Meet Claire F.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I moved to the Bath area five years ago from San Francisco and still feel fairly new to the city. My family and I were returning to the UK after 14 years away, and though I was born in Manchester, studied in Edinburgh and lived in London, we were looking for a completely new place to settle that still offered all that a city could but was closer to nature.
I used to be an art curator working for international museums and galleries, but moving here I’ve transitioned to being a wellbeing writer, coach and podcaster. They seem really different, but working in the arts is fundamentally about how to be a person in the world and how to create a life, and my decades working within contemporary culture has directly inspired the company I set up If Lost, Start Here (with my best friend who is still in California). We offer coaching sessions and programs that are designed to help us all navigate times when we’re feeling lost, but in a way that I hope is more playful and relatable. Our first book is coming out this Spring.
I started the podcast, A Thought I Kept, just last summer because I was curious about how other people shape a life when things can be so overwhelming and uncertain. Every Monday morning I share a new conversation with a guest (a few of whom are from the Bath area) about the one idea that has stayed with them - it’s always fascinating what they bring.
What inspired you to join Bath Women's Fund?
Meeting Isobel and Emma through BANES WLN. I love that group as well, and have met incredible local women there who also want to make a difference within their local communities and positively impact the city. This felt like a similar kind of group. Also in a moment when we’re increasingly disconnected, gathering in-person feels more important than ever. I know that I’m wanting to get off my computer and gather more in real-life right now.
What are the issues that you are most passionate about?
Mental health and emotional wellbeing - my mum struggled with a mental health disorder for the last decade of her life - that was the reason for shifting careers after I witnessed first hand how hard it was for her to just be in her life and find support. I’ve also had a life-long relationship with anxiety which I found got worse in midlife and now I often work with women who are also figuring out the emotional shifts of this period of our lives.
I’m also all about supporting independents - it may not seem like these are related, but investing in local helps us all feel better - and you’ll often find me tracking down places in Bath and beyond for our online guidebook of places for happier humans.
What would you be most interested in learning about as a Bath Women's Fund member?
About the local initiatives that already exist here and the new ones emerging. There is so much under the surface in Bath and sometimes just one version of the city that people know. Also I'm someone who is endlessly curious but now that I work from home, I’m hoping to find out about the different places, ideas and people that make this city what it is.
What is your favourite place/thing to do in and around Bath?
Museums and galleries are my first love, so you will often find me at The Holburne Museum, or Hauser & Wirth in Bruton. I also love browsing independent bookshops like Mr B’s Emporium and Toppings and Co. (I try to get to their author’s talks when I can), and I always look forward to the Bath Literary Festival. And there are so many amazing independent cafes where I’ll happily write for an hour or two.
More on Claire's website