Rediscover the joy in every day with these artworks and essays about mental health and human connection.
This is a book for anyone going through a tough time.
It's about celebrating the middle bits - the messy, awkward, uncomfortable bits - while navigating our way through the uncertainties of life.
When Samuel Leighton-Dore began rolling out clay tiles and engraving words into them, he had just been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder. After years spent in therapy waiting rooms, searching for meaning, encouragement and guidance, he turned to art to better understand who he was and why he was, slowing down to rediscover the joy and humour in the everyday.
Samuel's artwork and writing celebrate all the messy bits of trying to navigate our busy lives. Life, like the tiles themselves, can be hard and fragile, so it's okay to be a 'work in progress' and not have everything figured out all the time. His writing is relatable and comforting, like the world's biggest hug from a friend. It's also funny, sad, hopeful, inspirational and ultimately drawn from his own experiences with mental health and human connection.
Perfect for fans of Life Is Tough But So Are You, Your Head Is A Houseboat and Hope Is A Verb, with a foreword from psychologist Chris Cheers.
PRAISE FOR WOW IT'S ALL A LOT
'Wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time' Em Rusciano
'Sam has a knack for making the heaviest things feel light' Briony Benjamin, author of Life Is Tough But So Are You
'The kind of wisdom that only comes from living through challenges ... he has been where you are and has made it through' Chris Cheers, psychologist and author of The New Rulebook
'Makes me feel understood in a way few others do' Anna Spargo-Ryan, author of A Kind of Magic
'Mindfulness personified. That's what this book is. Read and hold it, it will help you feel better' Dr Mark Cross, psychiatrist and bestselling author of Anxiety
'Sam's messaging is beautifully encouraging, relatable and aspirational. A gift to our homes and bookshelves' Dr Amy Thunig, author of Tell Me Again
'A call to go inward, to feel deeply, and to recognise and appreciate the messiest parts of our humanity' Hannah Ferguson, Cheek Media Co.
'Reading a page from Sam's book has become my daily practice, reminding me to connect with the people and things I value the most. Simple in theory, but radical in practice' Georgia Grace, certified Australian sex coach
About the Author :
Samuel Leighton-Dore is an artist, author and screenwriter based on the Gold Coast, Australia and the creator of the Smile Tiles. He has written for publications including SBS Voices and produced illustrated mental-health campaigns for ReachOut, Man Cave and the University of Queensland. His ceramic works have been acquired as part of the Gold Coast City Collection and twice selected for the biennial North Queensland Ceramic Awards. He and his husband run Sad Man Studio, a boutique animation studio focussed on creating queer-centric animated stories with heart and humour.
