Local Author Spotlight: Geoffrey Schaefers

By Emily King

Geoffrey Schaefers has been creating art for as long as he can remember. As a young child, he captured his favorite characters, most notably Sonic the Hedgehog, in his drawings. He loved Sonic’s bravery and resilience, the fact that he always did the right thing and valued friendship. As an adult, it was no surprise that Geoffrey wanted to combine his two loves: illustration and great storytelling.

Schaefers, a Butler native, is in his early 20’s and was diagnosed with autism as a child. He lives with his family and works part time at Lowes. He also earned his associate degree in Graphic Design from Butler County Community College. So far, Geoffrey has written and illustrated six children’s books, all of which are available on Amazon. 

Most of Geoffrey’s books take place in a magical place he created called “Elephant Island”. In the first story, Elephant Island: The Arrival, main character, Gregwar, is an artist who has lost his inspiration to create. He sets out on an adventure to try to spark some creativity. 

That journey is quickly sidetracked as Gregwar finds himself shipwrecked by a terrible storm, leaving him marooned on Elephant Island. He seeks out the mysterious and wise old elephant, Elder Joy, for help and wisdom. As he searches for her, he meets many new friends along the way. With the help of Elder Joy, Gregwar realizes that inspiration was never lost and can be found in the relationships we have with all the unique people (or elephants!) in our lives. His journey has led him not only to find the answers he is looking for, but to find his home. 

Geoffrey continues the story of Gregwar and his friends in five subsequent books, some with special holiday themes. His stories have the sense of adventure that kids are drawn to, and there is always a great lesson to be learned. All the unique personalities on Elephant Island remind readers that diversity and friendships are gifts.

An avid musician and long-time violinist, Geoffrey also wrote a book titled The Lonely Violin. The book was inspired by his beloved violin teacher, Raeann, and tells the story of a children’s music class. The children choose their favorite instruments to play, but the lonely violin is never chosen. One day, a new student comes to class and finally chooses the violin. This leads to a lifelong journey and friendship between instrument and student. The book explores themes of belonging, loneliness, and the importance of friendship. When Geoffrey presented the book to Raeann, she was overwhelmed with emotion and touched by such a beautiful act of friendship. 

Geoffrey creates all the illustrations in his books. He uses the graphic design skills he learned in college to bring his stories to life visually. He starts the process with hand drawing the illustrations and then digitizing them with graphic design software, integrating the text onto the pages. 

Geoffrey explains that he views his autism not as a disability but as a gift that helps him see the world in a unique way. He is passionate about spreading love and kindness, and he does that through writing and illustration, but also through the way he lives his life. His target audience, children, represent the future of the world, and teaching them these valuable lessons at an early age will help make the world a kinder place. 

April is World Autism Month, and the perfect time to learn more about the individuals who are living with autism and doing amazing things with their skills and talents. For Geoffrey and others, autism is just one aspect of his life. He’s also an author, a friend, a son, a brother, a Christian—a unique person with so much to offer. When we move beyond just acceptance and truly work toward meaningful inclusion and appreciating individuals who live with autism, we can understand how unique every individual is. Inclusion doesn’t just benefit those with autism, it benefits everyone. 

You can find Geoffrey’s books on Amazon. He plans to write many more books to keep inspiring and encouraging children.