It’s here! (Almost)

March 4th 2021

It’s here! Well, almost.

I have Europe’s “The Final Countdown” in my head! Only the der der der der bits, as I can’t remember many of the words, but it’s there, singing away happily.
But, why? I hear you ask (maybe).

My children’s book, “Where Are We Going?” has gone to print and it will be here, with me, in just a couple of weeks! Oh my! A book, that I have written, will be in my hands, very soon. It feels quite odd, surreal. This is something I have dreamed about for a long time but didn’t really think it would happen. It’s happened!!! I’m a published author!

The book is really important to me, and I hope that others will think it’s important to.

That sentence gives it a lot of gravitas. Some people may not see its importance, and that’s okay. But I believe there will be some who see why it’s important. Maybe you’ll be one of them.

Why is it important? It’s important because it’s a rarity.

At first glance, it’s a book about imagination. It’s about encouraging children, and their adults, to dream about wonderful places to go, people to see, and things to do. Imagination may not seem important but it really is.
I work with a lot of people, of all ages, who believe they can only do what their parents do; or believe that they can’t do anything because of restrictions that have been placed on them, by themselves or others.

As the fabulous Frank-N-Furter sings in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Don’t Dream It, Be It”; if we can’t dream about wider horizons, how can we work towards achieving them? We need to be able to imagine things so that we can believe that there is a whole world open to us all.

I want people to know that dreams aren’t certainties. Just because someone wants to fly to the moon one day, it doesn’t mean they are going to do that; what it does mean is that they can dream of travelling, of exploring new realms; and, that, they can do. If someone dreams of cavorting with royalty, it doesn’t mean they will necessarily have regular afternoon tea dates with the monarchy, but it may mean they will love dancing among drag kings and queens and being open-minded to the amazing, diverse communities that surround us. By encouraging our imaginations we open ourselves up to more possibilities, to more adventures, to richer, fuller, lives.

Then there is Emily, the main character in the book. Emily is a beautiful child, who lives a life full of love, kindness, imagination and adventure. And Emily is a child with a visible difference. But that’s not all of who she is; just as we are all not just one thing.
And that was something else I wanted to address, ever so subtlety, with a hint of sledgehammer.

In children’s books, it’s very rare to see a child with a disability, and, in those stories, it’s usually about their disability. Those books are important, without doubt. However, I feel they also highlight the differences, rather than sharing how many incredible things we have in common.

In “Where Are We Going?”, Emily’s visible difference is, well, visible. But her difference is not a part of the story. As she and her adult go on their imaginary adventures, you can see her prosthetic limb, because it’s not something that she feels she has to hide, but it’s not part of the story.

Though, there is a little something about Emily’s disability in the book; at the back, there are some questions for teachers to plan a lesson round, or for parents/older readers to ask the children, and three of those are questions about her visible difference.

When you read anything about how authors write, they usually say how each of their characters has a backstory. Those back stories may never be known to anyone else but the author knows it. And, as the author, I know Emily’s.
As I’ve said already, Emily lives a life that is full of love and kindness, and, with that love and kindness, comes acceptance and belief. She hasn’t been told she can’t do things because she has a prosthetic leg; she has been told that some things might be a bit more difficult because of it but that should never stop her trying. She has been encouraged to believe in herself and to believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She has been taught that, sometimes, life is difficult, and that things are rarely perfect, but that she is absolutely wonderful, just as she is, just as others are absolutely wonderful, just as they are too.

Although this World Book Day is different to previous ones, it’s been lovely to see photos of children dressed as their favourite characters, and I can’t help but hope that, next year, and for years after, there will be children dressing as Emily.
The book will be available on my website soon: http://www.vsIt’s here! Well, almost.

I have Europe’s “The Final Countdown” in my head! Only the der der der der bits, as I can’t remember many of the words, but it’s there, singing away happily.

But, why? I hear you ask (maybe).

The book is really important to me, and I hope that others will think it’s important to.

That sentence gives it a lot of gravitas. Some people may not see its importance, and that’s okay. But I believe there will be some who see why it’s important. Maybe you’ll be one of them.

Why is it important? It’s important because it’s a rarity.

I work with a lot of people, of all ages, who believe they can only do what their parents do; or believe that they can’t do anything because of restrictions that have been placed on them, by themselves or others. As the fabulous Frank-N-Furter sings in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, “Don’t Dream It, Be It”; if we can’t dream about wider horizons, how can we work towards achieving them? We need to be able to imagine things so that we can believe that there is a whole world open to us all.

