From the Compost Heap header. A pencil style illustration of a compost heap with flowers and plants growing around it. A bee buzzes by and a white rabbit hops by.
  • Hypermobile Handwriting Supports

    My favorite hypermobile handwriting supports.

    I’m an autistic adult with hypermobillity (recently diagnosed with hEDS) and home educating parent of an autistic child. I’ve experienced pain with handwriting my whole life and thought it was normal or my fault for holding the pen “wrong” when my joints are actually genetically different and need more support.

    I’ve spent the last year testing out pencil grips and handwriting supports for myself and my neurodivergent child. I started with those egg shaped grips above and found they weren’t helpful at all.

    Here are my favorites and the pros and cons of each choice.


    The following are affiliate links. I bought these at Amazon so I was able to test and return the grips that didn’t work for me. I wrote more about why Amazon can be essential for some disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent people here.


    Hand holding pinch grip pencil grip with curved hand placement

    The Pencil Grip Pinch Grip (My Favorite)

    Hand holding crossover grip pencil grip with curved hand placement

    The Pencil Grip Crossover Grip

    Hand holding red grip pencil grip

    The Pencil Grip Original (Least Supportive)

    Hand holding jumbo grip pencil grip

    The Pencil Grip Jumbo

    Hand holding grotto grip pencil grip with curved hand placement

    Grotto Pencil Grip (Firm & Not Stretchy)

    Glitter y shaped mechanical pencils

    Pen Again Mechanical Pencils for Kids

    Blue y shaped pen by pen again

    Pen Again Pen

    Other Products

    Retractable Felt Tip Pens

    Ring Pen Grip

    Weighted Handwriting Aid

    The Pencil Grip Ballpoint Pen*

    Are you new here?

    You can see more of my posts about neurodivergence here. I’m newly diagnosed with hEDS, MCAS & POTS and will be sharing resources as I find them. The best way to keep in touch is my email newsletter or subscribing to my blog via RSS.


    FOOTNOTES

    * I found this after the video and ordered it for further testing. I’m looking for a supportive pen that takes normal size pen refills. If you have a favorite let me know!

    Read more: Hypermobile Handwriting Supports
  • We should stop expecting everyone to be perfect.

    I’ve been mentally drafting this post for over 6 months and scared to post it.

    But this week I’m sharing a specific support tool for hypermobility and neurodivergence and I need to link to some products… on Amazon.

    Why Amazon? Let’s talk about that. But, before we do, I want to be clear…

    I completely support anyone who chooses not to shop on Amazon.

    But I’d like to see more understanding (and less judgement) toward those of us who sometimes do. Here’s why…

    Did you know Amazon makes most of their profit from web hosting?

    Remember when the whole Internet broke for a day or so last year?*

    That was Amazon Web Services being down. Shop elsewhere if you can, but our household budgets are a drop in the bucket for Amazon. They are raking in money selling cloud computing services to corporate businesses.

    If you truly wanted to boycott Amazon you’d have to abstain from a huge swathe of the Internet.

    Shopping online is accessible.

    I’ve talked to so many chronically ill, disabled, and neurodivergent people who feel guilty about using Amazon.

    Here are some of the reasons they may need to shop online.

    • They experience sensory overload in busy shops.
    • They experience chronic pain.
    • They have limited capacity and shopping is too draining.
    • They have compromised immune systems.
    • They have children who meltdown after shopping.
    • They need specific supports that are not available locally.

    In cases like these, shopping online can be a necessary support tool.

    Why Amazon?

    Just because I link to Amazon doesn’t mean you have to shop there.

    If you have the capacity and financial privilege to shop elsewhere you can easily take the time to find other places to source the products mentioned.

    When I link to Amazon I’m just sharing where I bought the product. (I may also link to Bookshop.org or Libro.fm.) I also know that many disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent people are under or unemployed. And Amazon almost always offers the best savings for a price conscious shopper.

    Especially for those with access to Prime shipping.

    Open airmail envelope with blue and green stripes

    Free returns & exchanges

    Buying a fidget, or a pencil grip, or a sleeping compression pod isn’t like buying a book. You sometimes need to feel the texture, to hold it, or to try it on for size before you know if it will meet your need.

    Most sellers on Amazon have very flexible return policies.

    When I tested the pencil grips for the video I’m making I was able to return the grips that won’t work for me—even though the packages have been used. Amazon will then sell these grips to someone at a discounted rate.

    The Pencil Grip website not only charges the customer for return shipping, but will not accept any packs of grips that have been opened & tested.

    As a small business owner, I understand. But as someone trying to find the right support tool without spending over $100 on pencil grips I’m thankful for the option to make easy returns. ***

    Reasons NOT shop at Amazon.

