On The Great British Bake-Off season nine, Kim-Joy became well known not just for how cute her baked goods were but for how meticulously, exquisitely crafted they were. Her success on the show has been parlayed into a series of cookbooks and even a collaborative card game. Before all that success, things were different for Kim-Joy, including a strained relationship with her father in an unusual housing arrangement, years of selective mutism at school, and a lot of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Kim-Joy eventually found her way into a career as a mental health provider and found herself in a relationship with a man, now her husband, who encouraged her creative pursuits and helped provide a safe space in which to create.

How does someone go from isolation to a medium that asks you to share everything? And how did she manage her world once she got there? We talk to Kim-Joy and find out.

Pre-order Kim-Joy's new book, Bake Me A Cat: 50 Purrfect Recipes for Edible Kitty Cakes, Cookies and More!, at the bookstore of your choice. For more books, YouTube videos, and Kim-Joy's board game, Kim-Joy's Magic Bakery, visit her website at www.KimJoysKitchen.com. Follow Kim-Joy on Twitter @kimjoyskitchen and on Instagram @kimjoy.

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Help is available right away.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988 or 1-800-273-8255, 1-800-273-TALK

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.

International suicide hotline numbers available here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

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John’s acclaimed memoir, The Hilarious World of Depression, is now available in paperback. https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250209566/thehilariousworldofdepression

Find the show on Twitter @depreshpod and Instagram @depreshpod.

John is on Twitter @johnmoe.

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