Hello friends,
I noticed a number of new subscribers joined recently, perhaps from
’s lovely newsletter—thanks for being here. Here are some links to satiate your curiosity about who I am, why I’m fascinated by shame and love love love a research deep dive.I’m settling into the liminal space that is an academic summer. It feels good to breathe.
I’m enjoying some research deep dives again, y’all! It’s been a minute. Currently, I’m reading about puffins, who are described as flying underwater to chase their prey.
This is just one of the ways climate change is negatively impacting puffin populations in the north Atlantic. I’ve also been reading about how puffins brood their chicks—which are called pufflings. “Puffling” is one of my favorite words. Bonus, pufflings are a literal soft thing, covered with downy fluff until they mature. I learned that:
My diary comics class began. My heart’s felt so full after each class. The group is lovely and everyone’s drawings are fantastic—funny, moving, whimsical.
During our first class, we created a comic about a recent disappointing event. First, we brainstormed text using a mindmap. Then, we created a list of the steps in an inescapable daily routine. For example: making your kid’s lunch; what you do when you wake up every day; your commute; how you end your day—any mundane routine. The kind of routine that’s automated. Then we illustrated the routine. Finally, we added the incongruous text about the disappointing event.
Here are 2 panels from mine, about a disappointing incident in which I ate all the blueberries my kid collected from our yard as a result of miscommunication.
Here’s the second panel:
Here’s a diary comic I made for homework. Nerd disclosure: I love doing homework. Oops, the final panel should read “how would I feel about feeding AI my face?”
It’s been a delight to teach this class. I love seeing everyone’s work—it’s so brave, creative, and moving. I’m teaching another class in July—I hope you’ll join me!
Make comics with me!
Mondays 7:30-9:30 PM EST | July 1, July 8, 15, 22 | on zoom
No drawing experience needed! If you’re comics-curious—this is for you.
Comics are powerful. What are the stories that keep us small? That make us feel unloveable? I believe that we can free ourselves and find our way out by telling these stories. We’ll explore some research about shame and its function to help counter those old narratives. Then, we’ll dive into working through prompts, sharing our work, and building our capacity for bravery, tenderness, and joy in our comics.
Sign up here: https://learn.sawcomics.org/courses/Shame-Stories
Book news!
I’m in the midst of book edits. And we’re working on the cover design, which is super exciting! Later this summer, I hope to share some pages and more progress.
Thanks for reading Soft Things: comics about science, research, and being human. I create narrative comics that intertwine research and storytelling to make science relatable. My comics have been featured in the Washington Post and Mutha Magazine, among other outlets. My graphic memoir is forthcoming from Street Noise Books in 2025. If you’re new here, welcome! You might wonder why I’m curious about shame, why this newsletter is called Soft Things, and who the heck I am, anyway. For more comics and creative process-processing, here’s my Instagram: @cara_gormally
Read any good graphic memoirs recently? I’d love a book recommendation! Please share your recommendations in the comments :)
I love those exercises!
Puffling is maybe one of the best words ever. Now, I must draw some. Cheers for the inspiration.