A Young man with autism who lived for the weekend so he could attend live matches was devastated when the Pandemic made it impossible to go.

Dan Crossfield, 25, from Wakefield, decided to use lockdown to try and make sport more accessible for himself and others despite a challenging climate.

Dan, who lives with Autism, decided to use his passion for football and rugby to start his own blog to keep himself and other people in isolation connected with latest sports news.

He has used his time during the pandemic to learn new social media skills including blogging and vlogging which has now inspired him to create a website for everyone to access sport regardless of barriers.

Most sporting fans live for their teams and when the pandemic hit, it was a huge blow to those who 'live for the game,' especially when it is a coping mechanism for many, such as one young man who lives with Autism.

Dan Crossfield, 25, who lives in Wakefield with his parents, is a dedicated spectator of football matches, rugby games, darts & snooker tournaments, was shocked when the news first broke that he could no longer attend sporting events.

Dan, who is a big fan of Leeds United and Featherstone Rovers said that he was "devastated" at the news that games would stop and fans could no longer attend the grounds.

But instead of waiting for a "new normal," Dan has started using his knowledge of sports to write online, make videos and learn new social media skills as well as attending commentary workshops.

Dan said: "I was upset initially but I knew I had to get used to the big change in my sporting and social calendar.
"However, I have been learning social media from a coach remotely through Skype and taken part in a free commentating workshop."

Dan who has regular online social media training with The Sparkle Coach, started learning skills to blog, vlog and create content online. This culminated in him becoming the accessibility reporter for https://yorkshirefamilies.co.uk which he hopes to do more of with a look at sporting stadiums and their accessibility once things return to some normality.

Dan also took part in a free workshop with BBC Radio Leeds to learn the art of sports journalism and some tips on how to do commentating.

He has since been practicing and honing his skills to be supported by his family and coach to start his own sports blog, with full match reports and his view on the games.

Dan said: "I love writing my sports blogs and especially when my team wins, the words come naturally.
"It's nice to be utilising my skills, knowledge and passion for sport into a website and content I can create to share with other fans, especially people who often are isolated but want to stay connected with the game."

Dan’s big future goal would be to have other people like himself who are on the Autistic Spectrum with a passion for sports from other areas of the UK, to write and contribute their own Local Team Reports and to have them uploaded to Dan’s Blog so that it could go Nationwide and benefit a lot more people

Dan now has his own sports blog called 'Dan's Sports Blog' which can be found at
danssportsblogweb.wordpress.com or on facebook.com/danssportsblog

He also writes for https://yorkshirefamilies.co.uk and his family run Normanton-based printing company 
https://go2print.business.site
​

By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 
​

Faced with the winter weather, Lockdown restrictions and more people stressed than ever, it would be easy for personal trainers and gym owners to hibernate like most. But one Harrogate personal trainer is “relieved” to see a boost in clients thanks to an increasing number of social bubbles training with him online as well as people training outdoors more come rain or shine. 
 
Like most, Lockdown One hit personal trainer and body transformation expert Mike Green but thanks to loyal clients willing to train outdoors or online, he was able to offer his sessions still. He said that Lockdown One was like a ‘warm up’ in trialling his services online and outdoors which he says also adds the benefit of decreasing stress levels and giving people a welcome break from the current stress of the pandemic.
Mike, 34, who runs his Mike Green Body Transformation business, normally from his studio in Hornbeam Business Park in Harrogate, said: “Uncertain events of the past year has caused stress levels to soar, so whilst people were focused on adjusting to the pandemic in Lockdown One, many people neglected their body and most of all their mind. 
“We all know how important exercise is in releasing endorphins and reducing cortisol levels. But for many people that is the first thing to go from their priorities. 
“But now it’s great to see an influx of people online get in touch about personal training via Skype, Facetimes and Zoom or taking on one of my online transformation plans which range from 30 days to 8-weeks.” 
Mike who is happy to be reopening his studio at the end of Lockdown will continue to train clients, indoors, outdoors and online depending on the clients' lifestyle. 
 
