30 Lessons Learned, #30: Keep it simple (It's Giveaway Time!)



I am very excited to announce that I'll be giving away signed copies of Buglette, The Messy Sleeper. I promise to keep it simple, in the wake of reading this blog post (check it out for a good chuckle).

Just leave a comment on THIS blog entry on or before May 21st. That's it! You don't need to jump through any blogging, Facebook or Twitter hoops. Winners will be announced here on Wednesday the 25th. I will be giving away one signed copy of Buglette for every 10 comments I receive, up to 50 comments. If I receive over 50 comments, I'll add a framed original illustration to the giveaway as well. Winners will be chosen from a random drawing. I can ship only to the US. My apologies to friends abroad. 

So, go ahead and comment below. Your comment can be as simple as "I want a book". Please spread the word!

Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me from the beginning as well as all newcomers. Don't forget to check back here Wednesday, May 25th for a list of winners AND another fun giveaway.

30 Lessons Learned, #29: Be Ready for a Lot of Questions

After the illustrations and manuscript were finalized, I received a marketing and publicity questionnaire from Random House that included questions like: how many Nobel Prizes have you won? Okay, that might be a small exaggeration, but it WAS eight pages of questions about my background, my education, my motivation, my honors, my media contacts, etc. As a first time author, it was daunting.

But, I slogged through and I am happy that the document forced me to think. It made me consider all aspects of my life and how they might relate to this new path as a writer and illustrator. It made me consider interview questions that have come up again and again. It gave shape and weight to my aspirations -- that felt good!

Here is one recent interview, this one is with California Readers. It covers some ground that (amazingly), I haven't covered in my blog ramblings.

PS, Giveaways will begin next week. Check back next Wednesday for details. :)

Illustration Friday: Bicycle

This is a quick sketch of some of my favorite things. Of course, bikes are front and center. (I used to race bicycles.) Now, my cycling time is limited to quick outings. Still, I feel like a kid whenever I'm on a bike. I hope that never changes. Other favorite things: tree houses, terracotta, convertibles, fountains, fruit trees, swings, books and art studios.

30 Lessons Learned, #28: Disco, Birthdays and Time

Today is Disco's birthday. (Disco is our 10 year old vizsla.) My eldest daughter's birthday was two days ago. My youngest daughter's birthday was a month ago. Starting in January, we enter our annual "birthday season" where nearly each weekend is punctuated by a birthday party for one of my children's friends. For some reason, they are all bunched up during these months.

When I sat down to write this post, I began to think about all of these events in our lives that require our attention. Our years are broken down into events, our months are broken down into events and our days are broken down into events. On top of that, I tend to categorize my time. As a mom, I have kid time and grown up time. Life can feel so fragmented! It is easy to long for more time of one kind or another. But somewhere along the line, I realized that kid time and work time are not so separate. I will admit that I often want more time for painting or writing. But realizing that I am an artist AND a mom whether I'm changing diapers or hunched over my drawing table makes for a lot less mental anguish. That is a lesson that I learn and re-learn daily. :) I continue to look for ways to bring these worlds together, rather than drawing lines between them.

I recently wrote an article for my Mom's Club about creativity and where it fits into life. I've posted some excerpts below. Obviously it is aimed at parents of small children, but I'd like to think that it behooves us all to find time to be creative in our own way:

GETTING CREATIVE
As parents, our time is often limited and segmented. Finding opportunities to be creative can be difficult. And with so many demands from all sides, creativity may not be a priority. Still, I've realized that having a creative outlet is essential to my mental health-perhaps even more than it was before I had children.

Why it's important
 Creativity is your own. Time spent creating can balance the hours parents spend providing for and focused on others. The sense of "flow" while creating - much like meditation - is often healing and rejuvenating. And creation is about making something, even if you choose to keep it to yourself. In a society that is very focused on consuming, taking time to produce can be refreshing.

Rethinking creativity
You may be wishing for a creative outlet but uncertain how to fit one into your life. Before kids, I had weekends of uninterrupted time that I could devote to projects. Also before kids, I could easily clear my brain and really sink into creative work. Neither of those is true anymore. But over the months and years since my first daughter was born, I've found new ways to fit creativity into my life. I've learned from other parents doing the same. Here are a few suggestions:

Think small: Consider projects that can be completed in short periods or broken up easily into smaller chunks.

Make it your own: Choose something that you really want to do. Creative projects that others ask you to do can be fulfilling, but for a true escape, choose something without strings or commitments attached.

Take classes or lessons: Choose to learn something new or take a class as a refresher, even if it is simply to reserve a bit of creative time in your schedule. 

Start your own circle: A mom on my street has organized a knitting circle for a few hours every other week. It's been a great learning opportunity for those who didn't know how to knit before. It's creative, it's social and it fits well into busy lives. 

Join an online community: Investigate your interests online. There is a community for everything. I participate in an online group for illustrators (Illustration Friday). We are given a word "prompt" each week. I take an hour or two to make a picture, scan it and upload it. It is a simple, fun way to scratch the creative itch. Plus, it connects me to thousands of illustrators around the world who are doing the same thing. (Like me, many of them are parents who look forward to drawing with crayons even after their kids go to bed.) The online option gives flexibility-you can do it when it's convenient.

