About Chris

A little about myself

Hey!  Well, you've probably figured out already that my name is Chris.  It's at this point where I am supposed to familiarize you with my life's journey and the various professional and personal labels that I've been tagged with in that time, in order that you can understand what I am about and who I am; which I find utterly inadequate.  People that have gotten to know me often state that I have lived many lives, with contradicting values, morals, ideals and that appeal to individuals of considerably different fundamental qualities...who couldn't get on if they tried.  I have to admit, it's true.  Even in the present moment, new colleagues and friends comment that I am far more bubbly, friendly, warm and happy than might be assumed by listening to my music or reading some of my written work.  It is, then, with an acknowledgement that I am all and none of the things I have done, that I'll offer you some insight.

I was born in Plymouth, England and grew up to become an introspective and curious individual, which led to me, at the age of 17, becoming a Christian.  I trained in theology and faith-based youth work, which I worked in for more than 10 years, climbing the ranks to become a manager of multiple projects.  By that time, I had a wife, children, an MPV and a motorbike.  All the sensible and hard-earned trophies of a life well lived.  However, for reasons that you can discover and learn about in the "From the bottom up" category of this blog, sometimes those things are not enough...and my life changed considerably at the age of 29, when I lost my faith in God, my marriage and any desire to work with young people.

I have since worked as a full time musician.  You can read my music biography here, where you'll find links to my musical achievements, including my debut album "From the ashes", available on iTunes.  At present my main day to day earnings are still through music and performance as I endeavour to use a return to freelance writing (which I did for a while in 2008) as an additional income...and passionate indulgence.

About me and Cracked and peeled

In bold, Greek lettering I have "Know Thyself" tattooed on my right wrist.  It is my belief that we cannot truly know ourselves unless we know the world around us and how that makes us act or react.  In the long and short term, I am a passionate and honest individual, longing to know exactly who I am.  I'm on a journey of discovery of how the past has made me who I am today and how I can become the person I want to be in the future.  This is the predominant goal of "Cracked and peeled"; to dig beneath the surface of our human experiences, be they social, professional, spiritual, religious, psychological, moral, the list goes on.  You may find the blog to be a vulnerable and challenging read, the subject matter I post about certainly require a vulnerability in myself.  But, I consider that if someone stands to ask "Why?" or to state an honest opinion, then perhaps we can use that as a starting point for honest, respectful discussion to challenge each other and ourselves and, ultimately, to discover truth, integrity and a strong and "thought out" foundation for what we believe.   What do you know about yourself?   I hope that my blog will be a source of inspiration and a place of challenge.  I hope it's a place where you can come for refuge in knowing that "someone else has been through it too".  I also hope you feel welcome to comment on the posts in order to agree or disagree with the post and other comments.  I will freely interact with these discussions and look forward to them.

Kindest,

Chris