​
YORKSHIRE TRANSFORMATION COACHES OFFER FREE MIND AND BODY WORKOUTS AT HOME DURING LOCKDOWN
 
As a way of supporting people through Lockdown two and giving their minds and bodies a free boost, Mike and his partner Sophie Mei Lan, a mental health journalist and author at https://mamamei.co.uk, have been offering 15-minute mind and body boosting sessions online which involve body weight only exercises for people to join in at home. 
The sessions run on instagram.com/greenhealthpt and facebook.com/mamameiblog or for the link to follow along on zoom, contact Mike directly on bit.ly/greenhealthPT where you can find more about his personal training sessions and body transformation plans. 
 
See some of Mike and Sophie’s tips for busy people and stress busting tips, below: 
 
 
How to Transform your body’s as fast as humanly possible on a busy schedule....
 
If you are a business owner with a family and ridiculously busy schedule it may seem impossible to start a body and mind transformation. If this sounds like you have a read of these tips below. 
 
1.) Progressive overload. Your body will simply not build muscle or drop body fat without progressing the weight each week, this can be the number of reps or adding weight to the bar. Log all your lifts if muscle growth is the main focus. 
 
2.) Frequency. Train each muscle group twice per week. Use an effect split like a full body routine, upper/ lower or if you have 5 years solid training under your belt and solid strength gains you could try a push, pull, legs split. These splits require you to train just 3 days a week or you could go full body 2 x a week which a lot of my busy clients do. 
 
3.) Eat earth grown nutrients. Your body will simply not build change if you don’t provide it with good nutrition. Aim for 0.8g protein per pound of bodyweight, 1.5-2g carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight, the rest of your calories should come from fats. As a starting point x your body weight on pines by 16. Consume this many calories daily. If you need a diet plan putting together DM me on here. 
 
4.) Manage stress. If your body is stressed your cortisol levels will be elevated! This is a stress hormone that eats away at muscle tissue. Try deep breathing, yoga or some walks outside to keep stress levels under control. Erase negative people from your life! Best thing I ever did! 
 
5.) Get enough sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours a sleep, it is crucial to develop good sleeping habits for recovery and general health.
 
6.) Drink enough water, aim for a minimum of 3 litres daily. Your body needs to be hydrated to work optimally. Anyone can do this. 
 
7.) Use correct form. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use correct technique! Always use a controlled tempo keeping tension on the targeted muscle. If you cannot do this hire me to teach you. Bad form will give you poor results and injuries. Quality over quantity when it comes to resistance training. 
 
8.) Correct exercise selection. Stick to mainly compound exercises the more muscles used on a specific movement the more muscle fibre will be used. Deadlifts, squats, rows, presses, pull ups (these should be the staple movements in your program). 
 
9.) Wake up 15 minutes earlier if time is against you! We can all find 10-15 minutes a day where we can do some form of physical activity, all them times you spend scrolling on Instagram or Facebook could be spent exercising. A simple workout of push ups squats and pull ups can be done on 10-15 minutes. 
 
 
When you have so much to do on a daily basis stress can impact us all. But here are some tips to deal with it: 
 
Regular challenges are great for mind, body and business. It helps make us stronger but how you deal with it will help shape your health and happiness in the future, as we can’t control certain events but what we can do is get the building blocks in place to best sustain and keep our mind and body as well as possible. 
 

Here are a few daily habits to try to help manage stress on a day-to-day basis: 
 
1.) Meditate daily, it’s so important to switch your mind off even if it’s for just 5 minutes a day. 
 
2.) Exercise daily, this doesn’t mean just lift weights, get outside in the fresh air for a long walk or anything to stay active. I exercise 4 hours a week maximum anyone can achieve this. When you give so much energy to others and your business your body requires movement to heal itself. 
 
3.) Try to get 7-8 hours sleep every night. Develop good sleeping habits this is so important for managing stress. 
 
 
All three of the above habits can be achieved by anyone. But if you are struggling still, reach out for help from professionals, loved ones and there are a range of services to help you manage your stress and reduce the feelings of overwhelm when we are dealing with stressful triggers in life. 
 
