Georgia Francis

Poet. Artist. Writer.

ABOUT GEORGIA FRANCIS

Georgia Francis is an award-winning spoken word poet, artist, and writer from Scotland.

Francis' work explores themes of chronic illness, disability, ableism, love, and sexuality. Her work has been included in multiple anthologies and publications as well as her debut poetry collection, Fainting Girl. Francis is the Founder and Editor in Chief of creative magazine StoryTree.

Fainting Girl

Francis’ debut poetry collection, Fainting Girl, depicts her experiences with adolescence, chronic illness, disability, love, and sexuality. Fainting Girl released March 2025, published by Quiet Island. Fainting Girl won the Silver Award for Poetry in The 2025 Reader Views Literary Awards.

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Upcoming Events

Wed 25 Mar
StoryTree Poetry Slam
The Bungalow
Learn more
25 Mar 2026, 19:00 – 23:00
The Bungalow, 15 Shuttle St, Paisley PA1 1YD, UK
StoryTree invites you to our inaugural poetry slam! 10 poets, 3 rounds, 1 winner.
Wed 25 Feb
StoryTree Issue 2 Launch Night
The Bungalow
Learn more
25 Feb 2026, 19:00 – 22:00
The Bungalow, 15 Shuttle St, Paisley PA1 1YD, UK
StoryTree invites you to celebrate the launch of our latest issue. The night will be filled with performances from the talented artists from Issue 2!

I’m delighted to announce that my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl won the Silver Award for Poetry in The 2025 Reader Views Literary Awards!! 🥈🩶

Thank you to everyone at @reader_views for the amazing honour! Special thanks to @samsmallpoetry for helping me create this book that means so much to me 💛 Thank you to @lighthousebks and @good_press for stocking copies!! And finally, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of Fainting Girl and who came to the launch in March—I cannot put into words how much I appreciate all your support 🥰

Congratulations to Andrew Daniels for winning gold and to the other poets who won awards!! 📖

The physical copies of Fainting Girl are sold out, but you can get an ebook copy for £5 on my website—check the link in my bio!! 🔗

Gays performing, gays audiencing, gays valentinesing ❤️

Had such a great Valentine’s Day at @queertheoryglasgow with some beautiful people 🥰

#imagedescription - Georgia is a white disabled woman with dark blond hair. She is seen at a queer cabaret with friends.

On Monday night, I competed in my first ever slam!! 🙈 Thank you so much to @candlelightopenmic and @rossdmcfarlanepoetry for the opportunity to compete ❤️ Was such a lovely night with so many incredible performers!

Massive congratulations to @tsangman93 for his first place win!! 🏅 And huge congratulations to @simplythebethpoetry and @drewgillcreate for coming second and third!

Swipe to the end for a photo of @dogtorcoco enjoying the performances 🐾

#imagedescription - Photos of Georgia and other performers competing in a poetry slam.

Delighted to share that my poem ‘I Got You a Present’ is included in @thepoetrysdeadpodcast Anthology Volume 2!! 📖

Get a copy of the anthology at the link in my bio 🔗 And listen to the incredible Poetry’s Dead Podcast 🎤

Very grateful to have my work included alongside such evocative poems 💙

Some of my personal favourites are:
‘The Norm’ by @tanyarholliday
‘The Fruit of Love’ by @t.naaz_edit / @clayup_crafts
‘On Hearing The Morning News’ by @holly_hughes_words
‘You, Me And The Devil Makes’ by alkinsel
‘Sink’ by @joe__spivey
‘There Are Diamonds To Be Found’ by @steverinod
‘Ten Past Three’ by @anderson__colin
‘Doggie’ by @sijdaly

Class time seeing @frankshousemusic absolutely slay at @thebungalowpaisley 🔑

Swipe for @awesomeindieturtles’s aesthetic blurry photography skills

Delighted to share that two of my poems ‘Little Death’ and ‘Aurora and Selene’ have been included in the debut issue of @friedeggpress 🍳

Thank you so much to editor @ctscripts for including my poetry 💛 Honoured to be featured alongside such beautiful work—including ‘And what do I call you?’ by my wonderful friend @sarahthebeaverwritesstuff

