Within the Glasswood Forest – Episode 3:
From Failure to Growth | Glasswood Storyworks
In Episode 3 of Within the Glasswood Forest, Jonathon Guidry opens up about the creative journey behind Glasswood Storyworks, the lessons learned through writing, family life, and perseverance—and the power of simply keeping moving forward.
Within the Glasswood Forest — Episode 3: From Failure to Growth
“It’s not about being as good as someone else. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself and refusing to stop along the way.”
If this story resonated with you, share it with a parent, teacher, or friend who needs encouragement today.
Planting wonder. Rooted in imagination. Grown through inspiration. Created with heart.™
Planting wonder. Rooted in imagination. Grown through inspiration. Created with heart.™
Behind the scenes. Early reveals. Follow our journey.
This episode explores:
How slowing down can sometimes be the key to moving forward
Why creative work needs both structure and flexibility to thrive
The importance of restarting with purpose when something loses its soul
How community and collaboration shape the creative journey
Why failure is one of the most powerful tools for growth
The balance between ambition, family, and being present in the moment
What it really means to become the best version of yourself
A Season of Slowdowns and Perspective
Sometimes, the best-laid plans fall apart—and that’s exactly where growth begins.
Over the past few weeks, our home has been full of both energy and exhaustion. Between writing deadlines, story drafts, and a house full of kids, we hit an unexpected wall when everyone came down with the flu. Progress slowed, schedules derailed, and that familiar pressure of “falling behind” started creeping in.
I’m someone who thrives on structure. When one piece of the puzzle falls out of place, I scramble to realign it all. But this time forced me to pause and reflect. Life—and creativity—don’t always follow a calendar.
Sometimes, you have to stop, reassess, and ask: What does the new path look like?
The truth is, it’s not about hitting every milestone exactly on time. It’s about finishing what matters, staying passionate about the work, and remembering why you started in the first place.
The Heart of Glasswood
At Glasswood Storyworks, we’re building more than books. We’re creating stories that plant wonder, stories that teach empathy and courage through adventure and imagination.
Every time I sit down to write, I remind myself how special this is—getting to craft stories that entertain children and leave something meaningful behind. That joy is sacred. When the weight of deadlines tries to drown it out, I stop and ground myself in that truth:
We’re doing this because it matters.
Writing in Motion: Seeing the Story Unfold
The project I’ve been pouring the most into lately is part of The Roaring Adventures—though that’s just our working title for now. The book has thousands of words written and is still evolving every week.
Writing it feels like watching a film behind my eyes. The world forms in color and motion, the characters move, speak, and feel alive. Sometimes, I’ll look up from the keyboard and realize I’ve been lost in it for hours.
My imagination races faster than my hands can type. Every scene unfolds before I can catch up—like my brain is streaming a movie only I can see.
That’s what I love most about storytelling: the ability to create entire worlds from nothing but thought and heart.
The Power of Creative Community
We’ve also been connecting with other authors—people who share that same drive to tell stories that matter. Some have already published books, others are still in the early stages, but the conversations have been inspiring.
Surround yourself with people who push you to grow, and it changes everything. Their energy becomes fuel. When you meet someone equally passionate, it reignites your own fire.
That’s what we’re building at Glasswood—a community of creators who lift each other up. People who aren’t competing, but creating together.
Restarting, Refocusing, and Finding the Soul
I actually restarted my current book recently. Not because it wasn’t good, but because it didn’t have soul.
My wife (and co-author under our shared pen names Eden J. Spark and M. Rose) told me early on that something was missing. She was right. The story had action and heart, but not that emotional tether that makes readers care.
So I scrapped it and began again.
This time, every word is written with intention. I want readers—kids, parents, teachers—to feel something real when they turn each page. Excitement, yes, but also connection and reflection.
We don’t just want to write great stories. We want to write stories that stay with people.
Calling All Creators
If you’re an artist or illustrator—especially here in Texas—we’d love to see your work. Glasswood Storyworks is a growing family business, and we’re always looking to collaborate with passionate people who believe in creativity that inspires.
Children’s picture books take immense time and effort to illustrate. Every page is a canvas for emotion and imagination. We’re doing much of our artwork in-house, but we’re always open to new partnerships and fresh perspectives.
And if you’re a new writer, editor, or storyteller who’s been waiting for the “perfect moment” to begin—start now. You don’t need to be a professional today to create something meaningful tomorrow.
This isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about showing up, learning, and doing the work that lights you up.
Ideas Are Water—Catch Them Before They’re Gone
Sarah and I get our best ideas during long walks. We’ll be mid-conversation about something completely random, and suddenly one of us stops and says, “Wait—record that.”
Ideas are like holding water in your hands. The longer you try to contain them, the faster they slip away. So we record everything. Dozens of little voice memos—20 seconds here, 30 seconds there—all waiting to be rediscovered later.
Some of our best story concepts were born that way, out in the open air, walking together and just talking.
Creativity thrives when you give your mind space to wander.
The Temptation of “Something Easier”
Every creator knows this struggle: you’re deep into a project, it’s getting hard, and suddenly a new idea pops up that feels effortless and exciting.