Jumpstart your creativity by becoming part of an established group: Often you can find local groups that bring people with similar interests together. For example, our bookstore hosts a variety of salons that focus on specific genres of books and writing. It can be inspiring and motivating to see what others are doing.

Simply take twenty minutes: Writing is a great way to reconnect with your creative self-the self that can easily become hidden underneath a mass of chores and to-do lists. You don't need a lot of time. In The Artist's Way, Julia Cameron suggests writing for roughly 20 minutes each day with no editing and no premeditation-just keep the pen moving to see what comes out. You will find recurring themes and very likely uncover some creative impulses. At the very least, it clears the mind in a most welcome way.

30 Lessons Learned, #27: Order Up (Restaurant Supplies for the Illustrator)

Technically, I learned about these gadgets after I finished Buglette. But, they are just so awesome that I have to let people know. If I'm the last one to this party and you all have had these in your studios forever, well, then please humor me. :)

These are slide order racks -- yes, the contraptions in diners that seem to magically hold orders in the air. It just so happens that you can get them in various lengths and they hold art, too. What could be more perfect for multi-page work? You can see everything at once, move images around easily and you don't have to deal with tape or any other nonsense of the sort. I think they are filled with marbles. Maybe magical marbles. If you choose not to hang them on the wall and just play with them instead, they are the loudest rain sticks you have ever encountered. (Sorry about the ugly, ugly flash photography.)

30 Lessons Learned, #26: Remember Your Audience

I want to take a moment to thank my faithful readers! I love your comments and interactions. Please keep visiting; I will be doing a few giveaways in the coming weeks. And now, back to my lesson:

I've been starting to contemplate readings and signings. I'll be doing readings at a number of Bay Area bookstores. Since I'm a visual person, I want to bring things for people to look at and/or interact with at presentations. Plus, as a somewhat shy person, I'd much rather share the stage than have it all to myself.

So, I decided that it would be fun to have a little Buglette doll to bring along as well as leaves for my little listeners to sit on. (Thank you Mom for helping me to sew 20 leaf cushions!) It always amazes me how much better kids do at listening when they have a "spot". I'm hoping the leaves will serve this purpose.

30 Lessons Learned, #25: Don't Forget to Have Fun (Rubber Stamps!)

This is a fun and frivolous little post about rubber stamps. Not long after I finished the art for the book, I decided that Buglette rubber stamps would be lots of fun. So, I did some line drawings and had these two stamps made.


And, indeed, they are fun (although clearly I need to work on my stamping skillz). It's taking lots of self-restraint not to stamp everything in sight. I'm hoping the kids at my readings will enjoy them as much as I have! (Today I even sent away for a few more.)

30 Lessons Learned, #24: The Cover May Paralyze You

Before I get into this week's post, I want to let folks know that you can enter to win a copy of Buglette at Goodreads. As well, there will be fun giveaways happening here on the blog in the coming weeks. Stay tuned! :)

I tried a few sketch directions and everyone gravitated toward one image fairly quickly. After a few small revisions, the sketch was approved. (Whew, one hurdle down!) The cover image was straightforward -- it was not a huge challenge for me technically. But, I found it very difficult to actually do the cover. It had to be perfect. It was the cover after all. Paralysis set in and lasted for a while. And then, multiple rounds with the tiniest variations began. Thank goodness for deadlines or I might still be working on it.

Now that it is done, I am happy. I like the simplicity and color combinations. I also enjoyed doing the lettering.

Illustration Friday: Cultivate

It was sooooo frustrating for my 7-year old self that my new little brother couldn't walk OR talk OR follow instructions when he was born. I came up with all kinds of plots (not this one exactly) to make him grow faster.



I've been missing my IF buddies! I'm in the middle of a big old deadline, but I hope to get back to IF more regularly in a month or so.

30 Lessons Learned, #22: It's More Than Just 32 Pages


I'm realizing that there's plenty more to be done once the book is finished, i.e. marketing and promotion. I used to work as a designer in a marketing agency and thus, I like to think about tie-ins and promo pieces. This is a mock up of one of the pieces I proposed: a door hanger. It seems like a perfect tie-in for little dreamers. My publisher has been wonderfully receptive to ideas (yay!) and they are producing door hangers, stickers and postcards.

As an aside, two lovely pre-spring surprises arrived at my house this past week. One: my advance copy of Buglette! Having my own book in the house is a bit surreal. I smile every time I walk by it. And two: beautiful flowers from my friend that perfectly match the cover of the book. I had to take a photo...




30 Lessons Learned, #21: Swatches are a Girl's Best Friend



I have a drawer full of watercolor swatches. These are palettes that I've used for previous paintings and/or just colors that I've mixed together and like. The colors in each swatch are noted in abbreviations because I tend to forget what I've used. These swatches are a great starting point for paintings. When I'm first considering the mood of an illustration, I'll often empty this drawer in front of me and start picking through for colors and combinations that give the right feel. Also, because this particular project is multi-page, it helped me to hang swatches/color palettes with the sketches (all over my walls) so I could see how the various color palettes work together.

A quick side note: I was the winner of a fabulous onesie from Joy Nevada's Etsy shop. Her illustrations are whimsical and suited perfectly to apparel for little ones. Thank you, Nevada!