Read Issue 1 of Fried Egg FOR FREE at the link in their bio 🔗

#imagedescription - Slide 2 shows the cover of Issue 1 of Fried Egg Magazine. Slide 3 shows the magazine’s table of contents. Slide 1 is a poem by Georgia Francis entitled ‘Little Death’. It reads as follows:

I lie in bed
with the cold you gave me.
Cuddled up to the germs I kissed
from your lips.
My skin bruises with every touch,
every brush of my quilt,
every divot of my mattress.
My bones throb, grinding
against each other
to damp, white dust
like the shredded tissues
scattered around me.
My muscles, soft and weak,
weep in quiet agony.
My head is heavy
with the lingering taste of you,
thick and coating my throat,
slipping into my lungs,
binding with my breath.
I toss in my blankets,
lost in my little death.

You lie in bed
with her.
Kissing her skin, anointing her
with freshly healthy saliva.
You touch her cool, non-fevered flesh,
brushing the soft blush of her cheeks.
Knead her firm muscles,
leave fingerprint bruises on her taut thighs.
Lay atop her hipbones,
solid and whole,
push her into the divots of your mattress.
Press your lips to her throat,
down her chest, hear her clear
lungs fill
with unlaboured breath.
Guide her, gasping,
through her little death.

This year I returned to the wonderful world of poetry after a hiatus since 2019. In 2025 I published my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl, launched creative magazine @storytreezine, hosted my first gig, started performing again, wrote 17 new poems, had 3 submissions accepted, and wrote my first ever full-length play—which I still haven’t done anything with but I need something to do in 2026 😉

I wouldn’t have been able to do all of these amazing things without my incredible service dog @dogtorcoco 🐾 With Coco’s support, the world is open and full of possibilities again. I’m so grateful for all the wonderful things I’ve gotten to do this year and forever in awe of how Coco has changed my life 💛

#imagedescription - Georgia is a white disabled person with dark blonde hair. She is shown against a blue background holding her debut poetry collection Fainting Girl. Around her are statistics reading: 1 poetry collection published, 60 books published, 3 photos published, 1 creative magazine launched, 29 poems published, 17 new poems written, 16 submissions sent, 1 new play written, 1 creative nonfiction piece published, 11 poems performed, 1 book cover art drawn, 5 gigs played, 8 gigs attended, 1 gig hosted, 3 submissions accepted, 1 creative nonfiction piece performed. Slide 2 shows Georgia with her service dog, a black Labrador named Coco, with a caption reading: 1 incredible service dog who made the whole year possible.

Food and sex and sickness in @storytreezine 🍝

The debut issue of StoryTree is out now!! And it includes a poem I wrote this summer that’s definitely just about cooking 🥕🍅

Read the full zine at the link in my bio 🔗 It’s filled with so many amazing artists!! 🧡

In 2021, @erinhephz_ and I created performance piece 49.5kg—Erin’s degree show piece for her BA in Sculpture and Environmental Art at @glasgowschoolart 🎨 The project began as a response to ableist notions of illness and the romanticisation of caring for a sick loved one. Depicting a fully rounded and honest narrative of illness and caretaking, the piece aims to educate and engage its audience in conversations about carer and disability rights, treatment, and representation.

The piece was exhibited at Mid Wharf Art as part of GSA’s Alternative Degree Show curated by @cait.callaghan. 49.5kg is now available to watch on YouTube again!! Watch at the link in my bio 🔗

Happy Bonfire Night to you and happy 8 year friendiversary to me and @byemilybailey 🎆💞

Bonfire Night ‘17 is included in my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl—available for purchase at the link in my bio. Be quick, there’s only 2 physical copies left!! 📖

P.S. how beautiful is my firework embroidery by @thestitchling?! 🪡

P.P.S if you saw the first post of this with the typo, no you didn’t.

#imagedescription - the poem Bonfire Night ‘17 by Georgia Francis with a background of embroidered fireworks by Emily Bailey.

Halloween at Paint and a Pint 🎨🍻 With @felixevlee and the spirit of @awesomeindieturtles 🧚🏻‍♀️

#imagedescription - Georgia a slender, white disabled woman. She is seen at an art Halloween event dressed as a witch. She is with her friend who is dressed as a pirate skull and her service dog Coco who is a black lab.

