Dana Bowman takes on sober menopause and sugar addiction in ‘Humble Pie’
Age: 56 • Lives in an “adorable small town of Lindsborg, Kansas, right in the MIDDLE of the U.S.”
The Midst: You’ve written two books — Bottled: A Mom’s Guide to Early Recovery, winner of the 2016 Kansas Notable Book Award, and How to Be Perfect Like Me. In our book, you’re not just a writer, you’re an entrepreneur. How do you think about being a writer-preneur, and what’s your advice for aspiring authors?
Dana Bowman: The first thing I always say about writing is that it can be an isolating business. That’s why it’s so important to find community (kind of how I found you, Amy!) to help us when we feel like we are in a bubble of our own creation.
I would also like to say that writing these days so often feels like it needs a large platform, a large following, and “all the things” going on. With my own writing, it’s super hard not to compare myself to others with thousands of followers and huge platforms. So, I remind myself that if I’m consistently working on voicing my heart, then my audience will come. And, honestly? I wrote three books with a small platform! My publishers didn’t bat an eye! So don’t buy into the “I’ve got to be an influencer and a writer” if you don’t want to be. I am content in my own smaller universe with fabulous connections and lots of healing going on.
Let’s dig into your new book, Humble Pie: Sober Menopause, Sugar Addiction, and the Sweetness of Recovery. We love your approach of connecting sobriety with peri/menopause, and sugar addiction — this hasn’t been done before. What do you hope women take away from reading Humble Pie?
Process addictions — like food, or shopping, any “little addiction” that rears up after we let go of biological addictions like alcohol or drugs — can be really tricky. We write them off because, heck, they aren’t as dangerous as drugs or alcohol, right? But in my book, I write about the mental toll these addictions took on me, and the subsequent “life as just surviving” that I engaged in for years because of them. When I finally got honest with myself about sugar, it really amazed me how I was acting just like I did with alcohol with my sugar fixes. And that caused so much shame and confusion.
What I want my readers to know is that I get it. I am right here with you. This is tough and I hope my journey through, not around, will help you.
What are some of the ups and downs about your age or life right now and why?
The ups? I decided to go grey and I LOVE it. It makes me feel free and rebellious and also just a bit sexy if I can really own it.
The downs? On some days, I look at the grey and think, “who is that old lady?”
In other words, my ups and downs are really all up to my mental health, an honest perspective, and my courage. On my less courageous days I have to give myself some solid reminders, a bit of a shake to my soul, and I usually grab some red lipstick because that always helps.
What’s the most surprising or exciting thing you’ve learned about yourself lately?
That I wrote a third book! Whaaaaattt? How cool is that? And I’m already thinking about the next one. My creative self really shines in the midst of life.
What’s one of the hardest/most challenging things you’ve ever done?
My TEDx talk. The entire thing was so important to me — to get it right. To speak my truth and really teach others about Invisible Women Syndrome and how going grey revolutionized my life. I put a lot of pressure on myself to Make. It. Perfect. I probably should have re-read my second book (it’s about perfectionism and addiction) to help myself.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to yourself at age 40?
Use sunscreen and stop trying to be perfect all the time. It’s a waste of good creative space in your brain. Just be messy and own it.
Also, you can wear red lipstick whenever the hell you want.
How can The Midst community help you?
Help me get my third book, Humble Pie, into the right hands! I am so excited for this book, and really very proud of it. It took about 6 years to make. I hope it does well. 🙂
What’s next for you?
I’m going to work on two things: a novel about a woman who faces tragedy and finds herself falling into addiction, but it will also be funny because that’s the only way I write.
Secondly, and maybe: A book about midlife and recovery and LOOOOOOOOVE. Both are in the works and both keep me up at night with ideas, which is always a good sign.
Let’s connect!
Instagram: @thedanabow
Facebook: @thedanabow
TikTok: @thedanabow (just mainly silly vids about all my goofy thrifted outfits 🙂
Dana Bowman is a member of the Founding MidstHer community of entrepreneurial women helping each other grow their businesses — because it takes a community to work for yourself.
Learn more about how to join here.
