#GuestPost : The Awkward Armadillo: A Mental Health Memoir by Aimee Larson #TheAwkwardArmadillo #Memoir @AimeeBooks

Hello Readers! I’m happy to welcome Aimee Larson, author of The Awkward Armadillo, on Books Teacup and Reviews to talk about how she became author and started writing her Mental Health Memoir that centers around author’s personal journey growing up with Anxiety, Depression, and the odd parts of life.

The Awkward Armadillo: A Mental Health Memoir
Publication Date : January 13th 2021
Genre : Memoir

Synopsis:

You know that feeling you get when you’re depressed and you want to shut off from the world? Perhaps curl up in a ball? This is my personal journey going through anxiety, depression, and the odd parts of life. So where do I begin with my story? I have no idea. Introductions are difficult. This fun, heartfelt, and sometimes sorrowful account of growing up with anxiety, depression, and social awkwardness is a journey that might reveal secrets about ourselves. The author’s humor and randomness bring light to her darkest struggles in a way that’s so human it resonates as you read her words. As an anxious child trying to navigate her way through the odd instance known as life, she touches on important topics, details her personal hardships such as being labeled a Special Needs Student, grappling with speech and learning disabilities, and trying to figure out who she was amidst the chaos of depression and anxiety. Grab a glass of tea, wine, or beer and get ready to find light in the darkness, an unexpected smile, and a story that’ll turn you inside out while giving you hope.

Guest Post

Holding my mug of warmth and comfort, as I sip my warm tea and stare at the blank screen. The blank screen can be so intimidating for many individuals, myself included. No matter how much I have practiced writing, which has not been for long. There have been moments where I stare at the screen for minutes, which seems like hours and nothing comes out. Then self-doubt streaks in. Attempting to stain my skin with negative thoughts and perhaps persuasion to avoid failure. “If you work hard on this now, and fail, it’ll hurt more.”

How come I can’t be one of those individuals that can write so naturally without thought. Truth be told, though, those writers and painters commit to writing and finding inspiration every day. There are artists that wake up one day and decide on the perfect painting and have claimed inspiration for all the colors they were going to add to the painting. Not that they spend years and years without touching a paintbrush. No, they practice and fail, practice and succeed repeatedly. Creative arts have to deal with Mental Health in a way.

We have grown up in a society where we shut down our feelings, keep our heads down, and put a mask on. Day by day, we wear that fake smile though, and push further away from breaking the Mental Health stigma that surrounds our world. People are afraid of failure. But I suppose the main question is, are we afraid that we will fail on our own accord or according to society?

There is this endless game of comparison, a battle of thoughts, especially for those that have struggled and continue to struggle with mental illness. “I’m not good enough to be a writer.” Every writer and author out there has a unique voice. A different writing voice and input on the world around them. That makes authors and writers so unique. It took me three years on and off writing my memoir. Many questions and struggles came up throughout. There are so many books there, what is so different about mine? It is my story, my story growing up as a young kid and showing signs of anxiety, my story dealing with depression, social anxiety, and more. “The Awkward Armadillo” was my opportunity to find my writing voice and challenge myself to push past my thoughts. This is, my first book over, an emotional and yet funny memoir that focused on Mental Health and the truth of “You Are Not Alone” in this fight with your mental illness monsters.

I could take that first step and continue to write almost every day. Regardless if it had anything to do with my story. I wanted to make sure I practiced writing; I took breaks and wrote a few poems and went back to a few hard to write scenes within my story. Staring at the screen can intimidate, but it does not have to be. Sometimes, just writing our thoughts and processes can trigger ideas for our stories and beyond.

About Author:

Aimee Larson is a socially awkward girl who lives in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She is a poet, writer and author of “The Awkward Armadillo: A Mental Health Memoir” She hopes to dive into writing more books, including fantasy and poetry books.

Contact Info:

Email: Larson4506@gmail.com | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | Twitter Handle: @AimeeBooks | Amazon Profile

Purchase Link:

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