iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Martin Baker

@martinbaker.bsky.social

107 followers 108 following 569 posts

Fran and Marty live 3k miles apart. Our book HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE is for anyone supporting a friend with mental illness. We blog at www.gumonmyshoe.com Posts are Marty's. He/him/his.

Posts Replies Media

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay and in our latest guest post, Sophie May offers an important message of hope and encouragement. [new] Love Is Like a Butterfly: A Rare and Gentle Reminder to Keep Going 🦋 www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/love... #WMHD2026 #WorldMentalHealthDay

gumonmyshoe.com

Love Is Like a Butterfly: A Rare and Gentle Reminder to Keep Going

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Tomorrow on our blog we have a new guest post by Sophie May for #WorldMentalHealthDay. In the meantime, here's another look at Lisa Judson's #WMHD piece Choosing to Show Up, Choosing to Care: A Celebration of Friendship and Shared Humanity. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/choo...

gumonmyshoe.com

Choosing to Show Up, Choosing to Care: A Celebration of Friendship and Shared Humanity

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

[new] Choosing to Show Up, Choosing to Care: A Celebration of Friendship and Shared Humanity, by Lisa Judson Ahead of #WorldMentalHealthDay, Lisa Judson explores the WMHD theme of "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change." www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/choo... #friendship #WMHD2026

gumonmyshoe.com

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Tomorrow on our blog we have a new guest post by Lisa Judson, ahead of World Mental Health Day (Oct 10). In the meantime, here's another look at Supportive Disengagement: How to Be There for Your Friend When They Need Space. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2021/11/supp... #mentalhealth #friendship #support

gumonmyshoe.com

Supportive Disengagement: How to Be There for Your Friend When They Need Space

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#MondayBlogs Ten Things You'll Learn From Our Book: Celebrating a Decade of HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/ten-... #bipolar #books #mentalhealth

gumonmyshoe.com

Ten Things You'll Learn From Our Book: Celebrating a Decade of HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#MondayBlogs Our most viewed blog posts of the month (September 2026) www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/our-... #mentalhealth #friendship #friends

gumonmyshoe.com

Our Top Posts of the Month (September 2026)

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

[new] Our Top Blog Posts of the Month (September 2026) www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/our-... #mentalhealth #friendship #friends

gumonmyshoe.com

Our Top Posts of the Month (September 2026)

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Tomorrow (Saturday) on our blog we showcase the most viewed posts from the past month. In the meantime, here's another look at The Art of Confusion and the Usefulness of Nonsense. "A little nonsense now and then is relished by the wisest men." — Roald Dahl www.gumonmyshoe.com/2025/06/what...

gumonmyshoe.com

What On Earth? The Art of Confusion and the Usefulness of Nonsense

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Celebrate our book's TENTH BIRTHDAY (today) and treat yourself at the same time by buying a copy for yourself or someone you care about! MyBook.to/HighTideLowTide

High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend's Guide to Bipolar Disorder (Revised edition)

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

[new] Ten Things You'll Learn From Our Book: Celebrating a Decade of HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/ten-... #bipolar #bipolardisorder #mentalhealth

gumonmyshoe.com

Ten Things You'll Learn From Our Book: Celebrating a Decade of HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on our blog Fran and I celebrate the 10TH ANNIVERSARY of our book HIGH TIDE, LOW TIDE: THE CARING FRIEND'S GUIDE TO BIPOLAR DISORDER. In the meantime, here's how it came to be written: www.gumonmyshoe.com/2022/04/i-wa...

gumonmyshoe.com

I Want to Write: How Our Book HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE Came to Be Written

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#MondayBlogs Q: Why Are Questions So Hard For Me to Answer? www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/q-wh...

gumonmyshoe.com

Q: Why Are Questions So Hard For Me to Answer?

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Today's a great day to follow our blog. One new post every Wednesday on mental health and supportive friendships. GUM ON MY SHOE follow.it/gum-on-my-sh...

News from https://www.gumonmyshoe.com/

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

[new] Q: Why Are Questions So Hard For Me to Answer? www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/q-wh...

gumonmyshoe.com

Q: Why Are Questions So Hard For Me to Answer?

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Tomorrow on our blog we have a new Q&A post exploring why I find Q&As so difficult to answer 🤔🤣 In the meantime, here's another look at Decluttering for Mental Health and Wellbeing. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/04/you-... #decluttering #wombles #tidying #hoarding

gumonmyshoe.com

You Can't Have Everything: Decluttering for Mental Health and Wellbeing

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

#MondayBlogs You Are a King (or Queen) in Your Own Kingdom Your inner world is your own private kingdom. Your thoughts, memories, and feelings. Your stories. [...] They are not just yours they are you. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/you-... #EndOfLifePlanning #life #stories #fiction

gumonmyshoe.com

You Are a King (or Queen) in Your Own Kingdom

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

[new] You Are a King (or Queen) in Your Own Kingdom Your inner world is your own private kingdom. Your thoughts, memories, and feelings. Your stories. [...] They are not just yours they are you. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/you-... #EndOfLifePlanning #life #stories #fiction

gumonmyshoe.com

You Are a King (or Queen) in Your Own Kingdom

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

“sometimes I stand up and walk | sometimes I fall over | but inside....... | I’m still dancing” — Pamela Jane Thacker

