PHoto via the japanese canadian artists directory

On the latest episode of It’s a Lot, I spoke with fellow toddler mom Leanne Toshiko Simpson about figuring out when you’re ready to have kids, the joys of slow walks with curious toddlers, and the insidious productivity culture depicted in Thomas the Tank Engine. Leanne is also a writer, mental health advocate, and educator, so in the first half of the show, we dive into her bipolar diagnosis, navigating the mental health system, writing characters with mental illness, the joys of mad friendship, and how to write funny. It was a fun conversation and I learned a lot from Leanne’s insights on mental illness and mad community!

Make sure to check content warnings (found in the show notes) before listening; Leanne does briefly mention suicide attempts, so take care when listening.

I hope you’ll give the episode a listen! Here are some quotes and memes from the episode to pique your interest.