Fox Under The Moon’s wise words reach 50k on social media – and at Autumn Fair
Wise words are behind Autumn Fair newbie Fox Under The Moon’s greeting cards, stationery, calendars and gifts, and owner Stacey McNeill has expanded her mental health brand since setting up following lockdown.
Stacey has just hit 50,000 social media followers keen to keep up with her promotion of positive mental health and wellbeing, illustrated by an anxious, inquisitive fox and the wise old Moon.
She explained: “The lockdown experience for people was incredibly varied. For many, the forced isolation was tough on their mental health, and this was certainly true for friends, both in Wales and further afield.
“I wanted to send cards to show them I was thinking of them, but I couldn’t find one that accurately reflected the mood of feeling at the time – so, I created my own and shared the imagery on social media.”
The cards were an instant hit online, with the small, printed batches selling out quickly and Stacey then used her artwork to self-publish her debut picture book Fox Under The Moon, which illustrates a collection of conversations between Fox And Moon sympathetically and delicately addressing some of life’s biggest challenges, including grief, loss, love, friendship, depression, and anxiety.
With the product range now having expanded to include art prints, calendars, and wearable gifts, Stacey is taking Fox Under The Moon to Autumn Fair, which runs over 4-7 September at Birmingham’s NEC, exhibiting in Hall 20 on stand C23.
Stacey and husband Jamie quit the rat race in 2018, selling their house and possessions to move to an old touring caravan in Wales, and it was while working as a warden on a Welsh campsite that she brought her ideas to life.
“I was incredibly anxious about placing the order for the first 500 books,” Stacey said. “I was worried they wouldn’t sell, and I’d be left with hundreds of copies and an empty bank account. However, by Christmas I’d sold 1,000 copies of the first edition and exhibited them at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in Builth Wells.”
Encouraged by her success, Stacey developed her illustration style, moving away from watercolour painting to digital illustration, making production and distribution of her work far easier. Strong international sales of the second edition have led to a publishing deal in the Netherlands as well as the expansion of the product range.
Stacey added: “My husband and I have spent this summer touring England’s county shows. I adore in-person selling and seeing the impact my work has on people. My increasing social media following has also led to me being recognised at most of the shows, which I’m still coming to terms with!”
Sharing that both Jamie and she have faced challenges with their own mental health in the past, Stacey revealed: “What you see in the book has been based on our own lived experiences, as well as those of people we know, and those who have reached out to me by email and social media.
“Daily, I receive messages from customers who describe the comfort my book and artwork have given them, which is incredibly humbling. To be able to give comfort to someone in crisis is wonderfully rewarding.”
She added that, prior to their lifestyle change, both were incredibly stressed-out and unfulfilled: “Jamie was working long hours as a schoolteacher and, although I’d left teaching two years beforehand, I didn’t feel satisfied in the charity role in which I was working. While our lifestyle change was an enormous upheaval, it was the tonic we needed to take a step back and reframe our lives for the better.”
Jamie is now on board with the whole Fox Under The Moon business as the pair handle all aspects, from product design, to marketing, distribution, fulfilment, wholesale enquiries and accounts. And there’s a second book in the pipeline along with developing a schools’ programme to help young people deal with the mental health legacy from the pandemic and lockdown experience.
Top: Stacey McNeill and her supportive greeting cards are a big hit