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality The View from Base Camp: How to Support Your Friend When Their Mental Health Puts Them at Risk www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/the-... #MondayBlogs #Everest #suicideAwareness #Everest1996 #mentalhealth

gumonmyshoe.com

The View from Base Camp: How to Support Your Friend When Their Mental Health Puts Them at Risk

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality Our Minds Aren't Always Our Best Friend: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves "Our minds aren’t always our best friend. That’s why we have each other." www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/our-... #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #MondayBlogs

gumonmyshoe.com

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Does your friend with bipolar disorder? Do you know how to help? We wrote HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE: The Caring Friend's Guide to Bipolar Disorder for you and those you care about. MyBook.to/HighTideLowTide #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #suicidePrevention #suicideAwareness

High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend's Guide to Bipolar Disorder (Revised edition)

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality The View from Base Camp: How to Support Your Friend When Their Mental Health Puts Them at Risk www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/10/the-... #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #Everest #suicideAwareness #Everest1996

gumonmyshoe.com

The View from Base Camp: How to Support Your Friend When Their Mental Health Puts Them at Risk

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality Tomorrow (Thursday) on our blog we have a new post for #WorldSuicidePreventionDay — The View from Base Camp. In the meantime, here's another look at Breaking the Silence: Talking About Suicide to Create Hope. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2023/09/brea...

gumonmyshoe.com

Breaking the Silence: Talking About Suicide to Create Hope

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Reposted by Martin Baker

alifeinbooks @alifeinbooks.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Recommended Reads #10 | World Suicide Prevention Day edition readingmattersblog.com/2026/09/09/r...

readingmattersblog.com

Recommended Reads #10 | World Suicide Prevention Day edition

This weekly feature highlights three books that deserve a place on your reading list — or TBR pile.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality [new] Our Minds Aren't Always Our Best Friend: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves “Our minds aren’t always our best friend. That’s why we have each other.” www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/our-... #WorldSuicidePreventionDay

gumonmyshoe.com

Our Minds Aren't Always Our Best Friend: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Tomorrow on our blog we have a new post ahead of #WorldSuicidePreventionDay — Our Minds Aren't Always Our Best Friend: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves In the meantime here's Use Your Words: Exploring the Power of Narrative for World Suicide Prevention Day www.gumonmyshoe.com/2025/09/use-...

gumonmyshoe.com

Use Your Words: Exploring the Power of Narrative for World Suicide Prevention Day

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

TW: Mention of suicide and suicidality Sharing ahead of #WorldSuicidePreventionDay on Thursday September 10 How Are You, Really? Eight Things I've Learned About Suicidality and Self-Harm www.gumonmyshoe.com/2023/06/how-... #MondayBlogs #WSPD

gumonmyshoe.com

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

#MondayBlogs Our Top Blog Posts of the Month (August 2026) www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/our-...

gumonmyshoe.com

Our Top Posts of the Month (August 2026)

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Today's a great day to subscribe to our blog. One new post every Wednesday on mental health and supportive friendships. GUM ON MY SHOE follow.it/gum-on-my-sh...

News from https://www.gumonmyshoe.com/

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Does your friend live with bipolar disorder? Do you know how to help? We wrote HIGH TIDE LOW TIDE: The Caring Friend's Guide to Bipolar Disorder for you both. mybook.to/HighTideLowT... #friendship #bipolar #mentalhealth #suicidePreventionMonth #suicideAwareness

High Tide, Low Tide: The Caring Friend's Guide to Bipolar Disorder (Revised edition)

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

[new] Our Top Blog Posts of the Month (August 2026) www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/09/our-... #bloggingCommunity #mentalhealth

gumonmyshoe.com

Our Top Posts of the Month (August 2026)

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on our blog we're showcasing our most visited blog posts of the past month. In the meantime, here's another look at How to Make Mistakes and Live Creatively. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2025/12/to-t...

