just like to read more of my short form poetry then catch me on Instagram @adeola_moonsong.
