Chapter 76: Jenny Lawson on dark dollhouses delivering a door from depression

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Do you suffer from anxiety disorder? Depression? Intrusive thoughts? Obsessive compulsive disorder? Voluntary hair pulling? Avoidant personality disorder? Any of the above?

Well, Jenny Lawson suffers from all of the above. Tuberculosis too, according to her wonderful new book. It’s an overwhelming way to live and only partly cured by being a global community leader for mental health through her wonderful blog (thebloggess.com), her millions of followers, and her indie bookshop Nowhere Bookshop down in San Antonio, Texas.

Does Jenny Lawson do podcasts? Interviews? No, not really. She tells us at the beginning of the chat that she loves 3 Books so much that she wanted to come — lucky us, as 3 Bookers have been asking for this interview for years! — and she made herself cozy by calling me up from under her desk, in cozy clothes, post-beta-blockers, and with Hunter S. Tomcat providing animal therapy throughout.

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Jenny is funny, crass, smart, and openhearted. She’s struck a deep chord with her books Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Furiously Happy, You Are Here, and Broken. (All, I should mention, with the wonderful Amy Einhorn who’s edited four of my books, too!)

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Jenny and I talk about what a good editor does, reading in the freezer, stealing Stephen King, dollhouse therapy, mental health toolkits, LSD, what your kids will actually remember about you as a parent, and of course, Jenny’s 3 most formative books.

Jenny is gracious and disarmingly truthful and she doesn’t want her pain to go to waste. She is a beaming voice the world needs more of and today I am just so privileged to help her do just that.

Let’s flip the page into Chapter 76 …

What You'll Learn:

  • What does an editor do?

  • How do you read horror books when you have anxiety?

  • How do you open a bookshop?

  • What is reading guilt?

  • How can ketamine treat depression?

  • How can we cultivate self care and self awareness if we have anxiety?

  • What are intrusive thoughts?

  • How does depression lie?

  • What is a mental health toolkit?

  • What is dollhouse therapy?

  • How can we talk to our kids about mental illness?

Notable quotes from jenny lawson:

“Booksellers and librarians are like wizards delivering spells that are going to change your mind.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“I have been saved over and over again by this community of people who are saying it is ok to be flawed and broken.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“I work really well with things where I can let my hands do one thing and my brain can go off in another direction.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“Having small things that you have complete control over is really helpful.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“Don’t let your pain go to waste.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“Read things you are uncomfortable with because that’s how you grow.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

“There is no such thing as a book which is not worthwhile as long as you find joy in it.” Jenny Lawson #3bookspodcast

Connect with jenny:

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Resources Mentioned:

 
 
 
 
 
 

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