Self Pub 101 Bonus (IG Timeline)
Self Pub 101 Bonus (IG Timeline)
Visual Timeline of Self Publishing Journey
Here’s a visual guide to my self publishing journey.
There are 5 different books in progress here including Discover Your Creative Ecosystem, My Creative Ecosystem: The Companion (workbook), Entwined: Creativity & Motherhood (crowdfunding in Spring of 2024) and How It Feels to Me (coming in 2025). The fifth is a fantasy novel that I’m taking my time with.
You can see how each book developed from idea to reality. The process is layered and messy and I’ve resisted the temptation to tidy things up and tell each book’s story independent. You can really see how interwoven the process is by following along chronologically.
My Self Publishing Journey
I started writing a book one day whilst journaling:
DECEMBER 2, 2019
Journaling has been my lighthouse for the past year. I’ve finally realized that writing is an important part of how I process my experiences. When I write I clear out my mental cobwebs and find thoughts and ideas I didn’t know I had. Like dusty curiosities hidden in an attic corner. Last week when I was journaling I accidentally started writing a book. It’s a creative handbook for new mums. Not a one size fits all method, but a series of reflections and prompts to help other mothers nurture their inner artist while caring for their newborn babes. ☺️
JANUARY 14, 2020
Mothers I need your help! Tag your creative mama friends below. ✨ I’m collecting stories for my new book, “Kindle: a Guide to Creativity in Motherhood”. If you are a mother who makes I mean you. This includes artists, writers, crafters, coders, performers, etc... professional or hobbyist. I'd really love to hear from a wide range of experiences.
Since Davy's birth last May I've spent a lot of time thinking about creativity and new motherhood. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do think I’ve found some of the right questions! I am endeavoring to write this book while I’m still in the weeds. I hope it will encourage new mothers to nurture their creative spark.
I’d love your input (whether you created during new motherhood or not.) Your experience as a creative mother is invaluable to me! Please share & invite your creative mama friends. I’d love to gather a vibrant collection of stories and feature the brilliant diverse women who are doing this work.
JANUARY 24, 2020
I reached 10,000 words on my book today! 🎉 I’m amazed because I’ve managed this by writing 300-500 words in small stretches of naptime. Really learning the magic of incremental progress. ✨ I’ve been tracking my writing with a post it board inspired by @helenredfernwriter. You can see a peek of it on my Patreon feed (for free.) Just follow the link in my bio. What I love about the board is how I can visually see my progress! How do you track big projects? And how should I celebrate my first 10,000 words? @carveouttimeforart#2020COTFAProud
.
UPDATE: I celebrated with a giant nap. 😴
FEBRUARY 19, 2020
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in my Creative Mother research. I started working through the data yesterday. It may take awhile as there are almost 1,000 answers to the open ended questions. 🥰 Your experiences are going to add so much texture and nuance to my book. Very thankful for the time you took to tell me your stories. I’ll be sharing the common themes I find as I work through the survey data. My husband Nathan is quite excited to teach me how to use all the fancy features in Excel. 🤣
FEBRUARY 22, 2020
I’m baffled by the ways our culture still treats mom as a default parent and dads as incompetent goofballs. I’ve been doing research on this topic for the book I’m writing. “Dad’s Don’t Babysit” has been a great resource. It digs into science that shows dads are just as capable of bonding and caring for their babies as mums. Written by two British dads who share their experience as primary carers. They also explore the challenges they’ve noticed that prevent more dads from getting actively involved. 🍼 Have you struggled with this in your family unit?
MARCH 28, 2020
I finished the rough draft of my book! 🥳 I’m celebrating by sharing a bit with you. I wrote this last month, but it seems especially timely now. (The book is for new mums, but I this particular metaphor is for everyone.) I’d love to hear if it resonates with you.
.
Imagine your creative life as a habitat. What would it be? A woodland, a mountain range, an island, a desert… Each artist’s creative ecosystem is unique and we all need different things to flourish. This is why no one’s advice is ever a perfect fit. What would support a woodland mama might overwhelm a desert mom..