And that was something else I wanted to address, ever so subtlety, with a hint of sledgehammer.

As I’ve said already, Emily lives a life that is full of love and kindness, and, with that love and kindness, comes acceptance and belief. She hasn’t been told she can’t do things because she has a prosthetic leg; she has been told that some things might be a bit more difficult because of it but that should never stop her trying. She has been encouraged to believe in herself and to believe that she can do anything she sets her mind to. She has been taught that, sometimes, life is difficult, and that things are rarely perfect, but that she is absolutely wonderful, just as she is, just as others are absolutely wonderful, just as they are too.

The book will be available on my website soon: http://www.vipempowerment.co.uk

#Childrenwithdisabilities #Disability #Prostheticlimb

A Worrier’s Pros and Cons of a Crowdfunding Campaign

August 1st 2021

Recently, I was talking to someone about the Crowdfunder campaign I am running throughout August 2021. They made a comment about how, for someone like me, who values being in control of a situation, it must be hard to let go of something, and rely so much on external factors.
I hadn’t thought of it that way before.

I know I find them a worry but I hadn’t thought about how much of it was down to my not liking being in control.
Now, although I have, in the past, jokingly referred to myself as a control freak, and maybe others have said the same, I’m not one. In psychological terms, a control freak is someone who has a personality disorder that is characterised by undermining other people. Just by what I do for a business, as a lifestyle choice, that’s not me, as my whole ethos is around building others up.

But control is important to me.

One of the books on the current Crowdfunder UK goes further into why I have a need for control, but I shall give you a brief explanation now. It’s,to condense it down, for two reasons.

One is that, because I have disabilities, and I’m a disabled person that runs a business, I need to know where I am going and what is expected of me so I can plan the time needed for that and for recovery. I need to know how long a journey will take: how I will get somewhere: what’s expected of me when I get there; what food there is; and lots of other things, because all of those things impact on my health, so I want to be as prepared as I can.
So, is it control? Or is it having an understanding of my health needs and what works for me? I guess that would depend on who is making the judgement.

The bigger thing, though, is that, because there have been many times in my life when I have had no, or little, control, I need to feel in control to feel safe now.

There have been times when the repercussions of making a decision would impact me greatly, nearly always negatively, so I surrendered control, because that felt like, well, I was going to say safest, but that certainly wasn’t true, so I shall say the best option in a collection of bad ones.

Once I gained control over my own life, it was really important to me to feel safe, and that manifested as me needing to be aware of everything that was going to happen.

And part of that is in trusting that others will listen to/read what I say and do what they say they will do.

Yet, here I am, running a crowdfunding campaign, where I don’t know what is going to happen.

That is a downside of these campaigns. As well as being tiring, and time consuming, as you have to constantly be talking about the campaign, sharing things on social media, encouraging people to support, it’s a huge worry, especially as many of us run crowdfunders because we can’t fund the projects another way. I also worry that people will feel spammed, though I know the algorithms frequently mean people don’t see much of what we post.

And I don’t know if people will support it.

I don’t know if all those people that loved my first children's book will buy the second in the series via Crowdfunder.
I don’t know if all those people that said they can’t wait to read my book for adults will support the campaign and buy it.
I don’t know if all of those people that have said they want to come to my classes but are too scared to, or can’t afford to, will buy the book and get some guidance without needing to leave their lounge.
I don’t know if all the people that say how important my work is, who say how much what I do is needed, will put their money in their pockets and support it, either.
I don’t know if people will think they’ll buy the book once it’s published, without thinking that, without their support now, it might not get published.

And, most importantly, I don’t know whether the Crowdfunder will be successful so I won’t know if I can pay the two people that are involved, other than me, who can make my books a reality.

I do know that, if this campaign is not a success, neither book will be out for a very long time. Self-publishing is not cheap.
Lots of worries.

But, I have to put my insecurities when feeling I have no control aside, and believe that it will be a success. I have to trust that all of the people I have just mentioned will support it.

And that could be considered as one of the pros of crowdfunding: the support.

The messages on my page of the Crowdfunder UK site are wonderful! Comments saying how much they believe in what I do; how much they are looking forward to reading either, or both, books.

Another definite pro is that I can give people the option to donate to others, as well as buy for themselves. With my last Crowdfunder campaign over one hundred children’s books were donated! Some were given to schools, nurseries or groups known to the person making the donation; some were given to organisations I know and some I work with; some went to hospitals; some to nurseries in high poverty areas; some to organisations who work with children in care; some to families who may not access them otherwise; and one even made it to an orphanage in South Africa!

This time, as well as all of those options, the book for adults could be donated to organisations where there are vulnerable women, such as domestic refuges and crisis organisations, as the book will feel relevant for many of the clients.
Another incredible positive is seeing how many people believe in what I am doing; it’s highly validating and, even if we don’t need that validation, as we have self-belief, it’s still lovely to receive it.

And, for me, if this campaign is successful, I get to pay two other hugely talented people to work, too. In a time where many small businesses are struggling, this is hugely important!

Would the pre-Vie (that will make more sense when you read the book) have been able to do this? Highly unlikely. The stress, the lack of control, would have felt too much.

But, me, now, I can do this. I can reason that the worry is normal and to be expected, and that others running campaigns will mostly feel the same. I have experience of running another successful campaign that reached so many people, making many people happy, and that is a wonderful boost.
And, I believe in me.
Do you?
Vie
You can support the Crowdfunder campaign here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/who-am-i-childrens-book-adult-confidence-book/comments#start
#Crowdfunder #DisabledBusinessOwner #ChildrensBook #AdultsBook #Worries

The Reasons Why

August 13th 2021

Anyone looking at my social media, even those talking to me in real life, are possibly thinking my mind is definitely on one track right now.

And they would be (mostly) right.

I am completely involved in my Crowdfunder.

It might not seem a big deal to those looking in but, for me, living in the middle of it, there is so, so much more to it than what you can see.

On the surface, it’s just two books. Two books to get printed and sent out. That’s it.

Except it’s not.

Yes, I want those two books to be printed but there’s far more to it.

With Who Am I?, the story is about encouraging imagination, acceptance, inclusion; all important things for readers to benefit from. Emily, the main character in the book, has a limb difference; seeing people with disabilities represented positively, seeing people that have similarities with the reader, is beneficial to everyone.

The questions at the end of the book will lead to wonderful conversations that will be different every time. Yesterday, at a book reading for Where Are We Going?, my first children’s book, a 6 ½ year old (the half is important) I was talking to was telling me about the joys of sea unicorns and how it’s important that everyone is different because it’s good that way; believing that now will mean they are likely to believe that as an adult, which makes them a far more accepting human (and sea unicorn advocate).

With my book for adults, with the working title of Happier, Kinder You, I am sharing my story of some of the things I have overcome and how I did it. It will be a valuable resource, and a source of support, for many that read it. For anyone that has any self esteem and confidence issues, it will give guidance; for anyone with children in their lives, it will give things to consider when with them; for anyone that would like to live a more inclusive life, there are suggestions. And much more!

Then there are the people that will benefit from the books that are bought to donate. With the last Crowdfunder, over one hundred books were donated!! I’m still amazed by that! Very happily so. They went to charities working with children with limb differences (representation is incredibly important!); agencies working with children in care; hospital wards; schools; nurseries in high poverty areas; and beyond.

I would love for that to happen again this time.

WIth “Kinder, Happier You”, the books could be sent to crisis centres, domestic refuges, women’s groups. My story could help someone in the depths of despair have hope. I know it’s what I needed when I was in that place.

And then there is my Community Interest Company.

Things have been really tough over the pandemic. I haven’t been able to do what I set out to do; I haven’t been able to do any fundraising events; many grants have become unavailable to me, and other social enterprises, because of high demand. I started doing things on my “someday” list to help stay afloat; I know that the work I do is going to be even more needed and I wanted to still be around to help.

And that takes money. Money that I just don’t have currently.

If the Crowdfunder is successful, that will mean the books that aren’t bought through the campaign can go on my website and elsewhere; it will mean bringing in a small trickle of money into the CIC, and like the supermarket says, every little helps.

I know things are tough for lots of us right now, and that’s why I have added rewards, so you feel you are getting something for your money, whether that be a book, a notebook, a mug, that you can keep or give to someone else at Christmas, or the happy feeling of buying a book for someone else.

