Follow Your Weird was born from an podcast interview with my favorite creatrix, Haden Starbuck.

Haden asked me for one bit of advice for her listeners and what fell out of my unprepared mouth was "Follow your weird!"

But where it really started was with 5-year-old me. The one is this photo from the late 70s.

This me followed her weird on the daily.

I joyfully climbed trees, made mudpies, and jumped shirtless in puddles.

I played alone for hours with baby dolls, paper dolls, Barbie dolls.

I was both highly sensitive and I spoke my mind - even when no one wanted me to.

Needless to say, these traits didn't always go over well.  Eventually the weight of being "too sensitive" and "too loud" resulted in tamping my natural self down for many years.

Fast forward to the last several years when the impact of not being my full, authentic self became too much and a desire to reconnect with my young, sassy self began to emerge.

Not to go back to being that little girl, but to capture the joy and fearlessness that comes with simply being your whole self.

And so my alter-ego, Amelia, was born.

Amelia is a caricature of 5-year old me.

Strong, sassy, and brave.

Embodying the spirit of a woman who would dare to cross the ocean alone in a plane at a time when women weren't allowed to do much of anything alone.

Or to write poems when everyone else is writing blog posts.

I didn't really know what to do with this vision of Amelia that lived in my head until I spoke those words in the podcast.

Amelia's purpose as my Follow Your Weird mascot, inspiring everyone to be their full, authentic selves, became clear.

And her first endeavor was to create store where we can celebrate all things weird!

Currently, you can buy Follow Your Weird t-shirts and a tote bag. More products will be forthcoming!