Feeling gay 💟

An excerpt from my poem Candid (Late Night Thoughts While Reading Ali Smith’s Girl Meets Boy) �📖 The full poem is in my collection Fainting Girl, available to buy at the link in my bio!! 🔗

There’s also a performance of this poem from the Fainting Girl launch night on my page and on my YouTube 🎭

My poem “Georgia” performed at the Fainting Girl book launch in March at @poetryatinndeep 🌹

Shoutout to @inndeepbar for the wonderful night and Georgia O’Keefe for the inspiration 🌺

You can read “Georgia” in my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl available to buy on my website at the link in my bio or in person at @lighthousebks in Edinburgh and @good_press in Glasgow 📚

Candid (Late Night Thoughts While Reading Ali Smith’s Girl Meets Boy) performed at @poetryatinndeep at my book launch in March 💛

Full video available to watch on YouTube at the link in my bio 🔗

Candid is included in my poetry collection Fainting Girl, which is available to buy on my website - also at the link in my bio 📖

Be quick, there’s only 3 hard copies left!! 📚

They Call Me Raggedy Ann 🪡

A performance of They Call Me Raggedy Ann at @poetryatinndeep in March.

This poem is part of my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl, available to buy at the link in my bio 📖

They Call Me Raggedy Ann is the inspiration for the original song Raggedy Ann cowritten with singer-songwriter @erinhephz_ ❤️

My performance of Fainting Girl from my book launch at @inndeepbar in March is now available to watch on my YouTube channel at the link in my bio 🔗

Shoutout to @poetryatinndeep for always having the best poetry nights 💛

Fainting Girl is the title poem from my debut poetry collection, which you can buy on my website - also available at the link in my bio 📖

Can you spot the Raggedy Ann chrous?? 👀

I wrote the first version of ‘They Call Me Raggedy Ann’ when I was 16. A few weeks later, @erinhephz_ and I turned it into a song in less than half an hour. You can listen to the Raggedy Ann song, produced by @martinstephenson2, on Erin’s EP Harebrained 🐇

I later reworked ‘They Call Me Raggedy Ann’ when I was 18, which is the version in my book Fainting Girl, available at the link in my bio 📖

Fun fact: my poem ‘Georgia’ isn’t self-titled; it’s named after American artist Georgia O’Keefe, who is renowned for her beautiful flower paintings 🌺

The poem references four of O’Keefe’s paintings: Red Canna 1924, Jack in the Pulpit No. IV 1930, Black Iris 1926, and Hibiscus with Plumeria 1939.

O’Keefe’s paintings are widely read as representing female sexuality. However, O’Keefe consistently rejected this interpretation, stating “you hung all your own associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower—and I don’t.”

So O’Keefe probably wouldn’t be too pleased I referenced her paintings in a poem about sexuality - sorry about that! But her beautiful work was too inspiring not to use it as a metaphor to explore my experiences with sexuality and illness.

You can read “Georgia” in my collection Fainting Girl, available to buy at the link in my bio 💛📖

10 years ago today, I fainted for the first time… and I never stopped.

To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of my Fainting Girl life, I wrote a piece about my experiences with illness, education, my experiences with @theopenuniversity, writing, life, and my journey with @dogtorcoco 🐕‍🦺 You can read my piece on my website at the link in my bio 🔗

And for today only, you can get Fainting Girl 10% when you buy from my website 📖💛

Edinburgh Fringe Festival with lovely people 🩵 Giorgio was amazing in @bottomsuptheatre’s production, In His Own Image. And the rest of us were amazing in Wetherspoons’ production, Drinking in the Sunshine 🍻☀️

#imagedescription - Georgia is a slender, white disabled woman with dark blond hair. She is seen in various photos with her friends at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She uses a black and red wheelchair. She is wearing a grey-blue dress, a pink, blue, and white crocheted coverup, a pink jumper, navy sandals, and black sunglasses.

Come with me to @lighthousebks in Edinburgh to drop off some SIGNED copies of my poetry collection, Fainting Girl 💛

Lighthouse is a queer-owned, woman-led bookshop, who celebrate diversity of thought and expression, championing voices from the margins. They were super accommodating and got the ramp out for me so I could get my wheelchair inside. Lighthouse has such a lovely vibe, and I could’ve easily spent all day there if I didn’t have a fringe show to get to!

