I've always enjoyed those videos on Youtube where Vogue takes a random celebrity or someone of influence and asks them 73 questions in an effort to get to know them better. It's interesting to see how a person sees the world and even when they don't give simple answers, the response they give tells you a lot about the person and their priorities.
The actual questions asked varies in each video it's not the same 73 questions every time I believe, so I had a look around various blogs where people made their own posts and used those as the basis for this list. So here are my 73 Questions and their answers.
1. What’s your favourite time of day?
I prefer night time just because it tends to be quieter. I like when everyone else is asleep because that's usually when I can get things done without distractions.
2. What’s your biggest weakness?
Other people have a much higher opinion of me than I do myself, they always see me in terms of potential and what I *could* achieve, but I see myself in terms of what I have achieved so far and don't have much ambition. I just want to be happy more than anything else, and I can usually find happiness in the moment so that tends to go hand in hand with stagnation.
3. What’s your biggest strength?
If I am focused and determined to achieve a goal, I will find a way to make it happen. Everything I've been able to achieve everything I set my mind to and pursued with commitment. The things I didn't achieve and gave up on were things that I didn't really want, or I thought I did but the more I actually found out about them the more I realised they weren't for me.
4. What’s the biggest learning experience you’ve had?
Being alive - I know that sounds a bit cliché but the way I learn is by asking questions and I ask them all the time. Life is pretty much one long learning experience for me, I don't really separate it out into smaller parts other than academic learning.
5. What’s your idea of a perfect date?
Just spending time together, it doesn't really matter where we are or what we do as long as we're present and focused on each other in the moment. I hate the idea of seeing a movie in a cinema because you sit in silence and stare at a screen, if you want to watch a movie with me I'd rather do it together at home with pizza and drinks.
6. What’s one vice you wish you could give up?
If I had something I healthier to replace it with that I actually enjoyed then fizzy drinks, specifically Coca Cola, I drink a lot of it, I have tried a tonne of other things to try and replace it but I love sugar and nothing else hits.
7. What’s a cause that’s important to you?
The only charity I regularly donate to and have automatic donations set up to donate to when shopping etc is Shelter, the National Campaign Against Homelessness which is a charity here in the UK that helps people who are already homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. I was technically homeless for a time but never had to sleep on the streets but I know how easy it is to end up in that situation. Housing should be a human right, not a commodity.
8. What’s the best compliment you have ever received?
People often tell me that I should be a Psychologist or a Therapist because I have an interest in Psychology and people tend to tell me their problems and I have a way of showing them a different perspective or making them see something that they hadn't considered. I think I've had an overall net positive influence on the people I've met throughout my life.
9. When do you feel the most inspired?
I really like to play games that are designed to be an experience. Most games have a story or a premise, some gameplay mechanics, and an objective which you try to achieve, but every now and then a game comes along where the design has been centred around an experience. These types of games like The Witness, or The Stanley Parable, have a message, and a gameplay mechanic that teaches or communicates the message, and the player is guided through an overall experience. I love these types of games because they shift your outlook on life and the way you feel about things, that inspires me.
10. Sweet or savoury?
Sweet - I'm addicted to sugar.
11. What song can you listen to on repeat?
Well according to my Spotify Wrapped for the second year in a row my most listened to track was Galantis & Dolly Parton - Faith feat. Mr. Probz - so I'll go with that.
12. What makes you smile the most?
Music - I am prone to sensory overload so I listen to music almost constantly to block out the world, when I hear music I really like that makes me smile, when I hear new music that I really vibe with that makes me happy.
13. What’s one thing people don’t know about you?
That's a very difficult question to answer because my life is an open book, trauma included; generally speaking if someone asks me a question sincerely I will give them an answer, unless I have a very good reason not to. People who meet me learn very quickly not to ask me questions they don't want the answer to. I think the one thing people would probably be surprised by is that I am entirely aware of how evil I could be if I stopped caring and that scares me, because there are so many things that I know I would be capable of but would never do because of my sense of what is right and wrong, and I think the world is very lucky that I have a conscience.