    One thing I’ve tried to do, as someone who does use Amazon, is to be intentional about where I make certain purchases.

    Here are some of the reasons I might choose NOT to shop at Amazon.

    • To shop secondhand.
    • To buy directly from an artist.
    • To buy directly from a small business.
    • To buy from good.store which donates 100% of profits to charity.
    • To support local bookstores—in person or online through Bookshop.org (for books or ebooks) or Libro.fm (for audiobooks).
    Yellow vintage circular button with a black bee illustrated on it and the words Buzzy Bee says, "Be a helper."

    There are many ways to resist.

    I may not be able to quit Amazon. But, there are other ways I resist.

    • All of my books have free versions available to those experiencing financial hardship. (This will continue with How it Feels to Me. We are working on creating a professionally narrated video version free to all.)
    • I’m always happy to trade for my books and zines!
    • Books sold through my web shop are author copies and Amazon does not get a cut of the profits! (Additionally, How it Feels to Me hardcovers are printed by Mixam and not sold through Amazon at all!)
    How it Feels to Me book cover by Sarah Shotts and Gracie Klumpp. Shows a child with hands raised and a rainbow collage of objects shown above.

    We should stop expecting everyone to be perfect.

    It’s easy to get fixated on where to shop and forget other important ways you can advocate for causes you care about. Instead of judging folks for shopping at Amazon, ask what positive action you can take.

    Let’s stop wasting energy bickering with each other.

    / rant

    Thanks for listening. I appreciate you.

    If you’re also a begrudging Amazon shopper I hope you feel less alone. Guilt and shame are toxic and help no one. We’re all doing our best out here.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    FOOTNOTES

    * This is hyperbole. AWS is not the WHOLE internet, but is a huge portion of it.

    ** I left my own position as a university instructor last year for health reasons. I do write & sell books, but currently my creative projects are breaking even and not making a profit.

    *** I recognize that making returns can be difficult and is not accessible for everyone. I’m really lucky to have a partner who takes care of most of the returns for our family.

    **** Yes. I used an em dash in this post. I never use AI, but I have been picking up some tips from my books’ (incredibly patient) copy editor.

    Read more: We should stop expecting everyone to be perfect.
  • Do you hear that lightbulb buzzing? 😣

    Did you know that most people don’t notice the feeling of clothing tags?

    I used to think that everyone felt the same itchy irritation I did, and that I was just worse at coping.

    But, when I started researching sensory processing to support my own child, I learned something life shattering.

    I wasn’t worse at coping.

    I was experiencing the world differently.

    Sensory modulation is the brain’s way of balancing sensory input.

    Consider how a pupil dilates or constricts to let in the right amount of light. Brains can change the intensity at which we experience sensations. They turn down senses evaluated as “unimportant” so you can better focus on a single input.

    This isn’t a conscious choice. It is something that happens for most people with the same ease as a pupil dilating when you step into a dark room.

    If you’re listening to someone, you probably don’t need to feel that clothing tag in the back of your shirt, to hear the lightbulb buzzing, or to taste the perfume of the person next to you.

    Due to sensory modulation most brains wouldn’t even feel those things.

    Meanwhile, neurodivergent brains may feel things so intensely that we can’t hear what the person next to us is saying. Or we may hear them, but it is a struggle that leaves us overstimulated and exhausted.

    Our brains are simply processing much more information.

    Check out this brain scan of an autistic brain (left) versus a non autistic brain (right).

    Two brain scans. The one on the left is a rainbow web reaching into all areas of the brain. The image on the right is a rainbow ribbon traveling along the language center of the brain.
    Image Credit: schneider lab §

    These scans were taken while the participants were processing spoken language. The non autistic brain is using sensory modulation to focus on the speaker’s voice. While the autistic brain is taking in lots of additional information.

    This is why “exposure therapy” is not appropriate for neurodivergence.

    Our brains are simply working differently.

    Different isn’t bad.

    Even if some people want us to believe so.

    Brains with sensory processing differences can observe connections that others can’t. This is a unique skill set to bring to problem solving, art, science, and activism.

    The world needs neurodivergent brains.

    And we all need to better understand them.

    That’s why I teamed up with Gracie Klumpp to co-create a picture book about neurodivergence and sensory modulation. This is the book we wish that we’d had as autistic kids.

    Cover Reveal!

    We’re so excited to reveal the cover design and open preorders for paperbacks!

    We’re in the final stages of copy editing and proofing and can’t wait to share this with you. Books will arrive this summer!

    How it Feels to Me book cover by Sarah Shotts and Gracie Klumpp. Shows a child with hands raised and a rainbow collage of objects shown above.

    I’ve had a lot of messages tentatively asked me if this book could also help adults.

    So let me say it loud and clear… YES!

    We believe picture books are for everyone and welcome readers of ALL AGES.

    Support needs are not something you outgrow.

    This is something Gracie indicates beautifully by including adults, teens, and children in the illustrations.

    A plus sized adult dances onstage while another peeks out from backstage surrounded by a collage of butterflies. The text reads: We each experience the world differently. This is called neurodiversity. We each see, hear, smell, taste, and feel things in our own way.
    This spread shows sensory supports like sunglasses, safe foods, extra space, removing clothing tags, and extra time.

    If you’d like to support the project you can also donate a copy and we’ll find your book a home (like a library, school, or with a neurodivergent family.)

    Illustrated spread featuring a rainbow infinity symbol and characters who appear to be scientist, artist, astronaut and comedian.

    Seeking blurbs.

    We want to partner with educators, writers, occupational therapists, speech therapists, neurodivergent adults, and affirming mental health professionals to read the book and consider writing a blurb (a short quote) for marketing materials.

    I’m also in the early stages of building a launch team to help spread the word.

    If you’re interested (or know someone who might be) send me an email.

    Much love to everyone who has supported the project so far.

    We appreciate you.

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    P.S. I have a whole library of resources about autism and neurodivergence.

    There are blog posts, podcasts, and visuals like this sensory overload video.


    footnotes

    § Brain Scan images via Schneider Lab

    Read more: Do you hear that lightbulb buzzing? 😣
  • Brain Fog ☁️

    I’m entering my 7th year of parenting.

    How did that happen?

    Within a year of giving birth I started making art to process my experience. That was the beginning of This is My Brain on Motherhood.

    Seven years later, I think I’ve fully integrated the identity of parent.*

    Which means I’d like to complete this collection, celebrate it somehow, and then move on to making art on other themes (like neurodivergence or perhaps chronic illness.)

    Gold scissors and baby clothes on a blue blanket

    One of the pieces I’ve struggled to complete is a soft sculpture brain made with baby clothes. From the first little brain noodle (the white washcloth center of the left hemisphere) I had the vision.†

    But sewing through layers of fabric is hard on the hands and pretty quickly I had split my skin and it was too painful to continue. I finally realized the easy injury and slow healing was due to a connective tissue disorder (more on that soon).

    I tried every thimble under the sun and none of them were dexterous enough to give me the fine motor control I wanted. I put the project down for months on end and picked it up a bit here and there – always ending up a little worse for wear after working on it.

    Eventually I discovered the needle puller from Mx. Domestic (in action above!) and was able to sew the second hemisphere of the brain.

    But I still felt stuck. It took a while to realize why. The form was coming together, but I was lost on its purpose. I still had no clarity on what the brain was meant to represent.

    It all felt a little too sentimental to be fine art, but too weird to not be.

    Sometimes my art begins with a concept I want to represent. Other times I start with the form first and find the meaning during the process.

    Workspace with sewing machine, scissors, chunky yard, and a baby sock which has been cut in half lengthwise.

    Least week, I saw an upcoming deadline for a project about chronic illness. And I suddenly realized, with a few changes, this piece has the potential to represent brain fog. A symptom of new motherhood and hEDS (one of my new chronic illness diagnosis’.)

    Instead of a complete brain my vision is now for half wool roving to spill out representing brain fog.

    Ending with this piece feels very full circle.

    It wasn’t my first work about motherhood, but was certainly one of the earliest. This piece held space for me to reflect as I sewed scraps of newborn onesies, toddler tees, and tiny socks.

    Having a connection to chronic illness – a theme I’d like to explore next – feels right. Perhaps this will even be a work that belongs in both collections.

    Blue sewing kit on a desk covered with snippets of chunky yarn encased in scraps of baby clothes.

    This is My Brain on Motherhood was created as part of my Artist’s Residency in Motherhood. ARIM is a free open source framework anyone can participate in created by interdisciplinary artist Lenka Clayton.

    I’ve intended to write a blog post about ARIM for oh, six or seven years. At this point I’ll probably give it a few months and write a full retrospective.

    This body of work was created with the intention of eventually hosting a solo art show. A pop up where I hung my art in my house and invited a handful of friends over to see it.

    Little did I know my art would travel to galleries across the U.S. and even be exhibited in New York City.

    I have other visions now, for celebrating the collection virtually, in a form that isn’t geographically limited.

    But I’m still working out the details.

    Would you be interested in…

    • “This is My Brain on Motherhood” art book / monograph
    • set of postcards
    • art prints
    • virtual artist talk

    If so hit reply and let me know!

    This project would be slotted for autumn or winter (after the summer book launch for How it Feels to Me.)

    Soft sculpture of a brain made from baby clothes. One hemisphere is sewn from baby socks, onesies and washclothes. Scraps sit on a wooden table to the side.

    I’ll be back next week with more neurodiversity chat.

    Perhaps literally! I’ve been working on a new podcasting set up.

    If there’s a topic you’d like me to cover send me a note and let me know.

    Thanks always for your support.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    FOOTNOTES

    * I knew autistics struggled with transitions, but this was one heck of a transition. I did NOT expect it would take this long to exit “crisis mode” and feel like I’m a person again. Nevertheless, I’m glad that making these pieces and creating Entwined & Ember were portals for me to explore the identities of mother and parent and what they means for me.

    † Shoutout to Mindy Sue Meyers for hosting the soft sculpture workshop and for encouraging me – even when I completely ignored her instructions and took things in my own direction.

    Read more: Brain Fog ☁️
  • Meander

    Over the last decade I have been neuroqueering my creative practice. Setting aside neurotypical, able bodied, and capitalist expectations for consistency, branding, and profit like the ill fitting shoes they are.*

    Looking back, the times in my life I was rigidly consistent I was run deeply outside my own capacity, which over time took a toll on my health (both mental and physical.)

    Allowing my creative projects to fluctuate with my capacity, as a chronically ill autistic caregiver means that they ebb & flow. Seasons when my time and energetic capacity expand so does my creative practice. When I am experiencing a pain flare or focusing on caregiving challenges my projects shift into dormancy or ideation.

    Having many different mediums means there is always something to fit my capacity.

    I NEED ART TO LIVE.

    Art is how I self regulate, how I co-regulate with my child, and how I process lived experience and the world around me.

    Without art I go to a dark place.

    For years, I had inflexible routines and self imposed deadlines that did not serve me. But the newly discovered fluidity of my creative ecosystem has allowed me to flourish in unexpected ways.

    This meander map is based on my 2025 Artist’s Log which tracked the time spent on each creative project over the course of the year.

    These undulating ribbons represent the four main streams of creativity I pursued in 2025.

    Zine shows a meander map of two overlapping lines in the form of a river both yellow and green. The lines ebb and flow across the folded page. Typed text reads Temporal analyisis meander map creative ecosystem Sarah Shotts 2025. The diagram is dated Jan to Dec from top to bottom. The horizontal scale is dormant, ideation, progress, and danger zone. Both meanders dance toward danger zone in autumn.

    Yellow: visual art

    Green: self publishing and writing

    Zine shows a meander map of two overlapping lines in the form of a river both purple and blue. The narrow lines ebb and flow. Typed text reads Temporal analyisis meander map creative ecosystem Sarah Shotts 2025. The diagram is dated Jan to Dec from top to bottom. The horizontal scale is dormant, ideation, progress, and danger zone. Blue dances close to danger zone in spring, but otherwise meanders are narrow and only reach the middle of the page.

    Blue: redesigning website & blogging

    Purple: zines

    The process of crafting these prints took several months. Calculating stats, making a graph, drafting the meanders, testing printmaking techniques, paper & inks, creating collagraph plates with unraveling cotton twine, and printing each plate onto wet paper using the Provisional Press.

    The prints were digitally combined for the zine cover and overlaid with a key on transparent vellum. This layer can be removed to display the zine as a diptych. The zine was hand typed on my 1950s Smith-Corona typewriter.

    The concept and color palette were inspired by the meander maps of geologist and cartographer Harold Fisk.


    The above text is from February’s zine. If you’d like a copy you can subscribe for $5 a month or buy a single zine in my shop.

    Here’s a peek at how the layers work together with the transparency.

    I’m also sending original prints to everyone on the $10 art collector tier.

    Here’s a peek at how the prints are coming out (ignore the buckled untrimmed paper). They will all be flattened, signed, and numbered. Each print is unique. Remaining prints will be added to my shop, and will be priced at $65.

    Collagraph print of a sage green river meander
    Collagraph print of a narrow blue river meander
    Collagraph print of a golden yellow river meander
    Collagraph print of a light purple river meander

    Collagraph is a printmaking process I learned in university. It feels good to return to it after so much time. I shared more about the process (along with a few other test prints) on the blog a few weeks ago.

    Test prints and collograph plates of a meandering river with blue ink

    Thank You

    To everyone who sent kind messages and preordered books after last week’s post about illustrating neurodivergence. Gracie & I really appreciate you and very excited to get this picture book into your hands.

    If you’d like to preorder a limited edition hardcover you can do so here.

    (Paperbacks will be coming soon at a lower price point.)


    In Case You Missed It

    If you’re having a hard time with the state of the world I wrote this for you a couple weeks ago.


    Thanks for being here and supporting my art.

    I appreciate you.

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    footnotes

    * Neuroqueering is used here as the verb meaning, “the practice of queering (subverting, defying, disrupting, liberating oneself from) neuronormativity and heteronormativity simultaneously” as coined by Nick Walker Ph. D.