And, by supporting, you are enabling me to continue the work my Community Interest Company was set up to do: teaching children, young people, and women self esteem and confidence. That’s a happiness all round situation! You get a happy feeling from being a kind and generous human; I get a happy feeling because I get to reach more people to help them live more confidently and because I am very grateful for kind and generous humans like you; and the people I work with feel happier because they benefit from my skills and expertise and from knowing there are people like you in the world. Win, win, win!

Don’t you want to be part of the abundance of happiness? I would really love it if you did.

Here’s the link: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/who-am-i-childrens-book-adult-confidence-book

Vie

P.S The Crowdfunder closes very soon! Please buy now.

#Crowdfunder #SocialResponsibility #DisabiltyRepresentation #ChildrenWithDisabilities #ChildrenWithProsthetics #PositiveRepresentation #SocialEnterprise #CommunityInterestCompany #Prosthetics #DisabledPride #Disabled #DisabilityAwareness #DiverseBooks #DiverseChildrensBooks #InclusiveBooks #InclusiveChildrensBooks #CorporateSocialResponsibility #Community #CommunityResponsibility #SocialEnterprise #SocEnt #BeTheChange

It's just ...

October 13th 2021

Today, I got to do something that I really enjoyed. And that has had repercussions.

I usually say to people that I don't work before 10am, sometimes later. I tell them it's because it takes a while for me to go through the evolution of humans to be upright. I say that I like to wake up naturally so that I have slept off my medication.

But, I had been invited to an event in Winchester, starting at 9.30am, that I really wanted to go to.

It will be alright, I thought. Ever the optimist.

My alarm went off at 6.30am. I got up, came downstairs, washed my cats' bowls and fed them. I made and ate my breakfast. Then I showered, dressed, and did my hair.

My partner drops me off not far from the first train station. I get out my floral walking stick. I cross the road; go down through the subway; walk up the shallow stairs; cross another road; buy my train ticket; then sit on a metal bench to wait for my first train. It's 8.15am on a cold, October morning.

I get a seat near the door on the train and travel the three stops to the next station.

I get off the train and walk to the lift, as my next train is leaving from platform one and I'm on platform two. I walk across the corridor to the lift to take me to the next platform. Then, when I get there, the board says that the next train is actually leaving from platform two. Back to the lift, across the corridor, in the next lift, down to the platform.

Then the guard says that the next train to Winchester is leaving from platform two but the train that will get there first is leaving from platform one. Sigh.

Back to the lift. Back across the corridor. Back down the lift.

I stand for ten minutes; get on the train; I get a seat a few rows from the door.

I arrive at the station. Leave; walk down some steps; walk through a subway; then start walking, mostly downhill, to the venue. It's a 15 minutes walk.

I get to the event and spend the next two hours standing and chatting to several incredible women. We talk, we laugh, we share passions; brilliant!

And my pain levels are increasing rapidly.

Once the event finishes, two hours later, I cross the street to one of my favourite cafes. I order a hot chocolate (a MUST in Chococo) and a toastie for an early lunch. Delicious.

As I sit there, my pain worsens. Do I get moving or do I rest a bit longer? My feet are blistered and throbbing; my hips are spasming; I feel like I have been slammed against a concrete wall.

I decide to order another hot chocolate. I walk to the counter. This time, I ask the server to carry my drink for me as my usual pain in my left arm has got worse and I feel wobbly on my feet.

I sit. Until I can feel myself seizing. Time to move.

I start the walk back.

I stop to chat with a homeless woman. She looks so cold. She tells me how she hardly slept the night before because she couldn't get in the hostel. I give her a bit of money towards a room there for tonight. We chat some more. My pain is horrible but, I saw several people ignore her before I reach her and I don't want to add to that number. And, my pain may be horrible but at least I have a warm home to go to.

I say goodbye a little bit later and continue the walk to the station. I hope to catch a bus but there are none at stops when I get to them. And that relatively okay downhill walk to the event, well, it's now uphill. And I feel every step intensely.

I get to the station. There are no seats available. My stick is covered in flowers so it's easy to see. No-one offers me a seat.

I get on the train. There are no seats free. Again, no-one offers me a seat. Two stops in, someone leaves and I get their seat.

I get back to Southampton train station. Back up the lift; across the corridor; down in another lift.

I've already decided that I can't do the second train and the fifteen minutes walk back home so I leave the station, cross two roads, and get on a bus that's, thankfully, waiting. The bus stops very near our house.

