There's no AI on this site, I won't use it. The point of art is the experience of creating it not so much the end piece. Silicon Valley had duped most people art is just content, it's not, it's a process not a prompt.
I am a Graphic Designer and Bicycle Mechanic that publishes 'Farrbott' twice a week at farrbott.substack.com. Farrbott is about three bemused robots living on rooftops in London. When I have time I occasionally write about Lifestyle Cycling.
This is my Blog/Playground about the stuff I think about a LOT. Mostly Cartoon Robots and Bicycle Advocacy. Also, the things that go with them such as comedy, beer, coffee, camping and photography. I find it hard to stay in a niche you see. As Shakespeare said, ‘A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one’. It was meant as a compliment.
My career for 26 years was as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and occasional Cartoonist. I lived the computerisation of my industry and the implementation of the internet as we know it today. That 'progress' meant it all but removed my need for a car. And I was grateful. Driving into London or to the bureau several times a day grew old fast. Going digital allowed me to design my life so I could do/sleep more rather than join the queues on the motorway. I always had a bicycle but didn't use it because the roads where I lived were WAAAYYYY too narrow and dangerous. I almost forgot I had it!!!
During Covid, I was made redundant from the bikeshare I worked so hard for. I had the luxury of not needing to rush out and get a job, so I spent my time writing a site called Lifestyle Cyclist. The desire was to help people discover the delights I had found over the years of setting the car aside, where practical, in favour of the bicycle. My goal was/is more posteriors/butts/derrieres on bicycle saddles. That urbanites primary transport preference be cycling.
I soon realised that the content I created was very 'usual'. Starting with bike reviews I had written for other sites. I have over 200 ideas and roughs in Evernote for articles. But all I wanted to do was tell the everyday stories of cycling. Not environment or health or infrastructure or reviews. Everyone else is doing that. If I can inspire someone to cycle more, THEN they can go and read the plethora of sites out there with all THAT content to their heart's content. I believe stories are how you get people onto a bicycle. So I deleted the site in lieu of a rethink.
After that, I took a break from writing, worked for LIME bike share, then moved back to the UK. Now I have this site where I can dabble, experiment and use it as a sort of portfolio.
I hope this site will facilitate a few things.
Helping me get Farrbott together enough to publish it on Substack and earn sufficient income to quit my J-O-B. What I post here is Farrbott 1.0. The process of building this site has enabled me to clarify and improve Farrbott 2.0 with a new universe, storyline and characters. Launched on Substack winter 2024. Farrbott on Substack is my main focus now
Perhaps resume bicycle writing now I have somewhere to put it.
Display some of my cycling 'bona fides' that I may also earn sufficient income from that avenue however it may present itself. I have experience wrenching, building ebikes, running a workshop, training mechanics, organizing and leading group rides, installing bikeshare systems and creating bicycle related content.
Finally, I hope I have entertained, informed and inspired the reader in some measure.
I am a Graphic Designer and Bicycle Mechanic that publishes 'Farrbott' twice a week at farrbott.substack.com. Farrbott is about three bemused robots living on rooftops in London. When I have time I occasionally write about Lifestyle Cycling.
This is my Blog/Playground about the stuff I think about a LOT. Mostly Cartoon Robots and Bicycle Advocacy. Also, the things that go with them such as comedy, beer, coffee, camping and photography. I find it hard to stay in a niche you see. As Shakespeare said, ‘A jack of all trades is a master of none, but often times better than a master of one’. It was meant as a compliment.
My career for 26 years was as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and occasional Cartoonist. I lived the computerisation of my industry and the implementation of the internet as we know it today. That 'progress' meant it all but removed my need for a car. And I was grateful. Driving into London or to the bureau several times a day grew old fast. Going digital allowed me to design my life so I could do/sleep more rather than join the queues on the motorway. I always had a bicycle but didn't use it because the roads where I lived were WAAAYYYY too narrow and dangerous. I almost forgot I had it!!!
During Covid, I was made redundant from the bikeshare I worked so hard for. I had the luxury of not needing to rush out and get a job, so I spent my time writing a site called Lifestyle Cyclist. The desire was to help people discover the delights I had found over the years of setting the car aside, where practical, in favour of the bicycle. My goal was/is more posteriors/butts/derrieres on bicycle saddles. That urbanites primary transport preference be cycling.
I soon realised that the content I created was very 'usual'. Starting with bike reviews I had written for other sites. I have over 200 ideas and roughs in Evernote for articles. But all I wanted to do was tell the everyday stories of cycling. Not environment or health or infrastructure or reviews. Everyone else is doing that. If I can inspire someone to cycle more, THEN they can go and read the plethora of sites out there with all THAT content to their heart's content. I believe stories are how you get people onto a bicycle. So I deleted the site in lieu of a rethink.
After that, I took a break from writing, worked for LIME bike share, then moved back to the UK. Now I have this site where I can dabble, experiment and use it as a sort of portfolio.
I hope this site will facilitate a few things.
Helping me get Farrbott together enough to publish it on Substack and earn sufficient income to quit my J-O-B. What I post here is Farrbott 1.0. The process of building this site has enabled me to clarify and improve Farrbott 2.0 with a new universe, storyline and characters. Launched on Substack winter 2024. Farrbott on Substack is my main focus now
Perhaps resume bicycle writing now I have somewhere to put it.
Display some of my cycling 'bona fides' that I may also earn sufficient income from that avenue however it may present itself. I have experience wrenching, building ebikes, running a workshop, training mechanics, organizing and leading group rides, installing bikeshare systems and creating bicycle related content.
Finally, I hope I have entertained, informed and inspired the reader in some measure.
I may have gone for a ride, despite the weather.
If you want to get in touch, email me at the address below.
farrbott [at] icloud [dot] com
BottsBikesBits on Instagram.
farrbott.Substack.com
@farrbott.substack.com on Bluesky
If you want to get in touch, email me at the address below.
farrbott [at] icloud [dot] com
BottsBikesBits on Instagram.
farrbott.Substack.com
@farrbott.substack.com on Bluesky
