Follow your effort, not your dreams

Follow your effort, not your dreams.  

This is a truth that has been resonating deeply with me lately.

We often focus on what we dream for ourselves. In my case, it's dreams for my career as a writer and illustrator.  Where we are in the present moment is never good enough, there's always more to achieve, a farther star to reach.

This month (February) I have an illustration exhibiting at Foyles Bookstore in London.  It is an exhibit of the most promising up-and-coming SCBWI illustrators from 2012, and I'm very (very) proud to be included.  I'm excited because I'm in this amazing exhibition, hanging with all the other amazing illustrators, but also because Foyles is the best independent bookstore in London.  It's like a literary mecca for bibliophiles.

A few days ago I went to see the exhibition.  I admired all the amazing illustrations, and then I sat in the bookstore cafe and thought about life.  You see, several years ago I had a meeting in that exact spot with two editors regarding a children's book project for a major cultural museum in London.  I wanted that job so badly, and I was so nervous as I was pitching my portfolio.

Did I get the job?  Yes, I did.  But... the project fell through due to funding and other bureaucratic nightmares.  It was going to be my first major break, and I fell apart when the bad news came.

Sitting in that cafe, several years ago, I never could have imagined that my illustrations would one day be hanging on its walls.  

I never would have dreamed it could be possible. 

So you see?  It was all those days of effort, working for the sake of working, and trying to open doors whenever I found them, that led me to where I am today. (Not my dreams)

I still have far to go; and I'm still dreaming.  But I'm also so grateful for how far I have come. And I'm not going let setbacks keep me from working hard, for it's the hard work that will get you to where you want to go in the end.

What do you think?  

Looking through old sketchbooks

I used to do a lot more sketching than I'm doing now.  Yesterday, I was sitting in Johannesburg airport, bored out of my tree, and I started drawing.  I drew whatever I saw: the strange space-station-style architecture, the flat horizon, the huge thunderclouds.  And as I was drawing, I remembered how much I love it. It was like meeting an old friend, and realizing when you see their face how much you've missed them.  

I don't draw, really draw, nearly enough any more.  There always seems to be something else to do, even painting can get in the way. (because we all know that painting isn't really drawing)  

Yes, I'm an artist, and I don't draw every day.  It sounds terrible to admit it. 

This afternoon I had to open up the storage box that held all my old sketchbooks.  There was a client in the States who wanted a scan of a sketch I'd done at a Leonardo da Vinci exhibition a few years ago.  I didn't know exactly which book it was in, so I had to thumb through all of them.  

I hardly wanted to look; I wanted to cover my eyes and only peak through my fingers.  Sometimes I don't want to see my old illustrations, because I'm not happy with them.  Wouldn't the sketches be even worse? 

But I've decided that the only way to move forward is to be vulnerable. So I looked...

...And guess what!  I loved those old sketchbooks!  I loved how much I was experimenting; trying to figure out how to see the world on paper.  I loved that I made mistakes, and then drew more to figure out why something worked or didn't work. I loved how I could see the progression in my style and confidence.  

How do you feel about old work?  

I've posted both of these sketches on this blog before, but I thought I'd share them again.  

Here is one of the sketches of Joburg airport.

A peak in my studio

Here's a little glimpse into my studio.

Life has been quite busy these past few weeks.  I have soooo many new ideas for illustrations, but I'm keeping them all behind the scenes right now.  Lots of sketching and dreaming, and playing with coloured pencils.

I seem to get my best ideas when I'm thinking of other things.  I might be washing dishes, and suddenly *pop,* there's an idea floating in my head.  Is that normal?  I guess it must be.

That little meerkat with his pile of books is actually a fairly old illustration.  But, as I don't think I've shared him here before, I thought I'd let him have his 5 minutes of fame.

He just loves books.  Don't you?

Those were the days

I'm having one of those "Anywhere-but-here" days.  You know the ones.  When things suddenly pile up and it feels like it might be easier to escape rather than face the immense to-do lists.

A lot of times when this happens I imagine myself escaping to somewhere I've never been.  Shall we follow Gauguin to Tahiti?

But this time I decided to imagine myself in a place I've been before; someplace where I was really happy.  I scanned through my travel pictures, and hit upon Tuscany.  Our time in Italy was filled with autumnal sunshine, wine, olive oil, and lots and lots of happiness.  (That's where we got engaged, after all!)

So here we are, an antidote to the to-do lists: a sketch of the many towers in San Gimignano, Tuscany.

What do you do, when you feel the to-do lists towering over your head?  I'd like to know!  

