Red Hair, Don't Care...Monster's Beware
Talk About The Monster - Illustration by Michael Hogan
Oh yeah…National Redhead Day! The day all redheads worldwide unite and say: “Yes we are magical!” and everyone else smiles politely and nod in unison in respectful agreement. With statisticians and scientists saying between 1% and 2% or the world’s population sport red natural hair, or 70 – 140 million people, they truly are one of the miracles of the miraculous human race and making it the rarest hair color in the world. Beyond their eye-riveting crimson hair, redheads have an accompanying set of fascinating traits like higher sensitivity to temperature, and a slightly superhuman level tolerance to pain with their higher pain threshold.
Photo by Ruffa Jane Reyes @opak
But today on National Redhead Day, while we stop and politely stare at their ruby lava locks. I want to share a bit about a project I embarked on in 2017/2018 with the talented artist and Renaissance Man, Michael Hogan. This journey started with a simple idea and turned into a story that transcends hair, color, age, gender and background - “Talk About The Monster.”
This children’s story and app featured a multi-racial, racially ambiguous little girl who wakes up to her fear, the monster, and her journey to a place of peace. She teaches readers that facing life’s “monsters” can be easier when we use a tool in our toolbox - just keep talking. Always talk, describe, ponder, speak, think of what you see, how you feel, what you notice, what you don’t feel, what you don’t see. Just keep trying to put words to it.
WARNING: “Talk About The Monster” isn’t just for kids who want a bedtime story, and they drop off to sleep. Parents have texted me and said they have had to read the story 2, 3, 4 times in one night; one parent said “6 times because it delighted their little one. Shout out to parents to develop a love for reading in your children. Talk About The Monster is a story for children that carries an important lesson: “Silence is not 24 Carat, when it comes to worries and fear and…monsters. The monster in the book is the stand in for the fears and challenges that kid’s face, from school pop quizzes to the big bully in 4th grade, to the three-headed Broccoli dwarf sitting on the dinner plate soggy because mommy didn’t al dente.
The message is simple: Talk, share, express. Because when our little red-haired heroine faces her monster, she does what most adults forget to do—she talks. And with each conversation, she gets stronger, grows in understanding of herself, her feelings, even the monster and what it is, and its journey and the monster gets a little smaller, proving that words are powerful.
Photo by @kelli_mcclintock
Why This Matters, Even for Grown-Ups
Now, you might be thinking, “Isn’t this just for kids?” Absolutely not. One minute you’re five and worried about a shadow under your bed that is a known gorilla, the next you’re thirty-five and stressing over a work presentation with 500 gorillas looking at you. Communication is a lifelong superpower, and it’s never too late to learn.
Michael Hogan’s art brought our precious heroine to life with humor, courage, and a twinkle in her eye that practically shouts, “Come at me, monster!” (But in a friendly way). His talent added depth to every scene, making it clear that this little girl, with her wild curls and boundless curiosity, isn’t just facing monsters—she’s teaching all of us how to handle them, one word and rhyme at a time.
On this National Redhead Day, let’s celebrate and appreciate the magic of red hair and the lessons that keep us talking, growing, and laughing. And if you want to know more about my journey with “Talk About the Monster” or our other projects, head over to the House of Mistofer Christopher. Remember life’s too short not to talk about the monster – or escort them out your house.
What’s your monster? Start talking… Bring it down to size. :-)