Visit Lighthouse the next time you’re in Edinburgh and maybe buy a copy of Fainting Girl! 💛📖

ANNOUNCEMENT: I now have more copies of my poetry collection Fainting Girl!! 📖💛 Visit my website to buy a copy for £10. You can also get an ebook version for £5. Link in bio 🔗

Thank you to everyone who has already bought a copy. Your support means the world to me. I still can’t believe I’m really published! 🙈

Shoutout to @samsmallpoetry and @spec_books for these lovely copies 💛

#imagedescription - Georgia is a slender, white, disabled woman with dark blonde hair. She is seen posing with copies of her poetry collection, Fainting Girl. Fainting Girl has a yellow cover with a black line drawing of Georgia. Georgia is wearing a blue denim shirt, blue jeans, blue trainers, blue and yellow socks, black sunglasses, and yellow rubber duck earrings.

Poetry is good for the soul 📖✨ Such an amazing night seeing so many talented poets at @candlelightopenmic hosted by @rossdmcfarlanepoetry 💛 Love to my wonderful friends @awesomeindieturtles and @rossopenmic - go see their fabulous fringe shows in Edinburgh this August 🎭

#imagedescription - Georgia is a white, slender, disabled woman. She is wearing a black dress, black flip flops, and a black shawl with red and pink roses. She is photographed in a bathroom covered in posters with her friend Indie, a white, disabled person with dark curly hair. There are photos of Indie and Ross performing poetry on stage. Ross is a white, disabled man.

Minuit est là, je ne dors pas 🌌

I’ve been struggling with a lot of insomnia recently so here is insomnia as told in poems from my collection Fainting Girl 📖

Ya gal got new glasses and can finally see again 🤓 RIP to the pair I left on the train, you shall be missed

#imagedescription photos of Georgia against a red background. She is a young, white woman with crimped, dark blonde hair. She is wearing eyeliner and red lipstick. She is wearing dark burgundy glasses, a white shirt, black trousers, and silver jewellery.

✨ Fainting Girl glimmers ✨

I had an amazing time at my book launch at @poetryatinndeep on Tuesday. Thank you so much to @samsmallpoetry and @spec_books for making my dream of being a published writer a reality! 📖

Shoutout to all the amazing performers and artists at the night and to the wonderful @dale_mcphail_ for such fabulous hosting!

I can’t believe the book sold out on the night!! I’m not sure if there are more copies still available, but once I find out I’ll make a post saying where to buy them 💛

Extra congratulations to @erinhephz_ and @liam.robb7 for being such good fainting couches, 10/10 would faint on them again 💯

Also shoutout @adorned_uk for the cutest, comfiest, most ethical wrap top 💅🏻

“Take a photo with the glasses for the Fainting Girl book launch!” 😎

Had such an amazing time at the launch of my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl 📖 Thank you so much to everyone who came and made it so special 💛

Lots more photos and videos to come so be prepared for Fainting Girl spam 👀

In celebration of the release of my debut poetry collection Fainting Girl, I wanted to highlight some of the art that inspired and influenced the book. Some of these artists/works are explicitly referenced in Fainting Girl, such as Augusta Webster, Ali Smith, Stevie Smith, Georgia O’Keefe, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While others are more general influences on my writing and creative process. There are many, many more I could have included but this is a good place to start. Also shoutout to the live poetry events in Glasgow, they’ve been more inspiring to me than anything @poetry_in_glasgow 💛

So please enjoy my collection of poetry, novels, plays, photography, paintings, tv, films, and music 📚

Specific poems to read:

* Augusta Webster, ‘A Castaway’
* Augusta Webster, ‘Happiest Girl in the World’
* Stevie Smith, ‘Not Waving But Drowning’
* Christina Rossetti, ‘What Would I Give’
* Kyle Tran Myhre, ‘The Family Business’

You can listen to the full Fainting Girl Tunes playlist on my @spotify 🎶 But I recommend these specific songs:

* @erinhephz, Raggedy Ann
* @guantesolo, The Illusion of Movement
* @pomme, Ceux qui rêvent
* Cibo Matto, Sugar Water
* Mark Morriss, I’m Sick
* @bellesglasgow, Nobody’s Empire
* The Smiths, Still Ill
* Mattafix, The Forgotten

