The Secret Sauce
Introducing My Patronizing, Ham-fisted Workbook Project
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Rainbow scratch paper is always touted as being “for children.” I suppose I’m childish because I enjoy working with it.
The following is the introduction to my workbook project, Sixty: Take Two.
I’m told that people don’t read introductions these days.
I hope you’re in the special club that always reads introductions because that’s where you’ll find the golden ticket, the silver key, and the brass ring.
I’m gonna tell you how this book works, so drop everything and pay attention, for I am the guru with the God-given insight, here to tell you how to change your life overnight by doing as I say. First, I want you to open your bank account and PayPal all your money to Ornery Owl this instant. Then I want you to repeat, “Ornery Owl is my savior,” while patting your head and rubbing your stomach.
Actually, I don’t want you to do any of that. However, if you think it would be fun to pat your head while rubbing your stomach, go for it, and if you want to proclaim that Ornery Owl is your savior, I won’t stop you, although I will let you down if you truly believe it.
I’m not anyone’s savior, and I’m not pretending to know anything, let alone to know everything. I hope to serve as a guide, a cheerleader, a confidant, and maybe a catalyst for positive changes if your life isn’t working quite right.
I’m writing this book for a younger me who could have used one like it. I’ve tried various workbooks, but they all seemed too much like textbooks. Some told me why I didn’t fit in and admonished me to change. They didn’t help me figure out why I was a socially inept mess, but they scolded me for being one.
I spent most of my life hating myself. My goal is to give you a space where you can accept yourself, at least for a few minutes. I wrote the book, but the instant you hold it in your hands, it becomes your book. You can do whatever you want with it. Most people will tell you not to write in books. I want you to write in this one. I want you to draw in it. I want you to color pictures.
If you’d like, you can share your efforts on your blog or Instagram and leave a comment with the link on my Substack so I can come by and look. If you subscribe to my Substack, you can also send me your posts and pictures by replying to the newsletter email. Remember that I am not a licensed counselor, a psychologist, or a guru with all the answers. I have both physical and mental limitations, but I genuinely care about others.
That being said, I won’t toe the line on everything. It is possible to care about people while disagreeing with them. For instance, I may not align with you politically. I may not hold the same religious beliefs you do. I may disagree with you on specific social issues. None of these things mean I don’t care about you and want you to thrive in 2025 and beyond.
Now that I’ve told you what this book isn’t, let me tell you what it is and who it will likely appeal to.
This book contains essays expressing my thoughts with an invitation to express your thoughts, art prompts and samples of my artwork, a coloring page, a creative writing prompt and samples of my creation process, a poetry prompt, and samples of my poetry. It will probably appeal to those drawn to art therapy, journaling, and creative pursuits. Each day provides a new art sample/prompt, coloring page, essay/rant with an invitation to share your thoughts, poem sample/prompt, and something related to fiction writing. It could be a chapter from a story, a character study, some outlining notes, or a look at the creation process to let you see that nobody’s story flows onto the page in perfect form.
Sometimes, the essay/rant will be a drabble. Sometimes it will be longer. It’s like a box of chocklits. You never know what you’re going to get.
If you print out the pages of this book, I suggest putting them in a binder. Teachers and therapists, you can print as many copies as you like to give your students/clients. Printing and reselling the book is a no-no.
When I shared my thoughts about creating this book, one person told me my approach was patronizing and ham-fisted. I certainly don’t intend it to be so. I am not ordering those who purchase the book to follow my directions to the letter or else. Once the book is in your hands, it’s yours to do with what you will. I created it for you and me because I want us to heal. I am sharing methods that have helped me. I am sharing thoughts about things that have happened to me and how I dealt with these things both as catharsis and in the hope that this knowledge will help people.
I never claim I have all or even any of the answers. I never claim I have achieved perfection. I’m far from perfect. I’m simply someone whose time is running out, and I want to try to do something positive before I reach the end. I hope my ham-fisted efforts will help me and you.
With love,
Ornery Owl
So, here’s how this is going to work.
I will publish a chapter from the workbook each week. The chapter will be free for a week, after which it will be behind a paywall.
You can find the chapters on the Naughty Netherworld Press Substack (naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com) or the Crazy Creatives Cheerleading Camp channel on Odysee. (https://odysee.com/@crazycreativescheerleadingcamp:2)
A paid subscription to Substack costs $60 per month.
Each post viewed on Odysee costs 250 LBC (approximately $1.25).
A master post with links to new posts on Substack and Odysee will go up each week on Readers Roost. (https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost)
You can also follow the Naughty Netherworld Press start page.
naughtynetherworldpress.start.page
Image generated by Pixlr
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