Alex Craig

About Me

I keep fit by cycling, walking, long and short-distance running, yoga, swimming and I have been competing in cross country mud races since 2014, raising money for several cancer charities across 2015. I’m currently working up to doing a triathlon and marathon. I used to keep fat by doing a lot of drinking and eating, but now I’m a health freak, a non-smoker and sensible drinker. I consider myself a versatile cook and like making all sorts of dishes. I love good film and evision, especially in the cinema, and have archived an extensive collection.

I have a great knowledge of art and artists, starting with the Modernist era, through Postmodernism, up to the present day. I particularly like sculpture, performance art, installation and painting, though I also love design, photography and architecture. There are too many artists and movements to list, but I especially like Surrealism, Dada, Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Brutalism, Biomorphism.

Some of my favourite artists include Grayson Perry, Marina Abramavic, Joan Miro, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Alberto Giacometti, Andy Goldsworthy, Zaha Hadid, Jeff Koons, Jenny Saville, Antoni Gaudi, Frank Lloyd-Wright, Naum Gabo, Richard Serra, Pierre Soulages, Kurt Schwitters, Henri Matisse, Raoul Dufy, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Theo Van Doesburg, Edward Hopper, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and Vincent Van Gogh.

I have a fascination with music, how it makes me feel and what it inspires in me. I have taken most inspiration from my drumming mentor John Bonham, the driving force behind Led Zeppelin. I have a keen interest in making music, especially the rhythm side, and love the innovative break-beats of soul, rock and jazz artists. I’ve been teaching myself to play the drums for 18 years, have previously played in several bands and gigged in Leeds. I also love to compile other people’s music into specific styles, feelings and atmospheres. So far I have finished around seventy and am working simultaneously on another forty or so.

Alternative comedy keeps me sane by the laughter and relief it incites. My favourite types of humour are surreal, dark, spoof, toilet humour, detailed characters based in reality and warped by people who should know better and anything that celebrates silliness and immaturity. I strongly believe in the potency and benefit that humour can bring to people’s lives. It helps us accept our foibles, differences and difficult issues in a friendly way.

As far as books go, I read a lot of short texts as I’m frustrated by lengthy ones due to my ADHD and atypical dyslexia, but I force myself to read whenever I can and I am especially fond of the humanity contained within Cannery Row by John Steinbeck.

I also love to write; mostly poetry, lyrics, thoughts, observations, fictional dialogue, potential stories and comedy sketch ideas. I have completed a 5000 word short story which was a great way to teach myself how to write better. Other creative interests include photography, design, Film, Architecture, Comedy, Art, Sociology, English Language, Philosophy and Psychology. I have a fascination with language and its origins. I have a never-ending thirst for knowledge and have a deep interest in issues like mental health, culture, atmosphere, personality, human behaviour, sleep, memory, spirituality and its direct connections such as music.

I have an interest in philosophy, especially existentialism, but particularly respect Michel De Montaigne. I find his discoveries to be most accessible, containing practical concerns and solutions for the emotional well-being of others. He also believes, as do I, in the importance of seeing events from many different angles, so as to create the clearest possible picture. He makes us see just how ridiculous our hang-ups are in proportion to our lives and happiness and the humanity of our idiosyncrasies.

I am very good at interior design and decorating, choosing styles and colours of furniture, walls, carpets, lighting, but also the arrangement of all objects and the subsequent feel it gives to a room.

I have been self-employed as a freelance photographer and had paid work covering weddings, receptions and other events in Leeds, Liverpool and Greater Manchester.

I am very keen at and have helped undertake substantial repairs and decorating to the various homes I’ve lived in, such as sanding, priming, varnishing, wallpapering, general repairs, putting up shelves and frames, but most of all I love to paint. I have become very good at cutting-in, painting even strokes and leaving rooms looking fabulous. I can use a wide variety of tools and can demonstrate all of the above.

Whilst working at Blooming Ben's, I learned to use a range of machinery such as petrol-powered hedge-trimmers, strimmers, blowers and lawnmowers and improved dramatically in a short time-frame at trimming and shaping things like hedges, lawns, flower-beds to a high standard. In April 2009 I earned a chainsaw licence, passing the Basic Cross Cutting (NPTC Unit 30) learning operational maintenance, safety procedures and crosscutting techniques.

I have two year’s experience in events crewing in a wide variety of environments, working for three different firms from Leeds and London. I’ve also marshalled at Unity Day festival in Leeds and provided customer service at the lost property tent at Leeds Festival for three years running.