JUNE 16, 2020
Last week I printed my book manuscript and started editing again. It turns out the three months I took away from this work were actually very helpful. I’ve had enough distance it’s much easier to make cuts and changes. I’ve also spent that time doing more visual art like pottery and weaving and this is informing my book in a good way. Annnnnd... I’m loving doing this on paper. It’s been years since I bothered printing any of my writing to edit and I’d forgotten what a difference it makes. I feel it’s really helping me move forward and not rewrite the same sentence until my eyes bleed. This pandemic is teaching me to honor my creative rhythms and that’s no bad thing. What have the last three months taught you?
JUNE 25, 2020
Progress! Here’s a peek at my second draft. I use a blue felt tip for edits because it feels friendlier & less critical than red. 💙 I’m about halfway done typing up these changes. Then I need to do a major structural edit. I want this book to be easy for new mums to dip in and out of. I have a tendency to over complicate so this is the messy middle. 📝
JULY 3, 2020
I used to journal after Davy’s bedtime, but recently I’ve been editing my book at night. So I decided to try daytime freewriting and this was the result. Wait for it... 🤣 Maybe he’ll get bored if I do this everyday? Mama’s, how do you cultivate creative rituals?
JULY 5, 2020
You may have noticed that I changed the title of my book to Maker Mama Manifesto. (Unpictured, obviously.) 🤣 When I finished my first draft I realized I was creating a toolbox for mothers to make their own creative manifesto. Reflections, exercises, journal prompts, quotes & stories from other creative mums. Every mother is different so she needs her own unique approach to creativity. I hope my book makes space for that. Imagine if we took all the energy we spent on comparison & self judgement and poured that into our art?
AUGUST 8, 2020
This is a failed timelapse of me restructuring my book outline. 😭 So gutted it didn’t record anything. Swipe for the “after”.
JUNE 24, 2021
This time last year I was editing the second draft of my book. The rest of 2020 was derailed by COVID / depression / autistic burnout. When I came back to editing this year I realized that my manuscript was actually 2-3 books crammed together. So I’ve been doing major restructuring. Turns out the first part I wrote isn’t even specific to mothers. It’s the book I wish I’d read a decade ago. I’ve been working on that for a few months now, and it’s taken an unexpected form. I can’t wait to share it with you! P.S. Don’t worry, the Maker Mama book is coming eventually. Just taking things slow and steady. 🐢
AUGUST 21, 2021
I’m tired of one size fits all advice. There’s a simple reason it never works out (even if it is true for the person giving it.) We’re each unique and need different conditions to flourish. Just like this monarch caterpillar has different needs than other wildlife in my garden. 🐛
During early motherhood I spent a lot of time reflecting on this when I was writing my book. When I started editing I realized the first chapter, "Discovering Your Creative Ecosystem" had its own identity.
So I expanded that chapter into a 10 week virtual retreat. It’s all about discovering what works best for YOU. I'm so excited to lead my first group of intrepid adventurers through the material next month. 🦋
AUGUST 28, 2021
Have you ever started out making one thing and it turned out to be something else? 🧐 Discovering Your Creative Ecosystem began as the first chapter of my book, but it was destined for greater things. Who knows, maybe one day I'll even expand into a book of its own. But for now I'm super excited to dive into this metaphor further with a small group of creative souls. 📷 via Unsplash
AUGUST 29, 2021
Here’s a clue to our retreat’s first micro adventure. 😉✂️✨ I’m so excited to see what you all discover! There’s enough direction to get you started, but you’re always encouraged to break the rules and make it work for you. Not feeling collage? Write in your journal, make a pinboard, or do an interpretive dance. There’s literally no wrong way to do this! 🥰
NOVEMBER 1, 2021
November is for noveling. 🍂 Growing up I would write a novel every year for @nanowrimo. Somehow I even managed to crank out 50,000 words during grad school. But that NaNo, 10 years ago, was my last. Somehow after graduating and becoming “an adult” I’ve had an impossibly hard time with fiction. I suddenly felt like writing was a waste of time unless I was “good enough” to be traditionally published. But I’ve been chipping away at my addiction to perfection and thanks to the incredible modeling of @inspiredtowrite I am going back to my roots. I’m writing a story this month that I’m really excited about. Just to play. And when it’s done, if I want to share it, I’m prepared to choose myself. The gatekeepers aren’t even invited to the party. My new fiction goal - whether with this story or another - is to self publish. But first, a messy first draft. Because mess is magic. ✨
NOVEMBER 2, 2021
One of the books I reread to prep for @nanowrimo. This series doesn’t get enough love. Eilonwy is one of my favorites. ✨
NOVEMBER 4, 2021
The magic of NaNoWriMo is continuing to write even when you can’t see the way ahead. My past novels were all discovery written. This time I split the difference. I have some bones. I know where I’d like to go, but not how I’m going to get there. So I write from where I stand. And then I take a step and write from that place. Its messy. But this first draft isn’t for sharing. It’s for me. To discover my story. To develop my characters. And to play with choices. How do you balance planning and spontaneity in your creative work?