14. Heels or flats or sneakers?
Sneakers or low rise hiking boots, anything with grip and traction. I have a condition called Nystagmus which causes my eyes to move constantly, that messes with my sense of balance in some ways, I can ice skate very well and I can stand up on a Tube train while it's moving without holding on to anything and keep my balance, but I also trip over things easily when I walk so I need shoes that were designed around that.
15. Vintage or new?
There's room for both, I am attracted to character more than anything though. A lot of newer fashions don't tend to fit my character so I have to go out of my way to find clothes that do. My clothes don't tend to be fast fashion, I'm not opposed to it, I just generally don't fit the trend.
16. What are three things you can’t live without?
Music, games, and videos. I listen to music near constantly whenever I work or play, whatever I am up to I am usually listening to something in the background. Games take up a lot of my time when I need a mental break I play games that make me think or that make me manage resources so that my thoughts are occupied so I can't think about whatever was overwhelming me. As for videos when I don't have the energy to play a game but I still want something to think about I tend to watch Youtube videos. More than once I've discovered a Youtube channel and hit Play All and worked my way through their back catalog. There are a few channels where I have seen the majority of their videos and one in particular called Novympia run by Drag Queens Nova and Olympia, where I think I have actually watched every single video.
17. Window or aisle seat?
Window usually for trains and planes, but I can do aisle, it doesn't bother me all that much. On a plane my priority is sitting near the wings, if I sit too far forward or back on a plane I get pains in my ears, I don't get those when sitting next to the wings for some reason.
18. What’s your current TV character obsession?
I'll forever be obsessed with Karen Walker from Will & Grace because she's smarter than she lets people think, but chooses to play the part to get what she wants, which is how I feel in life quite a bit.
19. Leather or lace?
Leather, I'm not opposed to real leather, I will wear the real thing, but I think faux leather looks just as good when it's done right.
20. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done in your life?
Going to University because I got on a plane at 18 by myself, and went from Northern Ireland to London with a laptop in a bag on one shoulder and a holdall on the other with a few changes of clothes and an extra pair of shoes and that was all I took with me. I spent money in Woolworths and Argos to get kitchenware etc once I got there and lived on basic food until my student loans came in.
21. How would you define yourself in three words?
Philosophical but pragmatic.
22. What’s your current favourite piece of clothing that you own?
A dark blue puffa jacket because it has been a bit cold here lately and it's toasty and warm when you're wearing it outside, you feel the cold air on your face but your body is warm and snug.
23. What’s a must-have clothing item everyone should own?
I feel like everyone should own a hoodie, you don't have to wear it outside the house, I don't personally. I have clothes I wear at home and different clothes I wear when leaving the house. Comfort is my number one priority at home and there's nothing more comfortable than a hooide just one size too big so it's nice and loose.
24. What’s inspiring you in life right now?
Indie game developers because indie games are the only games that I have really enjoyed lately. The last indie game I played was Dollmare which was released earlier this year, it's an anomaly game where you perform a repetitive task and have to spot when things change that shouldn't, it gets a lot more intriguing than that, it's in the vein of Poppy Playtime meets Garten of Ban Ban with elements of Papers Please.
25. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
"If you bend over backwards for people, they will shit down your neck" - my Dad has a way with words, the message is pretty clear though, know your limits when helping others because the people who take don't have limits, and if you don't set them when you give, they'll take everything.
26. What’s your pet peeve?
Wet loo seats - clean the fucking seat after you use it.
27. Diamonds or pearls?
Pearls are prettier if I am honest, I feel the same way when it comes to Gold vs Silver, I prefer Silver I think it's prettier.
28. What’s something you notice about someone when you first meet them?
How someone treats other people is how they will eventually treat you, so I pay attention to that. I observe how they interact with service staff, with their friends, with family, with people they don't know etc.
29. What’s your biggest regret?
I don't really regret anything which sounds like a cop out but I live by the belief that every decision you made is what you wanted in the moment and even if that decision might be misguided in hindsight, in the moment it was still what you wanted and you can't really disparage yourself for what you wanted. In terms of decisions I recognise were mistakes in hindsight, I would have picked a different degree if I knew then what I know now. I still don't consider that a regret though, I studied Computer Science with Games Technology for my BSc and I don't regret it because it is what I really wanted at the time.
