ARE YOU ADDICTED TO THE INTERNET?

Readers spill the beans on how attached they are to the internet… how about you?

Karen says:
I gave up Facebook and Twitter for Lent this year - it was hard, as they're my main way of communicating. I was glad I did it though, as it broke the addiction and I had more time to spend with family and friends. I go online much less these days. It's a great way to stay in touch and let people know what you're up to, but it IS addictive and you need to live in the real world too...

Izzy says:
I've had a mobile for a few years, but it's really only in the last year I've started really using it. I quickly got hooked on it, and now I find it hard to do without. I like to watch YouTube clips and look at Instagram last thing at night… well, during the day as well, obviously! But it's nice and relaxing to watch at night, and I often fall asleep with the iPad on my face, or the phone clutched in my hand.

Jess says:
I suppose I started out playing Club Penguin when I was in Year Three… then it was a full-on addiction to Minecraft. I used to have a time limit on the computer of an hour a day, but it was never enough and I'd sneak on for extra time. I used to get so angry if the wi-fi broke… I cried once. And sometimes Mum switches it off which drives me mad! I'm fifteen now and I am addicted to the internet. I pick up my phone at seven-ish each morning to message and text, then I might watch YouTube videos and go on Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. I don't use the internet until late anymore, but Mum did once catch me at three in the morning watching video clips…

Violet says:
Yeah, I'm addicted. Facebook is my only way of staying in touch with faraway friends and with my brother, who's at uni. YouTube is a great place to find new songs, tutorials and short films, and I love games - PC games and Nintendo are my favourites. I can do without the gaming for a while and I can last a week or two without YouTube, but Facebook is necessary for keeping in touch. I can't speak on the phone because I'm deaf and I rarely have the credit to text. I don't see why it's sneered at by those who consider themselves 'above' social media. It's just a quicker version of being pen pals!

Caoillinn says:
I love the internet and my iPhone so much. I had to go for three weeks without internet this summer… it was horrible!

Ruadhan says:
I love my phone - I probably couldn't live without it. Not just because it's fun, although it is, but it's also my way of studying and doing my homework. We don't have a computer or internet at home, so I have to use my phone's data to study; it's a bit slow, but it works! Oh, plus I am addicted to Facebook and Snapchat...

Picture posed by model Alex… many thanks!

Cathy says:

Um… I could be just a little bit addicted myself… maybe! Are YOU glued to your phone at all times, or could you go cold turkey and ditch it all? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

DEAR DIARY...

Do you keep a diary or journal? We talk to readers who love to record their lives… in all kinds of different ways! Read on and see…

Crystal says:
I  have a blog which I call my 'online diary'. It's an anonymous blog, so I can safely post about my friends, boys, love life… just about anything really! I just change the names and post as normal. It's fun to know that people can read your personal problems and not know who you are… and because of that, you can post your secrets too. It's a great way to get things off your chest, very calming. And no one will ever know it's you…(www.crystalblueblogs.blogspot.co.uk )

Zaila says: 
Instagram really helps me to keep track of my life… plus it's very easy to use! Whenever I am doing something interesting or visiting somewhere new, I take a picture on my phone and share it to my Instagram followers. I can look back at the good times whenever I want, like if I'm feeling sad for example. I don't have huge amounts of followers, just my friends mostly, but every new one is important to me. I love getting comments on my Instagram 'diary' as it makes me feel like people care about me and my life.

Chloe says:
I keep a Memory Scrapbook. It's so I can remember when I'm older what life was like for me now… it's a great way to express yourself. I make collages and montages and sometimes write things too… it's a great hobby to have.

Grace says:
I have been keeping a diary since I was nine. I love writing my diary - it's a way of getting my thoughts, feelings and worries out in the open as well as documenting my life. It means I always have a way to express myself and a way to remember the good times - and see how far I've come from the bad ones!

