Today is World Bipolar Day. I was 23 when I was diagnosed. Here is the most direct song I’ve ever written about my experiences of being bipolar. It’s from my album ‘Bird Inside A Cage’ and it’s called ‘Over The Waterfall’. You can download it from iTunes.

When I was 16 I was in a car crash which triggered a strange nervous system disorder called Fibromyalgia Pain Syndrome. For the next 10 years I was in constant pain from muscle spasms all over my body. Some of the time I was on walking sticks, some of the time I was so fatigued I could barely move.

I tried everything for the pain, every treatment under the sun. Nothing helped, except diazepam (which I wasn’t allowed because of its psychotropic side-effects) and certain types of cannabis. The pain varied – sometimes it felt like a burning, sometimes spasms or cramps, sometimes a deep ache – but always moving around my body. When it stayed in one place for a few hours I thought I would go mad.

This is nothing compared to what actress Cherylee Houston deals with every day. She interviewed me for a programme on Radio 4 called ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ which was broadcast today. She wanted to explore the connection between pain and creativity.

When I got a guitar for my 21st birthday and started writing songs my illness became a complete blessing in disguise – stuck at home, unable to go to university or work, I had all this time on my hands to write. For me, the urge to write songs has always been inspired by the need to overcome and transcend pain, either physical or mental.

Millions of people live in pain. It’s good to talk about it and think about how we can possibly transcend it through creativity. You can listen again to the programme here.

xx

I was a bit star-struck meeting Dr Phil Hammond when I did a live session on his BBC Radio Bristol show yesterday morning. I saw his stand-up show at Komedia in Bath a couple of years ago and thought he was absolutely brilliant. In person he was lovely and I sang ‘For Free’ and ‘Start Over Again’ with Christian on double-bass. I’m doing a live Radio 2 session with Clare Balding on Sunday 30 April.

Thanks to everyone who came to my gig at the Cambridge Junction on Saturday night. It’s such a fantastic venue and I really enjoyed it. And thanks to Jon Hill for a very cool pic. Next up is Artrix Arts Centre in Bromsgrove on 1st April.

xx

It’s International Women’s Day and my birthday. I’m feeling immense gratitude for having had a really good year and looking forward to what’s coming next.

And next up is a gig at The Junction in Cambridge next week, followed by gigs in Bromsgrove, Bath, Helmsley (York), Penzance, Carlisle, Milton Keynes, Leeds, Newcastle, Maidenhead and Southampton (check my gigs page for dates and details).

Please do spread the word if you’ve got friends or family in any of these places – my audience is all based on word of mouth. Here’s a link to a hidden page on my website to introduce my music: https://www.emilymaguire.com/htm/introducing.htm

Finally, I’ve just posted another video in my ‘Songs From My Attic’ series. The song is the album version of my radio single ‘For Free’. Here it is…

I hope all’s well in your world.

xx