“I struggle with a lot of things but if there’s something I really want to do, I’m going to do it.”
Rebecca Schiller is a wearer of many hats, all of them impressive. She’s a journalist and an author, as well as a doula, a smallholder, a campaigner for women’s rights, and a mother! We chat today about the process of writing her latest book Earthed, about living a life that is neurodiverse, about the joys and challenges of parenting small humans, and about the value of connecting with nature.
Things we talked about:
- The trials and tribulations of being a “goat doula”
- Her new book Earthed, and its journey from concept, through to the transformation it underwent while she was writing, due to pressures from within (mental health) and without (a pandemic)
- How she actually managed to get it written, with all this going on
- The challenges and joys of writing autobiographically
- We dug into the need to be honest with ourselves about how we want our lives to look… and to recognise the good stuff in there, even if reality doesn’t match the fantasy
- And about lessons learned about life in pandemic times: acknowledge the difficult stuff, but don’t give up on your dreams
- We talked about the process of being diagnosed with ADHD (both of us), and how those diagnoses changed our lives – in many cases for the better
- The fear of not being taken seriously by your GP
- The way the lifestyles we choose can be – subconsciously – self-medication
- Rebecca talked about following the things that interested her, even if that meant changing careers, and finding herself subconsciously being drawn to a life that fed what she needed
- And (this is a big one, I think), we talked about loving your brain! Loving the way it works, and the things it can do, regardless of whether or not it conforms with the way society says “all” brains should work
- The importance of nature – and simple connections with animals – in keeping us grounded and helping us both give and receive unconditional love
Where to find Rebecca online:
- Rebecca’s book Earthed, which came out in May this year
- Her website: www.rebeccaschiller.co.uk
- Find Rebecca on Instagram: @rebecca.schiller
Where to find Sara:
- Sara’s website: meandorla.co.uk
- Sara on Instagram: @me_and_orla