“I have the community that I never ever in a million years would I have dreamed of when I was a kid.”

Season 3 of ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ gets off to a CRACKING start with this conversation! I’m chatting to Jua O’Kane (they/he). Jua is the Marketing Manager for We Create Space and Communications Director for Trans Pride Plymouth as well as being an illustrator, creator, creative researcher & author of their recently published graphic novella, Road to Chimera. It’s a virtually stunning piece of work that explores a life navigating transness as a spiritual journey.

Jua is also my colleague & I relish our chats - this one especially! From chatting about & reconnecting with ‘Little Jua’ to challenging mental health issues as a teenager through to what’s been a crazy last few years, Jua shares their story in such a powerful & punchy way.

Self-care, community & creativity are core to how Jua shows up in the world as they state “I made the things that I needed happen.” That’s just one of the mic drop moments & realisations you can expect to hear along with Jua’s love for Plymouth & its thriving Trans+ community, the influence of their girlfriend’s ability to channel hope & optimism and their top surgery adventure being “a hero’s journey moment”.

Isolation. Creation. Transcendence. These are the three words Jua uses to describe themselves & their origin story & deliberately in that order.

Jua truly sets the tempo. On the dance floor. Through the work they do & the world they’ve created. In life. You’re going to love this episode as much as I did.

We cover some challenging topics so please take care of yourself whilst listening.

Visit Jua's website, check out their work & buy a copy of 'Road to Chimera' here.

Trans Pride Plymouth takes place on Saturday 14 June 2025. Follow them here.