Who we are

And by “we” I mean me. Or I. I am Mary and I am following sparks.

Following Sparks was born from 20+ years of survival mode — and the weird, magical moment I finally realized I wasn’t broken.

My Before + After — The (Sort Of) Truth

Two colored digital portraits in photobooth style showing a woman with a serious expression labeled 'This is me before the sparks hit' and the same woman with a big smile labeled 'This is me after', both against orange swirled backgrounds.

On the left: me before the sparks.
On the right: me after.

The truth? That first face was my daily reality for way too long.
The second one isn’t just about joy — it’s about remembering who I was before I disappeared.

That second picture? That’s what happens when you start reclaiming tiny bits of joy, self-trust, and “what if…”

And that first one? That was the face of someone who gave everything, ignored every red flag, and kept trying to fix a life that was burning her out.

💥 How I Got Here (the quick-ish version)

My story is the slow, quiet kind of trauma that doesn’t make headlines—but rewires your entire nervous system.

I spent over two decades in a relationship with a narcissist.
Financial abuse. Emotional manipulation. Isolation.
And the cherry on top? My own family reinforced the erasure.

By the time I realized what was happening, I was broke, broken down, and raising two kids in a foreign country inside a crumbling house with no space, no money, and no idea how to get out.

But deep inside?
A single truth stayed lit:

“This is not how the story ends.”

I didn’t “manifest” my way out.
I rebuilt.
Breath by breath. Choice by choice. Rage, rest, ritual, repeat.

Following Sparks became my breadcrumb trail.
A map of my phases: first survival, then Warrior mode, and finally—
the place I could play again. (since I’m all fancy now, I gave that process a name: The Spark Path)

I’m still in it. But I’m also out of the worst of it.
And now I share what I learn as I go.
So you can skip the spiral.
So you don’t feel so alone.

Maybe your story is different. Or maybe it’s exactly the same in all the invisible ways.

Following Sparks isn’t about forcing a breakthrough.
It’s about finding one tiny yes at a time.

Close-up of a welcome sign with the words "Welcome to Following Sparks" on a decorated background with stars and flowers, seen from a person's perspective standing on a pink surface, with blue shoes visible at the bottom.

Following Sparks is for women who’ve spent years surviving, giving, masking, doubting, and disappearing… until something whispered “enough.”

This space is for that flicker — that tiny, ridiculous, persistent feeling that maybe you’re still in there.

Colorful stars on a black background with one yellow streak.

This space is for you if…

💫 You’ve been surviving so long, you forgot what you even like


💫 You’re tired of pep talks and want permission to rest and rediscover


💫 You want digital journals, tools, and stories that don’t talk down to you or feel like an obligation


💫 You’re craving magic, but like… in a grounded, no-crystals-required kind of way

Colorful stylized stars in pink, blue, and yellow with yellow lines indicating motion or emphasis.
retro desktop with two polaroids showing a grumpy mary and a spark filled mary
Three children and an adult standing around a stylized wave with orbit lines and stars in the background.

Warning: Following sparks may

lead to spontaneous bouts of joy and purpose.

🌈 What Following Sparks Is Really About

This isn’t a motivational blog.
It’s not another self-help formula.
It’s not here to fix you — because you’re not broken.

It’s a space built from scratch by a woman who got tired of disappearing.
It’s a trail of breadcrumbs.
A collection of tools, journals, stories, and some magic tools to help you remember your voice and follow your own sparks.

A handwritten note on a torn piece of paper with a pink heart clip, spaghetti, and two yellow leaves at the top. The note introduces Mary, who describes herself as an overthinker, emotional, a mom, and a fan of retro fonts, talking to birds, and turning emotions into PDFs, aiming to help others feel less alone.
Four colorful stars in pink, blue, yellow, and black with yellow streaks next to the pink star on a black background.

If you’re still reading, maybe you’re in the Spark Embers phase.
Or maybe you’re full-on Warrior.
Or maybe you’ve just felt the tiniest flicker of joy again.

Wherever you are—start there.
That’s where the spark is.

Want to follow your own sparks?