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A heartfelt story about supporting a neurodivergent teen whose creativity flourished once given the space, time and trust to grow. Deb Bannerman shares her journey as a mum and co-founder of Zosimos Curra®, reflecting on the challenges, breakthroughs and quiet victories that shaped her child’s artistic path. A reminder that when we believe in neurodivergent minds, their brilliance shines.

With the second book for the Magbean!® series now published and ready to be ordered, how about some fun facts about the beans of Beanpie Island!   At the end of You Can’t Rush Friendships, the heads of two silhouettes are seen in the foreground. Guess who they were? Magtaco and Nachobean; the bullies of Beanpie Island, now clear for everyone to see in Kindness Over Rudeness. Now, how about we start with them?   Magtaco and Nachobean, brothers of a feather, as clearly stated i

Things have been pretty wild while creating the books. Progress was slow during school and then suddenly fast the moment I finished my last day. It feels like the book came together quickly, but in reality, it took almost five months to complete. Balancing a growing business with school has been tough. The constant workload pushed my stress levels high, which slowed everything down for both Zosimos Curra® and my studies. I was zoning out, juggling assessments, forgetting task

This was our first Geek Markets selling our books, and being the longest market day I’ve ever experienced behind a stall, I didn’t know what to expect. In fact, I never expected it to end with me not feeling overstimulated. I’ve been to many markets this year, and all of them have left me completely exhausted. The constant sounds, movement, and energy from people often push me into overstimulation, making the day feel overwhelming. This time, however, was completely different

First day of College (Year 11) - 2024 The last term of college has been tiring and stressful. I had assessments during school hours, business work outside of school hours, and chores and markets on the weekends. It eventually reached the point where I could barely focus on anything. Because of all that, the second book's progress slowed down. Now that I’ve finished my last week of college, I can finally focus on my business again. It felt strange leaving the school for the l

A reflection on resilience, love, and the fight to be seen There once was a man who never stopped moving. He worked two jobs, owned a home, had a baby on the way, and believed he was building the perfect life. On the outside, he seemed unstoppable. Inside, though, he was running on empty, driven by anxiety that told him to keep going no matter the cost. Not long after his daughter was born, his body finally gave out. What started as a dull ache in his feet turned into unbeara

There are moments in a creator’s journey that make you stop, smile, and feel a quiet kind of pride. For me, one of those moments came when a small, bean-shaped story of mine found its way into one of the most prestigious places in Australia: the National Library of Australia. Last week, I hand-delivered a legal deposit copy of You Can’t Rush Friendships , the first book in the Magbean!™ series, to the Library. That means Magbean!™ is now officially part of Australia’s nationa

“It’s always nice watching other people being recognised for their hard work.” I recently got to experience that feeling myself when I was honoured with an award for the ACT Children’s Week. While I have often found joy in seeing others celebrated, being recognised for my own efforts, especially at just 17, was both exciting and humbling. As an autistic creator, it is often difficult for people to read me and see just how excited or proud I really am. I still have challenges

Nat and I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the ACT Jigsaw Puzzle Competition  at EPIC in Canberra, invited last minute to join this engaging and community-focused event. You can find more about the event here: ACT Jigsaw Puzzle Competition 2025 . It was a fantastic day, and one of the highlights was watching young Jack from Orana Steiner School  single-handedly win the schools competition. What an incredible achievement! Beyond the puzzles, the event provided a brillia

Anxiety Paralysis: Understanding the Silent Struggle Not many people have heard of anxiety paralysis. Yet, it affects many people living...

Life in a world not built for me 🌍 Being autistic in a world that wasn’t built for how my brain works can be tough. Simple tasks lead to...

Hosting Disability Pride Book Launch If someone had asked me a few years ago what my purpose in life was, I would have given a very different answer. I might have said something simple, something conventional, a parent, a partner, someone trying to navigate life as best as they could. I certainly never imagined that my purpose would emerge from supporting a child’s creativity, advocating for the neurodiverse community, and helping bring their vision to the world. Watching Na

From one simple dinner table conversation to a published children’s book, a website, bookstore shelves, and more, discover how Magbean!™ was created in just seven months. Follow autistic author and illustrator Nat’s journey of challenges, milestones, and joy in bringing You Can’t Rush Friendships to life.

When I first started writing You Can’t Rush Friendships , I thought I was creating a simple story for children about making friends. What I quickly realised was that Magbean had lessons for me too. Children often remind us of the things we forget in the rush of everyday life. Writing about Magbean and Magbroccoli showed me the value of patience, empathy, and growth, not only for kids but for all of us. Patience In the story, Magbean wants to be instant best friends with Magbr

by Nat Bannerman ⚠️ Content Warning: This post contains personal reflections on mental health challenges, including anxiety and suicidal...

Discover the story of Anna’s Beta Book, the early draft that shaped Magbean!™ and sparked a creative journey of kindness, diversity, and imagination.

As a mum, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that being true to yourself takes courage, and that’s something my child, Nat, has taught me in the most beautiful way. From the time Nat was little, I could see they experienced the world differently. School wasn’t always easy, friendships sometimes felt complicated, and there were moments where I worried about how others would see them. But alongside those challenges I also saw an incredible spark — a creative mind,

Today, I attended the Capital Food Market with my debut book, You Can’t Rush Friendships, which was recently launched. As an autistic...

When you’re a kid, you don’t usually have the language to describe who you are. You just know you’re trying to figure it out. Sometimes that’s a quick discovery, sometimes it’s a long, winding journey. For me, it was definitely the long kind. Over six years, I tried on more labels than most people in my life could keep up with. Each one felt right for a while...until it didn’t. But every step taught me something important about who I am today. Mum used to tell me that labels

I still can’t quite believe it, the Magbean!™ book launch actually happened, and it was more incredible than I ever could have imagined. Walking into that space and seeing it filled with love, support, and pride for the stories I’ve created was completely overwhelming in the best way. I’ve never felt more seen, accepted, or uplifted. Thank you to every single person who came along, cheered from afar, helped behind the scenes, or simply believed in me and this project. You’ve