Helen Leigh

Maker and Technology Writer

Hia! I’m Helen and I’m a maker and technology writer.

Makers are people who make physical things, often using a combination of craft skills and new technologies such as 3D printing or electronics. As a maker I get to play with lots of fun machines in my daily life: laser cutters, robot powered drills, big saws, soldering irons and tiny computers that do cool things. As a technology writer, I get to tell lots of children, teachers and families about people, projects and bits of kit that I think are interesting.

My favourite thing about my job is how silly and creative I can be. Recently I felt inspired by a new microcontroller called the Micro:Bit, so I invented a Robot Unicorn that can be controlled by gesture. I was so pleased with my invention that I made a herd of them to race at museums and schools! Next up I’m going to modify it so it farts bubbles when you tweet me. Why? Why not!

The thing that surprises a lot of people about me is that I didn’t go to university to learn my electronics and maker skills. I learned everything from YouTube, Instructables, my friends and my own experiments! I still get lots of things wrong but the important thing is to keep trying, keep learning and above all stay curious!

Say Hi to Helen on Twitter here!

Check out Helen’s Crafty Kid’s Guide to DIY Electronics Book