30. What’s heavily played on your playlist right now?
I've been feeling very nostalgic lately, my current throwback obsession is All Star by Smash Mouth.
31. What’s your favourite board game?
Top of my wishlist at the moment is a board game called Hues And Cues that I saw on Smosh Games, the basic premise is that you get a colour grid showing the colour gamut you pull cards from a deck which gives a choice of colours, you pick one and then give the other players clues as to what colour you chose. They place tokens on the board based on their guess as to what the colour might be, the closer to the actual colour they are the more points they get.
32. What’s your guilty pleasure?
Pleasure and guilt don't really go hand in hand for me, I know people tend to think of certain interests as guilty pleasures because of a sense of shame but to be honest I accepted a long time ago that my interests weren't going to be like everyone else's because as a kid they usually weren't so I gave up that sense of shame. I guess at a push I'd say something like take-out because I eat a lot more of it than I should, certainly a lot more than would be healthy, although all take-out isn't healthy really.
33. What book did you most recently finish?
I reread Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell partly for research but also in part because it has been a while since I had last read it and it felt relevant with everything that happened this year.
34. What are you currently reading?
I'm not reading anything at the moment, I have been taking a break because my health still isn't great. Minor update on that for those wondering, still vomiting frequently and still waiting for a referral to a gastroenterologist.
35. How do you start your day?
The honest answer, with a wank. Beyond that though, the first thing I usually do is check my emails and messages and reply to anything pressing.
36. What’s your favourite holiday?
It used to be Christmas but I haven't been feeling particularly festive for the past few years. I wish I could blame the pandemic on that shift but my feelings toward Christmas shifted a few years before that, I just associate it so much with stress now. I'm starting to like Halloween more than Christmas because there have been a lot more Halloween decorations in stores over the past few years and I like a lot of autumnal foods but there's no strict tradition of what you should or shouldn't eat around Halloween eat whatever you want really.
37. If you could raid one man’s closet, who would it be?
Probably Tyler Oakley, when I was a twink I was told I looked like him, the similarity waned as we've both aged, I still like his general aesthetic, I'd wear most of what he wears.
38. If you could switch lives with one person for a day, who would it be?
Jeff Bezos to see how much of a dent I could put in his wealth, I'd give money to anyone and everyone that asked, and donate millions to charities.
39. What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try but you’ve been too scared to do?
I'd like to know how people manage to backpack across Europe, the thought of that bogs me down with logistics and planning, to the point where I convince myself I couldn't do that, but people seem to manage it, I'd like to know how.
40. What’s the one thing you wish you knew at age 19?
19 would have been too late to change my major (Computer Science) but I could have changed my minor (Games Technology) as I didn't commit to that until my 2nd year of University after the initial foundation year. If I had known my degree wasn't going to help me get into the games industry I could have switched to Business Computing which I could have used to get into a wider range of graduate schemes.
41. Besides your phone or wallet, what are a couple of must have handbag items?
There's a bottle opener on my keys which comes in handy more often than you would think, also an umbrella because the weather in the UK is unpredictable.
42. If you were not a writer, what would you be doing?
The last thing I did career-wise before writing was developing eLearning modules for Learning Management Systems used by the NHS, I'd probably still be doing that.
43. What’s something you can’t do?
I can't fry an egg. I don't know what it is about making a fried egg, I can make a 3 course meal, I can bake a cake from scratch without a recipe by eye-balling the ingredients, but I can't fry an egg, it always turns to shit in the pan.
44. Where was the best vacation you’ve ever taken?
Paris - it was everything I thought it would be and more. I went to a fashion show at the invite of a friend's flatmate who was a model in the show, we drank champagne, had nice food, visited some tourist attractions, and just explored the city. I fell in love with Paris, if I could afford to I would love to live there.
45. What’s one city you’ve always dreamed of travelling to?
I've never been to Rome, but would love to explore it. I think everyone at some point goes through a phase of fascination with the Roman Empire, or at least intrigue, the history and the legacy interest me most. There are sites I'd like to see, food I'd like to try, and I just would love to get lost in the city.