Having worked in a wide variety of support work roles over an eight year period, I gained a large amount of experience in helping others cope with their complicated daily lives, minds and emotions, as well as learning a lot about how to deal with my own. At The Market Place – the main referral agency for support services in Leeds – I quickly became the key Information and Support Worker and acting Drop-In Manager, studied and practiced counselling skills whilst also training-up new volunteers. I played a significant role in the management and facilitation of the service, shouldering many responsibilities including planning staff and volunteer cover, collating weekly and monthly monitoring statistics for evaluation purposes, establishing links with other agencies, training new volunteers, using counselling skills with service users and undergoing regular issue based training. After volunteering on a crisis support line for two years as part of the Millennium Volunteer programme, I gained employment in an autism-specific service and quickly became the keyworker for three adult residents, one of them who displayed quite violent tendencies. I have proved my ability to work calmly and efficiently under pressure and in aggressive situations, diffusing highly emotional situations on a frequent basis. I am very good at multi-tasking and am a confident ‘plate-spinner’.


I have assisted a wide-range of vulnerable people in a variety of settings with mental health problems and/or multiple disabilities, working with them on solutions for their complex, individual needs. I was the principal volunteer for Leeds’ main referral agency for 16-25 year-olds, as well as their Drop-In Manager, in charge of volunteer training and providing basic counselling sessions for service users. I’ve helped deeply autistic people communicate through visual association, taught (in a school environment) basic language, maths, art, helped with everyday duties including, cooking, washing, dressing and timekeeping, provided advocacy and been a key worker for three adult men with diverse needs. My experience and general competence always meant I was given responsibility to support the most challenging service users. I completed lots of short courses during my support work years, including Introduction to Basic Counselling Skills (Open College Network), Introduction to Youth Work (Leeds City Council) and lots of issue-based courses covering a wide range of support topics.

During my time as a support worker, I often found myself gearing my tasks towards the arts and developing a portfolio of my work in my spare time. Short-term, I hope to work in a role within a creative environment such as a theatre, gallery, production studio or museum whilst developing my artistic practice. My long-term goal is to continue my practice alongside having a senior role within a creative organisation.

I am shrewd and I have a great eye for detail. I feel most comfortable leading but am very compliant when part of a team. My perceptive skills run deep and I’m very good at noticing patterns and relationships in things. I absoluy love a challenge and have very strong motivation for helping people achieve their full potential and happiness. I care a great deal and have a wide array of life experience, believe in honesty at all times and have a strict set of morals.

I am a highly motivated individual who has the self-motivation and dedication to work with anybody.

I am very friendly and personable. I have excellent social skills. I understand a lot about people and know about psychology, sociology, philosophy, spirituality and mental health.

I am a creative man. I am a deep thinker. I love knowing how things work. I am not religious but feel a deep spirituality with all living things. I feel and think a lot. I am naturally supportive and have excelled in a differing range of care work roles. I like talking but know when to listen. I love discussing things and find it easy to challenge what other people think in a gentle way.

I have excellent English skills, a large vocabulary and find it easy to express myself. I am a natural at creative writing. I have a natural understanding of languages and people and am talented at communicating, supporting and teaching.

I love making and arranging things. I am an experienced photographer. I have what other photographer’s describe as ‘the eye’, something which cannot be taught. I have a keen interest in art. I am interested how people express themselves generally.

I love music. I have been teaching myself to play the drum kit for 14 years. I have studied music, especially rhythm and structure, in my spare time for years. I have been in several bands and have performed a small of gigs; I intend to make much more music one day.

I love films and watching what I consider to be good evision. I like too many themes and aspects to list. I love alternative comedy. I love cuisine. I like to cook.

I am an explorer. I love experiencing different countries, their people and cultures. I find it helpful to learn about the different ways people live their lives and therefore perceive themselves and the world around them. I feel a close bond with and understanding of nature.

I like sharing things and being around others. I am gregarious and come from a family of seven. I am currently single but wish to have children in the future.

After a series of unfulfilling care and trade jobs I chose to develop my creative skills and am working towards doing something equally for myself as for others, combining interacting with and helping people but within a creative environment. I’ve always wanted to use my creative skill as a lead role, not just as part of a job.

I believe in thriving not surviving. My combination of far-reaching vision and determination has carved me a successful path through life so far. I understand that belief is a powerful, wonderful and dangerous thing depending on the possessor.