Take responsibility for your own actions and how you manage stress. 
 
#perfectlyimperfect
 
 
By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 

• New Fashion Design House and stylish store lands in Cleckheaton 
• Leeds dress-maker who styles stars for hit TV shows, influencers and celebrities launches new venture in West Yorkshire with “biggest and best” HQ yet 
• Wake Bespoke, run by Jordan Wake, empowers all women through its tailor-made designs offering online and in-store style consultations 
• Wake Bespoke will transform its new premises on Northgate in Cleckheaton town centre 

 
Lockdown along with dark cold nights are upon us and feelings maybe sombre but that’s not putting off a local fashion designer who is busy working her magic and sprinkling glitter over an exciting new venture as she adds sparkle to a West Yorkshire town centre with her new “pink palace.” 
 
Stylist to the stars and self-dubbed “fairy dress-maker” Jordan Wake is determined to use Lockdown to transform her new premise on Northgate in Cleckheaton where she will be creating designs and clothes for everyone from A-list celebrities on the red carpet to the passer-by who wants to feel-good on the inside out. 
 
Jordan, who runs social media famous Wake Bespoke, said: “It’s a challenging time for all businesses but in the true spirit of the brand which I started from my bedroom, I believe that we can transform any situation by focusing on feeling good in what we wear and having outfits that reflect our true personalities. 
“I’m taking a leap of faith and whilst most businesses are downsizing, I’m excited to be upgrading from an upstairs studio in Leeds City Centre to an entire premise in Cleckheaton.” 
 
Leeds lass Jordan is relocating to the area with a promise to add sparkle to the town centre and people with her stunning designs. She creates everything from twinning loungewear to glittering red carpet gowns. The thing all her designs have in common? 
 
“I create my dresses, outfits and wedding attire all around the person. I believe everyone deserves to shine in clothing that fits and helps them to feel-good,” said Jordan, 28 who says she is disguised as a “dress-maker”, but her heart is in female empowerment. 
 
Jordan also promises to launch her new shop and studio following Lockdown and she can’t wait to welcome everyone through its doors, especially those who need a boost to their confidence and self-esteem. 
 
But for now, she will be busy alongside her team of designers, seamstresses and family to create designs for people online as well as doing up the new Wake Bespoke headquarters. 
She said: “Everything feels a bit grim at the moment for so many people, so I want to cheer people up by continuing to build my dream to help empower more women to have fashion designed for whatever works for them, whether we are adding some glamour to our home or we’re allowed to party again... I won’t let this get the better of me and I am proud to be based in Cleckheaton alongside so many other fabulous businesses and talented people.” 
 
As well as offering her bespoke fashion designing services, Jordan and her team are skilled at clothing alterations, style consultations, make-overs and they offer a range of feel-good merchandise all of which are available online at the moment and will be in-store, once Lockdown restrictions ease. 
She said: “Now’s the time to reflect and discover your inner sparkle. We want to empower everyone to feel incredible from the inside out, through Lockdown and online at the moment and in the near future we can also have guests back for face-to face fittings.
“Don’t let tough times dull your sparkle, we can’t wait to add some magic into our biggest and best HQ yet and we will be using this time to transform our very own pink palace, so it is ready to welcome all women and help them to feel special.” 
Jordan, who has dressed almost a thousand women in her unique designs, says that her real success is helping women to rebuild their self-esteem to shine from the inside out. 
“Now I have taken a leap of faith on building my very own shop, dress fitting service and instagrammable backdrops all in one place, I hope I can transform the lives and confidence of even more women to help them look and feel their very best. 
“Every woman deserves to shine and feel great in what they wear, it is my honour to be able to help them along their journey.”  
 
You can shop now for Wake Bespoke’s latest collections via the boutique section on their website,
​by going to: ​https://www.wakebespoke.co.uk ​or you can opt for made to measure services, all done online for the time being.

You can also follow Wake Bespoke on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @wakebespoke. 
Wake Bespoke’s new premise is located at 51 Northgate, Cleckheaton, BD19 3HS.
 

