627: Laurel Handfield: From Low Self-Worth And Self-Harm To Creating Books For Girls Of Color
Laurel Handfield began her writing career years ago in a small, suburban town outside of Philadelphia, PA. In college, she majored in business marketing and after graduation, she worked in sales, marketing, and advertising. However, a trip to the Bahamas led to a shift in focus and a rediscovery of her true passion: writing.\n\nHer vacation to the islands turned into an unexpected romance when she met and fell in love with her now-husband. After two years in a long-distance relationship, she decided to move to the Bahamas permanently. While life in the Bahamas was slower and more relaxed, she also discovered that her marketing career didn\u2019t hold quite as much opportunity on the islands as it did in the United States, so she went back to creating. She wrote and ghostwrote over five full-length novels, including a fictional tale about the only Black family on the Titanic.\n\nToday, Laurel creates coloring/activity books for young girls of color. She still calls the Bahamas home and enjoys the laid-back island life with her husband, three children, and two dogs.\n\nListen in to hear Laurel share:\n\nHer journey of building her self esteem as a young Black girl and then a Black woman\n\nThe impact of being teased for her looks and physical attributes as a young girl\n\nHow the impact of her low self-worth led to self-harm in the form of an eating disorder\n\nHow she healed from her low self-esteem and eating disorder - and recognized what an epidemic there was around the struggles she was facing\n\nWhat inspired her work to create books and coloring books for girls of color\n\nHow moms can affirm their daughter\u2019s worth in different ways\n\nHer advice to moms who might want to write a book\n\n\nLinks mentioned:\n\nJoin me in Jen Lumanlan\u2019s 10 week Taming Your Triggers workshop: shamelessmom.com/taming\n\n\nConnect with Laurel: www.happyislandpress.com\n\n\nLaurel\u2019s Books on Amazon: Happy Island Press\n\n\nLaurel on FB\n\nLaurel on IG\n\nLaurel on TikTok\n\n\nPlease find our sponsor information here: shamelessmom.com/sponsor/\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices