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This Is Not What I Ordered: conversations on chronic illness, loss + change


Dec 3, 2018

In this episode, I interview Monica Michelle, a children’s book writer, illustrator, and mother of two living with fibromyalgia and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A passionate artist, photographer, and author, Monica is truly a woman of many talents. She now hosts the Invisible Not Broken podcast, as well as I Can’t Believe That Happened -- a history podcast for kids and curious grownups.

Monica has lived with chronic illness from a young age but she’s never let that dampen her humorous and creative spirit. Embracing the impermanence of life and using her failures as lessons, she’s mastered the art of picking up the pieces and moving on without losing her core role of storyteller.

Monica discusses how her lifelong struggle with chronic illness and the realization that there are no guarantees have led her to fearlessly chase her dreams. She explores how her journey has given her remarkable resilience and an unshakable faith in herself. During our colorful conversation, Monica opens up on using humor as a survival mechanism, how she focuses on her true passions to find her core, and she offers creative parenting tips on how she’s raising her kids to be more empathetic.