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.

  • Things Bringing Me Joy ✨

    Part of my advocacy work right now is being autistic in public.

    But to continue doing that I have to take care of myself.

    Here are some of the things that brought me joy this week.

    Making Mini Zines ✂️

    Different types of making meet different needs.

    Writing is analytical and helps me unravel my ideas. But it’s not the most regulating.

    So instead of writing this week I’ve been making mini zines.

    This one is using images from the mood board for my fantasy novel. A process that I paused for several months and am now orbiting back to. I’m really curious about how I can make my storytelling more interdisciplinary and how I can invert my writing from something I am doing for others to something I am doing for myself.

    I’ll probably write more about this later, but here’s a timelapse of me making a zine.

    Tap to watch me make a zine at midnight when everyone else in my house is sleeping.

    Down the Rabbit Hole 🐇

    I fell into a story over the weekend the way Alice fell into Wonderland. Once I started I just had to keep reading until I reached the end.

    Non-Player Character by Veo Corva. A glowing night-time forest with poly dice constellations in the sky. A glowing person nervously reaches out to a floating seal creature.

    Non Player Character by autistic author Veo Corva (they/them) made me feel seen in a way I don’t think I ever have in a story before.

    This book follows a diverse group of nerds becoming found family. If you’ve ever felt alone or “too much” or “not enough” I think you should read this.

    + 10 if you’re autistic, anxious, or otherwise neurodivergent.

    + 10 if you’re queer, gender queer or disabled.

    +10 if you’ve ever been a fantasy gamer (tabletop or video game).

    I can’t say much more without giving away plot points, but this is a beautifully written crowdfunded book.

    Support the author if you can (and let me know if you read this!)

    Escaping the Algorithm 🌀

    I’m experimenting with an algorithm free way to share snippets of photos, videos, and links. I borrowed the idea from Katherine May to start a What’s App channel.

    So far I’ve posted…

    A peek at some test prints. (The final versions of these will be going out to my quarterly print subscribers this month.)

    Tiny off centered test prints of letterpress style Your name sings in my ears quotes with leaf motif.

    And I shared that I was enjoying Different, Not Less by autistic author Chloé Hayden. Which I’ve now finished. This book deserves a full review, but in short it was an informative and affirming view of autism & ADHD. 10/10 would recommend.

    Different not Less by Chloe Hayden. Teal book with rainbows and butterflies held in a pale hand. House plants peek out behind.

    If you’d like little snippets like this you can follow through What’s App.

    It’s the kind of thing I’d post to social media, but completely algorithm & ad free.

    There are no comments. And I can’t even see who’s following me.

    Just a simple portal for small shares.

    Join me.

    Trading Zines 📮

    I’ve been doing my zine thing for about a year now without really finding the zine community. Recently I stumbled into a zine Discord (let me know if you want an invite) and suddenly found myself trading zines with other zinesters.

    If you’ve wandered around my homepage you may have noticed I have a section for alchemy (trade & barter) that isn’t set it up yet. (Boo chronic migraines!) But it’s pretty simple.

    If you’d like to trade (zine for zine, book for book, or some other creative swap) just let me know!

    Zine collection spread on table. Visible titles include: Offline, Taking Care of Yourself as an Artist Publisher, Practicing Microresistance in Conversations, Tea, Reality Has, Motherlore, etc. Zines are various sizes and colors. Many have black sharpie on white paper appearance. Others are typed. The most visible are a bright neon risograph texture of seaweed (on the artist publisher book) and a composition book style (the microaggressions book.) Links to each zine are listed below.
    My zine collection (newest zine babies not photographed yet.)

    I’m sure I’m forgetting something.

    I’ll probably end up posting it to my What’s App tomorrow.

    Three proofs of How it Feels to Me with a hand drawn figure surrounded by a halo of colorful objects. My typewriter, a succulent, and a stack of Spectrum zines are also visible.

    If you missed it, last week I shared some of the ways the autistic community needs your help right now and a short list of choose your adventure action items.

    Click here to read it.

    Thanks to everyone who reached out. I haven’t had the capacity to respond yet, but I appreciated each message and especially the two picture book preorders. 🥰

    There seem to be a lot of cruel people in the world right now.

    Thanks for being one of the helpers.

    Sarah signed with a swoopy S
    Read more: Things Bringing Me Joy ✨