By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 

• New mental health and wellbeing podcast to help locals in lockdown 
• Recovery Road offers hope to health and wellbeing experts as well as sharing expert guidance on a range of therapies 
• Self-love author’s dream from lockdown number 1 of her own “radio show,’ realized in time for lockdown number 2
• Presenter and Recovery Road Founder Sophie Mei Lan, 32, features a range of celebrities and experts on her new show 
• Sophie aka Mama Mei who has more than 22 million views on her mental health and fitness YouTube channel set up podcast to offer hope to those who need help but don’t fit into the draconian health system

A podcast showcasing a range of health and wellbeing practitioners from Yorkshire has launched in time for lockdown to help those recovering from a range of mental health problems as well as supporting local businesses. 
The Pandemic has highlighted many mental health issues amongst a wide range of people. Uncertain times, a range of challenges and a lot of people struggling at the same time, has been detrimental to most people’s mental health. 
But it has also been a time of reflection and people have been reaching out for new therapies and treatments as well as a range of health professionals now diversifying their services by offering it online, making it more accessible for people.

But how do we find the right mental health help in such a crowded wellbeing market?

In order to help people begin on their recovery journey and to save people time on researching and exploring the array of offerings, Recovery Road podcast was born. 
Founded and presented by mental health author and self-love coach Sophie Mei Lan who has been on her own rollercoaster recovery ride, wants Recovery Road to help educate, inspire and to feature the wide range of alternative, complementary and traditional therapies there are available as she meets experts on her own discovery journey. 
Sophie Mei Lan, 32, who is far down her own road of recovery from self-harm, addictions and an eating disorder, says on the show: “Let’s go on a healing journey together as we try out a range of therapies, treatments and techniques to help us on our way to live a stronger healthier life full of smiles and sparkles.
“I’ll be finding out what works and what flops when it comes to feeling strong in mind, body and soul. 
“I’ve been on my own rollercoaster recovery journey from self-harm to self-love.
“Now, I want to help you sparkle from the inside out to be truly successful...
“Health is wealth! 
"You are not broken, you are healing."

Last week on Recovery Road presenter Sophie, who lives in Wakefield with her two daughters and works as an Author, Self-Love Coach and Online Content Creator, met the two relationship experts behind Channel 4's Married at First Sight who have been dubbed “the avengers of Matchmaking.” 
They talk about all things mental health recovery and the power of relationships, how to meet the right person and what to look out for in a positive relationship. 
Forensic and Relationship Psychologist Dr Angela Smith and transformational empowerment coach, dating & relationship expert Genevieve Gresset share their tips on the first episode of Recovery Road.

Sophie says: “I’m so excited to launch my first podcast after training as a broadcast journalist and working for Channel 4 News, it has always been my dream to have my own show sharing my passions in mental health, wellbeing and fitness as well as shining a light on important stories of recovery, hope and healing.
“Recovery Road is my way of giving back to the world and to help other people who are on their healing journey too. 
“I’ve previously experienced a range of addictions, eating disorders and mental health problems. But I’ve somehow clawed my way from a life of self-harm to self-love through self-care and tons of therapy!
“And I still have talking therapies, Reiki treatments, Dance Therapy, Fitness therapy and practice self-care as well as taking medication to manage my mental health problems. I know no one size fits all when it comes to care and treatment, and I am always exploring what works for me and others because so many of us don’t fit in the box and are often shunned or pushed away by services. 
“Recovery Road is non-judgemental, and we listen with an open mind and chat about a range of issues to help everyone who strives to succeed in mind, body, home, life and at work. 
“I hope it helps those of us on a wellbeing journey to success.”

On this week’s episode Sophie talks about “work” that works to help our mental health and wellbeing with popular online influencer and Mum Boss author Vicki Broadbent who is originally from Leeds. 
Sophie said: “We spend a lot of our life focusing on our career and ambitions but too often we neglect our mental health, fitness and wellbeing in the process.
“My friend and inspiration Vicki is testament to the fact that you can survive and thrive at home and at work.”

