Interview with Marissa Valdez - 2020 SCBWI Summer Spectacular Showcase Honor Winner

© Marissa Valdez

Hi there Marissa! Congratulations on your Honor! How does it feel winning among so many other talented artists?

Oh wow, really unbelievable! I’m still in shock because there were so many amazing portfolios in the showcase. So feeling very grateful, lucky, and just a little bit validated about my own work. 

 

You should feel validated. You are fabulous! What kind of projects are you working on now?

While I can’t say anything specific about it yet, I am suuuper excited to start illustrating the first book in an early chapter book series! It’ll be my first time illustrating spots for a chapter book, so I’m pumped to dive right into the process. I’m also trying to write more of my own stories. I gained a lot of mental writing momentum from the Summer Spectacular talks so I’m hoping to channel that energy into a pile of new book dummies.

 

Oooh! That's exciting! Is there any type of illustration work that you’re hoping for in the near future?

I’m the type of person who loves to do a bit of everything! I’m hoping to illustrate more picture books in the future for sure, and to write and illustrate more of my original ideas. But I’d also love to illustrate middle grade covers, spot illustrations, kid’s magazine covers, children’s toys and oh! Puzzles! I’m not sure why but I’d love to design a children’s puzzle one day. I mean, who doesn’t love puzzles?

 

I definitely love puzzles! Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  

Yes! I actually got this advice before I decided to focus on my illustration career but it’s pretty universal: take risks. Even if they’re small risks, like reaching out to an illustrator that you admire or attending your local SCBWI chapter meeting, constantly take risks! I found out early on that it was near impossible to accomplish my goals, like getting an agent or winning contests, without taking those little risks along the way, and I had to persevere even if I felt anxious or especially sweaty during the process.

© Marissa Valdez

That's great advice! Any one piece of bad advice?

Oof, one bad piece of advice I’ve gotten is that there’s only one way to create a picture book. I’m finding out that there’s about ten million different ways to create a picture book and it really depends on what works best for you. Picture books are surprisingly flexible and it’s great to think of new ways to push their boundaries. Books like Dan Santat’s ARE WE THERE YET? and Adam Rubin’s and Daniel Salmieri’s HIGH FIVE are great examples of picture books that have pushed that boundary for me.

 

I love that! What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference?  

Watching LeUyen Pham talk about how she designs her picture books totally blew my mind. My hand started cramping taking notes; she was giving so much good advice so quickly that I couldn’t keep up! When she started talking about keeping a “line” for your eye to follow through a picture book, I felt like I was seeing page spreads in a whole new light! It was really inspiring. 

 

I'm still digesting it all. What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

One book that’s stuck with me since I can remember is AESOP’S FABLES by Charles Santore. I used to pour over his illustrations like I had a little art museum laying in my lap; the book even included a fold out poster page that I remember being about as tall as me. I always loved the expressions he illustrated onto different animal characters because they could tell the whole story on their own. That emotion and evocative storytelling through illustration is something I strive to include in my own work now. 

© Marissa Valdez 

Where can we find you online?

You can find me on Instagram at @marissaarts, Twitter at @marissaillo and feel free to peruse my portfolio at www.marissavaldez.com. Also feel free to reach out to me just to chat, I could talk about children’s books all day!

Me too friend! See you 'round!

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Interview by Meridth McKean Gimbel, a kidlit writer, artist, & champion taco cruncher who is currently building a time machine. They are also represented by Linda Pratt at Wernick & Pratt. You can follow their work at:

Portfolio | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

It's A Wonderful Life

As children's book writers and illustrators, we are a part of this amazing community that sees the world from the unique perspective of tiny humans. Something I hadn't considered until recently is the fact that many of the professionals working in this field are also balancing parenting (sometimes full time) while creating too.

Curious about this, I did a search for articles that would answer some of the immediate questions I had regarding the maintenance (and growth) of a creative career while being a parent to a little one. I started rifling through old SCBWI magazines that I had kept while perusing the internet and was surprised that I found more questions than answers. 

So I went to the experts and interviewed three Mentees who are balancing their creative careers while being awesome parents too! They had some wonderful insight I am excited to be sharing with you. Whether you are an expecting parent or a one that's already in the trenches, this article is a must-read on how to keep swimming.

Q: How do you balance staying home with little ones and still have time for your creative work?

CORINNA:  It’s tricky, for sure. I think it’s important to remember that this is a phase, and your children will grow up quite quickly. It may not seem like it at first, but as they say- the days are long but the years are short. This is SO true. 

