I have been Writing for over 17 years, on this blog alone. There’s been ups and downs, lots of writing, and a sparse phase. But there’s never been a year since 2003, that I didn’t write and publish. That offers 10,000 hours of personal, therapeutic blogging practice. This enabled me to have some honest confidence towards writing. Although, like many women recovering from the Tiara (or imposter) syndrome, I had to get to a writing group to be able to internalize that I am a writer.

In 2017, amid a personal crisis (health and work), I channeled that energy into a creative project which I ended up illustrating and co-authoring. Lil’ Danny was published and shared out with the world in 2018. It’s monumental in many ways because I was able to move it from a small blogging bug into more traditional publishing. It was my way of fighting many obvious and ambiguous losses in that time frame. For a December born, it was also a self-care birthday gift.

I did everything I could with the Book, including choosing a Michigan-based Beaver family as a way to share the story. Beavers build dams and find a way to protect us from overflowing emotions. In part, I am still not fully over what that time brought me in way of learnings or just life. But it’s a positive reminder of how to survive and be grateful for the small joys that are found even in the most insurmountable moments like those Alpine wild flowers on a rough North-Western hike. 

Beyond a few posts and tweets, I didn’t do much in terms of promoting this book. But I recently read an excerpt at the Ann Arbor writing club that my now deceased friend Jeannie Ballew co-founded. I’m a mostly nervous public speaker, even when I’ve literally written the book. I found courage with an interested husband and baby, and also in honoring Jeannie who made everything feel positive. 

Little Danny may find more young and old readers, and I hope they finish the book with a smile and a feeling of reclamation too. What other perspective could 2020 need more?