Sarah Jade says:
I have a 'Wreck This' journal, a Q & A a Day for Five Years journal, and I vlog a bit too…  I used to keep a blog but kept forgetting to update! A diary documents the past, captures memories, thoughts and feelings and special moments to look back on in years to come. A diary charts the way you change…. not just handwriting but vocabulary, spelling, perspective and empathetic/ sympathetic capabilities. If you vlog your memories, the context is the same but you see the changes in your appearance… and rather than reading your memories you actually see them and you're back there joining in!

Kiki says:
I've had my diary blog for just under two years and it's never had any strict kind of structure. I post when I like, however many words I want. Sometimes it might be a poem, sometimes narrative, as if my life is a story someone else is writing. For me, that helps a lot as I'm a huge procrastinator and if i felt pressured to write I just know I wouldn't. Being able to read back over past events helps me to gain clarity as I can read over my emotions and add hindsight to see where I went wrong. There are over a hundred posts in my 'drafts' section that seem too boring or too personal to be read by my followers, but they're still there for me. In that sense a blog is better than a diary as if someone gets hold of it they can't see anything you don't want them to; it's like giving people access to certain parts of your brain!

Saffron says:
I do a kind of diary vlog, but I don't post them online - they are just for me and my family to watch. They're just good memories! I enjoy vlogging… if I do something interesting I always take my phone along to video it and try to capture an opportunity because there's always something good that will happen. I get funny looks sometimes because I'm talking to a selfie stick, but who cares - it's fun!

Cathy says:
I've never been very reliable at keeping a diary, but as an art student I kept a sketchbook diary faithfully, and these days I post on Instagram regularly. That's a kind of diary for me, though it's usually just pictures and not words, and I don't 'follow back'. Usually I forget that anyone else can see! Do YOU keep any kind of a diary? COMMENT BELOW and tell me more!

NIAMH: A BEST FRIEND REMEMBERED...

Readers Niamh writes about her best friend, and how a childhood of doing everything together fell apart when a fight between their parents destroyed the friendship…

Niamh says:
Jo and I did everything together. Our mums were best friends, and we were around each other's homes so much growing up that we felt like family. My dad had left when I was a baby so Mum was raising me alone. It was just the two of us, and so Jo was like the sister I never had… her family were like my family. Sometimes, I even pretended that we were twins, because I felt that nobody in the world understood me better than Jo. All that ended the summer we turned twelve. The first sign that something was wrong was that Jo was off school, and instead of Mum calling to see what was wrong and how she could help, she told me not to bother Jo, and said we were going to Gran's for a while. I did text Jo, to let her know we were going away and to say I hoped she was better soon, and a text came back telling me to stay away, that she never wanted to see me again.

It took most of the week to find out the truth, but Jo told me in the end, in a long, ranting phone call. Her parents were fighting, her mum threatening to leave because her dad had been having an affair with another woman. I was so upset for her… I wanted to be there, help her, support her. That's when Jo told me who the other woman was - my mum. I suppose my world fell to bits right then, and it has never been the same since. It was like the ground under my feet was no longer steady, like everything was in ruins. I tried to talk to Mum about it but she said I didn't understand how lonely she was, how hard it was to be alone. She said she'd fallen in love with Jo's dad, and didn't seem to understand that this was wrong. A bit of me wondered if there could be a happy ending - if Jo's mum could magically vanish out of the picture and Jo and I could be sisters, they way I'd liked to imagine when I was little, but that didn't happen.

Jo's mum and dad stayed together, and everything went on as normal except that Jo and I weren't friends anymore. Mum had lost her best friend too, but I had no sympathy for her… she'd destroyed everything with her fling, and if she was lonely now, well, she deserved it. Things are difficult these days between Mum and me; I blame her for what happened. I wish I could say we moved away and started over, but we didn't. Mum had to stick with her job, and I had to keep going to the same secondary school, seeing Jo every day. She looks right through me these days, as if I'm not even there, and I guess I don't blame her for that. All I can hope is that one day she will see that what happened was not my fault, and find room for me in her life again.

