Ah, I’m pleased you’ve stumbled up on this blog, Hello Little Lady. Perhaps you’re a person with one of 200 forms of dwarfism in the world. A parent of a child with dwarfism curious and apprehensive about what the world holds for them. Or maybe you’re an academic interested in studying people with disabilities? A production researcher looking for contributors for your documentary about people living with dwarfism. Whoever you are, you are warmly welcomed to my blog.
Hello Little Lady aims to be a platform to celebrate and give a voice to those of us in the dwarf community
I started writing and sharing my experiences of living with dwarfism back in around 2008 after taking a short non-fiction writing course. I took the moniker Hello Little Lady after a young child shouted over to me, which I thought would be a great name for a blog and set about writing in secret. Firstly, because, well, and I think it was reflective of the time, I didn’t feel safe talking about dwarfism openly. So often people with dwarfism are dismissed for our experiences and I wanted a place to reflect. Secondly, I kept my identity secret from the dwarf community itself due to the divisions I found myself encountering.
Over the years I’ve had a varied career in the online world – freelance, web design, local government and a brief stint at the BBC for the online content teams at Radio 2 and 6Music, which was a dream come true. Been to university twice, receiving a bachelor’s and master’s respectively. I have my hard-earned independence and drive about in my adapted car.
I’m a classic ENFP on the Myer Briggs test, the stares still get to me. I’ve experienced depression, family estrangement, health problems and most of the difficulties that come with being a dwarf in the average height world.
So, you may be wondering who the person is behind Hello Little Lady?
It’s me – Steph, mum, wife and someone with a rare form of dwarfism known as Russell Silver Syndrome. 11p 15, to be precise, is the chromosome responsible for my unique perspective on the world.
If you’re wondering where to go next – take a look or listen to my artwork or podcasts. Read my Artist Statement or my latest blog posts.
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