Usually I include an audio recording but there’s something wrong with my editing software so I’ll update it in January after I’ve worked out what’s going on.

I tell ya one thing for free, buddies, my brain has left the building. I’m getting emails saying things that need timely replies and my grey matter is all “ok good luck with that, I’m going to decide I’ve replied to that”. I have NOT replied. So out of office is going up, in as much as a sole trader hustle machine can put one up.

Quite often I find myself wandering back to bed after a few hours up and about. It’s not-negotiable and just happens. Ok, body. Thanks for the memo.

A new lovely thing that happened was applying for a Community Broadcasting Fund content grant, which I found out in the last week was successful! Next year I’ll be working with the fine folk from Powerd Media and Humdinger to create a radio series called Unmasked: Families. I’ll be speaking with ten families who have neurodivergent members about what life is like, and it’ll be played locally on Main FM and then nation wide via the Community Radio Network.

Arts funding is so hard to come by at the moment, and I’ll be using it to make as much good stuff as I possibly can. I was shocked that after sitting at my desk and possum screaming for three days prior to deadline, that the application scored 97%. Lol. Mystifying to the max.

I’d like to take a few moments to reflect on some good things I worked on this year, mainly so I can remember anything at all beyond when I took my last dose of meds.

• Worked with a film company as a consultant around gender expression and diversity, which entailed me being opinionated and then opining at folks in a meeting which was actually incredibly fun and interesting

• Developed and created Unmasked, a telly show for the internet, which then aired on Channel 31. Had lovely guests on to share their experiences of being neurodivergent as parents, writers, visual and performing artists, academics and musicians

• Spoke at the launch of the Aesop Queer Library, and You’ll Be a Wonderful Parent was part of the collection which was available free to anyone who showed up to their Sydney and Naarm stores for the week

• Visited Wodonga and Ocean Grove for QLit Festival and future planning weekend, respectively

• Had a piece published in the QLit anthology Out-Side

• Wrote heaps of pieces for Powerd Media

• Wrote for The Big Issue

• Wrote for The Guardian about going vego for a week and freaking out about having babies

• Did a corporate gig at Canva during Trans Awareness Week

• Recorded many interviews for Able Radio

• Went interstate for the first time in nine thousand years and interviewed beloved Erin Riley at Paddington Library, and got to have brunch with dear Emily Mayo

• Was visited by Sam Drummond who interviewed me about my favourite place for Spaces

• Did a guest lecture with creative writing students at Melb Uni

• Sang Distant Sun by Crowded House at Castlemaine Idyll

• Signed a contract with Allen & Unwin for my children’s book

• Spoke on a panel at the inaugural Newstead Young Writers Festival about writing big feelings and finally met Melanie Saward irl and had a noice cuddle

• Guested on a wonderful panel show ReFramed about disability representation in media

• Saw my buddy Eliza Hull supporting Jen Cloher at the Palais in Hepburn and filled my musical cup

• Was part of an anthology about disability and attended the online launch, and loved being part of every moment of the project. Thank you Andy.

• Performed spoken word at a fundraiser for folks in Gaza

• Spoke at a local event in Castlemaine for the Mount Alexander Shire Council for International Day of People with Disability

  

  Pic by Penny Ryan. Jasper is a roly poly white person with white and pink short hair, standing at a microphone in a mauve shirt covered with birds and blue trousers. Behind them is a beautiful mural of a cockatoo with their wings outspread.

• Mentored a solo writer and group of disabled writers under Writers Victoria

• Kept working on my memoir, enlisting the help of mentor extraordinaire Myfanwy Jones. It’s nearly time to break out the post its and play with structure, but will rest my head a bit first

• Released 4 episodes of Slow Reader and recorded three more, which I’ll edit soon!

• Lifted weights 800 times and got swole as. Fuck yeah!

• Made 45,000 meals and snacks for my fam and I. Took the bin out 900 times. Got quite into gardening again, which has been lovely. Also rekindled my love for cross stitch. It’s been very cottagecore

• Had a very bad time with the NDIS, like so many of my fellow crip community

• Had a breakdown, learned to find ways to feel good again

• Sent over 47,000,000 memes and reels to targeted friends

• Yearned: endlessly

• Did not keep track of what I read or listened to in any way whatsoever other than the odd Insta post

• Changed my legal name to Jasper Peach. Changed my honorific with my insurance company to Dr because they don’t have Mx as an option yet and I didn’t care for the other choices

• Closed my books for ghostwriting weddings, having enough work writing my own stuff to manage ok

• Was supported and supported in turn members of my various communities

• Had the scary liver scan I’ve been putting off, all is well

I am running on fumes and there’s probably something I’ve forgotten, but I’m pleased to tick “finish Substack” off my list and I’m sending you lots of loves.

Be safe, stay as well as you can, drink water, get some rest. What a year, huh?

JP xoxox