FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
(aka: Questions I’d Probably Ask Too)
About Mira
Q: So… who exactly is Mira Crowe?
A: I’m a writer, maker, and host of Human Beans Radio; a creative mental-wellness project rooted in realism, not perfection. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, which I earned mostly out of curiosity about what makes people tick; including myself. I’m also 26 years sober, which probably taught me more about human behavior than any classroom ever could.
I’m Gen X to the bone (b:1971); raised without safety nets, fluent in dark humor, and uncomfortably good at getting back up. I’ve lived a life that’s been, at turns, brutal and unforgiving; the kind that strips away illusions but leaves you with compassion as a survival skill.
I’m neurodivergent and a mom to two ND young men. I have navigated this world as a bi-polar, autistic with ADHD since before there were common words to describe it. I have been described (back in the day) as ‘touched’, ‘eccentric’, ‘weird’ and even ‘not right’. The latter is a Southernism. And all of that was by my friends and family. I’ll leave out what the not so friendly types called me.
So Human Beans Radio isn’t a “brand” to me; it’s the field I finally grew in after decades of weather.
Q: Why the name Human Beans?
A: Because people are beans; small, imperfect, and capable of miraculous things when tended. We sprout, get buried, sometimes rot a bit, and still find light. It’s self-deprecating and hopeful at the same time; very Gen X.
Q: Where are you based?
A: In the North Carolina foothills, Zone 7a, surrounded by dogs, cats, plants, and coffee cups. I work from a small home studio that smells like cedar and editing anxiety.
Q: Do you really do all this yourself?
A: Yes; writing, recording, editing, designing, even packaging merch. Sometimes my sons jump in with tech help or music, but it’s mostly a one-woman greenhouse.
Q: How did Human Beans Radio start?
A: After years of helping other people grow, I realized I’d forgotten to give myself sunlight. I wanted to build something that said, “You’re not broken; you’re just growing at your own pace.” The first recordings were done at my kitchen table. Everything since has been layered growth; audio, books, art, community.
Q: Why do you talk so openly about hard things?
A: Because I’ve lived them. I don’t teach theory; I tell the truth. Recovery, grief, mental health, family, trauma; these aren’t bullet points on a wellness plan; they’re chapters in my actual life. Pretending never healed anyone. Honesty sometimes does.
About the Project
Q: What is Human Beans Radio Publications?
A: It’s the umbrella for all the work; podcast, books, merch, and community. Think of it as a handmade ecosystem where creativity meets psychology, faith in people, and a sense of humor about the mess.
Q: What kind of books do you write?
A: Reflective nonfiction, workbooks for real-world healing, and sometimes cookbooks or civics guides. I blend evidence-based insight from psychology with the lived-in wisdom of someone who’s fallen down a few times. The tone is always human; conversational, not clinical.
Q: Why “A Human Beans Radio Publication”?
A: It keeps every branch of the work tied to one root system: empathy, humor, and truth.
Q: Will there be other writers or voices?
A: That’s the plan. This project will eventually publish and amplify other voices that share the same soil; real people with real stories, not influencers chasing algorithms.
About the Podcast
Q: Where can I listen?
A: On Ottu Media, this website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio; basically anywhere sound travels.
Q: What kinds of topics do you cover?
A: Recovery, mental health, identity, family, creativity, burnout, humor, hope; and sometimes dogs. Five episodes a week, because consistency matters more than intensity.
Q: What’s the vibe?
A: Honest conversations with the occasional muffled swear word and a lot of grace. It’s like coffee with a friend who tells you the truth but never makes you feel small.
About the Shop
Q: What’s in the shop?
A: Everyday items that carry meaning; mugs, candles, hoodies, journals, totes; designed to comfort, not clutter. Everything ties back to the same message: stay kind, stay grounded, keep growing.
Q: Do you design everything yourself?
A: Yes. I sketch, refine digitally, and build the product layouts myself. Every line and phrase passes through my hands.
Q: Are the products sustainable?
A: I work with eco-conscious print partners using organic cotton, water-based inks, and recyclable packaging whenever possible. Gen X pragmatism meets modern ethics.
Q: What’s behind the taglines?
A: They’re small truths grown from hard seasons:
“Some days you bloom. Some days you just hold the soil together.”
“Stay Rooted. Seek Light.”
“Love grows where kindness takes root.”
Each one started as something I wrote to get through a day that almost broke me.
About the Bean Patch
Q: What is the Bean Patch?
A: Our shared space; part newsletter, part slow conversation. It’s where I send out reflections, behind-the-scenes updates, and gentle reminders that you’re not doing this alone.
Q: Do I have to pay to join?
A: No. The Bean Patch newsletter and Facebook group are free. It’s community, not commerce.
Q: What’s it for?
A: To reconnect people to each other; and to themselves; without filters or performance. It’s for the misfits, the overthinkers, the survivors, and anyone still learning how to rest.
✍️About the Writing
Q: Where do your stories come from?
A: From lived experience: recovery, motherhood, resilience, trauma, humor. I write from scars, not theories.
Q: What’s your process?
A: Longhand drafts, a thousand edits, and occasional muttering. I treat writing like gardening: plant, prune, repeat.
Q: How do you stay inspired?
A: By noticing small things; the sound of rain on tin, the resilience in people’s eyes, the absurdity of existence. Inspiration isn’t lightning; it’s compost.
Personal Stuff
Q: Do you really believe in growth?
A: Yes, but not the Instagram kind. Growth hurts. It’s humbling. It asks you to stay when everything says run. But it’s also beautiful; the proof that life still wants you here.
Q: What’s your coffee order?
A: I drink my coffee piping hot, a little sweet and a little creamy. If we were to branch out to tea, I like hot tea the British ‘builders tea’ way (very strong with lots of sugar and cream)… and I’m Southern to my core, so you can guess that sweet iced tea (BREWED) is the only way to go for me.
Q: What don’t people know about you?
A: That most of this came out of wreckage. I’ve lost nearly everything more than once. What’s left is what matters: sobriety, integrity, my sons, my dogs, and this work.
Q: Do you ever rest?
A: I’m learning to. Rest used to feel like failure. Now it feels like oxygen.
Getting in Touch
Q: How can I reach you?
A: Use the Ask Mira Anything page; I read every message myself.
Q: Do you take collaborations?
A: Sometimes. If it aligns with the soil here; real, compassionate, honest; I’m open to it.
Q: Can I send mail?
A: Digital notes are best. (The garden is already overflowing with packages and plants.)
In Short
I’m not a guru. I’m a human bean; sober, scarred, still learning, still laughing.
Human Beans Radio Publications exists because I believe stories save people.
If you’ve lived through hard things and still want to be kind, you’re already part of this.
If you made it this far, thank you.
You belong here; soil, scars, sunlight and all. ?