Inspiration

Welcome to my series about the Picture Book Process!
Note: To start at the beginning of the series, please visit this post: Why Picture Books?

Today I want to talk about Inspiration.

Inspiration - in most cases- does not come from thin air.

Inspiration usually comes from many sources. 
These sources are often little moments or emotions that you catch during the day. Maybe it's a piece of artwork, a film, a poem, a song that you experience. Maybe it's a person you meet who you respect and/or loath. Maybe it's watching a kid battling with the elements to finish that gosh darn sand castle.

These snippets of sources simmer. . and simmer. . and simmer. Until they slowly meld into an idea. . .
an idea for a picture book.

That's inspiration.

I'm currently working on a book called Good Day/Bad Day. 

The inspiration for this story came from many sources. Here are a few:

Morose Molly Rose

This is an image I drew many years ago. . .it expresses the "I don't care" feeling that often takes over many of us in life. As an example, think of Maurice Sendak's Pierre:

Yup, that's the feeling.

Morose Molly Rose became a poem, which then became a picture book that never quite hit the mark for me. So I put her story away. . but her character stayed with me as I wrote and created other books.

Troubled Kids

I've worked in elementary education for about 10 years: as an educator, learning designer, consultant, and writer. I have come across many the troubled kid and on more than one occasion, these kids would just say straight out: 

"Ms. Charlotte, I'm having a bad day."

They were always correct in their observations. 

The worst was seeing these kids turn a not so good day into a horrible one. They'd start off in a sullen mood, and then, through actions and decisions of their very own, end the day completely frustrated, angry, and sad. By then, emotions were out of control, people were hurt, and the pain of helping them repair the havoc they created was always hard to bear. I wanted to write a story to help kids take charge of their bad days. . .and turn them into something more positive.

So those are just two sample sources of inspiration for my book Good Day/Bad Day 

How do you get inspired? Is it working with kids? Is it immersing yourself in different forms of art (film, paintings, books, performance)? Is it getting your hands dirty with clay or just taking a long shower to relax those creative muscles?

Harvest from your resources and let them simmer simmer simmer. Before you know it, inspiration will hit and you'll have a picture book idea. A direction!  

Next up: The Beginnings of a Picture Book (i.e., how I turn inspiration into words and pictures)

Why Picture Books?

Sorry I've been remiss about updating. As always, along with a few projects, I've been busy illustrating, writing, reading, discussing, and celebrating picture books. . .weeee!

For awhile now, I've been wanting to use this blog to talk more thoroughly about how much I've learned, experienced, and grown during my adventures in the picture book world. Thus, this will not be a normal blog post. I want to take you on a journey and like many good journeys, this one begins with a pretty big (and long!) step.

So here's that first step: Why Picture Books?

Mac Barnett , a well known picture book author, has said that picture books are a form, not a genre. The sky's the limit when it comes to what you can express within the pages of a picture book. However, he stresses that picture books are a marriage of images and words. In a good picture book, the words cannot tell the entire story and neither can the images. It is a combination of the two that creates the magic of visual storytelling.

So Why Picture Books? My critique group, the Picturesques, recently discussed this. . why do we choose this form to share our stories? Why do we keep writing/drawing/creating, despite all the hurdles one must surpass to get published in the picture book world?

The answer is different for everyone, but this is mine: the form of picture books allows me to share those universal and emotional truths that can be understood by anyone, at any age. Great picture books grow with you. . .their meanings change as you solidify into the person you're meant to be. Here are a few books that, to this day, affect me greatly and deeply:


The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Oh my, how this book moves me with its simple black and white drawings. As a child, I remember thinking that the tree was "very nice." Now, as an adult, I see this book as the ultimate example of true unconditional love. My fellow Picturesques member, Ben Peterson, is equally moved by this book, but in a different way . . .the one-sided relationship bothers him greatly and the unappreciative boy/man irks him to no end. Over 50 years later, and this book still makes children and adults react in so many different ways. Bravo, Silverstein. Bravo.