Names have been changed in this account to safeguard privacy.

Awesome illustration by talented reader Caoimhe - many thanks!

Cathy says:
Niamh's story is so sad… her friendship has been broken up through no fault of her own, and all she has left are the memories. Have YOU ever lost a valued friend? What happened? Why? COMMENT BELOW to share your story...

CRAFTY LITTLE THINGS...

We know you're an arty, creative lot… so we decided to check out an after-school sewing class, 'Crafty Little Things', to see what goes on…

Izzy says:
I've been coming to this class for a couple of years now and I love it! We make lots of cool stuff and it's really sociable and relaxing! I make all kinds of presents for my family and I also made owls to sell at school! The best thing I've made so far is a big fleece cushion with felt hearts on it… it was fab! I've just finished making a gorgeous applique skirt and now we are making mini canvases covered in fabric, beads and buttons! Oh… um… I also love the biscuits!

Madeline says:
I like how we make a completely different project or two every term, and I love being creative. I've learnt so much over the last few months and often sneak my projects home to do a bit extra there! My favourite thing I've made were little felt birds, they were very cute! I went to a sewing birthday party recently and the mum was really impressed at how neatly I could sew! We always have a good laugh and it's nice mixing with kids from other schools. I'm making a teddy just now… he's got an epic moustache!

Patrick says:
I like coming to craft class… who says boys don't like to sew? I do! We get to make some really fun stuff and the other kids are really cool and funny. I like making monsters - Ruth, our teacher, lets me make whatever I want, even if it isn't quite what she'd planned!

Ruby says:
I've always loved making things and I really like sewing! I've made some fab things at the craft group over the last few years - tooth fairy bears, cushions, a scarf, sleep masks, pen holders, dolls, embroidery hoops and lots more. My fave thing I've made recently is this hoop -  we put some plain material in the frame then cut out shapes from felt to make the house and flower picture. It's quite a simple idea but very effective and easy to do. I think it looks amazing!


Cathy says:
I LOVE these amazing projects… and the kids we interviewed seem to, as well! Have YOU ever taken a craft course or workshop? COMMENT BELOW to tell us more!

ENID BLYTON: THE MOST PROLIFIC CHILDREN'S AUTHOR EVER?

Have you ever read an Enid Blyton Book? The Famous Five series, or The Secret Seven, or The Magical Faraway Tree? Maybe the Chalet School series? Enid Blyton was one of the most famous children's authors of the 20th century - but how much do we know about the woman herself?

Enid Blyton was born in 1897, in London, the eldest of three children. She was close to her father, with whom she shared an interest in art, music, the theatre and literature… but her relationship with her mother was much cooler and more distant. Enid's mother once described her interest in writing as 'a waste of time and money,' but Enid did well at school and was made Head Girl. She trained as a teacher and worked as a teacher and a governess, writing in her spare time. Her early stories were rejected, but this only made her more determined to succeed, and eventually her first book of poetry was published in 1922. Poetry was followed by fiction, many books aimed at children with fantasy and mythology themes. Her first full-length adventure book, The Secret Island, was published in 1938, and many more series followed… by any standards, Enid was an incredibly prolific author and by the 1950s she was writing as many as fifty books each year. Yikes!

Enid Blyton married twice and had two daughters, but perhaps it is fair to say that writing was her first love. She has been described as a workaholic who pushed herself very hard, had a strong business streak and knew how to make the most of her talents. She ran a magazine, Sunny Stories, and later had her own publication, the fortnightly Enid Blyton Magazine which she wrote entirely herself. She cashed in on the success of her books to launch a series of card games, jigsaws and board games based on her books, and also ran the Famous Five Club with half a million members. Blyton and her readers raised a lot of money for charities such as the PDSA, Great Ormond Street Hospital and many others. She died in 1968.