NOVEMBER 13, 2021
NOVEMBER 25, 2021
First day back in the studio since our stomach bug. (Photo from another warmer day.) I managed to catch up on my NaNoWriMo word count this afternoon so I invited Davy out. He played with his new alphabet magnets while I got back to this cross stitch piece. Hoping for a bit more of this vibe over the weekend after such a hard week.
DECEMBER 8, 2021
Time to let you in on a little secret. ☺️ I’ve been adapting “Discovering Your Creative Ecosystem” into a book. Right now I’m formatting the hardcover edition. There will also be a PDF and audiobook, but I am most excited to see my book in print! Which would you order? 📖🎧📱
P.S. Preorders will open in early 2022 once I have a shiny sample hardcover to show you. ✨
DECEMBER 14, 2021
Just finished recording the audiobook version of Discovering Your Creative Ecosystem. 🥳 Huge thanks to my Patrons who funded this swank professional microphone. Y’all are the best!
DECEMBER 28, 2021
My experience of time is not fixed. Time expands and contracts based on when and how often I engage with my interests. So when I write and make time feels expansive. When I don’t it crushes in on me and feels very suffocating. This is one of my biggest struggles as a neurodivergent artist mama.
This year I’ve swung wildly between those two feelings.
Learning how to navigate fractured time has been a huge theme in my work these past two years. Looking back I made so much more than I did in 2020. This is largely due to pivoting to whichever project I had the bandwidth for in that moment.
I’ve just posted a roundup of this year’s creative projects on the blog. Those I’ve finished, started, and abandoned. Linked in the bio if you are curious. 🐇
JANUARY 14, 2022
I’m planning to self publish my book Discover Your Creative Ecosystem this year.*
And, y’all, it is A LOT.
I know I could easily lose myself in that and burn out within a month. So I chose my word for 2022 as a counterbalance of sorts.
My word of the year is ROOT.
To consciously cultivate a balance between productive and restorative time.
I need more time focusing inward.
Growing roots to support my branches.
Tending my own creative ecosystem.
And learning to respect my own needs.
Or, that’s how I envisioned it last week. When Davy was at school and I spent a luxurious morning with @susannahconway’s Unravel Your Year.
Now that I’m in full time mom mode for January (and perhaps longer) the word ROOT has taken on new meanings.
(This one’s too long to fit in captions. Keep reading on the blog. Link in the bio.) ✨
P.S. If you’re wondering why I’m talking about ecosystems when I was writing about motherhood… that book is next! This started as the first chapter of my Maker Mama manuscript and has become a work of its own. Once this baby is out in the world I’ll start structural edits for my creative mama book. ✏️
P.P.S. How lovely is this custom collage by my friend @lionheartcanyonstudio? 🥰 If you’d like a reminder of your word-of-the-year she’s your lady!
JANUARY 23, 2022
I’m ditching the whirlwind book launch for something that slowly unfolds over the course of the entire year. I’d planned to hit the ground running in January, but it’s been more of an army crawl. 😂
Still, I have made some measured progress so far…
Final draft edits. ✔️
ISBN. ✔️
Library of Congress number. ✔️
Formatting fixes. ✔️
First proof ordered! ✔️
HUZZAH! 🥳
FEBRUARY 10, 2022
You’ve heard me talk about writing a book… or two… or three over the past two and a half years. Even my mama is confused by now. So I thought I should walk you through my WIPs before I start talking about “my first book.”
