Books, Belonging, and Bravery

Hi, hello, how are you? Today's post is a bit rambly, so I'll apologize in advance and thank you for bearing with me. But what I have to say is worth listening to, if you've got a minute to spare.

The stories we tell, and the one we read, stay with us forever. They knit communities together with the kind of belonging that doesn't require a costume—the real kind. As an avid student of stories, their meaning, and how to write the evergreen kind, I can tell you lasting stories all have one thing in common: vulnerability. It takes a whole heap of courage to embrace the human condition in the way stories do. Stories are strong in that they shine a spotlight on the deep dark within us, and a person's got to be brave to endure that.

How do I know? Let me tell you! I've been on this authorship journey for going on five years, and even though I've been writing seriously for over a decade, it's taken me a hot second to find my footing. At first, I went hard chasing trends and trying to be a carbon copy of every other instagram author out there. That made consistency feel like walking through concrete. The next year, I tried themed days to make content easier. News flash, it did not. Then I tried posting everyday using fun, quirky audio (a little trend chasing, honestly). Now I'm leaning into blogs and away from social media—more analogue, less digital.

The idea all started when I made over my entire aesthetic. I wanted less "exhausted mom and more "wise librarian with eons of knowledge at her fingertips". So I revamped my wardrobe and dissected my life to figure out where I could make micro changes to transform into a story archive. There were several things I needed to do to make the change, but the biggest and easiest one was to stop chasing the approval of internet

strangers and live life off screen.

All of these little shifts in habits pile on each other to prove something Brene Brown said about belonging. She said, "Belonging is the opposite of fitting in." And that's exactly what I want for my life in 2026. I don't want to "fit in". I want to be who I am and find the people who like her. I want my authenticity to show up in my art, and to do that I have to stop trying to be everybody else and just embrace who I am deep down inside,

That's, honestly, the whole point of this post. To share a little bit about who the woman is behind the pen name. So who am I?

• I'm an almost thirty year old mom of two who loves the mountains and all things outside (nature is just too cool to not be enjoyed).

• I write to explain my feelings to myself, and I write to explore the parts of human nature I can't understand.

• I'm an artist of many mediums—quilting, music, drawing, and the written word to name a few.

• I'm a spiritual sweetie who loves spending time in the scriptures.

• I'm a leftie with a labyrinthian imagination.

• I'm a lifelong learner who's always trying to beef up my brain.

• I'm a writer constantly trying to keep up with a wicked fast muse.

I am Maddi Wander, and I want to know who you are. Leave a comment!