I’m a mother of two, sister, aunty, and daughter from Tāmaki Makaurau. I’ve moved countries a few times now from Aotearoa New Zealand to Zambia to New York to California and I have a terrible fear of settling down. My friends tell me this is really just a fear of housework. It’s possible they’re right.
Professionally, I tell stories or help get other people’s stories in the media. I love to interview people, especially people doing good things to make the world better. Personally, I write about the struggles we all have to exist peacefully inside the bodies and minds we’ve been given. I’ve told stories for brands and helped build up Karma Cola (who give back to cola farmers in Africa), and not so recently helped take 42 BELOW vodka to the world. Bacardi bought 42 BELOW for $36 million in 2006 but unfortunately I wasn’t so good with the milking it part. I don’t have $36 million but you will find me in the book about how we did it.
I care deeply about supporting young women, my family, and smashing stereotypes around appearance and all the isms. During my 20’s I was a full noise bulimic and it stole my joy so I understand what it’s like to grow up in a society that tells women their beauty matters most, yet the standards of beauty are just out of reach. Always. It’s why we buy gym memberships and paleo recipes and those creams that promise to make us look 28 by sunrise but that’s not what makes us happy.
I haven’t been to the gym since 1999 and I am quite happy about that.
If you’re interested in following me I swear sometimes but I always tell the truth about something rummaging around inside me. Well, at least, 99% truth. Maybe 95% somedays according to my husband. Definitely 78% if it’s about him. However truth be told, between 2019 and 2023 I only posted two stories so don’t expect to be flooded with emails.
For non-sweary writing check out some articles I’ve written.
On the subject of body image, I talked to Kathryn Ryan a while ago about it on Radio New Zealand, and shared my story in Sunday mag. But that’s just me. Real healing comes from listening to other people’s stories and finding out none of us are truly alone with our demons. I’ve interviewed twenty other amazing people and they all sit here on Fucking Awesome Bulimics I Know.
In 2017, I began doing talks in schools about the relentless beauty messages bombarding young women. It was called Pretty Smart. But I’ve stopped doing that, working on making change at a higher, systemic level within different industries. And I have a project about the intersection between body image and mental health coming out in all schools in 2024. It’s called Like Bodies Like Minds and I worked on this the talented illustrator Ruby Jones.
My other day job involves working with the very fine women at the Y. Here’s my latest project with them Y25, celebrating 25 women under the age of 25 doing kickass things.
“I knew who I was this morning, but I’ve changed a few times since then.”
― Lewis Carroll
Angela Barnett 
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