As I have expanded and borne witness to the growth in others, I have seen that those who have a desire to support and hold space for others, whether through storytelling, healthcare, art, song, or their gifts, are usually those who have felt the depths of pain and the scars of trauma. These are the individuals who yearn to heal others, hold a muse inside of them, and carry themselves with a rooted desire to be of service. That’s my story. I want nothing more than to be a part of the change in the world, so that we can put a stop to the suffering that children, women, and communities endure, just like I experienced as a child growing up in turbulent circumstances.

At a young age, I learnt that the stories that live inside me could be turned into vast new worlds. This is a way to bridge new connections with myself and the world around me and to create beautiful art out of my pain, my experiences, my dreams, and my imagination. There is a whole world inside of us all, and I’ve been turning those worlds into stories since I could hold a pencil.

At the age of 24, when I brought my daughter into the world, everything changed along with it. If anything reminded me of the trials and tribulations of being a child, it would be having my own little one. She also reminded me of all aspects of life that brought me safety and refuge, which had always been expressing myself through writing poetry, creating new worlds through creative writing, spending time in the natural world, and connecting to my body through mindfulness.

I’ve often found that nature holds answers where words fail. On days when life feels overwhelming, I take my daughters to the woods. We collect leaves, feel the bark of the trees, and let the sounds, sights, and scent of the forest calm our racing thoughts. It’s here that my stories take root. Nature teaches us patience, resilience, and the beauty of cycles, teaching us lessons I aim to bring into every word I write.

My daughter’s been my muse for remembering who I am, leading to me re-training within a range of therapeutic modalities for parents and children, as well as guiding me to express my true self through my writing. You’ll find each of these themes woven through my books, courses, and work within the world.

The care and attention that I feel is needed to be given to our children is vital to ending the cycle of trauma that I endured as a little babe, and all of the other lost inner children. I believe the nourishment and teachings of emotional regulation to children is how we create a world with more balance, playfulness, healing, openness, and authenticity for everyone walking on this planet alongside them. They are the next generation, our future. That is why I’m in the midst of making plans to also hold Children’s Forest School Circles, Misfit Mama groups, nature-based wellness, writing circles, and so much more.

Writing books for children and families has been a natural evolution of my own story. I grew up in a world where emotions were misunderstood and often feared. There was no safe space to explore what it meant to feel true rage, sadness, or joy, and no resources to express those emotions in healthy ways. As I began to heal and navigate the depths of my own emotions as an adult, I realised how radically important it is to be heard as a child and taught through co-regulation, in order to mould emotionally resilient adults.

Children deserve tools to understand and honour their feelings, and families deserve to navigate the complexities of emotions together, so we can learn to meet each other as we are, within our humanness. That’s why I write. My books aim to bridge the gap between generations, offering stories and activities that create shared moments of connection and growth. I want families to see that emotions, even the wild and messy ones, aren’t something to be feared or fixed—they’re something to be felt, expressed, and understood.

There’s a significant gap in emotional education, particularly when it comes to children. Schools focus on academics and families often feel ill-equipped to address the emotional needs of their children while managing their own. My work aims to fill this void by providing simple, creative, and accessible tools for emotional expression, teaching both children and adults that feelings are natural, manageable, and empowering.

Through The Seasons of Me, families can explore emotions as part of the natural cycles of nature, finding comfort in the knowledge that every storm soon settles into warmth. Through The Rooted Families Workbook, you can practise real ways to connect, play, and heal together. I yearn to create a world with a generation of children who understand themselves, and through that understanding, are better equipped to navigate relationships, challenges, and the wider world inside and around them.

If you're looking to explore the themes of emotional expression, connection, and creativity further, I invite you to delve into my books:

• The Seasons of Me: A children's picture book that uses the metaphor of the seasons to help young readers understand and navigate their emotions. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt storytelling, this book offers children (and their families) a language to express their feelings and embrace the cycles of change within themselves.

• The Rooted Families Workbook: An activity book created for families to explore emotions together through therapeutic exercises, art, nature-inspired activities, and mindfulness practices. It's a hands-on guide to creating calm and emotional authenticity in your home.

Whether you're a parent, educator, or caregiver, these resources are designed to inspire deep conscious connections with the children in your life.

You can learn more about these books and how they can help your family achieve emotional wellness here.

• What helps you to feel safe?

• What have the children in your life taught you?

• What helps calm you and the children in your life when you feel heightened?

• How will you express your story?