Arkansas Freelance Composer, Author, Independent Artist
United Imaginations Workshops
Arkansas Arts Council Artist in Residence
Arts In Education
Musicals
It is our imagination that brings the joy of creativity into the world with every song, every word, and yes, anything one makes.
~ laura botsford
Within every being, there is a shining soul. Sometimes it isn't easy to feel, but through each experience, we learn about ourselves and each other.
When Eden and Ella arrive at their new school, everything feels unfamiliar. The groups already seem formed, and every lunch table feels like a tiny island they haven’t been invited to visit. Quietly carrying their loneliness like heavy backpacks, the two begin to wonder if there’s any place where they truly belong. Then, one golden afternoon, they discover something extraordinary. At the edge of the Park sits a curious old cart painted in swirling colors, strung with lanterns that glow even in daylight.
Beside it are a warmhearted man and woman who seem to know far more about Eden and Ella than strangers should. Through whimsical songs, riddles, and laughter, the mysterious couple invite the children into a world where imagination breathes within them.
As Eden and Ella journey deeper into this enchanted world, they meet a wise singing tree whose roots hold forgotten stories, playful fairies who turn fears into sparks of courage, and magical places shaped by creativity itself.
Along the way, the children begin to uncover something powerful: the very thing that made them feel different may also be their greatest gift.
Filled with music, wonder, humor, and heart, Eden & Ella and the Cart of Wonders is a magical tale about friendship, self-belief, and discovering that belonging doesn’t come from fitting in. It comes from letting your imagination shine brightly enough to light the path for others.
Free to review for Theatrical Production,
Link to PDF in Picture.
© 2026 by Laura Botsford. All rights reserved
Play Collaborations with schools and theaters are supported with funding from local businesses and matching grants that I can help write from the Arkansas Arts Council.
Free to review for Theatrical Production,
The link to the script is in the picture
© 2026 by Laura Botsford. All rights reserved
Long ago, in a kingdom where wishes once bloomed as brightly as sunshine, a Magical Sunflower stood unlike any other. Towering above the town walls, the Wish Sunflower granted hopes, dreams, and blessings to anyone whose heart was filled with kindness and care.
But those days had faded.
The King spent his days locked away in his counting house, stacking mountains of gold and counting coins from dawn until dusk. The more gold he gathered, the more he wanted. Across the palace, the Queen sat in her grand parlor feasting on cakes, pies, honeyed breads, and every sweet treat imaginable. Neither ruler noticed the troubles growing beyond the castle gates.
The townspeople struggled. The streets grew shabby. Gardens withered. And worst of all, the magical Wish Sunflower began to droop. Its golden petals lost their shine, and soon no wishes bloomed at all.
Then one day, a young girl arrived at the palace carrying nothing but a watering can, a hopeful smile, and a curious question.
"What if things could be different?" she asked.
The King scoffed.
The Queen laughed.
But the girl smiled and spoke of the Power of Maybe.
Maybe a kingdom becomes richer when people share.
Maybe happiness grows when kindness is planted.
Maybe a single act of caring can change everything.
The Wish Sunflower
Free to review for Theatrical Production,
Link in the picture
© 2026 by Laura Botsford. All rights reserved
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Twelve-year-old friends Kip and Miko are certain summer has run out of surprises.
The swings creak. The sprinkler sputters. The days stretch as long as the clouds drifting overhead. With nothing exciting to do, they spend their afternoons sprawled beneath an old oak tree in their backyard, complaining about boredom and wishing something extraordinary would happen.
Then, one afternoon, something does.
A jolly pirate named Pirate Pete magically appears in a mist of blue. Alongside him arrive an unusual band of companions: Birdella, a whimsical fairy dressed in bright bird feathers who speaks in riddles and songs, and Slugger Sam, a cheerful baseball player who believes every problem can be solved with teamwork and imagination. Fashionista, a costume designer, and supporting characters take them on a musical adventure; they discover that imagination can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
But the greatest mystery arrives when Pirate Pete presents an ancient treasure map unlike any they've seen before. Instead of leading to gold, the map points toward something called The Land of Make and Believe, a place where stories come alive, and characters know they are part of a play.
