V.J. Cast

VJ is a non-fiction author, colouring book creator, introvert, and co-parent of a home-schooled teen on the spectrum.

She’s spent over two decades struggling with depression, trichotillomania (hair pulling), social anxiety, disordered eating, non-suicidal self-harm, and bipolar II and brings this experience to her mental health journals. Fibromyalgia also enjoys kicking her ass, so she’s close friends with numerous hot water bottles.

She spent her teen years living overseas, which involved a period of carrying a gas-mask at school (Gulf War I) and surviving a Molotov cocktail landing on her bed and setting fire to it while she was in it. These days she lives on one of the South Moreton Bay Islands off the coast of South East Queensland, Australia which has an incredible abundance of wildlife, but far too many friendly mosquitoes in summer.

As a grand-daughter of Sir John Gorton, she was often encouraged by her high school teachers to follow in his political footsteps. She decided her lack of a poker face (and, occasionally, tact) made this a terrible idea. Instead, she pursued a more creative path, receiving an Advanced Diploma in Editing, and starting a Bachelor of Arts (Professional Writing & Publishing) at Curtin University in Western Australia via Open Universities Australia.

She likes comfy pants (with pockets!), replaying the Mass Effect franchise, table-top roleplaying games, and making a mess with more craft projects than she has time or spoons for. She is definitely a cat person.

She dislikes (most) social media, having to wear makeup, photographs of herself, and watching her child grow up. She would describe her (lack of) relationship with social media as ‘it’s complicated.’

Her hair colours, like her medications, are subject to change.