Perhaps Enid Blyton's greatest achievement was to write books which children loved… easy to read stories for every age and taste, ranging from stories about fairies and toys and mythological creatures to adventures. Her books were written a very long time ago now, and not all have stood the test of time… streaks of racism, sexism, class privilege and prejudice against anyone who wasn't English can make them very hard to read in the 21st century. Even at the time, critics dismissed her books as 'mediocre' or 'second rate' and her books have been banned from more libraries than any other author. Blyton herself dismissed the criticism, stating that her books were a reflection of her own views and beliefs, and stating that she only cared about the opinions of those under twelve. In recent years, some of the books have been edited to remove offensive or prejudiced passages of writing. In spite of all criticism, Enid Blyton's books are still in print and are widely read by children all around the world.

Cathy says:
Have YOU read any of Enid Blyton's books? Would you? Do you think they stand the test of time? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

SHORT STORIES...

Readers share their feelings about being shorter than average… is it cool or deeply annoying? Everyone has a different view…

Violet says:

I am 5' and let's just say this has pros and cons. Cons: Being mistaken for a twelve year old more frequently than any adult should; having to bounce up and down like a lunatic in a vain attempt to reach the top shelf in stores; people standing on me because they don't see me. Pros: Can wear clothes bought for me four years ago because I haven't grown taller, which saves money; can wear platform boots and a mohawk without towering above everyone; not very far to fall if I trip. So it kind of evens out! It was embarrassing when we had to write down our heights in biology a while ago. I put a tally next to 5' 1"  (I'm really only 5') and another girl went to put her height on the sheet and screamed 'Oh my GOD! Who's only 5' 1"?' I had to own up to being tiny and misleading people into thinking I was average with the boots and the three inch mohawk...

Ruadhan says:
I am the smallest person in my year. It sucks being small because everyone always teases me and calls me teeny titch. But there are perks… I get the ball easily in netball and basketball. which are my favourite sports!

Ren says:
I'm 5' 4" on a good day but my mum's side of the family are all 6' plus, so most of the time I hate it. I would have been a bit taller and not have to climb up in order to reach the top shelf.

Holly says:
I'm 5' 3" and at times I love it, but it can be a pain and a nuisance. I hate being teased because I'm short, and hate still needing a stool to reach the top cupboard in our kitchen. I love that I'm never bothered by low-lying tree branches and can fit into small hide-and-seek places on rainy days. It's a part of who I am, and I wouldn't be the same if I wasn't as small as I am…

Fouzia says:
I am 4' 7" and I don't really mind being the shortest in my family… I just have problems reaching anything that's high up! People do comment but I don't care…. I just wish I was taller because it stops me being good in sport.

Saffron says:
I was with some ten year olds the other day and they were taller than me. I usually have to look up to talk to my friends, too! Being short does have it's plus points though - if I'm at a standing concert, I can muscle my way to the front without taller people noticing!

Emma says:
There are definitely two sides to it. I have a baby face as well as being short, so people often think I am younger than I am. Sometimes that's good, sometimes bad! Plus, the reaching for high up things is a nuisance… and trying to find clothes I like in such a small size!

Cathy says:
Brilliant… it's great to hear from readers who are happy in their own skin, but I can see there are ups and downs to being petite! Are you shorter than average? How do YOU feel about it? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

KRYS: HE DOESN'T WANT TO KNOW ME...

It's problem page time here on DREAMCATCHER… and it's Skye's turn to play agony aunt. Will she have the right advice for reader Krys?

Krys says:
I have never been so unhappy in my whole life, and I have no idea what I did wrong, what I did to deserve it. I am fourteen and I have had a crush on a boy in my class, James (not his real name) for months. Last weekend we were at a party and at the end of the night, James kissed me. We went outside and talked for ages and kissed a lot, and he said he'd liked me for ages too. I was so happy. I felt like I was floating on this big, happy cloud all of Sunday. Then, on Monday, at school, he cut me dead… just looked straight through me as if he'd never seen me before. I was so upset. My friend eventually asked him what was going on and he said I should stop stalking him and leave him alone, get the hint. His friends were all laughing. I am not the coolest or prettiest girl in the school but I don't think I deserve to be treated this way. I have tried messaging him online but he has blocked me. I feel so ashamed, and so, so hurt. What can I do?