Recovery Road by Sophie Mei Lan is available now on Apple podcasts, Spotify and all major podcasting platforms. 
You can listen direct by going to https//:mamamei.co.uk or https://recoveryroad.buzzsprout.com

​LISTEN NOW TO EPISODE 1: Matchmaking and Mental Health Recovery:
​https://www.buzzsprout.com/1451554/6121423

SUBSCRIBE AND DOWNLOAD ‘RECOVERY ROAD’ from Apple podcasts, Spotify and all the main podcasting providers.
 
 
By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 
 

Leeds prison worker launches new business in lockdown
From personal development on the inside to personal training on the outside
 
When a prison worker from Armley, who is a qualified personal trainer, was put on furlough, she decided to use her skills to help others stay fit whilst at home in lockdown.
Katy Padam, 37, ran a series of free Instagram live workouts each week from the attic of her home which she shares with three generations of her family.
 
She said: “I’d gone from working inside the locked doors of the prison where I loved being a personal development coach to finding myself without a job to go to and having to spend most of my time inside my family home.
“But as a trained life coach, a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and personal trainer, I knew it was mind over matter and this was a challenge that so many people were experiencing.
“So, I decided to use my PT and life coach knowledge to help others online.”
 
Katy had also been working as a fitness instructor in her spare time in boutique gym Trib3 in Leeds City Centre and F45 training in Manchester northern quarter, another 2 jobs she was “gutted” to not be able to do in lockdown.
“With all my experience from prisons, gyms and overcoming my own life challenges, I decided to do something positive and see the time as an opportunity to help others as well as share my love of exercise and my ambition to become a personal trainer full time.”
 
Katy who had previously used her Instagram @katypadam to share her love of travelling, going out with friends and self-development, began to focus on her passion of sharing content to help others become fit and healthy and “most of all confident.”
“I have always struggled with my self-esteem, but I found that fitness, life coaching and my mindset helped me to overcome any blips in confidence.
 
“Initially I was petrified about delivering live workouts online as I’d only ever coached people one to one & in Group fitness classes, in real life so it was out of my comfort zone.
“But I pushed through it and committed myself to a weekly timetable so people could make sure fitness and a good routine was part of their day whilst being confined to the home.”
Within weeks Katy built up a strong online following, all from the attic in her family home which she had also grown up in.
 
She even got request for personal training clients over zoom and FaceTime.
 
Katy said: “The live video workouts helped people to see the real me and that I just want to help.
“Then when I got the bad news that I was actually being made redundant from the prison, this period had made me realise that I can help people just in a different way.”
 
Again, with several social media posts, Katy’s business ‘Coached by Katy’ was up and running and she was overwhelmed with the interest.
 
Katy now runs Zoom classes, one-to-ones online and offline, park bootcamps and online coaching plans. For more information, follow @katypadam on Instagram or email: coachedbykaty1@gmail.com
 
More about Coached by Katy in her words:

• Prior to lockdown I worked full time at a male prison in Leeds
• A couple of nights a week I would work at Trib3 Leeds and on a Saturday at F45 Manchester teaching group fitness sessions.
• In lockdown I was furloughed from the prison and gyms shut.
• At the beginning of lockdown, I started doing free live Instagram workouts 4-5 times a week. I did this till the end of May
• The last week of May I posted on my social media that I was offering 1-2-1 PT in the park and via zoom. I was amazed by the response I had from people wanting me to train them
• I began doing PT in the park and via zoom and within a couple of weeks my diary was full.
• After a couple of months of doing this, I became worried about my role at the prison as I was so busy with PT, wasn’t sure how I would fit in both jobs once the prison asked me to come back to work.
• In August I became redundant, although I was sad as I loved my job at the prison working as a personal development coach, helping prepare prisoners for release. I was happy that I had set up as a PT during lockdown.
• I am now working as a full time PT, doing training sessions in parks, peoples' gardens, via zoom and I run park bootcamps too.
• I have also recently set up as an online personal trainer.
• I registered my Business “coached by Katy” and I’m absolutely loving being self-employed and growing my business
• During lockdown I was on bestfit TV where I did a televised Fitness session
• I was also on Punjab radio and interviewed by an ex England cricket player Monty Panesar, discussing all things health and fitness