(This is also on the blog if you’d rather read there.)
Manuscript #1
The first book I started writing explored the intersection of motherhood and creativity. I specifically wanted to hold space for new mothers, but that has expanded over time. I finished two drafts and surveyed over 100 mothers. 2020 sidelined this project because I had no quiet space to work.
Manuscript #2
Once my studio was finished I started a third draft of my artist mother book. But chapter one kept expanding. As words piled up I realized this concept wasn’t specific to motherhood and deserved a life of its own.
Starting with a smaller work felt right so I paused edits on my motherhood book, and started drafting what became Discover Your Creative Ecosystem.
What started as a retreat slowly became a book. Sharing these words in book form will make the material even more accessible. Creative souls can now work through the material in their own time. This book is short and conversational and full of magic! (And pictures! More about this soon.) ✨
Manuscript #3
During NaNoWriMo of 2021 I started writing fiction for the first time in a decade. I have a reeeeaaaallllllyyyyy rough draft of a fantasy novel casting the hero (traditionally an adolescent boy) as a mother. I tried to keep the setting and plot simple, but quickly realized the joy of fantasy (for me) is complexity. So this is an ongoing project that, let’s face it, I may be working on for decades to come.
So, that’s where I’m at!
Discover Your Creative Ecosystem is coming soon. (Really soon! Like I already have proof copies winging my way.)
After that release I’ll return to editing my maker mama book. I’m seeing the whole motherhood experience as more of a spiral than a straight line now… so I am glad that I didn’t rush it.
And my fantasy novel is on a slow simmer. I’ll keep giving it a stir and tossing in different ingredients I find til I’m ready to draft again.
Which book are you most excited for?
MARCH 19, 2022
I’m so excited to reveal my book cover! 📖
Preorders open next month. If you don’t want to miss early bird bonuses hop on my mailing list. Linked in the bio. 💌
P.S. Last year I started hoping I’d be ready to launch today (my birthday). I’m not *quite* there yet, but this felt like an exciting peek to share today. 🌿
APRIL 1, 2022
I am SO CLOSE to finishing this book! Typed up all of these changes today. Re-recording the audiobook tomorrow. Then it’s time to record the Indiegogo video. 😱 Now I think I’ll watch this on repeat because it’s so satisfying. I wish editing in real time could happen that fast. 😂
APRIL 2, 2022
Setting up to record my audiobook. 🎧 When big dreams feel overwhelming break them down to the next smallest step. 🌙 My tiny steps have carried me far. So excited to share this with you very soon! 🌿
Preorder waitlist in the bio. 😘
APRIL 14, 2022
Next week is book launch! 🥳 Today I’m off to the woods to photograph my books! 🍃
Wait… bookS??? 😮
Spoilers!!! 😉
APRIL 23, 2022
It’s time! 🕰⌛️⏰
I launched book preorders on Indiegogo! 🥳
Early pledges really help so if you preorder by midnight… 🌙
You will also get free 1:1 coaching to dig into your creative ecosystem via text and voice message. One week coaching for ebooks and one month if you preorder a hardcover! 📖✨🐞
I wrote this book to break the cycle of hustle, hustle, burnout to build a truly sustainable creative practice. ♻️
Discover Your Creative Ecosystem is designed to help you build a holistic creative process that works for you. 🐝
Linked in my bio! Drop your questions below. I’m planning a Live Q&A tomorrow. 🥰
APRIL 29, 2022
Announcing our first stretch perks! We hit $900 today which means every hardcover preorder (past and future) will now include a library pocket AND a vinyl sticker. 🥳 The Kindle Curiosity campfire is now the logo for my author imprint as well as my podcast. So excited to add these extra goodies into your preorders! 🔥
MAY 1, 2022
How do you take author photos when you’re always blinking and freezing up in photos?
You use video stills!
I set up my camera to record and pulled as many ridiculous happy faces as I could manage … between deep breaths and horse noises of course. 😂
The results were 10-15 joyful freeze frames versus my usual 1-2 awkward photographs.