    Read more: Meander
  • How do you illustrate neurodivergence?

    I’m back this week with an update on the picture book How it Feels to Me. This is a book about neurodivergence and sensory processing I’m co-creating with illustrator Gracie Klumpp.

    It’s fully crowdfunded and coming out later this year!

    Last year we ran into some challenges due to substandard quality of our first proof. Ultimately we had to explore alternatives and change printers. Every printer offered slightly different “trim” sizes which meant this process delayed finalizing the illustrations.

    Now that we’ve chosen a printer we’re back on track and the illustrations are nearly complete. Later this month we’ll order the next proof and send the text to our copy editor and beta readers!

    Here’s a peek to share how it’s coming along…

    Illustrated figure with hands on head and eyes closed in distressed surrounded by a halo of photographed objects (including googly eyes, caution cone, and dalek) and wave lines to indicate overstimulation.

    It’s completely magical to see my words come to life in this way!

    Gracie’s using a cool combination of illustrated and photographed elements to visualize the concepts in this book.

    We both see this as the book we wish we’d had as kids and hope it will help autistic and neurodivergent folks of all ages!

    We’re running a little over budget (because of rising costs and changing printers).

    If you’d like to help us bridge the financial deficit you can do so here.

    Or you can preorder or donate a book!

    Illustrated spread featuring a rainbow infinity symbol and characters who appear to be scientist, artist, astronaut and comedian.

    Thanks to everyone who supported this project by preordering or donating books. I’m so excited to see this book out in the wild helping people!

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    P.S. New here? You can browse my Neurodiversity Affirming Resource Library for blog posts, podcasts, and videos about autism & neurodivergence.

    Read more: How do you illustrate neurodivergence?
  • There’s some good in the world Mr. Frodo. ⛰️

    Samwise: It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

    Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

    Samwise : That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.


    This is what I needed this week. I’m sharing in case you needed it too. If you’d like to hear Samwise himself you can watch the scene here.

    We are all going through it.

    So today I’m sharing some resources. First for mental health and then accessible forms of advocacy against the Shadow.

    Last month I listened to the audiobook of You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone struggling even a bit with mental health (and who isn’t?)

    Dan is a YouTuber who experiences chronic depression and social anxiety. He worked with mental health professionals to create a practical guide to supporting your mental health. Dan’s writing style and personal anecdotes make it feel like you’re talking to a friend who gets it. Particularly when listening to the audiobook. (And did I mention he’s British? Love an accent.)

    Black and yellow book cover for You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell.

    You may even find the book (or audiobook) at your local library so be sure to check Libby.

    So many of the tips are simple, but hard to prioritize.

    I enjoyed it so much I think I’ll re-listen to it each winter.


    An embroidery frame holds a cross stitch that reads "I'm Fine". Back cover shows the reverse of embroidery hoop which is a tangled mess of navy blue thread. Text at bottom says March 2025. A Kindle Curiosity Zine.

    Last year I made a zine with self regulation ideas that you may find useful.

    SURVIVAL TIPS FOR UNPRECEDENTED TIMES Make time for things that regulate your nervous system. 1. Go for a walk. 2. Compose a photograph. 3. Write a letter. 4. Blow bubbles. 5. Paint. 6. Plant seeds. 7. Read a book. 8. Breathe slowly. 9. Bake. 10. Curl up in a blanket burrito. 11. Watch the clouds. 12. Hold hands. 13. Dance. 14. Watch a children's 15. Doodle. film. 16. Start a compost heap. 17. Brew a pot of tea. 18. Write a poell. 19. Squeeze clay or dough or putty. 20. Build blocks. 21. Learn something new. 22. Text a friend. 23. Trace your hand. 24. Buy a box of crayons. 25. Go stargazing. 26. Make a collage. 27. Listen to music. 28. Draw a rainbow. 29. Watch a bird or an insect. 30. Take a hot bath.

    You can read the rest here.


    I also have to share this beautiful painting by Amie McNee.

    Hand painted love letter by Amie McNee says, "During tragedy we must make art. Art keeps up human during inhumane moments."

    This is for anyone who feels their creative projects are frivolous or unimportant. Or anyone who is struggling with sharing their art right now.

    Please don’t stop. We need it.

    At the same time, if what you need right now is deep rest and reflection, that is an equally important way to tend your creative ecosystem. And is essential for making art.


    Find Joy

    Another important way to support your mental health is to find sources of joy. I loved this queer twist on this Caemlot inspired romance, Gwen & Art Are Not In Love. It’s a light read, YA romance (no spice), with neurodivergent-coded characters. The author Lex Croucher is queer and nonbinary.

    Gwen & Art Are Not in Love A Novel by Lex Croucher.

