Spoiler: I’ve cried, I’ve panicked, I’ve packed until 2am… and I’ve loved every single second.
If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be running a little colouring book business called Tiny Whispers, surrounded by bears, foxes, mice, fairies and therapy cats… I probably would’ve laughed, cried, and then asked if there was a nap option.
But here we are.
Six months in.
Books printed, parcels flying out, snail mail posted, tears shed (lots), tea consumed (even more)… and somehow, Tiny Whispers has become this magical little world that I get to share with you.
So I thought I’d write a little 6-month check-in. A kind of diary entry meets behind-the-scenes, for anyone who’s been here from the start – or just found me because a tiny bear popped up on your TikTok feed.
How It Started: One Bear, One Bee, and a Very Big Dream
Tiny Whispers began with Honey Bear & Bee – a cute little bear who loves honey and a very loyal buzzing best friend. I started drawing them when my mental health was struggling, my anxiety was loud, and my autistic brain was completely overwhelmed.
Colouring and doodling became my safe place.
No pressure. No rules. Just lines, shapes, cosy ideas and soft characters that made me feel calm.
I never expected that those quiet scribbles would turn into a real book, let alone a real business.
But I took a deep breath, got Honey Bear & Bee printed… and you bought it.
Not just that – you messaged me, you coloured it, you sent me photos, and some of you told me it helped you feel calm too. And that was the moment I realised:
“Oh. This isn’t just a little idea anymore. This matters to people.”
The Woodland Got Busier: Foxes, Fairies and a Mouse Called Marmalade
Once Honey Bear & Bee were out in the world, my brain did what it always does… it said, “Right, what’s next?”
So along came Fox & Prickle (inspired by my mum and her love of foxes and hedgehogs), then the sparkly little Sugar Plum Fairy Fuzz, and later, the tiniest troublemaker of them all: Marmalade Mouse.
Each character has a little piece of my heart stitched into them:
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Fox & Prickle carry a lot of love and grief.
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Fairy Fuzz is all about tiny magic in dark moments.
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Marmalade Mouse is small, but does big things anyway – which feels very on brand for my life.
Seeing you fall in love with them, choose your favourites, and even start little “teams” (“Team Marmalade” is definitely a thing 🐭🥰) has honestly been one of the best parts of this journey.
Advent Calendars, Gift Boxes and That Little Matter of Christmas Chaos
Fast forward to autumn and I had one of those “this might be brilliant or absolutely unhinged” ideas:
A Colouring Advent Calendar and a Christmas Gift Box.
The advent calendar was a digital set of 25 mini pages so you could colour your way through December. The gift box… well, that took on a life of its own.
I created a wrapped Christmas Gift Box full of:
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A brand new, not-yet-released full-size book
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Postcard prints
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Snacks
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Stickers, stationery and secrets
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A surprise planner
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A letter from me
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And a scratch card, because why not?
I thought I’d sell a few.
You pretty much cleared me out.
I spent late nights wrapping, writing, checking addresses, and trying not to cry when Royal Mail queues were longer than my will to live. But seeing your photos of those boxes under your trees, and reading your messages on Christmas Day… it made every second worth it.
The Digital Side: Colouring Club, Digital Books & Many, Many Emails
Somewhere in-between all of that, I also:
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Launched digital versions of my books
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Started a weekly Colouring Club email with free downloads
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Sent more newsletters than my brain thought it could handle
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And forgot to attach the download at least once (thank you, menopausal brain 🙃).
The Colouring Club has become this lovely little rhythm in my week:
You brew a cuppa, I send a page, and somewhere between us there’s a quiet moment of calm and colour. That’s exactly what I’d hoped for.
Snail Mail, Big Feelings & The Birth of Tiny Hug Club
In December, I decided to send out 100 free Christmas snail mail letters – just as a little “thank you” from me to you.
I thought it would be a sweet extra.
I didn’t expect the response.
So many of you wrote to me saying it arrived on a hard day, or made you cry (in a good way), or felt like a hug at just the right moment. I sat here reading your emails, feeling completely overwhelmed in the best possible way.
And so, out of that, Tiny Hug Club was born:
A monthly snail mail subscription featuring Doodle the therapy cat, gentle words, cosy colouring and a real envelope dropping through your door each month – like a tiny hug you can hold.
Tiny Hug Club feels very close to my heart, especially as someone who struggles with anxiety, depression and autism. I know what it feels like to need comfort, to want connection, but not always have the energy or words for it. So this is my way of sending a little bit of calm out into the world.
The Messy Bits: Tears, Self-Doubt & The “Can I Really Do This?” Days
I won’t pretend it’s all been smooth or Instagram-pretty.
There have been:
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Days I’ve burst into tears over shipping issues.
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Nights I’ve stayed up worrying that no one will buy the next book.
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Moments where my autism and mental health have crashed headfirst into the demands of running a small business.
I’ve had imposter syndrome.
I’ve overthought everything.
I’ve asked myself, “Am I enough?” more times than I can count.
But every time I wobble, something small brings me back:
A photo of your coloured page.
An email that says, “Your book helped me relax.”
A message that says, “This arrived when I really needed it.”
Those things mean more to me than any number ever will.
Six Months In: What I’ve Learned
In these first six months, I’ve learned that:
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You don’t have to have it all figured out. You really can build the plane while flying it (preferably with snacks).
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People do care about small, gentle things – like colouring, snail mail and soft characters with big hearts.
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It’s okay to do things your own way. Quietly, slowly, kindly.
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Community really is everything.
Tiny Whispers started as therapy for me.
It’s become, somehow, therapy for us.
What’s Next?
More books.
More characters.
More messy, magical ideas.
More Tiny Hugs through the letterbox.
And hopefully, more moments of calm for you.
If you’ve supported Tiny Whispers in any way over these first six months – bought a book, joined the Colouring Club, opened a Christmas letter, pre-ordered, commented, liked, shared, or just quietly read along – thank you.
You’ve helped turn a scared, scribbling idea into something real and beautiful.
Here’s to the next six months… and all the tiny whispers of magic still to come. 💛
Love,
Vikki x
Tiny Whispers