Skye says:
This boy is so immature it's a miracle he can tie his own shoelaces. He's selfish and thoughtless and he probably has no idea just how much hurt he has caused… I have seen it happen to my sisters, and trust me, boys like this make me very angry indeed. For what it's worth, I think he probably did like you… but he's not mature enough to handle a relationship and he's taken the coward's way out by pretending he never liked you at all. It's his loss… and sometime soon he may wake up to what he has thrown away, but of course, by then it will be too late. He's weak and cowardly and you can do much, much better than him, I promise. Are you going to let him make you feel bad? Don't give him the satisfaction. Hold you head high and blank him… refuse to let him see how much he's hurt you. Yes, it will be an act, to start with at least, but in time you will feel better, stronger for it. Not all teen romances last, but a boy who kisses you on Saturday and ignores you on Monday is a loser, pure and simple. You are worth so much more than this… chalk the experience down to bad luck, move on… and don't look back.

Cathy says:
Do YOU agree with Skye's advice? What else would YOU add to help Krys get over this bad experience? COMMENT BELOW to have your say...

HILARY: TURQUOISE EYELINER WITH BEIGE LIPSTICK...

More in our fab series about growing up in a different decade; we meet Hilary, who was a teen in the 1980s…

Hilary says:
I turned thirteen in 1984, the year that Prince Harry was born and that Elton John got married - to a woman (which shows how long ago it was…) I went to see Ghostbusters at the cinema and played Prince's Purple Rain non stop on my tape deck. My friends were into Wham and Duran Duran but I was Billy Joel's number one fan. I had posters on my wall and bought every record he made, even obscure Japanese imports. The trend that year was neon - I had a white top with splotches of neon pink, yellow and orange which I wore with a white miniskirt and fluorescent yellow socks. I coordinated it all with turquoise eyeliner and beige lipstick… oh dear!

I wasn't an unhappy teen, but I did suffer from the usual teen angst, mainly focussed on boys. I seemed to fall for a different one each week, and felt that nobody understood me. I was quite serious and 'deep' and not good at smalltalk. My hair was big, frizzy and uncontrollable, I had greasy skin, zits and freckles and I hated my gappy teeth. I spent a lot of time writing poetry and stories in my bedroom and wishing I was more like everyone else. I already knew I wanted to be a novelist one day, and when I wasn't writing I was drawing, painting or singing. Or watching Grange Hill on TV!

These days I write for teens which means I am continuously tapping into my teen self. My hair is marginally better now but otherwise I don't think I've changed much. I have the same insecurities, thoughts and feelings… even the same occasional zit! I am more confident about relationships and the way I look now, and I am very glad I was able to make all my fashion and relationship mistakes before the days of selfies and social networking sites. My advice to today's teens is, don't take yourself too seriously, and remember that things will get better. Oh, and believe me: you don't look half as bad as you think you do!

Cathy says:
Hilary Freeman's new teen book, WHEN I WAS ME, is out in now. Check it out! Would YOU have liked being a teen in the 1980s? COMMENT BELOW and tell  us more!

HAZEL: WE TREATED IT AS A VERY LONG HOLIDAY!

Reader Hazel got the chance to live on another continent for over a year… find out how she settled in the USA and what she'll miss about it now that she's home again!

