Episode Summary

Adam Mardero is a queer, neurodivergent author who lives and writes in Ontario. His first book, "Uncommon Sense: An Autistic Journey" chronicled what it was like to grow up Autistic and ADHD in the 90s and early 2000s, while his latest project is a young adult science fiction series about overcoming trauma and hate through found family. He lives with his pet cat Shelby.

Holly B. and Rogan chat with Adam about his journey as a writer, the importance of pets in providing emotional support, and the challenges of self-publishing. They explore themes of mental health, authenticity, and the role of hope in navigating life's difficulties. Adam shares insights from his experiences, emphasizing the significance of community and creativity in personal growth. The discussion flows from light-hearted banter about pets to deeper reflections on overcoming imposter syndrome and the power of storytelling.

• The importance of pets in providing emotional support.
• Navigating mental health challenges through creative outlets.
• The journey of self-publishing and its challenges.
• Finding hope in difficult times through writing.
• The significance of authenticity in personal and professional life.
• Dealing with criticism and developing a thicker skin.
• The role of community and support in creative endeavours.
• Using personal experiences to shape writing and storytelling.
• The impact of past experiences on current perspectives.
• The joy of sharing creative work with others.

• From Pets to Publishing: A Journey of Hope
• Navigating Life's Challenges Through Creativity

Sound Bites Chapters

01:45 Exploring Adam's Podcast Journey

04:50 The Bond with Pets: Adam's Cat Shelby

08:41 The Emotional Support of Pets

10:04 Writing and Creativity: Incorporating Pets into Stories

12:33 The Long Journey of Writing a Sci-Fi Series

15:13 Self-Publishing Experience and Challenges

17:40 The Joy of Promotion and Community Engagement

22:27 Handling Feedback and Criticism

24:11 The Cat Chronicles: Life with Shelby

26:16 The Writing Journey: Crafting a Fantasy Series

27:52 Balancing Work and Passion: The Author's Life

29:52 Embracing Authenticity: Overcoming Self-Doubt

32:40 The Power of Resilience: Learning from Adversity

35:17 Finding Hope: The Role of Positivity in Writing

39:24 Inner Critics: Naming Our Doubts

41:52 The Importance of Connection

49:32 Beverage Preferences and Brand Loyalty

52:19 The Stanley Cup Phenomenon

55:23 TMJ and Jaw Health

58:32 Childhood Injuries and Lessons Learned

Check out our guest's socials!

Adam Mardero - Author

The Neurodivergent Polyamorist Podcast

Instagram: @adammerdy123

Episode Description

Season 1 Episode 9

In this heartfelt conversation, registered psychotherapist and author Ingrid Phaneuf joins us to discuss how animals influence creativity, the importance of normalizing death, and her upcoming novel that weaves together grief, humour, and magical realism.

Ingrid shares her unique journey from journalism to psychotherapy, and how her experiences with grief—both personal and professional—inspired her to write fiction that helps readers process loss in new ways. We explore theconcept of "fabulism," the special relationship between humans and animals, and how nature can provide comfort during difficult times.

Timestamps
01:26 - Ingrid introduces herself and her dog Cole
03:18 - How animals influence creativity and mood
04:24 - The inspiration behind George the Cat - Schrodinger the neighbour's cat
05:06 - The novel's premise: consciousness hijacking an animal
05:57 - Animals' healthier relationship with death
07:31 - How nature normalizes death and grief
08:40 - Holly's plan to become a tree / environmentally friendly burials
09:46 - Normalizing conversations about death
10:30 - Does Cole come to therapy sessions?
11:08 - Diving deeper into the novel idea
12:40 - The Tibetan Book of the Dead and reincarnation
17:08 - Balancing humour and truth in writing about death
22:04 - Ingrid's journey from journalism to psychotherapy
24:42 - Reclaiming creative writing during COVID
26:56 - Learning to tolerate boredom and see projects through
28:25 - The importance of grief counsellors
29:45 - "Your heart gets bigger" - understanding ongoing grief
31:00 - Traditional vs. self-publishing plans
32:12 - Holly's book: North of Broken and Furever Home
33:06 - Discovering "fabulism" as a genre
34:20 - Discussing their dogs' personalities
36:10 - Connecting at MFA residency
39:37 - Wrap-up and farewell to Ingrid
39:41 - Post-interview chat with Rogan about the episode
41:41 - Reflections on the conversation and upcoming plans
44:50 - Sign-off and New Year wishes

Holly's Book Announcement

Holly's debut novel, North of Broken and Furever Home releases February 14th! Available for pre-order on Amazon. The book features dual POVs—a woman and her dog companion—in what Holly describes as contemporary "fabulism" fiction.

Connect

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the podcast. Share it with anyone who might benefit from a different perspective on grief, creativity, and the human-animal bond.

Indie author Cindy Ojczyk shares her self-publishing journey, writing process, and how foster fail pets inspired her books about teen mental health and animal rescue. Learn book marketing strategies, overcome pet loss grief, and discover the realities of independent publishing.Episode Summary

Cindy Ojczyk joins Holly and Rogan for an intimate conversation about her unexpected path to writing and the profound ways her pets have shaped both her creativity and her stories. Cindy opens up about the emotional complexities of being a pet foster parent, explaining the bittersweet concept of "foster fails" and processing the loss of beloved animals.

The discussion explores her unique writing approach, the realities of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the considerable effort required to market independently published books.

Cindy also shares how she weaves themes of mental health and animal rescue into her storytelling, with a particular focus on creating conversations around teen mental health issues. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes the critical role of community support for self-published authors and advocates for greater awareness of the challenges young people face.

• 01:24 Cindy's Journey as a Writer
• 03:46 The Influence of Pets on Creativity
• 05:42 Understanding Foster Fails
• 08:04 The Impact of Poet the dog: A Foster Fail Story
• 11:40 The Challenge of Fostering Multiple Pets
• 13:50 Cindy's Writing Process and Book Promotion
• 18:57 Lessons Learned from Self-Publishing
• 25:48 Diversity in Publishing and Self-Publishing Freedom
• 30:07 Navigating Themes in Writing: Mental Health and Animal Welfare
• 32:33 Awareness and Leadership in Community Conversations
• 35:45 Embracing the Present: The Journey of an Author

cindyowrites.com

Instagram @cindyocheck

Facebook Cindy Ojczyk - writer

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