Sarasota woman pens #ThatAwkwardMom comic

Motherhood can be awkward.

For Sarasota resident and mother of two Ciera Coleman, it’s disposing of a dead possum in the front yard while your children drag a garden hose into the house. It’s unexplained urine stains and stacks of expired Bed, Bath and Beyond coupons.

She’s opted to embrace the awkward parts of motherhood, celebrating its hilariously disastrous moments in a web comic — That Awkward Mom.

The idea of being so transparent with her experiences is terrifying for Coleman, but that’s the point.

“The whole premise of the thing is how uncomfortable it makes me, so in a way that makes it more comfortable, because I can kind of bask in that,” Coleman said.

Coleman’s comic strip lives on her website, thatawkwardmom.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. But before it was a multiplatform work, it was just a hashtag, a clever aside at the end of an anecdote about settling in for her first cup of coffee only to discover a yellow stain on the couch.

Then she got curious. She was shocked to find the domain name available, and she jumped at the chance to give life to her hashtag.

“That’s how it all started,” Coleman said. “I just really like the concept of ‘that awkward moment’ and what we could do with it.”

The domain sat dormant for more than a year. Then inspiration struck in the form of a WordPress renewal notification.

“I was like ‘OK, if I’m going to pay $9.95 again, I have to get my money’s worth,’” Coleman said. 

That Awkward Mom was born.

“I wasn’t even planning on launching it, but I got really excited one day and I did it,” she said.

Coleman launched the website on March 25.

“Then I was, like, committed. People knew about it. I kind of needed that,” Coleman said.

For her, the comic, much like parenting, it’s a journey of trial and error. 

Though she has no formal artistic training, she draws the cartoon herself.

“I expected them to look crappier than they do,” Coleman said. “I’m a big fan of crappy web comics. They aren’t meant to be pieces of art. They are trying to relay a situation.”

The comics show the universal experiences of motherhood, both humorous and hurtful.

“So many people go through so much of the same stuff, especially with motherhood,” Coleman said. “You get all sorts of people in the grocery stores who are just total strangers just saying really judgmental things to you.”

Yet, even in the midst of these experiences, factions still arise.

“The internet exacerbates those divides more than it brings people together,” Coleman said. “Everybody has an opinion about motherhood or parenting, motherhood especially.”

But she’s hoping that her comic will be different.

“I do hope that it can help someone or make someone laugh,” Coleman said. 

She’s working on how to introduce her muses — 4-year-old Calvin and  3-year-old Juniper.

It’s easy to see how the pair provides Coleman with a wealth of material. They’re smart and inquisitive. They like Chance the Rapper, Ninja Turtles and yogurt.

“I’m kind of navigating how to maintain their privacy,” Coleman said. “I would never want to embarrass them while I’m embarrassing myself. At the same time they are super funny ...”

Coleman is working on building a following, navigating algorithms and hashtags. As for what’s next, that’s anyone’s guess.

“Get rich? No. Make a movie? I don’t know,” Coleman said.

So for now, she’ll make the best of life’s awkward moments. Her comics aren’t flawless, but neither is parenthood.

“The whole premise of it is that it’s not meant to be perfect,” Coleman said. “That’s what’s nice about it. I can just learn as I go.”