About Pep the Poet

Hello and welcome! I’m David Anderson or Pep the Poet. My mission is to ‘scatter sunshine one poem at a time.’

My family of poets

Poetry has been in my family for generations. Although unpublished, my mum is a great poet and my sister too. You could say poetry is in our DNA.

This goes all the way back to my great-great-grandfather David Anderson, who was a weaver and poet in the small Ayrshire town of West Kilbride in Scotland. My most cherished possession is one of his poetry books, dating back almost 150 years to 1867.

For over five decades I didn't use this God-given talent because I believed my poems weren’t good enough. I suffered massively from Imposter Syndrome and convinced myself I wasn't good enough. In my late fifties, I learned that FEAR TELLS LIES and my life took off.

My time as a Deputy Head Teacher

Man in a shirt and tie with blue glasses

Within my work, I discuss my journey of discovery from a very dark place (where self-centred fear and anxiety ruled my life) to the beautifully enriched life that I live today.

I enjoyed a long career in education, building up to a role as a Deputy Head Teacher. However, a long time of not looking after my mental health ended up in a nervous breakdown.

That time took me to some dark places, but it is the lessons I learned through that journey that have given me my passion and excitement to save others from experiencing the same thing as I did.

My life and work today

My incredible wife Paula has been my partner through the ups and downs. She supported me through my recovery, and is the reason I'm still here.

I started my Pep the Poet business to share my experiences with people, to tell people that fear tells lies and we need to look after our mental health.

Poetry is one of my favourite ways to communicate, so I use it to talk about my experiences in a fun way. I love helping others express themselves too.