I have found that it can be helpful to remember that limits are not necessarily a problem- they can also be your friend. Perhaps when your children are very young it is not the time to experiment with an overly complicated style.  Those early years are a great time to take honest stock of your strengths and weaknesses as a writer or illustrator and then play to your strengths! Embrace the things that you know you do well.  It can also be helpful to use materials or techniques that you can walk away from and come back to it without having to do major cleanup each time. Watercolor is wonderful for this. Or maybe it means working in small 20 minute increments, but learning how to string those increments together.  One tip that I learned for this, is to always stop when you are still slightly in the zone and have a clear idea of what you’re going to do next.  This gives you a quick and easy re-entry point the next time you are able to work on the piece again.  Because if you work on a piece until you have no idea what comes next, and you are interrupted often, it can be hard to find your way back into the flow.  But if you know what you want to do next, even if it is something as simple as making a pair of shoes red, you have a way back in.  

Also, you can surprise yourself.  I never thought I’d be able to work at night. But I found that I could put my daughter to bed at night and fall asleep with her, then wake up after 20 minutes or so and work from 9pm until 1 or 2 am.   This isn’t an ideal schedule for me, and as soon as my daughter entered kindergarten I went back to work during the day.  But it was definitely something that I could manage for a few years to make more uninterrupted time for art making.  I have found, especially when you’re tired,  that the first few minutes are the hardest.  But if you can just sit down in your chair and pick up a pencil and start working… you can find your way into a rhythm more quickly than you might think.  It’s mysterious in a way, but I have found that where ever you can make the time and space for creative work, it will meet you there. 

SUZANNE: I push a schedule to work earlier before everyone gets up.  Also during crunch time, my family leaves for weekend trips to let me focus for a few days.

I also bought a portable Cintiq I have used in the car, soccer practice, or anywhere in between.

SUNGYEON: I think it is super hard to do anything creative until the baby is two or three. I got help as much as possible like a food delivery service, grocery shopping service, a robot cleaning machine, a dishwasher, an air fryer, and an instant pot. I used my iPad as my main creative tool.  It is quick, simple and easy.  In this time, quality is not that important, quantity is precious. Quick doodling, quick sketch and a quick note kept me in a creative loop. 

Q: How do you manage to stay motivated when your brain is running on zero sleep?

CORINNA: Sleep is so important— for your body, mind and creative spirit… and not something that you want to sacrifice for very long. After about a year of working late at night and not sleeping very much, I started to notice it was affecting me.  As I continued to work at night, I made sure to take afternoon naps with my daughter.  This allowed me to work at night for a few more years without it taking as much of a toll.  Ultimately, this is something I think you can do for bits of time... on a deadline etc... but in the long run, it’s important to make sure that you have a healthy lifestyle and to keep the long view. Be patient. Be kind to yourself. Be realistic about your priorities at this stage- because it IS a stage. And it will pass. 

Also keep in mind, that even when you are not making art, as long as you are parenting a small child, you are absorbing SO many influences for your art.  Your heart is growing and your understanding of children is growing.  It might help to think of it as the research stage of your bookmaking life.  Because no matter how tired you are, you will certainly be looking at TONS of picture books together.  And this will not always be the case.  On those days when you are SO tired, I think it also helps to keep your work loose and rough. To think of what you are doing as notes, quick sketches, and imagine that you are saving up some of these impulses and ideas for another day.  Now that my daughter is almost 10, I have more time for work.  But she’s no longer the perfect age to use as a model for most picture books and she no longer says and does all those strange, wonderful, surprising things that very small children say and do.  

SUZANNE: I try to read at least a few picture books every day and sneak in sketches with crazy materials.  This inspiration keeps me going.

SUNGYEON: Please sleep whenever you can. I went to urgent care a couple times for exhaustion and it was not worth it. Wait and think about what you will do when your baby goes to preschool. Meanwhile, go to the library with your baby and research and study children's books with them. It is a precious reference, and babies are experts with children's books. Learn from them. It is your research period. 

Bank your stories/ideas in a notebook as you research. In a couple of years, you will be ready to sit down and carve out these ideas.  

Q: What is one piece of advice you wish someone had given you when you were first trying to find time for creative work with a little one?

CORINNA: Be patient. You will have more time to work on art and books soon enough.  Your child will grow up SO fast, and they will want to hang out with their friends more than you.  So treasure this time.

SUZANNE:  That is was OK to be selfish with your time.  That I deserve to have this time and it doesn't make me a bad mom.  I struggle with this still.