10/10 would recommend. 📸
P.S. Book preorders are open! Link in the bio. ✨📚🥰
JUNE 9, 2022
Now that Davy’s older I’m finally able to journal again. The key to summer creativity at our house is parallel play. Last year it was weaving and DUPLO. This year it’s writing.
(I knew I wouldn’t be able to edit audiobooks over the summer so that’s why my book release was strategically set for October.) 😉
After drafting three books in two years I’m quite enjoying short form writing again. I’m working on a few new pieces to share with you soon. ✏️
What are you making this summer? ☀️
SEPTEMBER 4, 2022
Small progress is progress. This weekend I fixed all of the images for my book. Tweaked saturation and brightness in a few photos that were printing too dull and standardized all of the crop ratios. One more round of text edits and I can order the next proof. 🥳
SEPTEMBER 18, 2022
I finished book edits today! 🥳
Turns out I just needed a few hours of quiet to look it all over. I found a few typos, fixed some formatting issues, and updated my logo. 🔥
I’ve just ordered what I hope will be the final proof!!! (But holding space for the possibility I might need one more to get the images looking their best.)
This means I am still on target for you to get your books this autumn! 🍂🍁✨
If you missed preorders and want to squeak in and grab a preorder bonus (free audiobook with every hardcover purchase) send me a DM and I can take your preorder through Venmo. 🥰
Thanks to everyone who has already ordered a copy! You’re making little Sarah’s dream’s come true. (I’ll have to dig out some of my childhood “books” and share them on Substack to celebrate.) 🥳
OCTOBER 6, 2022
Discover Your Creative Ecosystem is the book I wrote when I realized every artist has their own unique way of working. I was a new mum and Julia Cameron’s rigid approach from The Artist’s Way wasn’t working for me. So I expanded my idea of creativity beyond productivity and began to tend all areas of my life and to pay attention to what worked for me. 🍂🍁🌾
OCTOBER 27, 2022
Your books are here! 🥳 I should wait for the perfect natural lighting to post this, but I just can't! 😂
If you'd like to add something to your book preorder you can use the code ADDON (no spaces) in my shop and it will give you free shipping. 💌✨
This offer is only open to hardcover preorders who paid previously for shipping. 😉
I'm still waiting for the workbooks to come in, but these should start winging your way next week!!! 🥰
OCTOBER 30, 2022
November is for noveling. ✏️ Swipe to read a snippet from last year's blog post about NaNoWriMo. ✨🍂🍁 If you haven't heard of it November is National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to write 1,667 words a day and end up with a 50,000 word first draft by the end of the month.
I've been participating on and off since high school and love it for moving past perfectionism and quarantining my inner critic. If you're noveling this year and would like to join a small writing group let me know. NaNo is more fun with friends. 🥰
NOVEMBER 1, 2022
I've wanted to be an author since I was six years old. But when I grew up I was full of excuses. After graduate school it took me ten years (and a baby) to return to writing.
Look at me now! Signing all of your preorders. 🥰
If you've been waiting for permission... give it to yourself.
Make your art.
Tell your stories.
Be your own publisher, agent, patron, producer, gallery. We don't have to wait for gatekeepers permission for our work to have impact. 💥
The workbooks have just arrived so I will be using the rest of the week to organize your preorder bonuses and package them all up.
Official publication day will be November 16 and ebooks will go out then! I hope this book inspires and supports so many more creative projects. Tossing my pebble into the pond and ready to watch the ripples grow. ✨
NOVEMBER 4, 2022
And just like that the first run of Discover Your Creative Ecosystem is SOLD OUT! 😱
To pull back the curtain this was a rookie mistake because I did not account for damaged books when I ordered. So while I'm ordering replacements I've decided to make it an opportunity for you.
I'm reopening preorders with all of the original discounts and bonuses for a limited time! This round of preorders will close on Monday November 7. (Link in bio.) 🍁
We don't have the physical space to store boxes of extra books so I've decided to do limited print runs each year and only order a small number of extras. The next print run will be in 2023.
