Time to get to know each other!
Hi! I’m Kirsty - and Small Things is a passion project. I’m a 30-something Scottish woman who spent her twenties working in London, climbing the corporate ladder at a management consultancy. My background’s in user experience design - which basically means helping organisations understand how users actually interact with their products and services and help them to make sensible, human-centric technical and strategic decisions. That work took me into huge projects for the UK government, the NHS, big banks, education companies - all sorts. In the rise of AI, it’s an important role to humanise any technical and strategic decisions as much as possible.
In March 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Mixed feelings would come as you can imagine - shock, sadness, confusion, gratefulness we caught it when we did. Why am I telling you this random health history fact of mine?
Well. In writing this from (the cutest) cafe in Vancouver, British Columbia. A year has passed since my incredible husband and I received that joyous ‘all clear’. This was after months of tests, surgeries, waiting, more tests, embryo preservation, more waiting, chemotherapy, etc. Not to mention a wedding two weeks later, a move across continents, and a career break (gulps coffee).
The main thing I’ll remember about this period of my life is how connected, supported, encouraged and seen I felt - both from my nearest and dearest and strangers - either going through the same thing or healthcare professionals.
Now, one thing you’ll learn about me - I’m super reflective, would place emotional intelligence and kindess at the top of any job advert, and all in all appreciate the little things (probably like lots of you if you’re reading this). It’s important to pause, to reflect, to cheer lead and to check in with your people. And this my friends is an attempt to continue to be inspired by small acts of kindness between friends under vast and varied circumstances - hopefully inspiring some of you too.
Enough about me for now - I might weave in a few of my own stories from time to time but I want to celebrate and diverse range of situations, circumstances and the small things that crop up in day to day life.
If you have any questions, feedback, or this makes you think of some small things of you’re own you’d love to share (anonymously or not) please get in touch - news.smallthings@gmail.com
P.s. Check your bits for lumps!