    I’m also on the third book in the Seaborn trilogy (queer pirates with magic) which I’m reading with the Livingstans book club.

    Seaborn by Michael Livingston book cover. Blue background with gold details and two pirate ships: one sailing and one flying.

    Fight despair with action.

    We all have different strengths and capacities. I’ve shared before that advocacy action items are often for able bodied and neurotypical people. Here are some ways to get involved if you aren’t able to protest and may struggle with phone calls.

    Even hobbits can do their bit to turn back the Shadow.

    Flat lay photograph of Bag End watercolor painting by paint palettes

    You’ll hear from me again mid February. I started weekly emails when launching Entwined & Ember and I’m going back to a slower pace for a while.

    Take care,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: There’s some good in the world Mr. Frodo. ⛰️
  • Trenches, I am in them.

    While the neurotypical world is chanting “new year, new you” many autistic and otherwise neurodivergent folks are just struggling to get the train back on the tracks in January.

    Our family finds the holiday season quite difficult. Even with our best intentions to slow down and do Christmas in our own ways the change of routine and excitement always seems to tip us into dysregulation. Add to that distressing news, weather related pain flares, and chronic illness* and I have been having a particularly hard time.

    Yesterday I spent most of the day in acute pain laying on a heating pad and wondering why my body had suddenly turned against me. I’m hurting today, but less intensely and trying to type this up while I can manage to do so.

    I think it’s important to show the struggle and not just the highlights reel we’re all encouraged to curate nowadays.

    If you’re not fine I made this for you a few months back.

    Another regulating tool I can recommend Marina Gross-Hoy’s gentle workshop The Art of Beginnings. (Coming this weekend!) I love Marina’s work and although I can’t attend live I’m planning to brew a nice cup of tea before I watch the recording.

    The art of beginnings title over an oil painting of tree branches

    I’m am looking forward to Marina’s gentle presence as we begin piecing together our daily rhythm this January.

    When I have the capacity I’ve been working on prototypes for a series of collagraph prints to represent my creative process (based on the data from my 2025 creative ecosystem pie charts.) †

    I’m playing around with the form of a meandering river bed, and used the data to create four different paths for visual art, self publishing, blogging, and zines. Here are some mock ups in Procreate.

    Then I’ve been testing different printmaking techniques. I’ve decided on collagraph (a process where you collage a plate to print from) with an unraveling cord.

    The final print will be four different meanders overlapping each other printed on the same page. These will go out to my print subscribers at the end of January and will also be reproduced on the cover of January’s zine.

    Collograph prints of deep blue meanders of a river as printed from an unraveling cord

    I’m keen to get this project done, but my body has been forcing me to pace myself and I am trying to listen.

    Here’s a clip of me pulling a test print.

    The inspiration behind the shape of overlapping meanders is from last year’s mood board and the meander maps of Harold Fisk. I’ve learned that my process ebbs and flows and will be writing more about this for January’s zine.

    I also wanted to share a tip for anyone who’s interested in tracking your time.

    After last week’s newsletter one of you kindly sent me the EARLY time tracker app which does almost the same thing with much less friction. I’ve been playing with it for January and honestly it will save a ton of time that I spent tinkering with spreadsheets. (Thanks Katie!)

    Vintage illustration of ourboros dragon biting it's own tail

    Over the past few months I’ve also been working on the Alchemy (Trade & Barter) portal on my website. It’s framed as an immserive choose your adventure story and you can read it here.

    It’s a whimsical invitation to exchange energy and art outside of the framework of money. Art for art. Book for book. Zines for zines.


    Time Travel banner. Hand drawn illustrtation of TARDIS in space surrounded by swirling lines and stars.

    Last January I opened a 26 year old time capsule and made a zine about it.

    Time Capsule Zine Cover with Crayola Stickers and Rubber Stamps

    Two years ago I wrote Hello from a Human Jungle Gym – a reflection on time and energetic capacity.

    Nested rainbow hearts drawn with crayons. Rainbow sorted colored pencils and art supplies to the left.

    That’s all for now.

    According to my timer app it’s been over an hour of typing (HOW does this take so long??) and my back is warning me to wrap things up. I’m going to queue this up without proofreading again. Thanks for your generosity and understanding.

    I’ll be back next week to announce a new project.

    Take care.

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    P.S. Yes, the title is a quote from Daniel Howell. If you know you know. 😉


    FOOTNOTES

    * I’ve recently been diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses, but have not had the spoons to sit down and write about the experience. Soon. Maybe next month.

    † This is for the ILSSA open call to diagram your creative process.

    Read more: Trenches, I am in them.
  • This Changed Everything

    My neurodivergent experience includes time blindness, which is magnified when working on a creative project and reaching flow state. This has some benefits, but one downside is that I have no idea how much time I’m sinking into individual projects.

