I've been on the standby list for a while but had no idea what to do if I got the call to go up on the plinth - I wasn't sure I'd accept a slot and felt it would be a wasted hour to sit and do nothing much at all. I'd get a nice view and I'm sure I would remember the experience, but chatting to people over the course of the project I felt that this was an opportunity to do something completely out of the ordinary.
I'm not an exhibitionist in any way at all, and the decision to go naked would surprise many that know me. But following a conversation with someone about the ethics of nudism on the plinth - she believed it was offensive with children around - my imagination was fired up, and within 24 hours of deciding I would take my clothes off on the plinth, I was offered a standby slot with an hour to spare. It was perhaps colder than I would like, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasn't going to turn it down.
We're all born naked, we're surrounded by galleries filled with naked paintings and statues in the close vicinity, and the idea that the human form as part of an art project should somehow be offensive to other people, of whatever age, is incomprehensible to me.
I have never done anything like this before, and certainly wouldn't say that I'm completely satisfied with my body image, which my friends and family tell me is ridiculous. Deep down I know they are right - I am generally in good shape and look after myself. I'm 23 years old and won't look like this forever. I love living in London and Trafalgar Square has a lot of personal resonance for me, both happy and sad, so why not add something new to that bank of memories that I'll never forget when I pass by?
