Today we’d like to introduce you to Marissa Bader.
Hi Marissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
My name is Marissa Bader, and I’m a Saint Paul native who now lives in Minneapolis, MN with my husband and three daughters — a set of twins and a singleton.
I’m a children’s book author and freelance writer who also holds a BA in journalism and an MA in marriage and family therapy. In addition to having served as the Twins Editor and mental health writer at Lucie’s List for several years, I’ve written for a variety of publications including Psychology Today, Time Out New York, Twiniversity.com, HuffPost Parents, and MN Parent, to name a few.
Throughout my career in writing and communications, I’ve worked in a wide variety of fields from PR, to marketing, to content writing, to fundraising and development, to freelance writing, and more.
Quite honestly, I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember — long before I wrote professionally. I recently found boxes upon boxes of old notebooks and journals I kept as a child in which I wrote short stories, poems, mini books, personal narratives, diary entries and SO much more. Writing has always been an incredibly cathartic experience for me, and I’ve often said that I don’t know what I think or feel until I write it down. For me, writing is truly synonymous with breathing.
Writing – and connecting with others through the written word – is truly my life force; it is how I attribute meaning to and make sense of the world. I also feel that we all have a narrative, and I’ve always been passionate about sharing mine to bridge the gaps between people, expose our similarities, and increase acceptance of one another. I call this “the shared journey.”
This notion of “the shared journey”, in addition to my background in and passion for mental health, has long been the inspiration behind the topics I choose to write about, both personally and professionally. Through my words, I aim to illustrate that despite any differences we may have, we’re all in this life together — a shared journey, if you will.
And finally, in 2022, I made one of my longest-held writing dreams come true — I wrote and published my first children’s book. My debut children’s book, The Only Me, is about a set of fraternal twins, Stella and Paige, and Stella’s quest to be seen as a unique individual.
I published my second children’s book, Stella’s Brave Voice, in October of 2023. Stella’s Brave Voice is a follow-up to The Only Me and is about Stella learning to speak up for herself and use her brave voice confidently and courageously. Both books are inspired by my own three daughters and their relational dynamics. Writing children’s books grants me the incredible opportunity to help impart the messages of self-confidence, empowerment, bravery, and self-love to children everywhere.
Plus, I’ve been able to connect with so many young people through author readings, school visits, and more and I hope to inspire them not just through the stories I write, but through MY story — that they can do or be anything they set their minds to. If they want to write, they can! If they want to publish children’s books, they can! All it takes is a bit of courage, faith, skill, knowledge, and hard work!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obstacles and challenges are actually kind of amazing. It’s through the challenges and mistakes that we learn, grow, and become more resilient! I will say that because I love to write so much, that has been the easiest part: writing, developing story and character ideas, and bringing my ideas to life.
The challenges have been learning the process of what it takes to successfully publish and promote a children’s book. This has been a huge learning curve, one in which I’ve made many, many mistakes. But those mistakes have taught me so incredibly much, humbled me greatly, and made me more knowledgeable about what to do differently the next time around.
I’ve learned that if I don’t know how to do something, the best way to learn. is simply by asking and doing my research. And the most amazing part is in the “paying it forward” process; I’ve been able to pass what I’ve learned onto others. That feels great!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marissabader.com/links/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marissabaderwriter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarissaBaderWriter/
Image Credits
Leigh Waterman