gumonmyshoe.com

To Tink or to Frog? How to Make Mistakes and Live Creatively

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#MondayBlogs The Impact Pet Bereavement Content Can Have on Mental Health, a guest post by Aimee, Project Lead for Gracie's Way, for National Grief Awareness Day www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/the-... #grief #petBereavement

gumonmyshoe.com

The Impact Pet Bereavement Content Can Have on Mental Health

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

#MondayBlogs You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/you-... #grief #bereavement

gumonmyshoe.com

You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Today is National Grief Awareness Day You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/you-... #grief #griefAwarenessDay #bereavement

gumonmyshoe.com

You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

[new] The Impact Pet Bereavement Content Can Have on Mental Health, a guest post by Aimee, Project Lead for Gracie's Way, for National Grief Awareness Day www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/the-... #grief #griefAwarenessDay #bereavement

gumonmyshoe.com

The Impact Pet Bereavement Content Can Have on Mental Health

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Tomorrow (Sun) on our blog we have a new guest post by the Project Lead for Gracie's Way on the impact pet bereavement content can have on mental health. In the meantime here's another look at 3 Things a Little Dog Taught Me About Depression. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/06/cani... #GriefAwareness

gumonmyshoe.com

Canine Therapy: Three Things a Little Dog Taught Me About Depression

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

[new] You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/you-... #grief #griefAwarenessDay #bereavement

gumonmyshoe.com

You Don't Owe Anyone a Performance: How to Grieve Gently Around the People You Love

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on our blog I'm sharing a new post about grieving gently, ahead of Grief Awareness Day (Aug 30). In the meantime, here's another look at How Sad the Song: An Atheist Ponders His Mortality. www.gumonmyshoe.com/2025/06/how-... #death #atheism #life #griefAwarenessDay

gumonmyshoe.com

How Sad the Song: An Atheist Ponders His Mortality

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Reposted by Martin Baker

A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 25/08/2026

"The #grief for my former body remains, along with days when the #unfairness of it all feels esp heavy..But slowly, I’m learning that my #body isn’t my enemy. It isn’t lying..It’s speaking in a language I’m still learning to understand.": buff.ly/uPmfLCe by @serenebutterfly.bsky.social #ChronicPain

Dynamic Disability: The Truth About Life in an Unpredictable Body –

A personal journey of living with a dynamic disability, navigating mobility aids, imposter syndrome, and finding resilience in daily life.

Reposted by Martin Baker

Judy L Mohr @judylmohr.com · 17/08/2026

One of my most powerful editorial tools in my #WritersToolbox is the Backwards Edit, where you read your manuscript from the last sentence backwards through to the first sentence. It forces you to focus on the words and not the story. #MondayBlogs #WritingCommunity

The Backwords Edit

During a backwards edit, you read a manuscript from the last sentence backwards to the first. As a consequence you focus entirely on the words.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

#MondayBlogs "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" 12 Things That Inspire Me to Write a New Blog Post Every Week www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/wher... #bloggingCommunity #blogTopics

gumonmyshoe.com

"Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" 12 Things That Inspire Me to Write a New Blog Post Every Week

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Reposted by Martin Baker

A Chronic Voice @achronicvoice.com · 24/08/2026

"In their final hours, people..regret their persistent #traits – the grudges they harboured [etc]..this recognition points to a..dimension of regret: we don’t just #regret what we did, we regret who we allowed ourselves to become.": buff.ly/XtWBbtW via @psyche.co #humanity #LifeLessons #regrets

Your deepest regrets help you see yourself more clearly | Psyche Ideas

Far from being a waste of time, the regrets that haunt you reveal more about who you are than your successes ever could

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

[new] "Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" 12 Things That Inspire Me to Write a New Blog Post Every Week www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/wher... #bloggingCommunity #blogTopics

gumonmyshoe.com

"Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" 12 Things That Inspire Me to Write a New Blog Post Every Week

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Tomorrow (Wed) on our blog I'll be sharing some of the things that inspire me to write a new blog post every week. In the meantime, here's another look at walking on the beach with friends. "I need the sea because it teaches me." — Pablo Neruda www.gumonmyshoe.com/2024/11/toge...

gumonmyshoe.com

Togetherness Apart: Walking on the Beach With Friends

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

#MondayBlogs Don't Ask Me If I'm Happy "Happy? Why does everyone have to be happy all the time?" (Doc Martin) www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/dont... #HappinessHappensMonth

gumonmyshoe.com

Don't Ask Me If I'm Happy

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

[new] Don't Ask Me If I'm Happy "Happy? Why does everyone have to be happy all the time?" — Doc Martin, S6E7 www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/dont...

gumonmyshoe.com

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Tomorrow on our blog I'm sharing what happiness means to me, for #HappinessHappensMonth. In the meantime here's something that definitely DIDN'T make me happy! www.gumonmyshoe.com/2025/10/mise... #holidayFromHell

gumonmyshoe.com

Miserable Places: My Welsh Nightmare

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

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Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

#MondayBlogs On the Pursuit of Happiness: Thoughts and Hopes for Happiness Happens Month What makes you happy? We'd love to know! 🙂 www.gumonmyshoe.com/2026/08/on-p... #happy #HappinessHappensMonth

gumonmyshoe.com

On the Pursuit of Happiness: Thoughts and Hopes for Happiness Happens Month

No one is too far away to be cared for or to care. Inspiring those who support a friend living with mental illness.

Martin Baker @martinbaker.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Today's a great day to subscribe to our blog. One new post every Wednesday on mental health and supportive friendships. GUM ON MY SHOE follow.it/gum-on-my-sh...

News from https://www.gumonmyshoe.com/