Spread the Love: Valentine's Printables

The shortest (and in many places, the coldest) month of the year is almost here.  And we all know what that means!  It's time to spread a little love!  

Just for fun... I designed two printable Valentine's cards.  One for girls and one for boys.  

And they're so easy!  Just pop some paper in your printer, set it to "high quality print," print the page, and then cut along the dotted lines.  Hey, presto!  It's done!  

I'm definitely going to be giving these to everyone I know, complete with little messages written on the back.  

.  

Swoon

It's summer in Cape Town and there's a Christmas beetle lazily buzzing against my studio window. If I slouch in my chair (as I often do), I can see the top of Table Mountain peeking above the roof of our house.  It's shimmering in the heat today.

It's so hot that I think the paint is melting on my palette before I can even get my brush into it.

The heat brings out the diva in my characters; they always seem to have minds of their own.  This little girl was frustrated that I wasn't paying enough attention to her heat-induced swoon, so now she's doing it over and over and over again.  Ad infinitum.  

The grass is always greener on the other side isn't it?  I envy all you readers who are cozily cocooned in  winter.  Oh!  For the snow and the hot chocolates and the great big fuzzy scarves.  Enjoy it while you can!

{Note:  I'm not sure if the animated illustration works for email subscribers, so you might want to click through to the blog to see it.}

Have a great weekend!

I'm off to my creative cubbyhole to work on my stories and characters. I will sharpen my pencils, put on my writing and illustrating hoodie (I really do have a writing hoodie), and see if I can make any progress with the characters that have been living in my head.  

Have a great weekend, dear readers!  See you on Monday!  

For the Love of Books: A Reading Challenge

One of my goals last year was to read 52 books, that's one book per week.  It doesn't seem like that much, but with a busy work schedule, travels and a few weeks lost to bronchitis, I didn't quite manage.  Instead I read 49 books. Though, for a person whose passion is making books, you'd think I would be able to read more!  (I don't count picture books in this list, and if I did, I'd be in the hundreds of books per year). 

I read whatever I can get my hands on, and in Cape Town, that can sometimes be a challenge.  In Canada and England I take books for granted; they are cheap, easy to get (via amazon, the library or my local bookstore), and I always seem to have a larger pile of unread books than read ones. 

Finding books in Cape Town is a different story.  Books are almost double the price here, and if you want a specific one, it takes weeks to order one in from your bookstore. I had to wait a over a month to get Somerset Maugham's "The Razor's Edge" shipped in from the States.  

I thought I'd make a list of my top 10 books from 2012.  This is completely subjective, and I wouldn't say they're favourites, just books that make me look at the world in a different way. All books, whether you enjoy them or not, are someone's effort to light a candle in the darkness.  

So, here are my 10 thought-provoking books for 2012 (in no particular order):

1.

Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller

 (a witty and honest biography of the author's mother, coming of age in Kenya, Rhodesia and Zambia)

2.

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster

(a futuristic short-story about a world where all the people are plugged into machines and have no human interaction, sounds familiar, no?)

3.

The Collected Stories of Katherine Mansfield

(absolutely divine writing....)

4.

His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman

(A spiritual and metaphysical adventure for children)

5.

The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

(A coming of age tale about Larry, drifting through post-war Europe, trying to find the meaning of life, and going against the expectations of his peers, who seem to value money and power more than spirituality. A life changing book.)

6.

The Story of English in 100 words by David Crystal

 (100 words, defined and explained from the first word ever written in English "roe deer" to modern words like "webinar."  A must read for all language lovers.)  

7.

Goliath by Tom Gauld

(best graphic novel I've read all year, and a new way to look at a Bible story)

8.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

(two young spies, trying to save each other against all odds in WWII France.  And who is telling the truth?)

9.

All's Well that End's Well by William Shakespeare

(Not your typical love story, Helena hoodwinks Bertram into marrying her: she's happy; he's not. How will it end?)

10.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy

(an adventure in an alternate reality Portland, where two children have to unravel the political and environmental conflicts of a Wildwood populated by talking birds, an army of foxes, other fantastic creatures.  A romp of a read.)

If you want to join me in the reading challenge, you can find me on

Goodreads

.  

And, do you have any recommendations for books I should read in 2013?  Leave a comment and let me know. :-) 

PS:  I have an e-reader, but I'm such an old-fashioned old soul that I find it difficult to muster enthusiasm for reading on it.  I'd much rather have books in my hand and on my bookshelf.  :-)  And, just look at this library, isn't it stunning?  

My new favourite place in Cape Town.... the Central Library!

Out with the old

Goodbye 2012, you were a good companion for 366 days. And welcome 2013!