As the children journey deeper into their own imaginations, they begin to notice curious clues. Why do scenes seem to change when someone has a new idea? Why do songs appear at just the right moment? And who is watching from beyond the red velvet curtains that occasionally appear at the edge of their adventures?
Soon, Kip and Miko realize they may be characters in a play themselves.
As they embark on a hilarious and heartwarming quest to discover who is telling their story and whether they can help create it themselves. Along the way, they learn that imagination is not about escaping the world. It is about seeing the magic already hidden inside it.
Make and Believe is filled with laughter, music, pirates, fairies, backyard adventures, and a playful "play within a play" twist. It is a celebration of creativity, friendship, and the wonderful truth that every child holds a treasure chest of stories waiting to be opened.
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Make and Believe
Arts In Education
Original Musicals and Plays
My Artist in Education Information is now incorporated into one place; less confusing, right?
Here is the link to the Arkansas Arts Council for me.
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Laura Botsford AIE with the Arkansas Arts Council
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Story Books Written with Children
Play - Drama - Music United Imaginations Productions
More about United Imaginations Workshops AIE
Right here on this website
The opening excerpt from the first chapter of Journey of Fairy Tales, called Rendezvous, on Spotify.
Journey of Fairy Tales
November 2020
“Journey of Fairytales is an enchanting book of Phantasmagorical childhood adventures that touch on themes of love, hope, and enlightenment."
Author Laura Botsford runs wild in this free-wheeling book that will be a delight to share with children of all ages."
~ Anatole Burkin, Retired Editor for Taunton Press
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Journey of Fairy Tales is a Disneyesque Never Ending Story adventure that sparks the beginning of storytelling on Earth. In the uplifting tale of the Tipleah Tree, the Tree of Leaves holds all the stories ever written until one unimaginative day they are stolen by the foreboding negative Harmies of Namerus and locked behind a swirling wall of dismal thought forms.
Kingston and Isla lost their parents in the Angerdah invasion and set out on a journey to rescue them and the Leaves, ever to be written in storybooks. They embark on a challenging adventure to the Linkalee Alignment, where only by being in tune with their natural laws of attraction, using magical gadgets, and a willingness to work together can they rescue the Leaves and bring their parents home. Where there is light, there can be no darkness.
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Genre: Young Adult and eternally young at heart
Hardback or Paperback 5.50 x 8.50 black and white
120 pages
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Journey of Fairy Tales is also available at these locations
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Desert Roses Release 10/30/2025
In the heart of the desert, where sand and silence stretch endlessly, the sight of a rose blooming is nothing short of a miracle. Its delicate petals, rich in color and fragrance, rise defiantly against the harsh winds and parched earth, embodying resilience in the face of desolation. Just as the rose finds a way to thrive where life seems impossible, so too does the soul reveal its hidden beauty in barren seasons of existence. The desert becomes a canvas where the rose, like the spirit, teaches us that even in isolation, hardship, or drought, there is an inner wellspring of strength and grace that cannot be extinguished. Within the love of family and friends, we stand strong, united hearts, a bond unbroken.
In this way, the rose is not only a flower but a living metaphor for the soul’s ability to bloom in the most unexpected and unforgiving places. Forever thriving in our hearts, in the love of family and friends.
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In Your Arms
All you are is imagined soMake and Believe in you
Uni is a lonely Giraffe and thinks it's because he is different from all the other animals around him. He tries to fit in by being like them. But on one very special evening, he became very still. He bowed his head and listened closely to the voice within him, and it filled him with such great happiness that he felt the very lightness of just being alive. Only when we are our true selves, love who we are, and believe in the greatest love that is within us all can we be free and happy.
Signed Copies by Laura Botsford
Limited Edition $40.00
