Meet The Author
My name is Dawn Murphy
I'm a shy, chaotic mess of an Irish chick with an undying love for art, animals, and the great ole’ outdoors. Growing up, our house was basically a zoo—at one point we had 14 animals! It was wild, noisy, and wonderful. Life’s quieter now. After my family split up, I moved to a different state with my mom. We still have animals (just fewer), and I’ve got my own little crew: a dog and a snake.
Despite all the changes, my love for critters and nature hasn’t budged. I still wander outside to walk, snap photos, and squeal at animals doing their thing. Over time, I realized that in addition to being a traditional artist, I also love writing. And so, this blog was born—equal parts messy, heartfelt, and full of muddy paw prints.
What I Write About
Given my love for animals and all things nature-y, it’s no shocker that those themes pop up a lot in my writing. But it’s not just random plant facts and animal trivia—I go deeper than that.
I’m also well-acquainted with mental health nonsense. (Thanks, personal experience!) Living with a hyperactive squirrel-brain that can't always tell the difference between a life-or-death crisis and a mildly stressful Tuesday has taught me a lot—sometimes the hard way, sometimes with snacks.
So I decided to mash these two parts of my life together into something fun, hopefully relatable, and maybe even helpful. Nature, mental health, messy feelings, muddy boots—it’s all here.
Why I Write
Ok, let's be honest. Sometimes, the world feels like too much. And sometimes, it feels like not enough. Writing helps me sort through both.
I write because my brain is a tangled ball of yarn—half glitter, half existential dread—and putting words to the mess helps me breathe. It’s how I make sense of things, how I connect dots between muddy trails and mental spirals, and how I turn weird little moments into something that might actually help someone else feel less alone.
I write for the folks who feel like they’re too much, or not enough, or both at once. For the ones who cry at dog videos and talk to trees. For anyone who’s ever needed a reminder that healing doesn’t have to be pretty, and that joy can be found in the smallest, silliest rituals.
This blog is my way of saying: “Hey, I see you. Let’s walk through this together—snake in one hand, camera in the other.”