So if you want a book before then order now! 😘
NOVEMBER 11, 2022
Yes, I did collect autumn leaves for each preordered book. Wouldn't you? 😉🍁✨
If you missed this round I have a second batch of preorders (with all the perks!) open for a short time. There's an illustrated workbook too which I have been woefully negligent at posting. You can see it in the video on my website.
The next print run will be in 2023. When do you feel that fresh start energy? Autumn or New Years?
P.S. After a short break to tend a sickly toddler I am back at work packaging up your book orders. Thanks for all of your patience as I keep my own creative ecosystem in balance. 🍂🦌🌲
NOVEMBER 15, 2022
Your books are ON THE MOVE. 🥳 Well, technically they have been for some time now... it's been a long day.
Any time I ship packages I say they are "on the move" because it reminds me of Mr. Beaver saying Aslan is "ON THE MOVE" in the 1980's Narnia. Have you seen it? That BBC mini series is the ONLY Narnia in my book. 😘
If you haven't seen it consider this your invitation. It is a delight. 🦁❄️✨
P.S. Ebooks will go out next week! 💌
NOVEMBER 18, 2022
The first print run is already SOLD OUT! 😱 If you want a physical book to start reading in January you'll need to preorder this weekend. 🍂
Preorders close Monday and the next print run won't be until Spring of 2023. ✨🌸🌱
I'm planning to restock once or twice a year so I don't cram our bedroom floor to ceiling with book boxes. 📚😱😂
NOVEMBER 30, 2022
And just like that November comes to a close. I've enjoyed noveling in community this month for nanowrimo. 🍂
November for me is all about quarantining my Inner Editor and getting words down. As a recovering perfectionist this is essential to my creative process.
I get my best story ideas when I get out of my head and dive in. I have to allow myself to get something down on the page - no matter how messy it is - so I have something to work with.
This year's novel centers a mother in a classic Fantasy novel quest. I have a lot of work left to do, but have made some big discoveries especially surrounding the mother's neurodivergence and how that intersects with the magic system. ✨
I've accepted fiction writing is a slower process for me than non fiction (at least right now) so I'm planning to keep at this for a few years with a goal of self publishing.
If you want a peek at what I'm working on I've shared a completely unedited preview with my paying Substack subscribers. 🫣
Shifting into holiday mode and planning to weave fiction writing into my creative rhythm next year. 🍁
How do you push past imperfection to get stuff made?
Have you ever tried NaNoWriMo? It's not for everyone, but I love it. 🥰
JANUARY 27, 2023
I only have a few copies left so if you’d like to order a hardcopy for the book club don’t put it off.
I’ve chosen not to offer print on demand for this book so these books are all I have until the next print run. I’m only restocking once or twice a year (to balance my own creative ecosystem.)
APRIL 1, 2023
A reminder for local folks I will be at @nwabookfest reading and signing books today! 💫📚✏️
APRIL 7, 2023
Last week I attended my first author event @nwabookfest. It was my first time seeing my book connect in person and was so honored to be included. Thanks to everyone who came out for my reading. 🥰 I'm sharing about the experience over on Substack later today. 💌
APRIL 25, 2023
We are teaming up to write the book we wish we'd had growing up as autistic kids–when we knew we were different, but didn’t know why.
Our picture book project, How it Feels to Me, is all about sensory processing and neurodiversity. The message of this book is that every sensory experience is valid, and there’s nothing wrong with you! Readers will explore how each brain experiences the world differently, learn about the concept of sensory supports, and build empathy and understanding across different neurotypes.
Our project is live on Indiegogo now! We will be crowdfunding for one week, so jump right in if you want to help bring this book to life!
If you're planning to back the project, please do so within the first 24 hours if possible. Early pledges help us reach beyond our personal connections by offering "social proof" that we are worth investing in. We want this book to reach as many kids (and adults!) as possible, to help us all understand ourselves and each other better.
Here's the details:
How it Feels to Me is an #ownvoices book about neurodiversity and sensory processing by an autistic author and illustrator team! You can pledge to bring this project to life at: https://igg.me/at/howitfeels
(You can also find the link in our bios.)