Come to @poetryatinndeep on Tuesday 11th of March at 8pm for the Fainting Girl book launch 📖 If you can’t make the launch you can buy the book from @spec_books website on launch day 💛

P.S. I did used to own a physical copy of @holliepoetry’s Nobody Told Me but I let someone borrow it and never got it back 😪 And I’m sorry for not including a slide with Georgia O’Keefe, she’ll get her own carousel one day 🌹

Fainting Girl comes out next week!! 📖💛

Here’s a little sneak peak at some quotes from the titular poem 👀

Join me on Tuesday the 11th of March, 8pm at @inndeepbar for the launch 📚 Thank you so much to @poetryatinndeep @samsmallpoetry and @spec_books for making this dream come true 💛

I’m delighted to share that three of my poems have been included in Issue 14 of @wishbonewords 📚 You can read my poems along with the rest of the amazing book reviews, poetry, prose, and art in Issue 14 at the link in my bio 🔗 @pyjamacladpoet

Thank you so much to the team at @wishbonewords ❤️ Definitely check out the rest of the issues that celebrate disabled, chronically ill, and/or neurodiverse creatives!!

For the 24 hours of the 24th of May 2024, I turned 24 🍓🥳🎁

p.s. a single strawberry with a candle in it is what happens when you don’t have time to pick up a vegan cake 🎂

#imagedescription Georgia is a young, white, slender, disabled woman wearing a black hat and black jumper. She is sitting on a green couch under a green blanket. Her family are singing “happy birthday” and carrying a single strawberry with a birthday candle towards her.

Celebrating 25 years of my amazingly talented lil big sister @erinhephz_ 🥳

Those first 17 months without me were rough, but you made it through like a champ 💪🏻

#imagedescription Georgia is a young, disabled, white woman with dark blonde hair and grey eyes. She is at a gig. She is wearing black eyeliner with her hair down. She is wearing black trousers and a black AC/DC top with orange writing.

welcome to the hellmouth ❤️‍🔥

#imagedescription Georgia is a young, white, disabled woman with dark blonde hair and grey eyes. She is wearing a black satin halter top with black satin trousers. She is wearing silver jewellery including earrings, a nose ring, bracelets, a lariat choker, and multiple rings. She is sitting in a electric wheelchair.

Prestfest tings 🎶

#imagedescription : Photos of Georgia sitting outside and at a music venue with her family. Georgia is a young disabled woman. She is slender with white skin and dark blonde hair. She is wearing beige jeans, a beige vest, and a beige oversized denim shirt with black doc martens and a beige beanie. She is wearing multiple silver rings and two pearl necklaces.

Did anyone find Jamie’s keys?? 🗝️

#imagedescription : photos of Georgia at a @_mergedevents music night at Cotton’s Bar. Detailed image descriptions in alt text.

A wonderful Father’s Day at @cottonsbarrenfrew celebrating the amazing @grouchymarxish ❤️

#imagedescription - Georgia is a young, white, disabled woman pictured with family and friends at a music gig in Cottons Bar.

Had so much fun last night at The Radio Room in @cottonsbarrenfrew ❤️🎶 @erinhephz_ronain put on an amazing show with the talents of @hound_gla, @janeysimps, and @cameron_king_music. Can’t wait for more @_mergedevents nights!! 🥂🍾

Featuring my all blue outfit for International M.E. Awareness Day 🦋 I felt very privileged to spend this M.E. Awareness Day enjoying a night out with my family. It’s not something I get to do very often because of my chronic illnesses, so to do it on M.E. Awareness Day felt extra special 💙🥄

Swipe for some top notch Martin dancing 🕺🏻

#imagedescription : Georgia is a young, white, disabled woman wearing light blue denim dungarees and a blue striped cheesecloth shirt with a matching ribbon in her hair. She is seen with various people at a music gig at a Cottons Bar.