46. What’s something you always travel with?
A spare shaver and a spare charger that both stay in my case even when I am not travelling - ever since a trip to Nottingham when I was 19 and forget to pack both and ended up buying both there which was a mistake that cost me £50.
47. Favourite food?
Curry, because it comes in so many forms and it's so versatile, you can make a curry with anything really.
48. Favourite dessert?
Panna Cotta, I like the richness, the creaminess, and the sweetness all combined into one.
49. Favourite snack?
You can't buy them anymore but Snickers Podz were my favourite. Instant ramen - I lived on it for a time when I was a student and part of that stayed with me, 15 years later if I want a snack, instant ramen is still my first instinct.
50. What’s a movie that made you cry?
Beaches, starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey from 1988, the year I was born. The ending gets me every time, I know it's coming and I still cry.
51. What’s your favourite movie of the last five years?
Probably Cruella, I loved 101 Dalmatians as a kid, I wanted a Dalmatian, I never got one because we had several dogs already at the time. When they announced the movie I was intrigued, I didn't have high hopes because a lot of reboots lately have shat on the legacy of their original incarnations. Cruella was a pleasant surprise, it didn't interfere too much with the established cannon and didn't feel all that out of place, plus Emma Stone and Emma Thompson in the same movie was already a recipe for success.
52. What’s the one talent you wish you had?
I love languages, I've spent God knows how many hours studying them, I wish I picked them up quicker and could grasp more complex concepts. My shortfall is my technical understanding but I still maintain the way I learn best is by asking questions, I just need someone who has an understanding of their language deep enough to be able to answer those questions because everyday speakers generally don't, I know with some of the questions I have about Spanish I couldn't answer the same questions about English because I never studied it to that degree.
53. What’s your favourite exercise?
I do love a plank, I can't remember what my PB was but it was several minutes. The last year has really done a number on me though, I haven't done a proper workout since before last Christmas.
54. What’s your favourite band?
The Birthday Massacre, I first came across them when I got Spotify premium and was looking up the song I Think We're Alone Now and saw they had done a cover of it, gave it a listen and fell in love instantly. I went through their back catalogue and have listened to everything they have put out since. The Looking Glass EP is still my favourite.
55. What’s your favourite fast food order?
Chicken Wings, in any combination or configuration, they're pretty hard to fuck up.
56. What’s something you don’t want to be doing in 10 years?
I want to be travelling more, I want to put my love of languages into practice and actually use them in the real world. Spanish, French, and Italian in particular.
57. What’s the cutest thing on planet earth?
When you make someone smile and you can tell it is a genuine heartfelt emotion, the look on their face and the light in their eyes, that.
58. What’s the best thing that happened this year?
When ConcernedApe [Eric Barone] dropped the 1.6 update to Stardew Valley back in March. I love Stardew Valley so much but it had been a long time since I got to play it "fresh" and experience new content that I hadn't experienced yet. I really appreciate that he continues to update the game and expand upon the experience. I think I added about another 100 hours of gameplay just from the update alone.
59. What’s your favourite cocktail?
I love a mojito when it's done right, but it's very easy to fuck up and when it's done wrong it just tastes like a glass of toothpaste.
60. Which movie makes you laugh the hardest?
Probably Scary Movie 3, of the series so far it was probably my favourite, particularly love the scenes with Queen Latifah as Aunt ShaNeequa parodying the Oracle from The Matrix. I am excited for Scary Movie 6 which is supposed to be coming in 2025, it's been long enough I think for pop culture to amass enough content to ridicule.
61. What do you usually eat for dinner?
Chinese Take-out when I can, I usually opt for a King Prawn Curry with Egg Fried Rice.
62. What do you usually eat for lunch?
I do like to fill a tortilla wrap with some fried chicken, lettuce, cheese, onion, bacon, and mayo mixed with sweet chilli sauce.
63. What do you usually eat for breakfast?
I love Bacon and Egg McMuffins if I can get to MccyD's but as a home-made alternative I would have poached eggs on English Muffins with cream cheese. Alternatively I do like a spinach and goats cheese omelette if someone is making breakfast for me.
