Kate Shields | Author | Minka Guides

Managing Ulcerative Colitis (through the art of Voguing!) - Brighton Pride 2019, at ‘Let’s Have A Kiki’ CREDIT Anna Gibson

Managing Ulcerative Colitis – through the art of voguing!

This week (1-7 December) is #CrohnsandColitisAwarenessWeek, and I want to share my personal experiences of managing ulcerative colitis, specifically through… learning to...

hipster guide to Brighton @minkaguides Kate

Fabulous locals

Fabulous local: Kate’s guide to Brighton

Originally from South-West London, my lovely friend Kate has lived in Brighton for many years now so she really knows...

⭐ New feature alert ⭐ Each month, I'll now be

⭐ New feature alert ⭐

Each month, I'll now be sharing a conversation with you that I'm really interested to have. Whether it's with someone who is creating awesome things or someone who has expertise in an area where I have big questions.

And, I am so delighted that my guest for this month is none other than drag king, @t33n_angst 😍

Teen Angst is a finalist in Europe's biggest drag king competition @manupldn, which is happening next week!

We chat all things pop-punk, princes and @pxssyliquor 😉

Features shout outs to @thegloryldn, @markanthony.dragking, @don1birmingham, @prinxchiyo, @prinxsilver, @drcoxthegenitalpox, @charlieprobablywood, @butchpleaselondon, @bigdykeenergyldn, @theclaphamgrand and @margateartsclub 🥳

To read the full transcript of this video and find links for everything we discuss, click the blog link in my bio ☝️

Scream if you wanna go faster 🤑 Incredible sho

Scream if you wanna go faster 🤑

Incredible shot by @sdaly82 of me backstage at the @sink_the_pink Farewell Ball last month 💕

How do you say goodbye to something that has defin

How do you say goodbye to something that has defined the past nine years of your life? 😭

I first started going to @sink_the_pink at the @bgwmc in 2013, back when sweat used to drip from the roof and you had to party in swimwear as it was too hot to wear anything else 🔥

I feel blessed that @glynfussell , @missamyzing, @jonokitchens and the rest of the STP fam welcomed me into their crew so quickly. It has given me so much over the years, including a space to explore my drag and dance my ass off on stage till dawn (still one of my favourite things to do) 👯‍♀️

It's hard to believe that we've gone from a couple of hundred people in a working men's club to 5,000 people in @printworkslondon tonight 🤯 A big part of that has to do with the powerhouse that is @jamietagg joining forces with Glyn and Amy, but also has an enormous amount to do with the people who have loved this club as much as we have. Who have turned up religiously and made the space so creative, queer and colourful 🌈

It's a shame we all got too old to do Proud Mary anymore 👵 but hopefully there are baby queers out there, ready to start their own club nights. We're all ready for the next generation to come through 🙏

So, goodbye Sink The Pink. Thanks for the wild ride. It's been an unforgettable experience (even if there are some nights I can't quite remember) 🎢✨🤗😘

Hey London 🇬🇧 I'm back! 👋 Thanks for the

Hey London 🇬🇧 I'm back! 👋

Thanks for the warm welcome 🥶

📷: @theafroshaolin

Goodbye Mexico 🇲🇽 Has it really only been f

Goodbye Mexico 🇲🇽

Has it really only been four months since I arrived, all excitement and nerves? I hadn't solo travelled for this long before, let alone in a country where I didn't know the language (spoiler alert: I still don't 😂 but I am going to keep trying to learn), and Covid had left me feeling a little wobbly about being adventurous again. Yet, I knew it was an experience I was long overdue for.

This genuinely transformative time has felt more like a year than simply a season, encompassing ten vibrant parts of this beautiful country. I can't believe how different every place has felt and how much more of this country I still have to see. If watching my journey has made you even a little curious about visiting Mexico, I cannot urge you enough to come and experience it for yourself.

Of course, it wasn't *all* been sunshine and tacos 🌞🌮 I've faced some truly tough moments in the past four months: grief, Covid, depression, loneliness, insomnia and de-escalating a relationship ❤️ So, I am enormously grateful to my loved ones, who were always there with endless amounts of love and support to help me keep going 🤗

And then there is everyone I have met on my journey. It's incredible to think that there are easily twenty amazing folks whom I could tag right now who have enriched my experience ✨ So, if you are reading this because we connected in some (even very small) way during the past four months, I want to thank you for being a part of my journey. I feel enormously grateful that our paths crossed, and I can now call you a friend.

I'm sharing this photo of me at Monte Albán in December because this was the first big WOW 🤩 moment I had on this trip. In fact, my two weeks in Oaxaca City remain up there as one of the most incredible destinations I encountered on my Mexico adventures. If you are thinking about venturing down that way, click the link in my bio ☝️ to check out my Oaxaca City guide, plus all the things I recommend checking out while you are there.

And so, wonderful Mexico City, goodbye 🥹 You have completely captured my heart, as I always knew you would 💞

London, get ready. I'll be seeing you again super soon 💖

Podcast alert! 🚨 The latest episode of @rubyr

Podcast alert! 🚨

The latest episode of @rubyrare 's wonderful new podcast, In Touch with Ruby Rare, is out today and it's all about non-monogamy. In fact, it's one of the most useful, gentle and reassuring podcasts I've ever heard that introduces the ideas around non-monogamy and polyamory to new folks.

Obviously, my opinion about this is *completely* biased for two reasons:
1) if you've been following me for a while you'll know that Ruby is a very treasured friend of mine, and
2) I am featured in this episode!

Yes, if you want to hear snippets from me talking about my journey into polyamory and the importance of friendship, then click the link in my bio! ☝️

You'll also hear loads of other lovely people on this episode too, such as psychotherapist @dkleather, Leanne from @polyphiliablog and @griffithjacqueline from @httpslinktr.eeenmfam and @enmfamlondon!

Give it a listen and make sure you hit subscribe as there are still more episodes to come!

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