Happy Birthday x3 🥳🥂🎂

I had a wonderful weekend celebrating my 22nd birthday with my fellow May Geminis @morganbird_ and @corodail 🥰❤️ (who I did not get a photo with… oops)

Thank you to my family for making it so special and thank you to everyone for all the lovely birthday wishes 💛

Here’s to being two lil ducks!! 🦆🦆

[#imagedescription Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She is sitting in an electric wheelchair. She has dark blonde hair, worn in bunches. She is wearing black sunglasses, a black t-shirt and a orange, blue, red and yellow patterned dungaree dress. She is shown in a sunny garden with her family.]

Mother’s Day celebrations with my beautiful family 💛💐🥂

And yes, I am aware my attire just screams spring 😛

[#imagedescription Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and dark blonde hair. She is wearing a black dress, grey checked shirt, dark sunglasses, tights, and doc martens. She is with her gran, mother, aunties, cousins, and family dog, Molly, in a sunny garden. They are drinking champagne.]

Feeling colourful for #RareDiseaseDay 💖💚💜💙

Living with rare disease can be extremely isolating and lonely. It’s difficult to find understanding people in both society and medicine. A big part of understanding is education; and although I talk a lot about my experiences of living with my rare disease, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I’ve never actually explained what it is publicly, so time to remedy that.

Ehlers Danlos Syndromes are a group of 13 rare genetic conditions that affect connective tissue, due to abnormal function and structure of collagen. Connective tissues provide essential support in skin, ligaments, tendons, internal organs, blood vessels, and bones. The faulty collagen causes the connective tissue to be overly stretchy, leading to problems such as: stretchy and fragile skin that wounds easily and heals slowly; hypermobile, loose and unstable joints that dislocate easily and cause chronic nerve and muscle pain; circulation issues that cause tachycardia, dizziness, and fainting; organ prolapse; and gastrointestinal issues. Each type of EDS is different but these are common symptoms.

EDS are spectrum disorders, meaning how they present and to what severity varies from person to person. Some EDS patients may be well enough to work, while others cannot. Some can function without mobility aids, while others rely on them. Some experience more skin problems, while others suffer more joint issues. Some require full time care, while others can live independently.

Co-morbidities (additional illnesses) are common with EDS. Associated conditions (some of which are also rare) include Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, Oestoarthritis, Gum Disease, neurological conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

There is currently no cure for EDS and treatments focus only on managing symptoms and dealing with additional issues like injuries.

Hopefully this post has helped you better understand this rare disease of mine. Check out @rarediseasedayofficial to learn about other rare diseases and see all they do to help people like me 💖💚💜💙

happy pisces season from your fav pisces rising 🖤

[#imagedescription : Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and dark blonde hair worn in a half-up, half-down style. She has dark eye makeup, black glasses, and nude glossy lips. She is wearing a snake print and lace vest with a black lace choker, a black leather mini skirt, black fishnets, and black thigh high heeled leather boots. She is shown sitting in an electric wheelchair in front of a tv and a fireplace.]

The 9th of February marks one year since I was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, so let’s celebrate!! 🦓🖤🤍

To healthy people, it might seem odd to celebrate being diagnosed with an incurable, progressive illness. Why would I ever want to celebrate the fact I’ll live with a painful, debilitating condition for the rest of my life?

But the chronically ill community knows how important accurate diagnoses are and how hard you have to fight to get them.

I became ill at 15 and endured years of painful and intrusive tests that never gave me any answers. Doctors dismissed and misdiagnosed me; they told me my illness was “all in my head” and referred me to mental health services because they couldn’t find anything physically wrong with me.

Eventually I was diagnosed with M.E, then PoTS years later. All of which lead me to finally receiving my hEDS diagnosis at the age of 20, five and a half years after I became severely disabled.

With my newest diagnosis, I finally knew what was going on with my body. I finally had an idea of what the rest of my life would look like. Having the dream of recovery taken away was complicated. It was devastating knowing that how I am right now is the healthiest I’ll ever be again. However, it was so relieving to finally stop wishing to get better. I hadn’t realised how much energy I was wasting waiting on a recovery that wasn’t coming. Being told I was never getting better was an oddly freeing experience. It gave me the incentive to live my life in the moment and make the best of what I can do while I can do it. It motivated me to move to a more suitable house for my disability, to get an electric wheelchair, and to start realistically planning for my future.