I walk the last short walk home and go indoors. I need to take my coat and boots off; I need to wee; I need to make a drink. But I hurt so much and I don't know what to do. So I cry. Then I do what I need to do and I settle on the sofa.

And the pain gets worse. I'm at my limit for pain killers. I just have to sit with it.

Now, why have I shared this with you?

When I'm invited to things, people often say, "It's easy to get to! It's just a little way from the train station/bus stop!"

It's never "just", not for people like me. It's walking, and stairs, and on and offs, and standing, and jostling. And pain.

Pain that is far worse than my normal everyday pain. It's pain that will take me a few days to recover from.

All from "just" going to an event that's "easily" accessible by public transport.

So, if you have a friend that has disabilities, that has a chronic condition, and you want them to go to things with you, and they're, like me, unable to drive, please offer them lifts.

If you put on events that you want to be inclusive, offer to organise lifts for your guests.

And, if you want some guidance on making your friends feel more included, on making your events accessible to as many people as possible, ask for help; I offer consultations to help individuals and businesses to become more inclusive.

And please remember that, before our disabilities, before our conditions, we are human, with the same wants, needs, and desires to belong, to be included, to do fun things, to enjoy your company.

You can make that happen.

#Disabilities #Inclusion #Disabled #DIsabledBusinessOwner #DisabilityUnion #SouthWesternTrains #Chococo #TrainTravel #EB #EpidermolysisBullosa #ThoracicOutletSyndrome #Spasms #InclusiveBusiness #Acceptance #Adaptions

Fitness trackers on children

December 8th 2021

I have started to notice a worrying trend.

Because of the work I do with children and young people, I am in a lot of parenting groups on social media. And, in the build up to Christmas, lots of parents, because they are loving, caring, parents who want the best for their child, are asking for recommendations on things to buy their children.

And several of the requests have been, “Which fitness tracker watch shall I get for my child?” Some of the requests have been for children as young as five.

I want you, the reader, to think about your self esteem and confidence; I want you to think about your relationship with your body. I’ve worked with hundreds of women and, with very few exceptions, their issues with their bodies started in early childhood, following a throwaway comment from an adult, a comment about their body, about them needing to exercise more to get rid of their “chubby thighs”, and that stuck with them for life, leading to a lifetime of body hatred and limited beliefs of their worthiness.

By giving a child a fitness tracker, they are getting the message that their worth is tied up in numbers:

How much they weigh;
How much they move;
How many calories they burn;
How much fat they have;
What clothes size they are.

You might think that this is extreme thinking. You might think, “Not my child”.

Through my Community Interest Company, I work with children as young as 4 (that’s when children start school in the UK) because it’s from the age of 3 that children start making judgements about bodies, theirs and others, and that the average 5 year old knows how to diet. My aim is to teach children to be happy with who they are, as they are, so they don’t spend a lifetime worrying that they don’t reach the numbers specified by some arbitrary document (I could wax on about government schemes wanting children to be weighed in schools but I won’t; I will, however, say, always look for where the money has come from to fund any study.). I have worked with women in their 70s who are still waiting to be that “ideal” weight before they feel they can start living the life they want, all because of a throwaway comment in their childhood, exacerbated by societal demands on how we should look.

And think about that! How we look. Do you want your child to feel that their worth is tied up in what they look like? In their weight? Or do you want them to grow up knowing that kind is the best thing you can be? That everyone has their own story. That not everyone has the ability to do everything they can. That weight isn’t just dependent on what you eat and the exercise you do; that it could depend on genetics, health, medication, financial status, and many more things. Do you want to teach your child that fat is bad? That it’s unhealthy? How will they judge others that live in different size bodies if the message they receive is “fat is bad”?

Also, think about the potential long term consequences. In the articles I have shared at the end of this blog, some say that some children lose interest after a few weeks and carry on as before; some lose interest in exercise completely; and some go on to develop an obsessive need to count everything they do around fitness and weight.

There’s also the competitive element. They may feel they have to do just as much as their friends, or more than; having a race around the park to see who is fastest is fun; having to obsessively reach a target can become damaging. And anxiety-inducing. After living in a global pandemic for the last 20+ months, where many of us have felt more anxious, and many people’s mental health, including children’s, is suffering, do you want to give them something that will make them more anxious?