This morning I pulled out my new day planner and flipped through the pages, wondering what might fill them.  Switching to a new notebook is difficult, I become good friends with my day planners.  They're never far from reach, and I often use them almost like a journal, not only recording my appointments and lists, but also recording how I feel about life, and what my goals are each week.

This new notebook has no dog-eared corners, no scribbled-out appointments, no to-do lists or hastily scrawled reminders.  It's fresh and clean, like newly ironed linen. It will take a while to feel completely at home within its pages.

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, except maybe for the constant resolve to keep pursuing my dreams without losing courage. (and we all know how difficult that can be on a daily basis).

Having said that, one small resolution is to be more active on my blog.

I've let the blog lie dormant for the past year, which was completely necessary.  I needed quiet time (read: offline time) to gather my thoughts about who I was creatively.  I felt quite vulnerable, and giving too many glimpses into my studio felt too exposed.  This time apart has been invaluable, and I feel like I've reached a kind of creative epiphany in the past few months.

But now I'm ready to share more of what I'm doing and my creative process.  I've missed all you readers and bloggers!  And thank you for all your lovely comments, it means a lot that you take the time to leave messages, and they always help to inspire me.

And, to start the year off right, here is a little peak at what's on my studio table at the moment.  It makes me think of London, and cosy cups of tea while watching the rain lash against the windowpanes.

Christmas in Cape Town

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

Let's make a joyful noise and sing a new song, and all that jazz.  It's Christmas!  

I have managed to accomplish the impossible (almost) and gather my dearest family in Cape Town for the holidays.  My mom travelled half-way across the globe!  

Christmas here is very different to the Christmasses I grew up with.  My Canadian Christmas is: white snow, cold air, sleigh rides, hot chocolate, and caroling around the neighbourhood while bundled in every layer of winter-wear we could find.  This year Christmas is: beaches, sunshine, barbeques, and open air carol concerts that start as picnics in the park. So very different, and so very enjoyable!

So, wherever you are in the world, dear readers.  I wish you a Merry Christmas!  

And remember: 

1) Stay close to those that you love; for love is the most important thing in the world. 

2)  Laughing makes you live longer, so let's have some fun!

3)  And lastly, but also very important, make sure you eat lots of Christmas goodies, for they're only available once a year!  :-)  

Adventures in.... Zimbabwe and Victoria Falls

So, here I am in bed with some sort of tropical fever; at least, I have a fever which I acquired in the sub-tropics.  It's actually just some sort of pesky ear/nose/throat infection, but it sounds much more dramatic to call it a Zimbabwean Fever, don't you think?  It was well worth it as I got to see the largest waterfall in the world: Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean and Zambian borders.

I resolved on this trip that I was going to keep a travel sketchbook.  As much as I love sketching on location, I often find it difficult to achieve on holidays because I'm always rushing around trying to "see" everything, so I don't take the time to stop to draw.

This trip was different... there isn't much to see in the small town of Victoria Falls, except (you guessed it) Victoria Falls.  There is one mostly paved road with a bank, a few tourist shops, a grocery store and a police station; then there are several amazing four star resort hotels, and the Falls.  And all of this is surrounded by impenetrable bush.  So, there wasn't much else to do but stare at the falls and sketch, which suited me just fine.

So here we are, a few sketches of "The Smoke That Thunders" and the mighty Zambezi River.  Aren't hippos cute?  Don't be fooled!  Which animal kills more people than any other in the world (aside from mosquitos?)  Hippos!  They're the most dangerous vegetarians in the world.  Which is a shame, as they look so cuddly and cute.

And now, back to bed, so that I can recover from the Zimbabwe Fever before Christmas.

Kisses for SCBWI

Make your Storybook Dreams come true! 

This year I went to my first Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI for short) conference in Winchester.  The weekend was filled with amazing talks, seminars, discussion panels, competitions, as well as fun parties (in a medieval guildhall, at that!), sketch crawls, and lots of new friends.

In order to make the most of my first conference, I entered every competition available.  I got carried away with my submission for the "best promotional postcard" competition.  The brief was:

design a postcard based on a minor character from a fairytale; 100mmx150mm.

  I chose the Frog Prince, and put the little amphibian in a pop-up kissing booth.  When folded, the card matches the exact dimensions, but it can be unfolded into a shadow box featuring this little green fellow.  

Any kisses, only 50p.  Make your Storybook Dreams come true!  

And my dreams did come true, because I won the competition!  The judges comments were, "The postcard is beautiful, and imaginative, and has many layers of narrative significance.  Plus, it would look lovely propped up on an art director's desk."

