'I get up just before 6am to start my 'horror' day. I'm an insomniac, so I often wake in the middle of the night as a result of some scary dream, which inevitably also results in me lying awake for hours and thinking of ways I can incorporate elements of my dream into my work.
I live on the English coast and do a three-hour commute to and from work [at the Tussauds Group Studios] in London each day, but I use that time to think of scary ideas, watch foreign movies, write stories or [gain] other creative input in relation to my work.
The first thing I need each morning and my No 1 priority each day is coffee. I'm a total caffeine addict and loved working in America as I could get a decent cup of coffee anytime of the day or night - heaven!
I use my laptop on the train to get other work-related things done and also travel with the same people on the return journey each day. I have a good laugh with them and use them as my guinea pigs, running ideas past them for their input and feedback. They all work in different professions, so their comments are many and varied and often include things I have not considered. We also have things such as organised whisky or origami nights on the train journey home and this further promotes friendships among us long-haul commuters.
The studio I work at is based in West London, where the creative resources for the whole Madame Tussauds group are based. I have previously worked on many projects across the group, so one day I could be doing something very historical and accurate at Warwick Castle [in the Midlands] and the next day I might be doing Barney's children's show at [theme park] Alton Towers, so the variety we have is incredible. If someone had said to me a decade ago that I would be working for the same company for 10 years, I'd probably have laughed at them; however, every day is different, exciting and a challenge, so that has kept me inspired all this time.
When I arrive at the studio each day, I continue my design work on any of our many live programmes happening around the world, such as the new Scream attraction opening in Hong Kong, or revising the Scare attraction at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, which is a future project I am working on. We are redefining our global brand because the Scare programmes have become an integral part of the Madame Tussauds experience and these are constantly changing.
The studio I work at is a fun-filled environment. We have a 'playroom', where we can play with various games and toys, plus other creative stimulations located on the design floor. All of these diversions serve the dual purpose of relaxing us when we need a break and stimulating us in relation to new ideas. I also enjoy visiting the wax figure sculptors to see which Madame Tussauds personality