    After one of the most creative years of my life in 2023 somehow 2024 was “Oops, All Admin.” My physical and mental health plummeted and you’ve watched me pivot and sunset projects as I’ve tried to rebalance my creative ecosystem.

    2025 has been an experiment in making time visible. I did this by logging time in a spreadsheet with monthly pie charts.

    I wrote a about this in March, but I thought it was worth checking in again after a whole year.

    UPDATE: After writing this one of you kindly sent me the EARLY time tracker app which does almost the same thing with much less friction. I’ve been playing with it for January and honestly it will save a ton of time that I spent tinkering with spreadsheets. (Thanks Katie!)


    Spoiler alert, my pie chart has become a north star for my creative process.

    My January spreadsheet started out by tracking writing and self publishing time like I do during NaNoWriMo. (Which is why zines don’t show up below.) When I reached days that I didn’t write because I was making visual art I added more columns.

    Pie chart. Stats in text.

    I can guarantee this pie would be almost all admin if I had not seen how big those wedges were and made the choice to dedicate more time to personal projects. Like my Artist’s Residency in Motherhood (ARIM) and my fantasy novel which I made a mood board for.

    Printed images for mood board in a pile on my desk including maps, trees, spirals, artifacts, hag stones, reflections, etc. My typewriter and antique keys are also on the table.
    Pie chart. Stats in text.

    When I saw how powerful this was I realized I wanted to track all of my creative projects this way. So you’ll see more categories moving forward including Mawd which is a working title for my novel.

    At the same I time I decided to migrate and completely redesign my website. Needless to say these were not the most balanced months, but I feel strongly about using this data to course correct and not to judge myself.

    With that in mind, I fully believe this awareness did keep the web design wedge from completely taking over the circle. And I managed to carve out nearly a quarter of my time to zine making.

    Photo of my desk with TETRIS and Wheel of Time Zines, scraps, ink and blue Aes Sedai mug
    Pie chart. Stats in text.

    I was still deep in the weeds of web design during March, but I knew I couldn’t continue the pace. I was noticing screen induced migraines and trying to spent more time on other projects. I also added a column for gardening.

    An embroidery frame holds a cross stitch that reads "I'm Fine". Back cover shows the reverse of embroidery hoop which is a tangled mess of navy blue thread. Text at bottom says March 2025. A Kindle Curiosity Zine.
    I’M FINE ZINE (READ ONLINE)

    By April I realized my dream of republishing all of my blog posts within a single year was not healthy. I’ve archived everything, but I use so many images and videos that simply importing them didn’t work and everything has to be reformatted by hand. I’m not sure when or if I’ll ever move everything. So I decided to focus on any blog posts I wanted to link to and have been moving those.

    This freed up a lot of time for various projects. The big pink wedge is work on my gleeman’s cloak to prepare for meeting Sharon Gilham, the costume designer for the Wheel of Time.

    May was incredibly balanced looking back. The weather was nice so we spent plenty of time outside. I made a zine about Chaos Gardening. Chipped away at my website. And kept working on my cloak.

    You can see the wedge for self publishing where I was ordering proofs from various printers (the very definition of “hurry up and wait.”)

    This wedge is even more well balanced than May!

    Almost a full color wheel which is funny considering June’s zine was Spectrum.

    Two zines and magazine clippings on a wooden desk with scissors, gluestick and pencils. Both zines titles are cut out magazine letters: Chaos Gardening with leaf rubbings and Spectrum with a hand painted watercolor color wheel.
    Chaos gardening & spectrum zines

    My cloak took over in July as I started recreating specific textiles from the show for new patches.

    It wasn’t long ago that I never would have dedicated this much time to something that was purely for me.

    Not my portfolio.

    Not marketing.

    Not for “content.”

    Just the joy of making something with my hands that connected me to a story I love and a community that is family to me.

    Tap to see my fluttering cloak in action.

    I’m now in a place where I see these kind of projects as essential to both my creative process and my mental health.

    This reset over the summer (when my energy is the lowest) was key to being able to self publish Entwined & Ember without burning out.

    Moving into August I was designing a lot of visual schedules and modular calendar elements for home education. I also started sinking some serious time into Entwined & Ember working alongside our copy editor. But I still reserved over 25% of the pie for other projects including zine making and gardening.

    Birdhouse gourds growing up gazebo of green pipes (a greenhouse without the plastic cover added) and a white metal house planter I thrifted beyond with morning glory leaves twining through

    I spent a huge amount of time making zines I did not sell at NWA Maker’s Faire (which I blogged about here.) It was mostly a great experience, but also exhausting. I pretty much crashed directly after even though it was only half a day.

    I keep wanting to attend more events, but when I do I’m reminded how hard they are on my autistic nervous system and chronically ill body. I don’t think I could manage a full day event – much less a whole weekend.

    Black and white photograph of Make a Zine zine using vintage text and an illustrated pointing hand. Visible text reads: What is a zine? A zine is a handmade magazine. Usually about a specific topic. Say Something. Share it. You can share physical or digital copie. Post on a blog or make photocopies to trade or sell. Leave copies in little free libraries or send to zine archives.
    MAKE A ZINE (READ ONLINE HERE)

    Suddenly Entwined & Ember were in final edits. Past years this would have been all encompassing, but you can still see 40% of my time put into other things: zines, gardening, blogging, even a bit of ideation for my novel (which was definitely a back burner project this year.)

    Collage papers and mini accordian zine on a wooden desk with a succulent plant. Images on zine include reflections, silhouetted figures, and trees bending in the wind.

    Launch month! Some of this was final proofing and the rest was fulfilling orders. I balanced the admin with zine making and two Wheel of Time related projects.

    When I started this anthology and art journal I had no idea how much energy they would take. I truly wish I’d tracked my hours since the beginning.

    If you somehow missed book launch Entwined & Ember are now available worldwide in hardcover and paperback. As well as free community copies to anyone experiencing financial hardship.

    Entwined and Ember books on a table with a teal green typewriter and library style drawers. Entwined has a collage cover with mother and child and hand illustrated vines. Ember has a burned wood texture on the cover.

    I’m typing this on December 29, but I’ve estimated the time I’ll put in the next couple of days. (I’m getting much better at realizing how long things take.) The biggest wedge this month is actually visual art! Which is something I haven’t had much capacity for this year.

    I’m actually working on diagram of my creative process based on this data for ILSSA’s open call. It’s inspired by a meander map showing the ebb and flow of various projects through the year. I’m still in the experimental phases, but if all goes well this will be the next art print for subscribers.

    What’s next?

    We recently decided on a printer for the limited edition hardcovers of How it Feels to Me – a picture book about neurodivergence and sensory processing I’m creating with illustrator Gracie Klumpp.

    We’re a little behind schedule (due to the print quality issues), but are aiming to release the book next Spring!

    Here’s a peek.

    Illustrated spread featuring a rainbow infinity symbol and characters who appear to be scientist, artist, astronaut and comedian.

    I’m not a spreadsheet wizard, but if you’d like to take a look at my Artist Log template and copy it for yourself you can see it here. If you’re fiddling around with it I recommend typing in numbers to make sure everything is adding up correctly. I changed mine every month so this isn’t really a template as much as a working model you can make your own.

    If your creative process was a pie chart (or another shape) what would it be?

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S

    P.S. I “should” proofread this, but it’s nearly 1 am and I’m nearing migraine trigger territory. I may come back or I may not. Honestly, there are more important ways to spend my time this week. 💫

    Read more: This Changed Everything
  • Festive Recipes & Free Books ✨

    One last update before I shift into holiday hibernation. Socializing and changes in routine can take a lot of energy for an autistic. So we really prioritize gentle self regulation in December.


    A Correction for the Boundary Zine

    Last month I wrote about neurodivergent boundaries and shared a printable zine. I noticed that I accidentally left out the section on social supports (pretty important) so I’ve just updated the post. You can re-read and download the new printable zine here. (Everyone who bought a zine will get a little “tip in” of the missing section.)

    Festive Recipe Zine

    This month I was going to type up some festive recipes when I found the above image of my family’s cranberry relish recipe. I quickly realized most of my family recipes were from the “back of the box” and went down the rabbit hole to collect them all. These zines are going out to my zine subscribers and won’t be stocked in my shop. Just to minimize computer work for me this month.


    Free Copies of Entwined & Ember

    I was busy all November fulfilling orders for Entwined & Ember (now out in hardcover and paperback!) Thanks so much to everyone who preordered and supported this project.

    There’s now a free ebook option for parents in financial hardship. If you’d benefit you can download yours here – no questions asked. (You can also donate a copy if you’d like.) There are also a limited number of paperbacks donated during the crowdfunding campaign.

    Entwined ebook mockup on iPad

    A note on publishing for a worldwide audience…

    I’m using Amazon to print and fulfill orders for Entwined & Ember. I’ve made this choice for to offer affordable worldwide shipping (we have contributors from several different countries) and to make the book discoverable to anyone searching Amazon.

    These were the books I needed as a new mum so I’m keen for as many parents to have access to these books as possible.

    I want to clarify that orders placed through my website (or the crowdfunding campaign) are author copies and Amazon does not get a cut.


    In case you missed it…

    I filmed a zine and art unboxing last month. You can watch it by tapping below.

    That’s all for 2026.

    See you all in the new year.

    Cheers,

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: Festive Recipes & Free Books ✨