 
FOR INTERVIEWS, CONTACT KATY PADAM DIRECTLY ON: coachedbykaty1@gmail.com or call: 07838303726
 
 
By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 
 

• Fitness therapy and team building for families, couples and friends.
• Harrogate Personal trainer offers social bubble training for bubbles to work out together either at home or in a private studio.
• Pandemic causes rise of relationship struggles and fitness issues.
• Exercising as a social bubble can boost your relationship, health and fitness.
• Training together and doing something positive can help build your mind, body and social bubble.
• “Keeping fit with a loved one or in a group is a great way to motivate yourself and one another as well as making you more accountable and keeping you on track.
• “It’s also a great way to build and strengthen relationships as well as making you feel strong and confident.,” Body Transformation Specialist Mike Green.

​
Harrogate Personal Trainer is on hand to help social bubbles with group fitness sessions in a private studio or online in their homes.
People “fearful” of gyms led to Personal Trainer Mike Green acquiring his own private studio in Hornbeam Park, Harrogate, North Yorkshire where he has launched his social bubble packages to offer bespoke workouts for all bubbles to help boost their fitness, relationships and overall wellbeing.
Body Transformation specialist Mike says that exercising together can enhance relationships, improve your health and it is a cost effective way to have your own “in house” personal trainer.

He said: “Exercising as a bubble will give you something positive to do together whilst improving your workout as people tend to be competitive and it also makes you more accountable if you’re wanting to lose or gain weight and muscle, if your whole bubble is on a healthy mission together.

“It goes without saying, that exercise boosts your endorphins so you feel happier together as well as stronger and it’s a great therapy too as lots of bubbles talk through any issues during the workouts or overcome them by doing something fun together.”

Personal Trainer Mike Green, from Jennyfields in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, who runs Green Health PT says that he has seen a surge of people wanting to follow his exercise and diet plans as a bubble in order to get back into shape following the uncertainty of this past year.
34-year-old Mike, a former footballer, has had a range of couples and families taking up his offer to train together in his studio and at home online due to word-of-mouth of the positive impact it is having on people’s relationships and their happiness within their bubble.
‘Mike Green Body Transformation Specialist’ for busy people offers a range of ongoing support online or in person, or a mixture of the two, as well as, 30-day challenges and 8-week body transformation plans.

Mike said: “I can tailor the plans and programmes to suit anybody regardless of their schedule, background or goals. I love working with a wide range of people of all ages and sizes, I just want people to achieve the results they crave.”

For more information and to book a free consultation, go to:
https://www.greenhealthpt.co.uk/ or email: greenhealthpt@gmail.com

You can find Mike Green on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @greenhealthpt and he is located at Hornbeam Park inside Harrogate Business Park, behind Harrogate Climbing Centre.

 
By Sophie Mei Lan
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk

I would describe myself as a creative who loves the digital world and the opportunities it creates for me to work online and still sue my creative flair. 

I run Evoke Media Group who tell stories for businesses, brands and organisations through multi-platform content aka whatever platform will tell a story best we will use, or we will adjust the story for a desired platform, so it is as powerful as possible. This can be through (primarily) video content and words but also through simple graphics, photography, images and people e.g. influencer marketing which is online word-of-mouth marketing through ‘social media influencers’ with a relevant following and community. 

Isn’t it the tech world vs the creative world? 

I think a decade ago when my business partner Daria and I first started our business venture, I would have separated our roles too - Daria was the ‘tech’ behind-the-scenes person and I was the ‘creative’ person on the screen who would write the stories, come up with ideas for content and share the content. But I quickly discovered how the two worlds no longer collide, but they are in synergy with one another. 
Daria would design and maintain websites, make pretty graphics and content of which we both had creative ideas for. I muse and she does. But we are both digital and both creative. 

