Vicki Todd grew up in Happy, Texas—but in Unstuck, she reveals that her adult life in the tiny rural town was anything but happy.
In a failing marriage and having suffered a miscarriage, Todd longed for more. In her 30s, she moved to Connecticut for a college teaching job. Then, when the college fell on hard times a decade later, she decided to follow her bliss, chasing an unsure future as an artist/motivational speaker/life coach. Unstuck is the story of this pursuit.
Todd calls her book “a visual memoir.” It’s built around 11 works she painted as an art diary and has dubbed “selfie-portraits.” They each depict a face adorned with different colorful artistic flourishes.
The accompanying text, recounting Todd’s spiritual evolution, is replete with New Age ideas. The author writes, for example, that “The Universe was asking me to answer a more profound Call to Adventure that would take me closer toward my True Self and Purpose.” She shares lessons she’s learning about intuition, miracles and faith. Almost as an afterthought, she adds a page of questions to prompt introspection.
The word “memoir” is a bit misleading, as the book is a slim outline of Todd’s spiritual seeking, offering little depth or personal context. For example, she never explains why her marriage was rocky or the scope of her feelings after the miscarriage; while she was inspired to find her life’s purpose while meditating with Deepak Chopra, readers never feel the power of that pivotal moment. Additionally, the spiritual thoughts offered are well worn. Like the contents of many journals, the book ultimately may mean more to the author than her audience.
This isn’t a book for general readers, but even fans of authors such as Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and Marianne Williamson (Course of Miracles)— readers who recognize the language of visioning, true self, and life’s purpose—are likely to wish for more in this visually enticing but ultimately superficial offering.
Also available as an ebook.