P.S. If you would prefer to support the project via Venmo or PayPal send us a DM and we can make it happen. 💫
MAY 1, 2023
They didn’t know it then–that it wasn’t their fault. That they weren’t just weird. Too loud. Too shy. Too wiggly. Strange. Loners.
That others didn’t feel things the way they did.
That lacey socks didn’t make everyone’s skin crawl.
That other people didn’t find showers torturous.
They didn’t know that there were others like them,
who also collect keys (we both do),
And struggle with change,
And feel the creeping fear of being caught, in every second of every social interaction, if they don’t appear “normal” enough.
That their “flaws” weren’t really flaws–just differences.
That there were words to describe the way they experience the world.
We both grew up undiagnosed autistic (among other things–we’re both multiply neurodivergent), and it’s hard not to feel… a bit haunted by that. To look back at our past selves and wonder if they would have felt less ashamed, discouraged, lonely, if they’d known. But we know, too, that being diagnosed at an early age doesn't make life easy, or magically mean everyone understands you. As much as we didn’t understand ourselves, neurotypical people didn’t understand us, either. Even if we’d known we were different, we didn’t have any of the words to try to explain how. What it feels like. Why it matters.
That’s why we’re creating our picture book, How it Feels To Me.
It’s for neurotypical people, to understand more of how brains work in general, and why some of us might seem different.
It’s for neurodivergent people, to learn about themselves, & put some of how it feels into words, & find ways to express that to people who wouldn’t understand otherwise.
This book is focused on sensory processing, & the science of how brains work, but if you follow the threads deeper, it’s about a lot more than that.
In a lot of ways, we’re making it for our younger selves.
To reach back through time, & yes, give them facts and words and tools to care for themselves–but even more so, to give them a hug if they want it, and a gentle whisper:
It’s okay, darling. You’re not alone.
We are 69% funded, & there’s ONE day left! If you’d like to help make this book happen, now is the time!:
https://igg.me/at/howitfeels
(Or in our bios)
MAY 3, 2023
Hooray! Woo Hoo! We did it!! With your help, we met (and even exceeded) our crowdfunding goal! As of late last night, How it Feels To Me was 105% funded! 🥳
THANK YOU SO MUCH, each and every one of you, for all the ways you’ve supported this project! Every pledge, share, and comment has helped us along the way, and thanks to you we’ll be able to bring this book to life. It means so much to us that you care about this project, and this topic, and want to see it happen, too. This is for all of us. 🧡
If you missed the campaign, don’t worry!–we’ve set it up so you can still preorder the limited edition hardcover copies here: http://sarahshotts.com/howitfeels
We’re so grateful, and excited–and honestly, so exhausted now. We’ll be resting up and caring for our own neurodivergent brains for awhile after this, so please don’t expect any updates for a month or so, BUT we’ll be keeping you all posted on our progress through our Substacks (also linked in our bios if you want to follow along)!
JULY 3, 2023
Submit your writing to Entwined: Motherhood and Creativity. 🌿
The purpose of this anthology is to inspire mothers to pursue creativity, to reframe what "counts" as art, and to hold space for rest and ideation within the creative process. This isn't just a book about making art. It's about the whole of motherhood and how that impacts our creative process.
Meet the Creative Team
Editor / Publisher: Sarah Shotts
Cover Artwork: @twiggyboyerart
Interior Illustrations: @emilyjalinsky
Workbook Cover Artwork: @anniekingstudios
Submission Guidelines
Non fiction written works and poetry about the intersection of motherhood and the creative process. There is no strict word count requirement. Long form and short pieces are both welcome.
Anyone who identifies as a mother is invited to contribute.
Link in the bio. 💫
JULY 7, 2023
On this date I posted a screencap of this Substack post:
SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
A pin for every city someone has collected my art or my book. 🥰📍🌍
This has been on my to do list for a full year so I had a lot of pins to add. Any excuse for a Carmen Sandiego reference am I right? 💃
NOVEMBER 17, 2023
Celebrating the one year book anniversary of Discover Your Creative Ecosystem with new headshots! Which should be the author portrait in my next print run?
Thanks to @tamzen_bryant for a fun photo shoot at Buckminster Fuller’s Fly Eye Dome. 📸