Hazel says:
Living in California for 16 months was the best experience of my life. As my family knew that Dad was only working there temporarily, we treated it as a very long holiday. We lived in a huge rental house, drove a rental car and joined few groups apart from music lessons, so it was easier to travel. We visited eleven states and saw many natural wonders on our road trips, such as the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Crater Lake, Natural Arches, the Rocky Mountains and volcanoes like Mt St Helen's. We also saw some amazing wildlife: grey whales with their calves, golden eagles, wild buffalo, elephant seals, dolphins, overwintering monarch butterfly colonies and even osprey!

Although I had a brilliant time in Cali, I had a life waiting in England that I was eager to get back to. When the movers were packing up my family's belongings at the end of our stay, it felt like I was in a dream. As did driving to San Francisco airport, even with twelve suitcases in the boot! But when the plane touched down in London after the long flight, I couldn't help feeling excited.

At first, moving back to our old house, everything felt strange. It seemed so small, and the roads seemed utterly tiny. Now, after two weeks back home, it all feels completely normal, like we never left. We kept some furniture in the house while we were away, so although the bulk of it - and all our books - will take at least another month to get here, we have enough to live with. My brother and I are home educated so we don't have to worry about returning to school, but we do many activities here. I have been asked to join three orchestras in September and I'll be able to go on with my music lessons, badminton and Irish dancing. My brother and I have already started going to a conservation group that we used to go to and I am finally going to set up a book blog, something I've wanted to do for months.

At first I thought it might be hard to reintegrate with old classes and join new ones, but I think I've returned home slightly wiser, and I am confident everything will work out fine. I'm looking forward to making new friends, as well as spending time with those who always stayed in touch! Seeing the different cultures in America was interesting - I learnt a lot about American history and literature. I'll miss the hot Californian sunshine, the huge libraries, the sweet fruit and my amazing piano teacher. But I missed so much about England too… our wonderful neighbours, my two great friends, my flute teacher, the garden birds and the food… real pork sausages, crunchy apples and edible chocolate! Living in California was an experience I will never forget, but I am truly happy to be home.

Hazel wrote a post for DREAMCATCHER about moving to Cali in May 2014… click on the link if you'd like to read more! http://cathycassidydreamcatcher.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/hazel-california-girl.html
Cathy says:
Wow… what an experience! I love Hazel's story, and as for those pictures… stunning! Have you ever dreamed of living somewhere faraway? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

INTERNET BULLYING… HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?

Readers debate the dangers of social networks and internet bullying - and try to understand why and how it happens...

Wendy says:
Because you have your username and device does not mean you can say rude, unkind and spiteful stuff to people on chats, blogs, Instagram and other social networks. If your parents saw what you put on social networks, would you be ashamed? Embarrassed? If yes, then why do you think it is OK to put someone down on the net and not directly? If you've said something cruel to someone online, would you say it to their face?

Kitty says:

I think people get brave when nobody can see who they are. I understand that a bit - I am very shy in real life and I like social media because I can feel more confident there. What I don't get is how nasty some people can get, and for very little reason. Almost everyone I know online has been trolled or bullied online at some point. And you get drawn into it… and the whole thing gets out of hand.

Emma says:
I agree, Kitty. I hate to admit it but this has happened to me, and I have ended up lashing out and actually saying things I am ashamed of. I would never admit to this to my parents… I'm only saying it on here because I am allowed to use a false name for this debate and I don't have to have my photo published. At the time I thought I was fighting back against someone who was stirring up trouble with one of my friends, but in the end I went too far and when I looked back at the things I said I felt ashamed. I would never see myself as a bully, but when I read those things it did seem like bullying. I have never actually said sorry to the person concerned, either - it was the cousin of a girl at school. I kept my head down and hoped it would all die down and in the end it did.

Kitty says:
That's what I mean, things get out of hand very fast. It can just be a misunderstanding, or someone making a joke that you take the wrong way, and people can over-react. I've done that too, felt really upset over things that weren't meant to upset at all. So I can see how it can happen. Social media is like a minefield sometimes. You never know when something might blow up in your face.

