Ruby Walker is a visual artist and author-illustrator of Advice I Ignored: Stories and Wisdom from a Formerly Depressed Teen, which is currently the only book about mental health for teenagers that was actually written by a teenager. As a lifelong snarky skeptic, she wanted to write a sort-of self-help book, sort-of memoir that might be able to reach other people like her, who hated both self-help and themselves. Her goal was to avoid empty platitudes and make the book short, funny, meaningful, and true. Ruby was born and raised in Austin, Texas. After dropping out of high school and recovering from depression, she spent her time taking classes at Austin Community College and working on her book. She went on to study fine art, graduating with the highest honors from Trinity University in 2023. Nowadays Ruby is pursuing a career as an oil painter and an MFA at Iowa State University. She believes the purpose of art is to make everyone feel a little less alone.