But chasing every “easy” idea leads to half-finished dreams.
Finish what you start. That’s where mastery is built.
It’s something I have to remind myself of constantly. My wife keeps me accountable—“Hey, you said you’d work on that book this week.” And she’s right. The magic happens when you push through resistance and keep going.
It reminds me of one of our family’s favorite movies, Meet the Robinsons. The entire message boils down to three simple words: Keep moving forward.
That’s the mindset I want to live by—not just as a writer, but as a father, husband, and creator.
Becoming the Best Version of Yourself
There’s a moment from Young Sheldon that stuck with me. Sheldon speaks with a rabbi about feeling inadequate compared to other geniuses like Einstein or Newton. The rabbi says,
“When you meet God, He won’t ask why you weren’t as smart as Einstein. He’ll ask why you didn’t become the best Sheldon you could have been.”
That line gave me goosebumps.
It’s not about being as good as someone else—it’s about being the best version of you.
I ask myself that constantly: am I being the best version of myself as a father, husband, leader, and creator?
The answer is usually, “Not yet—but I’m working on it.”
And that’s okay. That’s growth.
Lessons From the Past
Before Glasswood, I spent years in the oil and gas industry—long hours, constant travel, and hard work. I put myself through business school on the road, studying in hotel rooms after 100-hour weeks.
That experience taught me something powerful: self-motivation is everything.
Once you stop comparing yourself to others and start competing with your past self, the entire game changes. Progress becomes deeply personal.
That mindset built the foundation for Glasswood Storyworks.
Family, Chaos, and Purpose
At home, life is wild—in the best way. We’ve got three kids: 11, 4, and 2. It’s constant motion, constant laughter, and constant noise.
If the kids are quiet, that’s when you should worry!
But those chaotic moments are where purpose lives. Every story we write, every book we design, is rooted in family.
We want to give our children (and yours) stories that plant ideas early—about kindness, creativity, courage, and growth. I want my kids to have the lessons I learned 15 years before I figured them out. That’s the dream of every parent, I think—to help their kids start further ahead than we did.
And to every parent reading this: if you’re showing up, loving your kids, and doing your best, you’re enough. You’re already a hero in their eyes.
Failure, Progress, and Moving Forward
This podcast—and these reflections—aren’t about perfection. They’re about the process.
We want to share our wins, but also the failures and the late nights when things didn’t go right. That’s where real growth happens.
Every success story you’ve ever admired started with struggle. Behind every breakthrough are countless failed attempts, hard lessons, and quiet decisions to keep going when it would’ve been easier to stop.
That’s what we want Within the Glasswood Forest to capture: the beauty of the process, not just the polished result.
So, if you’re in the middle of something hard—keep moving forward. If you’ve started something you haven’t finished—go back and finish it. If you’ve lost your creative spark—reignite it.
You’re not alone. We’re walking this path together.
Thank You for Being Part of Glasswood
This was Episode 3 of Within the Glasswood Forest. We have so much more coming—new stories, new art, new lessons, and a whole world of imagination waiting to bloom.
If you’re a creator, parent, or dreamer who believes in what we’re building, we’d love to hear from you.
Connect with us at glasswoodstoryworks.com/contact
Follow our journey, sign up for early artwork reveals, and help shape the stories that will inspire the next generation.
Because in the end, it’s simple:
Keep moving forward.
Closing Reflection
This season reminded me that progress doesn’t always move in a straight line. Sometimes, life pauses your plans so you can rediscover why you started them in the first place.
What began as frustration turned into clarity: the goal isn’t just to finish—it’s to feel connected to what you’re creating. To remember that joy belongs in the process, not just the outcome.
For me, that means building stories through Glasswood Storyworks that spark imagination, celebrate perseverance, and remind families that greatness often grows in the slow, unseen moments of everyday life.
Because we’re not just creating stories for tomorrow. We’re shaping memories that will outlast us—one page, one lesson, one act of courage at a time.
Transcript of the interview Podcast: Within the Glasswood Forest – Episode 3
All right, let’s jump right back in. This is episode three of Within the Glasswood Forest, and we’ve got so many things to talk about today.
We’ve been tirelessly working on our books, and there’s a lot happening right now. I’ll be honest—I was hoping to have made a little more progress over the past couple of weeks with my writing, but everyone in the house came down with the flu. That definitely slowed things down and forced us to hit the brakes for a bit.
I’m the kind of person who likes to stick to a schedule. When one piece falls off, I tend to scramble to get everything back together and realign it with the original plan. But sometimes you have to stop, step back, and say, “Okay, this didn’t work out. What does the new path look like?” You reset the objectives, set new milestones, and keep moving toward the finish line.
What really matters is that we finish what we start—not that every single step happens perfectly on schedule. I tend to fixate on timing because so much of my work life revolves around deadlines and structured objectives. That mindset can be valuable, but it can also steal the joy from the creative process if I’m not careful.
And what we’re doing at Glasswood—it’s special. Writing books that inspire children, that entertain and teach meaningful lessons, that’s an incredible privilege. It’s fun, it’s fulfilling, and I never want to lose sight of why we’re doing it.