Have you asked your child why they want one? Is it because their friends have one? In which case, instead of buying your child a fitness tracker, encourage them to design fun, movement activities they could all do together, without the need of tech monitoring it.

Is it because they are concerned about their size? Our bodies are meant to change shape throughout our lives; young children naturally grow up, then out, over and over, then puberty hits, changing their shape completely; then, through adulthood, our bodies change more, through pregnancy, age, lifestyle, and so on. If this is your child’s reason for wanting a tracker, to monitor their size, teach them instead that they are far more than just a body; that their body is just the vehicle to carry all their love, kindness, hopes, dreams and adventures in; that one size is not better than any other; that every single human has so much to offer, irrespective of what they look like.

Also, many parents moan about how tech dependent their children are, whether it’s phones, laptops, or gaming machines, yet a fitness tracker is another piece of tech to focus on. And, by using a tracker to monitor their levels of activity, their food intake, the child begins to doubt their own intuition on when they want to eat, when they want to move around. I’ve also included an article on other issues with tech in the few below.

Encourage your child to be active doing the fun things they want to do, not those they feel they have to do. If they enjoy an activity purely for the pleasure they get out of it, encourage them, support them, and that love of movement will continue.

Do things together, like walks in forests, looking for fairies or wildlife; go for bike rides and have occasional races between this bin and the next one; have races around the park; and, if you aren’t able to do this things for whatever reasons, you can still be part of it by being the referee, or the organiser, and definitely by being the cheering squad. Encourage children to play games like Tag, or do scavenger hunts; you can do silly team games, seeing who the fastest team to pass a ball between their knees is; or more structured games like football or rounders.

Encouraging a love of movement for the joy of it, rather than for the results of it, will be far more beneficial mentally and physically, for all of you.

https://www.pacey.org.uk/news-and-views/news/archive/2016-news/august-2016/children-as-young-as-3-unhappy-with-their-bodies/

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/fitness-tracker-mental-health_uk_5ad858e4e4b029ebe02133f0

https://onezero.medium.com/dont-buy-a-fitness-tracker-for-your-kid-b4ee429d359d

https://www.happyfamilies.com.au/articles/are-activity-trackers-good-for-children

https://theconversation.com/its-far-too-easy-for-abusers-to-exploit-smart-toys-and-trackers-161946

If you would like to know more about body positive parenting, I have a chapter about it in my book, La Vie Est Belle. Learning to live hopefully ever after. You can order it here: https://www.vieness.co.uk/product-page/pre-order-la-vie-est-belle

#FitnessTrackers #FitnessTrackersOnChildren #SelfEsteemInChildren #ConfidenceInChildren #AnxietyInChildren #AnxiousChildren #Confidence #SelfEsteem #WorryingTrend #Anxiety #KindnessMatters #BeKind #Inclusive #Inclusion #Acceptance

Wow! How did that happen?!

December 30th 2021

unded VieNess Discover You Love You CIC in June 2019.

I was excited!

I had plans!

I knew I would spend several months raising awareness of the Community Interest Company (and explaining what one of those is!) and raising money to enable the workshops to teach children, young people, and vulnerable women to happen.

There were lots of meetings, lots of planning, and several fundraising events.

Early in 2020, there were more meetings and bookings were starting to come in! It felt like things were happening! Exciting stuff!

Then, you’ve probably heard 🙄, a pesky pandemic hit us.Bookings were cancelled. Fundraising was stopped. And the few grants I could apply for became even harder to get because there was so much demand.

I did wonder whether I would even get a first birthday for the CIC.

Before the pandemic took hold, I had met the brilliant Dr. Jennifer Jones, and she said I should write a book to establish my expertise in my field (I liked the sound of that “should”).

I started attending workshops with her and, surprisingly, although my expertise building book was going veeeeeeeerrrrrryyyyyy slowly, she did open up my creativity. I wrote two decks of cards, and a book for children I’d had in my head for years actually got written.

Following a successful Crowdfunder campaign in November 2020, my first book for children, Where Are We Going?, was published in March 2021. I was an author!

And the fabulous Donna Mcghie became a book illustrator!

Another deck of cards was written and I started on a second children’s book! The book for adults had started getting somewhere too.

Following a Facebook post where I asked whether people would rather I run a Crowdfunder in August to publish both books, so they would be out for Christmas. or whether I run one in October/November, and the books come out in March 2022, all but one person said August for a Christmas release.