64. What’s your favourite thing in the world?
Sleep - which I have a very complicated relationship with because I have gone through periods of insomnia and hypersomnia, and I never feel like I get enough no matter how much I sleep. The one good thing about it is that I dream every time and I always remember them, I often have lucid dreams too where I am aware I am asleep and can control them.
65. What’s your favourite colour?
Purple and the hues thereof - that stems from childhood when the gender norms of red for girls and blue for boys made me ask what the two combined would make, I liked what purple represented and over the years just grew more attached to it.
66. What colour clothing do you wear the most?
I actually wear black the most, I'm albino so I am pale as fuck, trying to find colours that match my skin tone is difficult so I have a tendency to go in the opposite direction and resist colour entirely for the sake of simplicity, that and basic black looks good on everyone.
67. What are three words to describe living in the UK?
Sarcastic, Persistent, Expensive. British people love sarcasm and satire, irony and any attempt to just take the piss out of something, the more subtle you can be about it the more of a master you are. The perfect British insult is one you clock 4 hours later and think "That bitch read me"; Expensive because it is, we have a pretty decent quality of life in comparison to many places in the world but some of those standards have slipped and that's probably the root cause of a lot of upset in the UK. Brits are nothing if not persistent though, that whole "Keep calm and carry on" spiel isn't far from the truth of the way British people approach things, we will complain about something until the day we die but we'll still get through it.
68. Do you like surprises?
Within my comfort zones yes, your ability to surprise me and get a positive reaction will depend on how well you know me. If you know me really well you can surprise me and I will love it. If you don't know me at all, some of the things you surprise other people with like a surprise party would probably annoy the fuck out of me.
69. What’s one thing you had to learn the hard way?
You have to communicate, no matter how obvious you think something should be to another person, people aren't psychic. The level to which they can be oblivious has no limit.
70. What’s something you’re tired of?
Having to care about Politics. Someone once said "you may not take an interest in politics but politics will take an interest in you" - being able to ignore it entirely and live your life oblivious is privilege. I'm gay, a member of the Queer Community, and in my own lifetime being gay was illegal in Northern Ireland. In my parents' lifetime it was illegal in the UK as a whole. It is still illegal in 64 countries around the world and there is a concerted effort by some to attack my community, divide it, and try to roll back what has been fought for and won. I am tired of having to pay attention to this shit, I just want to be left alone to live my life in peace but some people especially those on the right-wing need a target, someone to blame when things don't go the way they want. I remember the headlines of hate directed at gay people and see them again rehashed targeting the Trans Community, this hatred didn't evaporate and I am deeply disappointed in those in my community who are willing to throw Trans people under the bus, that hatred is still directed at us too, still held for us too, exception is not acceptance and how people treat others is how they will eventually treat you.
71. Who do you turn to when you’re sad?
Myself, rather depressingly, again someone once said that the reason people become introverted is because they had to deal with their trauma themselves when they went through it, there's truth in that. When I am sad, when I am in a spiral the only person that can bring me out of that is myself and if I can't then I spiral until I hit the bottom and it becomes a question of how long it takes me to pick myself back up again and that's been getting harder to do.
72. What’s a trend you would like to see disappear forever?
Right-wing authoritarianism, people are desperate for someone to save them, holding out for a hero or a white knight [thank you Bonnie Tyler for the song but Jennifer Saunders sang it better] the sad thing is the people others are so willing to trust are not heroes they are predators, searching for prey, anyone gullible enough for them to take advantage of, for them to exploit. People can't see that, or they do and they sell their souls for the illusion of protection but the leopards always eat your face in the end, people will learn that the hard way the question is whether enough will learn that lesson before it's too late or if their self-interest dooms us all.
73. What did you want to do with your life at the age of 12?
I wanted to make video games, that's the path my life followed for the longest time. That's where I thought everything would head but in the end that didn't happen partly because the moment you take something you love and begin to regulate it with schedules and structures it stops being the thing you love and becomes the thing you do as a job, which requires effort, which is why we call it work.
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