But more importantly (and long lasting), was all the inspiration, affirmation and motivation we all received.  We all left the weekend feeling buoyed up by all the positive critiques and discussion.  For myself, I realized that I'm going in the right direction.  I've been muddling along, trying to improve my illustrations and writing as best I can, but you never know if it's "right" until someone else sees it and says, "Yes, this is lovely, keep going."  And that's what happened.

Now I have so much motivation to keep working, and to finish those projects that have been living in my head for so long.

Tell me:  how does one keep that motivation and enthusiasm long after the conference is only a dim memory from months ago?

I've decided to keep my Frog Prince on my studio desk, so that I can see him every morning and remember the affirmation I received.

What are you planning to do to keep the SCBWI conference energy alive?  

In addition to the postcard competition, I was also included in a juried exhibition showcasing the best illustrators of the British Isles. Below you can see my illustration.

Thank-you SCBWI for making this all happen!  

NOTES:

You can see the other conference winners here:  

http://scbwiillustrators.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/print-showcase-winners-at-2012.html

On Designing Characters

August is over, and September is whispering around the corner. My blogging rate has fallen short, but that's more of a sign of busy-ness than neglect. (Though, some neglect as well)

The last few months have been full of friends and family, and lots of love and laughter.

They were also full of illustration and design work, but nothing that I'm at liberty to share quite yet. And the sketches, well... I just don't feel like sharing them.

There's something really wonderful about a sketchbook that's full of doodles and mistakes, research, scribbles and half-finished thoughts. It's a repository for all my mind's imaginings. It's a collection of all those half-formed thoughts that flit around the edge of the brain, and only materialize into something more concrete if you ignore them and give them space.

And if I put them online, they don't have the space they need to grow...

In any case, here is something I will share: a snapshot of my studio table and a little character I've come to know.

I know I've designed a good character when I recognize her. Not that I've copied her from somewhere else, but that I always knew she existed in my mind. It's like I've released one of those ideas that flitted around those dark corners (see above) and it finally decided that it was the right time to materialize on paper. I scribble, scribble, scribble and then I sit back and say, "Yes, that's her! I knew it all along!"

Do you find the same thing, when you're writing or drawing? That you recognize your characters?

Oh, and my most recent quote inspiration is:

"It's great work that wins a break. It's being great to work with that wins a career."

That is paraphrased from a blog post by

Chris Oatley

.

The Diamond Jubilee in pictures

This weekend I was privileged to be in London while Queen Elizabeth was celebrating her Diamond Jubilee weekend. It seems to me that the whole nation has gathered together in a rare atmosphere of complete joy.

Every street is bedecked with bunting and streamers; every garden is fragrant with multitudes of English roses. The whole city simply blooms with rose petals, ribbons and bunting.

I didn't attend any of the events, preferring instead to watch them in the comfort of my home on the telly. However, we live so close to the Parks that I heard the loud "hip-hip-hoorays" and the fireworks after the Jubilee concert carrying through the night air. And, the planes that flew over the Palace also flew over my flat. From my own cozy lounge I felt like I was in the centre of the action!

Previously I didn't give the Queen much thought, except to know that she's on our money, and on my passport, and that she is the head of the Commonwealth. However, the Jubilee celebrations uncovered my nascent affection for her. Why? I love her because of her gentle, feminine influence. The world can be such a harsh place filled with conflict and hatred. The Queen is a benevolent spirit who travels around listening to people and protecting the arts. And, that's what the world needs more than warrior dictators, don't you think?

So long at the fair

Just a little ditty to cheer up a Wednesday.  

I loved singing this song as a child.  I woke up with the tune in my ears, and had to put a little sketch to paper. 

And, if you have a moment, and you need a little inspiration, you can listen to Julie Andrews singing a variation of this nursery rhyme

HERE

.  

Happy Easter

Happy Easter Everyone!

As my grandpa reminded me the other day, Easter isn't just about cute eggs and bunnies...  I know that, it's just that sometimes I forget.  For me, Easter is about rejuvenation and rebirth.

It's been crazy-busy at our house these past few weeks.  I've been working flat-out on new illustrations and putting the final touches on a rather long story.  At the same time, I've been helping my husband with a very exciting entrepreneurial venture (my lips are sealed for the time being).  

This means I've been feeling completely fragmented.  While I'm painting my mind is thinking of business ideas; while I'm working on the business plan I'm resolving issues with the plot of a story.   No matter what I'm doing I'm constantly thinking about something else.   

I'm sure we all lose focus when life is so busy.

So, this Easter weekend I want to step back, slow down, and focus on rejuvenation. A little bit of quiet time and a few chocolate eggs will do wonders for the soul.  :-) 

What are you doing for Easter?  