Writing and Vision
One of the books I’ve been focused on lately is part of The Roaring Adventures series—though that’s just the working title. We’ve written thousands of words already, and it’s been an amazing experience.
For our newsletter subscribers, we’ll be sharing a few potential titles soon to get feedback. It’s been a joy seeing this story come to life. Writing it feels like watching a movie play behind my eyes. The world forms so vividly that I sometimes forget I’m reading or typing—I’m just seeing it.
When I write, my imagination races faster than my hands can type. I’m lost in the story. And what makes it even more rewarding is realizing that we get to create something that children and families will one day hold in their hands and remember.
Building a Creative Community
We’ve also started connecting with other authors—people who share the same passion and drive. We’ve had virtual meetings with some incredible writers who have already published books or are deep in their own projects.
Surrounding yourself with motivated, like-minded people changes everything. Their energy rubs off on you. It’s contagious. Whether you’re in business or art, being around people who push themselves makes you want to do the same.
That’s the kind of community we’re building at Glasswood—one where creators inspire each other to keep going, to improve, and to bring meaningful work into the world.
Rewriting and Growth
I’ve already restarted my book once. I had to. My wife—who writes under our pen names Eden J. Spark and M. Rose—told me early on that something was missing. She was right. The story didn’t yet have the soul it needed.
So, I started over. This time, I made sure every page was written with intention. I want readers to feel something—connection, empathy, excitement. I want them to see themselves or someone they know in these stories.
And yes, they’re meant to be thrilling, full of adventure. But they also carry lessons that stick with you. That’s what good children’s literature does—it entertains while shaping hearts and minds.
Collaboration and Opportunity
We’re creating a lot of artwork right now, too. If you’re an artist or illustrator—especially if you’re in Texas—reach out to us! We’d love to see your work. Children’s books require a tremendous amount of illustration, and there’s plenty of room for creative collaboration as Glasswood grows.
This is a family business, and we’re doing a lot in-house. But we also want to work with passionate people—writers, editors, illustrators—who believe in what we’re building. You don’t have to be a professional yet. You just need passion, creativity, and a willingness to learn.
The Creative Process
My wife and I often get our best ideas on long walks. We’ll be talking about something completely unrelated when inspiration suddenly strikes. We stop, grab our phones, and record voice memos before the idea slips away.
Ideas are like water in your hands—the longer you try to hold them, the faster they escape. So, write them down. Record them. Capture them however you can.
We probably have fifty or sixty little recordings saved, each with a spark that could grow into something more.
Staying Focused
One of the hardest things in any creative field is resisting the temptation to chase every new idea. You start one project, hit a wall, and suddenly a new idea feels easier. But switching gears too often leads to a pile of half-finished work.
Finish what you start. That’s the real challenge.
We remind ourselves of that constantly. My wife will nudge me when I drift off course: “Hey, you said you’d work on that book this week.” She keeps me accountable, and I love that.
It reminds me of the movie Meet the Robinsons. The main theme is simple but powerful—“Keep moving forward.” When things get hard, when you hit that wall, that’s what you do. You keep moving forward.
Lessons from Life and Storytelling
Recently, I watched Young Sheldon with my family. There’s a moment where Sheldon talks to a rabbi about comparing himself to others. The rabbi says something that stuck with me:
“When you meet God, He won’t ask why you weren’t as smart as Einstein. He’ll ask why you didn’t become the best Sheldon you could have been.”
That hit me deeply. I ask myself often—am I being the best version of me? As a father, a husband, a leader, a creator?
It’s not about being as successful as someone else. It’s about being the best version of yourself.
Growth Through Challenge
Years ago, when I was working in the oil and gas industry, I pushed myself through long hours, traveling months at a time, and studying late into the night. I wanted to grow. I wanted to learn business, leadership, and finance—not for a title, but for the mindset.
That self-motivation changed everything. Once you stop comparing yourself to others and start competing with who you were yesterday, progress becomes personal.
That’s what we believe at Glasswood—continuous growth, self-motivation, and building something meaningful.
Family, Purpose, and Legacy
At home, things are wonderfully chaotic. We’ve got three kids—11, 4, and 2—and it’s loud, messy, and full of life. If they’re quiet, that’s when you get suspicious!
But those moments remind me why we do this. I want to give my children the knowledge and confidence to be better than me—to dream bigger, think deeper, and chase what matters.
And to every parent out there: if you’re showing up, providing love, support, and stability—you’re a superhero. You are enough.
Closing Thoughts
That’s what this podcast and this journey are all about—growth, creativity, and connection. We want to share our wins and our failures, the lessons we’ve learned, and the struggles we’ve faced along the way.
Because the truth is, you’re not alone. Every creative, every parent, every dreamer faces the same doubts and frustrations. But the difference between success and giving up often comes down to one thing: keep moving forward.
So, thank you for being here with us for episode three of Within the Glasswood Forest. We have so much more coming—new stories, new art, new lessons—and we can’t wait to share them with you.