But the best thing my EDS diagnosis has done is allowed me to be a part of such a beautiful community. I’ve met so many other zebras online and I’m so grateful for all the love and light they’ve brought into my life. I’m also very grateful for the wider chronic illness and disabled community, I genuinely wouldn’t be able to live without them 🖤🤍

It’s #januhairy so let’s talk about body hair 🌱🪒

I first started shaving at 13. I got rid of my underarm hair as soon as it grew in and shaved my legs bare whenever I wore shorts or a skirt. I never thought about why I was getting rid of my body hair. I just knew it made me feel embarrassed and shaving was something that all the women and girls in my life did.

I continued to shave without giving it much thought until I became disabled at 15. Suddenly I was dealing with daily pain and fatigue; I struggled to do basic things on my own like bathing or dressing. Naturally, shaving wasn’t high on my list of priorities so my body hair started growing out.

I would still try to remove my body hair but it was never a good experience. Shaving was exhausting, and caused me such physical pain it would leave me in tears. But for a while, I endured the physical suffering because I wanted to feel feminine. I wanted to have smooth, hairless legs and soft underarms. I wanted to look and feel like a desirable woman. When I couldn’t endure the pain and had to live with my hair, I felt self conscious and insecure in my body and femininity.

But over the years, I’ve done a lot to unpack my feelings about body hair. I’ve questioned why I started shaving in the first place. What made me feel that as a grown woman or a pubescent teenager that I shouldn’t have body hair? And why was I putting myself through so much pain to be hairless?

After all the unpacking I’ve done, I’ve come to really love my body hair and actually feel uncomfortable without it. I don’t need to shave in order to be feminine. I am a grown woman and it’s natural for me to have body hair.

At the end of the day, body hair isn’t a big deal, whether you grow it or shave it. But just be sure that whatever you do with your body, truly makes you feel happy and comfortable ❤️

[#imagedescription Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and dark blonde curly hair, worn down. She is posing against a white wall, wearing a lacy, claret bralette top with claret eyeshadow. She is shown from the waist up, in various poses that show off her underarm hair. Detailed descriptions in alt text.]

✨2021✨

Wonderful memories with the best people, so grateful for my lovely family 💛🥂

[#imagedescription 1: Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and dark blonde hair. She is shown sitting beside her older sister Erin. Their Mum stands behind them. All three are smiling; Georgia is looking at Erin.]

[ID 2: Georgia is shown on the street with Erin and her older brother Martin. Georgia is sitting in her wheelchair. Erin is lying on the pavement in front of her. Martin is standing behind Georgia. All three are smiling and laughing.]

[ID 3: Georgia is shown sitting around an outdoor pub table with her family.]

[ID 4: Georgia is shown sitting on a swing with her younger cousin. The swing is at the beach front; behind them is a mini golf course.]

[ID 5: Georgia is shown in her garden. She is playing catch with her three younger cousins.]

[ID 6: Georgia is shown with her stepdad, Drew. Drew is wearing a lopsided bunnet; Georgia is doing rock hand signs.]

[ID 7: Georgia is shown with Erin, Martin, and her older sister, Rebecca. They are standing in a garden; Georgia is using her walking stick, Michael Cane. All four are smiling and laughing.]

[ID 8: Georgia is shown sitting in her wheelchair in a garden. Her Mum is standing next to her holding a birthday cake with lit candles. Both are smiling.]

[ID 9: Georgia is shown sitting in her wheelchair in a garden.]

[ID 10: Georgia is shown sitting in a stone room. Beside her, a film is projected on the wall. The projection shows Georgia and a lifesize puppet in a room with a brown couch.]

Last night I discovered I’m surprisingly good at driving my wheelchair drunk 💃🏼👯‍♀️

[#imagedescription 1: Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and dark blonde hair, worn down. She is shown from the bust up, alongside her sister, Rebecca, who is a slender, white, young woman with blonde hair and green eyes. Both are smiling. Rebecca is holding a glass of Prosecco.]

[ID 2: Georgia is sitting in her electric wheelchair in a bar with pink lighting. Rebecca is sitting on her lap. Georgia’s sister, Erin, stands behind them; she is a slender, white, young woman with brown hair and blue eyes. All three are smiling.]

[ID 3: Georgia is sitting in her electric wheelchair. Her brother, Martin, is sitting on her lap; Martin is a slender, white, man with brown hair and blue eyes. Erin stands behind them, wearing dark glasses. All three are smiling.]