I have been brought up in a family of art lovers and artists, my mum Panni Loh is an artist for example and my sister Gemma Slack is a fashion designer and my aunties love art too. But growing up I would have said I am not an artist or creative because I didn’t create visual art such as paintings and drawings. But as we all know art is much more dynamic than that, I love to dance, teach bellydance and move! There’s a reason why I love dance and art as a therapy it is a way to express myself and so is the digital world. 
Like with art, the digital world is diverse, it’s not just for “IT geeks” or so they are dubbed through the stereotype but there is a plethora of opportunities for creatives to work online and express their creative flair.

From sharing artwork on Instagram to creating graphics, editing videos, building websites, there are so many ways to express your creativity digitally. 

And as with all art, dance and drama… there are many mediums and ways individuals can choose to express themselves. Some actors may love on screen work, others may love the stage, and some may love to write… and they can do that online too! 

I now also coach social media skills to individuals and businesses which people see ‘separate’ to my creative side. But like with art, we need to keep an open mind. I express myself a lot online and pretty much everything I and we do these days is digital in some way. 
Whether I am designing simple graphics through the Canva app or photoshop or Daria is editing using Final Cut Pro… we are both and we are all creative in our own way. 

Better still, the online world has opened up many opportunities for us creatives to work online. Whether that be designing websites or social media content or writing blog posts or thinking of catchy ads using keywords. 


How creative can you be online? 

You can be so creative, and I even teach dance online, I vlog, I write and pretty much everything I do, I utilise the digital world in some way. Being online specifically is a lot more democratic for me as well as anyone can learn to be creative and create amazing content, so it really is a great platform for all artists, creatives, writers and everyone to express their creative flair and even get paid too! 


By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk 
 

​What is repurposing content? 

Repurposing content is when we use content for one purpose and then re-use it for another e.g. we turn a blog post into a vlog or a social media infographic. Or we might turn a podcast episode into a blog post and so on. In a physical sense, we may epicycle clothing so we bought a pair of jeans to wear as trousers and then in the future we turn that into a skirt or bag. But the great thing about repurposing online content is that we end up with multiple pieces of content from one idea or good piece of work. 

For example this blog post I have already made into a video and a Canva graphic (attached/see here). 


Why should we repurpose content? 

Here are some of the main reasons why it is a good idea to repurpose content (especially your best work):

• It is a quick way to create social media content rather than constantly coming up with new ideas. 
• If you have writers block or a creative block - it is an easy way to stay productive. 
• People consume content in different ways. Some people love audio like podcasts whereas others love vlogs and videos or reading blogs. And some people will only be on or focus on one main social media platform. So it is a great way of marketing your content on different channels. 

How should we repurpose content?
​

• Apps and sites like Canva and picmonkey are great for easily creating graphics and visual posts out of content. Or those in the know can use photoshop and other tools.
• Choose your best content to repurpose to start with. So what content are you most proud of? Or if you are thinking in marketing terms... what content did the best in terms of reaching your audience (look at engagement, likes/views and reach). 
• Pick the best parts of your chosen content and refine it. 
• Think about how to illustrate your content or use in creative ways. Or maybe it is an audio interview and you transcribe it for a blog post. 
• Shareable: You can make content more shareable and more accessible by repurposing it. You may even create a great graphic of tips (from an old blog post) which then are shared widely. And it may make some pieces of content easier to share with other sites which also boosts your profile. E.g. a powerful quote you may have said could be made into a visual instagram post and people share it (just make sure you include a small link to your site or your logo on it)

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Once you get into the habit of repurposing content it is good to start to think about this when you create the content. E.g if I am doing a vlog with key points in it I write these down to prepare for the vlog but I also know that I can then use these points later to make a blog post or Canva graphic or both! 

So start thinking about one piece of content you could repurpose and what platforms would you post this on? 

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By Sophie Mei Lan 
Co-founder of EvokeMediaGroup.co.uk 
Blogs at mamamei.co.uk / yorkshirefamilies.co.uk / blogupnorth.co.uk