We were lucky to catch up with Mary Brotherton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary, thanks for joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

More than ten ago, my husband showed me a video by Mark Gungor, called, “The Nothing Box,” (https://youtu.be/SWiBRL-bxiA) which discusses the difference between how men and women think. He explains in a comedic way how men are able to compartmentalize their thoughts and even have a specific compartment they all call the Nothing Box. Women, on the other hand, have a jumble of crossed wires that connect everything to everything else, smothered in emotions.

After we watched the video, my first comment was, “I want a nothing box,” to which my husband replied, “I’m sorry. You can’t have one. It wouldn’t work inside your brain.” I knew he was right and thought very little about it, except to encourage other couples to watch the video, because it can be helpful when trying to understand a significant other. It has helped me understand why my sons behave as they do, and even other female colleagues who may be analyzing their own many connected wires.

I hadn’t thought about the Nothing Box for a long time, but now I think of it almost every day and here’s why. One Christmas, my husband handed me a simple gift bag with some crumpled tissue paper hiding the gift inside. On top of the tissue paper, he had placed a sticky note that said: If you don’t like this, please don’t throw it at me. It’s a joke.

When I removed the tissue paper, all I saw was a small, plain brown, cardboard box with another sticky note: Your Nothing Box Starter Kit.

I started crying like a child who had just lost a prized toy. My husband backed up a little when I reached over to hug him.

“You’re not mad?”

No. I was not upset. I was overjoyed at his thoughtfulness. I later learned that for more than ten years, he had been trying to think of ways to give me my own Nothing Box, so that I could be like him, just unwinding by doing nothing. I still find it difficult to do nothing, but creating with words and visuals comes very close for me. In fact, when I asked if I could decorate my Nothing Box, my husband told me that it was a Nothing Box and I was not supposed to do anything to it or with it. Nothing! Then, remembering who I am and what brings me joy, he asked if I could show him or explain how I wanted to decorate it. I brought out a single ribbon: gold, brown, and red and showed him the way I wanted to tie it into a bow around the Nothing Box.

“As long as that’s all you do to it,” he told me.

My Nothing Box has a place of honor in my office and every time I glance at it, I remember the love and compassion my husband displayed by giving me a special box that is meant for absolutely nothing.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My mother told me I was editing cereal boxes when I was four. That’s the same year an older relative told her to have me committed because I talked to people she could not see. Fortunately, my mother understood that I was talking with angels. That was more than 60 years ago. I still edit and I still talk with angels. In October, 2022, I published my debut book, Go with Angels, and expect to release my next book in April 2023. Both are bUneke publications.

bUneke.org is a public charity I founded with two friends. It’s pronounced: “be unique” and features other not-for-profits, philanthropic businesses, and regular folks who are working to make the world better. We tell powerful stories about amazing people through our award-winning magazines and documentaries as well as 14 podcasts and a free, public event called MetaFest that we produce every three months. bUneke impacts small, grassroots organizations and speaks to the heart of potential donors who can find a worthwhile cause to support.

Go with Angels is a small book that has a big effect. Within 88 pages, I share personal encounters with angels and communication with deceased loved ones. My Angel Book is a book about angels for children and will be my second release. Although I have almost two dozen other books in various stages of completion, I felt compelled to write an angel book just for children after my niece told me how much her granddaughter loves Go with Angels. While these are my first published books, I’m no stranger to the life of a professional writer. For nearly 30 years, every job I’ve had relied heavily on writing, then more than 20 years ago, I started writing for a community newspaper. Soon, I was hired as the managing editor of that paper. In 2018, when we founded bUneke, I became super busy administering the charity, in addition to my writing and editing. Because bUneke is still 100% volunteer based, I’ve continued as a freelance editor.

I’ve been told I have a gift for being able to edit in a way that makes the writer feel empowered. My editing style allows me to quickly adapt to the writer’s voice without imposing my own, which helps create a stronger story. This has come in handy for bUneke Magazine and bUneke Productions, where I’m often called on to help with script writing. One writer, who is in the critique group I created in 2009, told me that without my editing help, he would have given up on writing years ago. He has several books in the hands of mainstream publishers, now.

My proudest moments, as the editor in chief at bUneke, have been when we were awarded the 2022 Prestige Award for the magazine and when the film Moving History won an award for my script, in addition to several other awards. My proudest moment as an author was selling my 100th book within 11 weeks after its release, but that pales in comparison to the reviews I’ve received where people state that my book has renewed their faith, inspired them, or changed their lives.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ve discovered technology that didn’t exist when I began my creative journey and it’s been a real game-changer for me. As one of three co-founders of the not-for-profit, bUneke, and as a novelist, memoirist, journalist, and script writer, I don’t need this technology, but as a children’s author, it’s become vital, in a very short time. My son introduced me to Midjourney, an app on Discord, that uses artificial intelligence to create images. I started using the app in December and within six weeks, I had created all the illustrations I needed to complete my first children’s book. The beauty of Midjourney is that even though others can use my bases, once I put my own creative touches on the images through an editing program, they become unique to me and I own them. I have several more children’s books to complete and with this program, it will be much simpler.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. I’ve been a professional writer and editor for more than 20 years. Now, I’m an author, which means I’ve published my first book, Go with Angels and within a few weeks, I will have published my first children’s book. I have nearly two dozen other books in various stages of completion that I am compelled to publish before my final breath. At 68, I wonder why I waited so long to publish and I trust that I will have time to publish all the others. I also strive to create a photography exhibit for my award-winning photos and those that haven’t won any accolades. So, what’s driving my creative journey? Time and my desire to share my words and art with others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://buneke.org
• Instagram: authormarybrotherton and bunekeeditor
• Facebook: marybrotherton, bunekeeditorinchief, bunekemamabear, gowithangelsbook
• Linkedin: marybrotherton
• Twitter: authormarybrotherton and bunekeeditor
• Youtube: MaryBrotherton

Image Credits
Jennifer East, Bob East, Jane Goodall, Mary Brotherton