[ID 4: Georgia is sitting in her electric wheelchair with Martin on her lap. Erin stands behind them. Martin and Georgia are smiling; Erin is pouting.]

[ID 5: Georgia is sitting in her electric wheelchair with Erin in her lap. Both are smiling. The photo is slightly blurry.]

[ID 6: Erin and Georgia’s stepfather, Drew, are on stage. Drew is a slender, white man, wearing a bunnet. He is sitting on the right, playing the bongos and looking at Erin. Erin is standing on the left, behind a microphone; she is playing a brown guitar. She is looking at Drew.]

Seven weeks ago I got my first ever electric wheelchair, Libby, and she’s inspired me to share some thoughts on mobility aids.

For a long time, I saw my mobility aids as a failure. They represented my worsening health, everything I’ve lost due to illness, and all the things I can’t do that used to be second nature. They make me visibly disabled and as such invite judgement from others.

For four years, I refused to allow anyone to take photos of me in my wheelchair or using my walking stick. I was hyper-selective of who was allowed to see me in my wheelchair, and even more selective of who I allowed to push my chair. Last year I had to hide my manual wheelchair in a cupboard because seeing it in my room every day made me resentful of my body and its limitations.

If you had told me six months ago that I would be excited about getting an electric wheelchair at the age of 21, I probably would have gotten upset and told you that you were minimising how difficult it is to be in a wheelchair.

But over the past year, I’ve done a lot of work to unlearn my internalised ableism and embrace my mobility aids. I’ve taken photos using my aids and posted them to my public social medias. I’ve gone out with friends, family, and even on dates using my aids. I’ve allowed myself to become visibly disabled and accept and celebrate my disabled body as it is.

It hasn’t been easy. Embracing my mobility aids has certainly come with a lot of inaccessibility and unwanted attention and ableism from other people. I’ve also had to face a lot of my own internal insecurities that tell me my disability makes me inadequate, unattractive, and less worthy of respect and kindness.

I still have a long way to go. There are still times I feel embarrassed of my mobility aids. But I can honestly say I’ve reached a place where I’m truly in love with my first ever electric wheelchair. Instead of focusing on what I thought my life would be at 21, I’m celebrating the freedom, independence, and confidence my new wheelchair has brought me. Mobility aids are a wonderful thing, and they deserve to be celebrated. So please join me in celebrating my new wheelchair, Libby. Ain’t she a beauty? 👩🏼‍🦼❤️

Made you look, made you see; now you owe me 50p 🪙

[#imagedescription 1: Georgia is a slender, disabled, white, young woman. She has grey eyes and messy dark blonde hair. Her hair is in a pony tail. She is wearing graphic, black, double-winged eyeliner with reddish eyeshadow. She is shown against a white wall from the hips up wearing a black crop top, dark grey wide leg jeans, a grey plaid shirt, and two silver chains. Her left hand is raised at her forehead; her right arm is down, across her body. She is looking to camera.]

[ID 2: Georgia is shown from the shin up. Her hair is down and she isn’t wearing her grey plaid shirt. Her left hand is in her hair; her right hand is in her trouser pocket. She has visible underarm hair.]

[ID 3: Georgia is shown from the mid thigh up. She is leaning towards the camera. Her left arm is behind her back; her right hand is on her thigh, supporting her weight.]

[ID 4: Georgia is shown from the shin up. Her right arm is by her side; her left hand is raised to her forehead. She is looking to her left with her eyes closed.]

[ID 5: Georgia is shown from the mid thigh up. Her left arm is down, slightly across her body; her right arm down, slightly behind her back.]

[ID 6: Georgia is shown from the waist up. Her left hand is raised to her forehead; her left hand is in her trouser pocket.]

[ID 7: Georgia is shown from the waist up. Her hair is in a pony tail. Her right shoulder is pushed out to camera; both arms are by her side.]

[ID 8: Georgia is shown from the hips up. Her hair is in a pony tail. Her arms are down across her body. Her shirt is falling off her right shoulder.]

[ID 9: Georgia is shown from the hips up. Her hair is down. Her arms are by her sides.]

[ID 10: Georgia is shown from the hips up. Her arms are by her side. She is leaning slightly towards the camera.]

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