Dear Bird,
Are you and I alike?
If so, you think and feel in the deep end of things, moving through life with intensity, unbridled curiosity, and a need for spacious ways to make meaning.
You may or may not identify with that word, “writer”—but you do process the world through written language, metabolizing your life on the page in order to make better sense of your self and your surroundings.
For the Birds is a newsletter ecosystem for tenderhearted writers and divergent creative humans—those of us who don’t feel seen by traditional guidance and “status quo” ways of writing & making.
Expect deeply curious essays written at the intersection of creative practice, neurodivergence, and the more-than-human world; vulnerable shares from the trenches of late-diagnosis; and accessible invitations to broaden/sharpen the quality of your attention—which is where your creativity actually lives.
“Sarah writes with such human tenderness, I can’t help but feel seen.” ~Robin
Inside this newsletter (and community gathering space), you’ll be among like-minded companions—those who are, in the words of Gloria Anzalduá, “excruciatingly alive to the world.” From the creative-weirdo-witches and highly sensitive souls to the late-diagnosed / self-diagnosed AuDHD humans and everyone in-between: this is a place where you are not just welcome, but seen and understood.
Each month, paying members of this community meet for a workshop or co-writing session with the same guiding aims:
to steady our creative lives
to drum up clarity of purpose
and to remember that writing is equal parts craft and joy
You can learn about our most recent workshops—and discover a growing archive of at-your-own-pace support—by visiting the “Workshops & Community” tab on my homepage.
↠ Who am I? ↞
I’m a lifelong writer, late-dx autistic human, game show enthusiast, bug advocate, only child, and bearer of two middle names (Teresa Leonora). A dear friend recently asked how many tattoos I have, and I couldn’t tell her! I’ve seen every episode of Seinfeld at least one hundred times. My M.A. is in English, with emphases in poetics, creative writing, and gender studies. My sun and moon are both in Taurus.
I’m also a creative mentor and writing coach, and For the Birds is an extension of that holistic, emotionally attuned work.
In these pages, I think out loud and write in real time, sharing ideas, frameworks, questions, and the small experiments that help me and my clients navigate a life that diverges from the “status quo” model and reclaim the creative impulse on our own terms.
I do my best thinking alongside people who inhabit at least one liminal space, and who are often hitting their stride later in life. If that’s you: welcome! I’m so glad we found each other.
↞ A few greatest hits ↠
↞ Kind words from other people ↠
“Sarah’s newsletter is like getting a creative mentor in my inbox. Her voice is kind, her words are artful, and their perspective is always fresh and unique. (~Robin)
“I really love your letters. I recently had a purge of my email inbox and unsubscribed from a LOT of substacks, but I always look forward to reading your words.” (~J)
“Sarah looks at the world differently, in a way that feels both microscopic and macroscopic simultaneously. ” (~Kat)
“Stumbling across this funny, wise, thoroughly authentic newsletter and having a creative coaching session with Sarah were two of the unexpected gifts of these pandemic years.” (~Jody)
In reciprocity & warmth,
~Sarah
Questions? Eager to collaborate? Am I the trauma-informed creative coach you were worried might not exist? I exist!! Write to me directly at sarah.teresa.cook@gmail.com for any and all of it.
All drawings and most photographs included in For the Birds are made by me, usually shot on film.
