I made “The Dumbest Book Ever.”

How A Bunch of Poems Proved Me Wrong

Poems for Breakfast was supposed to be a quick project—a simple publishing experiment. But what I didn’t anticipate was that this little book would grow into a series and spark a full-blown journey through the world of self-publishing, with its endless choices, opinions, and a pretty steep learning curve.

An Unexpected Adventure

Turns out, self-publishing is an adventure all its own. There were so many decisions to make—genres, keywords, book sizes, and even paper quality. I opted for Amazon’s color paper, which is pricier, but I wanted the book to feel right. The black-and-white paper was too thin, and you could see through the pages. I figured, if I wouldn’t want to hold it, neither would anyone else. There’s so much you can’t tell from just an online listing, so I made sure this was a book I’d be happy to pick up.

Teaching Myself to Draw

At first, I sketched rough illustrations, planning to hand them off to a professional. Eventually, I decided to try it out myself. I taught myself how to draw through the process of creating this book. The illustrations often carry the punchline or add a layer of meaning to the poems, so I eventually knew it had to be me. I had to let go of the idea that “I’m not good at drawing.” It’s a personal process, and because I’m new to illustrating, I still find myself tweaking them.

The Day I Quit

My coach, Scott James, was my guide and sounding board throughout the process. One day, I told him, “I think I just made the dumbest book ever.” He assured me that all authors go through this phase. I trusted his guidance, took a breath, and asked him, “Is it worth it?” He paused and said, “Yes.” I didn’t believe him, but I trusted that he could see more clearly than I. So I kept going. Putting work into the world for the first time (and every time) is a fragile process for the creative ego. I knew I needed to put something out there before tackling my novel series. I had to build that muscle first.

A Whole Series

Now, Poems for Breakfast is more than just a quick project—it’s a series. I thought I’d publish a small poetry book, but once you open the creative floodgates, they’re difficult to close. I had more poems coming even after finishing this book, so I opened up files for Poems for Lunch, Poems for Dinner, and Poem Snacks. This little book has found a sweet following, and there’s something special about hearing stories of adults and kids alike enjoying it. It’s nice to see it making its way into other countries, being read by children at breakfast, or gifted to someone who needs a little cheer.

Silly Poems

Humor and absurdity are my favorite tools for helping people open up to new ideas without the weight of a therapy session. Personal growth is at the heart of how I think and live, and the best way to share that without being overbearing is to create something people can enjoy on their terms. I get that not everyone wants to sit down for coaching or pick up a self-help book, but a small, silly poem might just crack open a new thought that shifts their world.

So, Is It Worth It?

Absolutely. The impact this book has on people keeps me going, even when the journey feels endless—which it is. It all started because I had some fun poems stashed away on my computer. Now they’re out there, touching lives in unexpected ways.

And I couldn’t be more proud of them.