On Writing and Illustrating A Set Of Companion Books…

What a mad adventure it has become! It has taken me years to come to the book I wanted to write in a way that felt right to me, and recent events, dealing with the extent of my disabilities, brought it into clearer focus.

There were already some illustrations in Days At Dragonfly Cottage, but then I started doodly dooing about making an illustration a day with a little bit of text and it has become a passion project for me. I create an illustration each day and share them on social media for fun. Some will make it into Aging With Grace, the illustrated book, and some are just practice drawings. The public will see the illustrations (I am doing this in an effort to bring people to the work and hopefully Patreon. I really need the financial support and would deeply appreciate anyone who would like to support me there for as little as $5 a month. Living only on social security makes it hard to get the supplies I need and support my life as I do my work. My Patrons are godsends to me, and they are seeing both books in process, content from the Days At Dragonfly Cottage book, they will receive both books when created as PDF/eBooks, as well as downloadable art each month, nearly daily blog posts there and all kinds of things in appreciation for the much needed support.)

Here is a recent illustration that went out on Instagram and Facebook (If you follow me in those places you will see the daily illustrations which also go to my mailing list that you can join over in the righthand column of this site.) I particularly love this one because my message is that despite the limitations old age brings we can still create a life that we love…

In the Days book I will be both telling my own story, creating a chronicle of life here at Dragonfly Cottage, how I live my life as an elderly, disabled person, with as much grace and as joy as I possibly can, and I will give all kinds of ideas and helpful hints for living your best life, reimagining long held dreams, how to get the help you need (I have found of late, much to my surprise, that so much more help is available than we ever know, that comes with Medicare, but they don’t let you know about it! I went 2 years having medicare, falling constantly and really getting injured, with no idea that there was help available for me. I want to help other elders with resources and more.)

I started going further with the illustrations, just for fun, and both had so much fun doing them, and the people who saw them loved them, that it came to me I could do just an illustrated book, more lighthearted, and something someone could just flip open to get a smile or feel less alone. I call it Aging With Grace ~ As Much As You Can Muster, because sometimes we can muster the grace and sometimes we can’t but it’s easier when you feel less alone, are cheered up, or encounter someone who is sympatico because unlike much loved family members and dear younger friends, you really can’t understand this stage of life unless you are in it. I am writing this book mainly for this purpose, but also for younger people who might gain a greater understanding about what their aging parents are going through, and perhaps more thoughtful ways they might be of help. People mean well but they just don’t know what to do.

Some illustrations will have more text on a facing page. Opposite this illustration…

The facing page will say…

“You are not alone. I am here with you. Close your eyes and see us sitting having a cup of tea. I am holding your hand and we are talking about our lives, and all that we are grateful for, and all that we are sad about, and how we will meet life’s challenges with grace and gusto. We can make it, you and I, we can.

You are not alone.

Maitri 💖”

Some are simply touching portraits of the realities of old age, especially if you live alone…

I really see the Days book as having a lot of helpful information as well as the ability to see through my life what might be possible for those who feel old and alone and are perhaps suffering and lost. The Aging With Grace illustrated book will be something to keep close by (Perfect back of the toilet book! Ha!) for upliftment and comfort. My plan is to create the two books as a set, again my Patrons at Patreon will receive free copies of both books as eBooks for my deep appreciation of their help, love, and support as I am doing this work, and then I want to create both a Kindle book that will hold both books, and a paperback “boxed set” which would be perfect for gift giving. I’m not sure how to do the boxed set angle but as Marie Forleo says, “Everything is Figureoutable,” and indeed it is!

So off I go to do another illustration after I get this blog post up and out to you. I hope you are all well, enjoying a beautiful autumn and are finding grace and joy and untold happiness wherever you are, whatever your age, and circumstances. And I really don’t want to belabor the point but it would help me enormously if you would like to be a Patron at Patreon. I would be forever grateful, it helps me so much, and I am working very hard to create these books to provide help and hope to others.

Blessings and Love Dear Ones, Always and Always… 💖