Hello, I’m down here 

Hello, there, that’s better, isn’t it?!

I’m Steph, owner of this blog, HelloLittleLady.com. Welcome. I write about the everyday challenges and difficulties and surreal moments of being a Dwarf. Take a nosey around the blog, the exhibition – ‘You’re Just Little‘ or learn more about my story.

You’re Just Little

You’re Just Little’ is a photographic exhibition that reveals the challenges, obstacles and societal assumptions people with Dwarfism face on a daily basis. Learn more about this ground-breaking exhibition.

Work with Steph

Whether you are academic conducting research, a production company working on your latest documentary or looking to work on a project with HelloLittleLady – find out how to Work with Steph.

The Blog

Listening to this week 17/02/2020

Wednesday 19 February 2020

It’s half-term for us and it feels like we’ve packed a load of fun things in already. We’ve been to Tynemouth Aquarium, St Mary’s Lighthouse,… Read more

Listening to this week 10/02/20

Wednesday 12 February 2020

Winter blues are rather stifling and it’s far too easy to stay in your own head as we do indoors. While I love the crispness… Read more

UNION – Wortley Hall – Finishing With A Flourish

Friday 24 January 2020

Last year, at the beginning of 2019, a group of emerging artists and creative activists gathered at ChapelFM – Arts Centre for East Leeds. The… Read more

Dwarfism: What Next? Podcasting Workshop – Sunderland

Tuesday 14 January 2020

Dwarfism: What Next? is an opportunity for the Dwarf community to talk about the issues facing us today and how we would like to shape… Read more

Happy New Year from Hello Little Lady

Tuesday 31 December 2019

Wow! It’s the end of the 2010s! I’m not sure it’s a decade that people will forget lightly. There has been much upheaval all around… Read more

Hello Little Lady – A Year in Review 2019

Sunday 22 December 2019

It’s time to reflect on Hello Little Lady’s – A Year in Review 2019. The past 12 months have been a whirlwind of activity and… Read more

When just getting on with it just isn’t enough

Thursday 28 November 2019

Over the years, and what informs most of my work is the silencing of the Dwarfism experience. Incidents happen and more often than not, an… Read more

What’s Your Story – The Podcast

Thursday 31 October 2019

What’s Your Story is a podcasting workshop recorded at ChapelFM Arts Centre, in Leeds on 19th October 2019. The workshop, which coincided with Dwarfism Awareness… Read more

You’re Just Little – Toilets

Saturday 12 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – Food Shopping

Friday 11 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – Cooking

Thursday 10 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – Door Handles

Wednesday 9 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows the challenges,… Read more

You’re Just Little – Public Transport

Tuesday 8 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – Clothes Shopping

Monday 7 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – Door Locks aka Door Hooks

Sunday 6 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – The Photograph That Started The Exhibition

Saturday 5 October 2019

To celebrate Dwarfism Awareness Month 2019, I’m sharing some of the photographs from the ‘You’re Just Little’ exhibition which debuted in 2018. The exhibition shows… Read more

You’re Just Little – One Year On Reflections

Friday 4 October 2019

A year ago to the date, 4th October 2018, the You’re Just Little exhibition launched at Spectrum Cultural Hub with nearly 30 people, including my… Read more

You’re Just Little – Episode 004 – Narrative

Friday 4 October 2019

In the fourth episode of the You’re Just Little exhibition podcast, Steph talks to the participant, Dr Erin Pritchard, who contributed a number of photographs… Read more

Introducing ChapelFM Arts Centre in Leeds

Wednesday 2 October 2019

On 19th October 2019, the first of the fully-funded workshops for the Dwarfism will take place at ChapelFM Arts Centre in Leeds. The What’s… Read more

How I became interested in podcasting

Monday 23 September 2019

In October 2019, I’ll be hosting the first podcasting workshop for the Dwarf community. You may be wondering why I chose this particular medium? So… Read more

You’re Just Little – Participant Photographs

Wednesday 18 September 2019

This time last year I put a call out on social media asking people from the Dwarf community to participate in the You’re Just Little… Read more

hellolittleladyblog

Moralising about whether or not the video should h

Moralising about whether or not the video should have shown comes from a place of comfortable privilege that fails to tackle the root cause - that societal structures are not being challenged to fundamentally change their attitude towards difference.
I often feel that those who talk about intersectionality do so from a place of comfortable privilege of benefiting from having the platforms of being listened to, respected and heard, often shielded by the protection that that vocabulary brings.
Not all educational establishments are created equal, and sadly, as too many of us from the #Dwarfism community have firsthand experience of, of finding ourselves in the position of not being listened to, of not being heard until the proverbial hits the fan, reacting in ways that leaves us open to further scrutiny and ostracism - usually by the very people who need to be supporting us - inside and outside the community.
I wonder if the community’s reaction - to have a go at the mum for sharing the video in the first place, is rooted in our deep uncomfortableness of having our trauma being front and centre. For is it not the one of the last things we have the ability to control who has the right and privilege to see? For we all know how even that is capitalised and commodified by non-disabled people (think inspiration porn). I hate that video, it makes me feel sick and I disagree with the publishing of it and the implications it will have for Quaden forevermore. I know only too well how mortifying and soul-crushing it feels to have that power of privacy and autonomy taken away from you by others. It leaves you in a dark place at times.
Yet, how many of us in community have an incredible battle everyday to get people to recognise the distress and trauma we face because of bullying? Whether that be physical or of the more subtle kind. That we fight and battle, constantly, to have the prejudice, let alone the accessibility side of things, recognised by people in positions of power - like teachers, schools bodies, doctors and sometimes even our nearest and dearest... read the rest of the post on my FB Page #Dwarfism #russellsilversyndrome #achondroplasia #disability

Experimenting with patterned paper and Spirograph.