Lynsey says:
Often it's something that has just gets blown up and really silly or nasty, but sometimes people are just out there looking for trouble. There are some vile people on the internet… professional trolls and bullies.

Emma says:
That's true. I've come across one or two!

Lynsey says:
To be fair I have had very positive experiences of social networks so far, but I have a friend who was targeted by an online troll who would constantly post horrible stuff on her Facebook and Twitter. We thought it was a boy at school but we couldn't prove it… to be honest it could have been anyone, and that was what was scary. She came off both those things in the end, which I thought was sad. I would have told a teacher, but she didn't want to, she was embarrassed.

Kitty says:
I think the best way to handle trolls and bullies is to ignore them. Delete, block, blank, report. Don't argue back. Ignore them and they'll give up - they want a reaction and if they don't get one they'll move on. And if you feel yourself getting angry or aggressive online, come off straight away… cyber bullying is taken very seriously now and you could find yourself in very real trouble.

Lynsey says:
I think also it is important to have a good sense of confidence in yourself, but that is not always easy when you are growing up and school doesn't always help. The thing is, is we all believed in ourselves and felt happy with the way we are, the bullying would not easily be able to dent that. I really think they should teach self confidence in school, because it would solve a lot of problems.

The powerful illustrations for this blog-debate were drawn by reader Courtney: many thanks for the awesome artwork!

Cathy says:
Lots of very interesting points here, and some good suggestions too. Have YOU ever come across internet bullies or trolls? Or even found yourself saying things you shouldn't have? COMMENT BELOW to have your say...

RACHEL-LEE: PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS JUDGE YOU...

Reader Rachel talks about her style choices… and how she has learned to blank the negative comments!

Rachel-Lee says:
The alternative scene has become more accepted in recent years and more popular in the media. Celebrities have joined in on some of the fashion statements, like the tattooed Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga and Katy Perry with her colourful hair… but this is a fashion trend I have been following since the age of thirteen. Over the years I have had an array of piercings and every hair colour imaginable. My favourite shoes were a beat-up pair of Doc Martens and my wardrobe was almost devoid of colour.

I'm now twenty-two and I have seventeen piercings and thirteen tattoos. I still love my Doc Martens and still wear mostly black, and at this moment my hair is blue and purple, but that could change! Looking this way has it's downside… people think it's OK to make various comments, like 'You'll never get a job looking like that'; 'What does your boyfriend think?'; and 'You'd look so much prettier without all those piercings.' In school, I had to wear plasters over the piercings. I got sent home once because my trousers were too baggy and were classed as a 'health and safety risk' and I was frequently made to go to the bathroom to wash off my eyeliner.

This all sounds very negative and for a while this bothered me. At seventeen I took out my piercings, dyed my hair brown and wore maroon tea dresses for a year. This changed my perspective… I realised I no longer felt like myself. The comments and stares stopped, but I also stopped smiling when I looked in the mirror and I was no longer excited when buying new clothes. I realised then that the most important thing wasn't the acceptance I got from others but the acceptance I had for myself.

Now I am older, I know that the negative comments from others were nonsense anyway. For example, I've had the same job for two years and they celebrate me for my work, not my looks. I have a boyfriend who loves the way I look and calls me pretty every day. I have amazing friends who like me for who I am. People are entitled to their opinions and if they think I'd look prettier without piercings, fine - but I love them, and it's my choice. People will always judge you; for how you look, how much money you have, how smart you are. It's a human instinct, how we classify things on a daily basis… but that doesn't mean you should let your opinions impact negatively on on others. Just because you think they look scary, or like a bad person… well, that doesn't mean they are! And if you are on the receiving end,  never let these judgements hurt you. As long as you can look in the mirror and smile and feel like yourself, everything else will come to you in time.

Cathy says:
I think Rachel-Lee's style looks awesome - and I also agree that others can be far too quick to judge people. Would YOU ever dare to follow an alternative style? And do YOU agree that following your own heart is an important part of growing up and learning to be yourself? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!