Great. It was July!!!

I’m not great at time planning!

I had to plan the Crowdfunder (in the most difficult month of the year to fundraise!), ask Donna to do the illustrations faster, and, just a couple of little things - finish writing the book, get the book to the beta readers, edit what they suggest, get the book to Jennifer to be proofread, edited then formatted, before being printed.

A doddle! PANIC!!!!!

Oh! I had also offered to write a chapter for a book for women in business that was being released in September - Shine Crazy Diamond!

I might have bitten off a bit more than I could chew.

But, by the skin of our teeth, we did it! Just!

Who Am I? and La Vie Est Belle. Learning To Live Hopefully Ever After were sent out to those that had supported the Crowdfunder on the 20th and 21st of December, with most arriving before Christmas (the ones for Texas arrived on 28th! Well done Royal Mail!).

As I write this, on 29th December, I’ve already been sent beautiful photos and videos of children reading and enjoying Who Am I? and wonderful reviews for La Vie Est Belle, Learning To Live Hopefully Ever After . I love the reviews and every one makes me feel so happy. So much of who I am is in the books and to have people enjoying them is wonderful.

That’s four books I have been part of in one year! Four! I really am an author!

This year has been DIFFICULT and TIRING. I’ve worked hard on the books and cards and the feedback is fantastic; sadly, none of them are money makers yet (you can help by buying them, reviewing them, sharing them; it’s much appreciated!).

Grants are still incredibly hard to get and it’s been the two Crowdfunder appeals that have kept me afloat (I was warned before I did the first one that they’re 24/7 and I didn’t believe them; two campaigns on, they’re exhausting!). And, understandably, given that we have mostly not been able to be part of crowds for almost two years, fundraising is almost non-existent; thankfully, the brilliant Murdered For Money did a virtual murder mystery for VieNess Discover You Love You CIC and raised a fantastic £173; thank you!

I’m hoping that more people will raise money for us in 2022, helping me reach more people; the feedback from the workshops are so good, and I know I help people, but I need your help to do more of that.

As well as the books and products, there have been other highlights

We have signed up for So:Lotto, which as well as supporting us, you can win too!

We have a Donr number where texting KINDNESS to 70490 will donate £5 to the CIC.

Anita, my wonderful person that is funded for a few hours a week by the Department of Work and Pensions, because of my disabilities, has been with me for over a year now. She makes the emails look pretty, keeps the website shiny (that the brilliant Kate Steaggles built), designs beautiful images, and much, much more, has been with me for over a year. She is also a fantastic reflexologist

I have a fabulous new person, Jupiter, through the government’s Kickstart scheme; she’ll be with me for six months, though, as part of her job is to bring enough money in so I can get paid and so that I can keep her on for longer, we’re hoping she’ll be with me for a long time. Jupiter is also a talented poet; her book is here: https://amzn.to/3eBUu3y

I’ve talked at several virtual events, some of them global! Just last week I was part of a panel where the business was based in Hawaii! I would like to do that one in person next time, fingers crossed. We discussed normalising disabled bodies. Other topics over the past year have been body confidence, self esteem for women in work, confidence for women in the building trade, crowdfunding advice, body positive parenting, building communication in families, boosting confidence in people with mental health issues, and being more inclusive, amongst others. I do love public speaking! It’s my equivalent to being an adrenaline junkie 😉

Goodness! What a year!

And plans for 2022?

I want to do more public speaking (do get in touch if you know of anywhere that would like me);

I have a third children’s book already written and another Emily book half written and it would be wonderful to get those published next year;

I would like enough money to come in so that I can run more workshops for the people that need them and benefit from them;

I have more ideas for products; I would love to do more book readings;

we’re developing teaching resources for schools;

I would love to run some fully funded workshops for International Women’s Day in March and International Day of the Girl in October; and, well, anything else that takes my fancy that comes under my banner of helping people live happier, kinder, more confident lives. I think that’s enough to be going on with...For now 😉

If you would like to help VieNess Discover You Love You CIC in 2022, by raising money, with ideas, with contacts, with skills, please do get in touch; I love hearing from brilliant people!

Thank you for all of your support and I, and the VieNessCIC team, wish you a wonderful 2022 full of love, happiness, and kindness.

Love,

Vie, Anita, Jupiter, and Leona and Lucy, our non-executive directors.

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