Stuff and Nonsense

March is a month of birthdays for my family, but today isn't one of them.

So, if you're lucky enough to NOT have a birthday today:

Happy Un-Birthday!

As the March Hare says...

Let's all congratulate us with another cup of tea

A very merry un-birthday to you! ...

Now blow the candle out my dear

and make your wish come true

A merry merry unbirthday to you!

The Moveable Art Studio

Three months here... Nine months there

Always expecting, and always the unexpected.

Ian McCallum

So, I'm back in my Cape Town Studio.

That sounds so glamorous, when really it isn't.

I've been thinking a lot about where people do their creative work. A lot of writers and illustrators believe they need a specific room, the perfect place, in order to write, draw or paint. It's only in that magical, fertile, serene place that inspired ideas will form and come to fruition.

That isn't really possible for me at the moment because I travel a lot. My friends and family are scattered around the globe: Canada, Britain, South Africa, Swaziland, The Netherlands, Namibia. I need to be on the move

if I want to spend time with them.

So, my studio isn't a room, it's a satchel; I carry it around everywhere I go. It's filled with my art supplies, my computer and my scanner. I call it my "moveable studio." (like moveable feast) No matter where I am, I can get down to work at a moment's notice.

My "perfect place" to write or paint is actually wherever I am at the moment. My imagination takes hold and I'm transported into a world of stories and drawings. I don't even notice that I'm perched at a fold-out desk in a guest bedroom, or spread out over someone's kitchen table.

In the past year (since my last birthday), I've completed illustration jobs from tables and desks in Cape Town, London, Bologna, Amersfoort, Steinbach, Manzini, and Swakopmund. I have pictures of all the places except Bologna. It never occurred to me to photograph the hotel bedside table where I drew roughs in my down time between visits to the Children's Book Fair.

After all there is no such thing as a perfect place. There's only our imaginations, and the imagination can be used anywhere!

Where do you work?

I love to know how many of you have proper studio spaces, and how many of you work on kitchen tables, floors, or any other horizontal surface that might be available.

Here's an example of my basic art supplies...

My kitchen table in London

The Guest Bedroom in Amersfoort

The Basement in Steinbach

The Guest Bedroom in Manzini

The Kitchen Table in Swakopmund

Birthday number 30

This year I turned 30.

And what a momentous year! Here's what's happened:

1. I've spent two consecutive birthdays in Cape Town (that wasn't at all expected).

2. I illustrated educational children's books for Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press and Pearson.

3. I took a writing course with Random House in South Africa.

4. I received a contract for "Digging for Diana" my middle-readers novel from Random House Struik.

5. I declined the aforementioned contract (long story) and I'm still searching for a publisher.

6. I've travelled to United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, United States, Canada, Swaziland, and Namibia.

It's been an amazing year, and I really (really) hope that this coming year will be even better.

And, thanks to all you readers for making this year extra-special online! I love reading all your blogs, and I love receiving your questions and comments. You're such amazingly talented people!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Adventures in... Dublin

Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland

I just returned from a weekend in Dublin, visiting a friend who recently got a job lecturing in medieval art history (think the Book of Kells) at Trinity College Dublin (I'm so proud of her!). 

I've never been a very good at keeping travel sketchbooks, so I decided that my one goal for this trip was to take some time to do some sketching.  Luckily it wasn't too cold in Dublin, so I didn't have to try to hold a pencil with mittens.  

I only brought pencils along with me; I tend to pack far too many art supplies and then never use them at all.  This time, I only travelled with a selection of pencils, an eraser and a sketchbook.  The simplicity of my supplies made the sketching less intimidating.  There were no decisions to be made (pen or pencil?  Colour or no?), and less to carry in my satchel.  

I haven't posted all my sketches.  Many of them were really messy, just little doodles to help me remember moments I enjoyed.      

This trip to Dublin was a substitute for going to Bologna.  The past two years I have joined thousands of children's book writers and illustrators in an annual pilgrimage to the Bologna Children's Book Fair.  I love the fair, and I love spending time with so many talented and inspiring people...  

But this year is different...  

For the longest time I've been working relentlessly towards my goal of becoming a children's book writer and illustrator.  I love what I do, and I love striving for ever-greater opportunities... but... somehow...the relentless pursuit of one goal at the expense of everything else results in a very flat and shallow life.  

I need to take a small step back to spend time with my friends; have new experiences; be inspired by the random things I encounter. 

And on that note, I need to hunker down in my studio and work towards another illustration deadline (due Friday! eek!).   

Dublin Castle

Georgian House and Plane Tree, Dawson Street, Dublin