 

One by Kathryn Otoshi
I have heard Kathryn Otoshi speak at the Book Passage Children's Writers/Illustrators Conference for many years. She is always so generous in sharing her craft. . and fine craftmanship is what it took to create her internationally acclaimed, "One." No faces or names are needed for anyone to connect with the characters in this book. The issues of bullying, acceptance, and validation are all folded into a beautifully illustrated, minimalist story. Each word counts. Each color counts. Every person counts. See what she did there? ;)

The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds
I've had this book on my shelf for over a decade and it still helps me through tough creative blocks. This character-driven story centers on Vashti, who doesn't believe she can draw. . .until a teacher shows her that even dots can become beautiful works of art. In the end, Vashti returns the favor and encourages another kid to become an artist too. The universal truth here is that art, in essence, is self expression. Everyone has a voice that can and should be heard. Art helps amplify and distill that voice. Whenever I feel like my writing/drawing is not good enough. .I return to The Dot. The book reminds me to just throw judgement out the window and focus on CREATING!

I want to create picture books like these.
The ones that still move you, when you're well past childhood. The ones that make you think, feel, and learn. One day, I'll get it just right. . until then, I keep dreaming and I keep honing my craft!

In conclusion, if you're thinking of writing/illustrating a picture book for the very first time, really ask yourself the question:

Why Picture Books? 
What moves you and what do you want to share with this form? What will keep you going when you run into bumps along the path to publishing a picture book? (trust me, there will be bumps).

Take your time.
Think it through. 
Study the picture books you love. 
It's well worth the journey. 

Once you have your answers, I promise, you'll be able to tackle picture books with renewed focus and intent.

Phew. That was one long-winded entry. My next entry, about inspirations, will be shorter. . I promise :)

sweet

This little boy from my first illustrated picture book looks in the refrigerator and finds something very sweet and cold on a hot summer day!

Speaking of which, A Moment in Time won the Reader Views Literary Awards for Best Children's Book. Part of the award was our very own video trailer for the book which you can see below:


Sorry I haven't posted recently. I've been busy working on a few projects, such as writing curriculum for Disney English and illustrating another picture book (which will hopefully be out by the end of the year).

Until next time, I want to recommend checking out the Sendak exhibit at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

The museum has a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge, a delicious cafe, and very inspiring artwork. My critique group, the Picturesques, attended a panel there called "Stealing from Sendak" and the illustrators on the panel were so generous with their insights and experiences! They made me realize how much Sendak revolutionized the concept of a picture book for entire generations: from nudity to honestly frightening characters. I was proud to wear my Night Kitchen shirt that day :).

wild + jungle

Only wild men can tackle wild animals. . crikey, that jaguar's close!

In case you want to place this battle in a different setting, here's a free coloring page:

In other news, I made a little coloring page for the Lake Oswego Arbor Day art contest, so if you're in the Portland area, your kids could be famous!  Click on the image below for the entry form.

Lastly, I made a little illustration for my friend Melissa's wedding last year.  It was such a personal and touching ceremony.  She was featured in Style Me Pretty.  Click on the image below to learn about her story!

Re-Direct

 Hi all!  Here's a few exploration sketches, just testing out the movement of my little tomboy.

I've been busy getting brush-up anatomy/perspective lessons from my uber-talented and charming friend Claudia.  If you live in the bay area and want some concentrated one-on-one training, she's the gal for you!

Also, I'll be migrating my domain to a different website so I can showcase my portfolio in a more cohesive manner.  If you would like to keep following my blog (which will still be updated regularly), please point your RSS/Reader to this URL: http://charlotteillustrations.blogspot.com/

See you on the other side folks!

swim

This gal uses brute force when it comes to converting a reluctant swimmer. The boy character actually popped into my sketchbook during jury duty last week as well.  It's amazing how much creative work gets done when you're forced to sit and wait for two solid days lol.

As usual, this illustration comes with a free coloring page!

And speaking of coloring pages. . are you looking for coloring pages for the Easter holiday?  Well, I've got plenty of Hipster Bunny coloring pages right here.  Happy Easter everyone!

eye glasses

Each pair of hipster bunny's eye glasses comes with a different personality.  Hence, he looks different in the mirror every day.  You see, that's how hipster bunny stays ahead of the trend!

I ended up creating this illustration during four days of jury duty lol.  It was my first time as a juror and I'm glad I went through the experience!  I just wish I got a sticker at the end of the process, much like we do after voting.  I think that would encourage more people to participate because I'm a firm believer of positive reinforcement ;).

And in case you want to try your hand at coloring the different personalities of hipster bunny, here's a free coloring page:

I included the textured background because I think it really adds to the vintage mirror look.  Enjoy!