Experimenting with patterned paper and Spirograph. #spirograph #spirographart #spirographartist #spiroart #spiro #creative #art #artist #pattern #paper #surfacepattern #uniball #uniballtropicalpens #uniballpens

Often our bodies are reduced to an object of mocke

Often our bodies are reduced to an object of mockery, inspiration or victim within society, primarily through arts, culture and the media.
Placing ourselves above the parapet, so to speak, to talk about and relive our experiences can be as equally traumatic as an original traumatic event. If we challenge the status quo, we’re often ostracised or told it’s a shame we won’t talk in public about our experiences or told we should learn to be positive and it’s on us how we react. With no care for the effects it can have on the contributor when we do speak out or asked to participate in discussions.
Dwarfism, and the trauma we face daily is often dismissed, rarely understood or supported - usually be the very people we reach out for support and understanding. Then being equally dismissive until the proverbial hits the fan.
People in positions of power wringing their hands or who go on the defensive, wondering how the bullying came to pass in the first place, when they are best placed to provide the platforms to tell our stories and create the safe non-judgemental environment to do so. It feels like the most is asked of those who already deal with much. Often with organisations, particularly the media, pitting us politically against each other, and ourselves, in terms of representation of our disability in the entertainment industry.
We are a wonderful array of personalities in the community, that rarely, if at all, have the opportunity to tell our real stories and be in control of how they are told.
That’s what informed my practice with You’re Just Little - the photographic exhibition that reveals the challenges, obstacles and societal assumptions dwarf people face on a daily basis.
For us, as a community, to have control of our stories in a cultural setting. To show what it’s like living with Dwarfism and face the inaccessibility, prejudice and ignorance daily. We want to the opportunity to tell our stories. Of being people who are as complex as the next person. Our voices need to be heard!
#bekind #standwithquaden #disabilityawareness #dwarfismawareness #dwarflife #russellsilversyndrome #dwarfism #achondroplasia #sedc #diastrophicdysplasia #selfie

We're on half-term holidays at Hello Little Lady.⁠
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Still managed to get some listening in of podcasts, it's a nice way to chill out after a busy day.⁠
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This week, I've been listening to the Duchess of Cambridge interview on Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast. HRH chats about her new initiative to get the nation talking about her Big 5 Questions survey, her own upbringing as a child and the universal challenges we face as mums.⁠
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The Stand Alone Podcast first episode talks about the charity that supports people who are estranged adults. Stories are expertly weaved around Beeca Bland talking about why she set-up the charity. It's produced by award-winning producer, Jay Antony Sykes who we will have the delight of helping out at the next Dwarfism podcasting workshop in Sunderland.⁠
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Finally, it is the Failing Better: Inspiring Conversations about failure.⁠
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This is a fab podcast for people who are in the arts and cultural sector talking about various aspects of failure. It's hosted by Leila D’Aronville and Caroline Pearce who are cultural freelancers based in Tyne and Wear, England.⁠
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https://www.hellolittlelady.com/…/listening-to-this-week-1…/⁠
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Don't forget... the Dwarfism: What Next? Podcasting workshop is taking place on 25th April 2020 in Sunderland. If you'd like to join us, find out more over here: https://www.hellolittlelady.com/podcasting-workshop/⁠
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#podcasts #podcastlistening #happymumhappybaby #big5questions #standalonecharity #estrangement #FailingBetter #culturalpractitioners

Wise words from the fortune cookies hubby and DD b

Wise words from the fortune cookies hubby and DD baked earlier in the week. [Image top fortune “a faithful friend is your defence”, middle: “everything will be alright”, bottom: “Nobody perfect but amazing”. 💖 #fortunecookie #fortunecookiesayings #philosophical #wisewords #wisdom

Same wheel, seven designs. #green #gold #blackink

Same wheel, seven designs.
#green #gold #blackink #spirograph #spirographart #spirographicartist #spiroartist #creative

Inky Spirograph evening. #feelingfrazzled #spirogr

Inky Spirograph evening. #feelingfrazzled #spirograph #spiro #spirographartist #spirographart #spiroart #blackink #ink #drawing #geometric #art #creative

Big step this morning. Back to bilateral hearing a

Big step this morning. Back to bilateral hearing aids and a first with OTE (out-the-ear). Had mixed feelings about going from ITE (in-the-ear) to OTE, but these are surprisingly comfortable. And goodness, how loud is the world?!? I can hear the noise when a pen scribbling on paper, the heating being on, people talking further away and DD whispering... and they aren’t set at the full prescription yet! They adapt over so many days to help me adjust to the new way of listening the longer I wear them. The technology is amazing compared to when I first started with the analogue-based ITEs. Think these new hearing aids are going to be great. Wonder if it means I’ll be relying less on lip-reading? Anyway, it feels like a win. #dwarfism #dwarfismawareness #russellsilversyndrome #dwarflife #hearingaids #hearingloss #hardofhearing #disability #disabilityawareness #selfie

Half-term fun has begun. Lovely wander around @tyn

Half-term fun has begun. Lovely wander around @tynaquarium and seal spotting at St. Mary’s Lighthouse with the family this afternoon. Bit blustery. #familytime #halfterm #tripout #tynemouth #schoolholidays #tynemouthaquarium #fish #seahorse #blue #sea #whitleybay #stmaryslighthouse #blustery #seaside

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