SUNGYEON: You may not have the luxurious 3-5 hours of creative time, but you can still find it here and there. The longest time you may find might be less than 30 minutes if you are lucky.   So plan ahead for creative time when baby falls asleep.  I made lists of what to do for  30 minute blocks. When the time comes, don't look at dirty dishes or surf the internet. Utilize your precious 30 minutes meaningfully. 

Take turns with your partner.  Have baby-free time one evening, and give your partner baby-free time another evening.  

Q: Is there anything you wish you would have spent more time on or prepped more for before your little one arrived?

CORINNA: It’s such a difficult thing to “be prepared” for.  In many ways, I think it’s best to be prepared to be unprepared.  Make peace with the fact that life is going to surprise you and that those surprises and the messiness of it all are also the essence of life itself.  The truth is that being a parent (and balancing parenting with a creative career that will take as much of your time as you can give it) can be very difficult at times.  But being a parent also opens your heart up in an incredible way. And this can be a tremendous gift to your art making, in the long run.  Ultimately, making picture books might be your dream, just like it was mine, but it isn’t going to make you happy.  The more books I make, and the more my career grows, and the busier I get, the more this becomes very very clear to me.  Happiness or contentment—or whatever you want to call this thing that we are all searching for…really can only exist right here, right now, in all the tired and mess and hoping and wishing and failing and trying again.  

SUZANNE: Setting up childcare and not feeling guilty for wanting to do both.  I wish I would have felt comfortable spending the money on a good computer and a Cintiq tablet.  I felt all the money should go to the new family and that I could get by.  It was only after winning the mentorship I gave myself permission to stop using my 15-year-old tablet from college.   

SUNGYEON: Baby-proof your art space.  Organize art supply drawers, so that you can work efficiently. Donate unnecessary art supplies, and simplify your environment.  You will fill up space with lots of baby stuff, but don't give up your art corner.

Also, don't spend too much time decorating the baby's room. Babies don't care about their rooms and they will want to replace the beautiful elephant and flower mural paintings with superheroes and princess when they grow up, anyway.

I transformed my art room into the baby’s room before the baby was born and it took three years to convert it back to my own space. Luckily, I wrote some baby diaries to remind me of wonderful times.   I wish I drew more and took more pictures of my baby.  Enjoy the precious moments!  They don't come back until....... you have a second baby! :)

~Jeslyn Kate


Jeslyn Kate writes/illustrates for children and teaches art.
You can find her work at these different locations:
Website:www.jeslynkate.com
Instagram: Jeslyn Kate
Twitter: @jeslynkate
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeslynkateart

Interview with Irena Freitas, 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award winner

This interview series introduces the talented recipients of the SCBWI Mentorship Award at the 2017 Summer Conference. Please welcome Irena Freitas to the KidLitArtists Blog! 

About Irena Freitas:

Irena Freitas is an illustrator from Manaus, Brazil. She recently graduated from an MFA Illustration program at SCAD at Savannah, Georgia, but she is already back in her home country. As a kid, she wanted to be a full-time TV critic and an artist on the side, turns out life had other (and much better!) plans and she became a full-time illustrator and only rants about TV on her Twitter feed.

Did the feedback you received during the mentorship critiques either change or confirm the direction of your illustration?

Yes! I love doing picture book illustration, but I'm also interested in the editorial market as well, so most of my mentors suggested me to have separate sections on my portfolio for these two markets, and this is something that I'm currently working on.

What kind of projects are you working on now?

I'm mostly working on new pieces for my portfolio, but I'm also taking editorial jobs and sending my portfolio to art directors in publishing houses.

Is there any type of illustration (or other work) that you’re hoping for in the near future?

Hopefully, a picture book that I could illustrate!

Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  Any one piece of bad advice?

Don't do work just to please the market, illustration is naturally a commercial art form but still need to ring true to you.

I don't really believe in bad advice, you learn something about yourself or the client you are working with even on your worse interactions (maybe especially on those).

What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference? 

I'm HORRIBLE at taking notes and quoting people! But the overall lesson that I learned is: people are different and it's impossible to please everyone, maybe one rejection can be a glowing approval in the future.

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

Surprisingly I was not very much into picture books as a kid, I really loved Little Women, Matilda, big chapter books with selected folk tales, The Secret Garden and travel books in general.

Where can we learn more about you and your artwork?

My portfolio: irenafreitas.com

My instagram: @irenafreitas

And my twitter (mostly in Portuguese): @irenafreitas

Thanks, Irena! Welcome to KidLitArtists!

Interview with Heidi Sheffield, 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award winner

This interview series introduces the talented recipients of the SCBWI Mentorship Award at the 2017 Summer Conference. Please welcome Heidi Sheffield to the KidLitArtists Blog! 

About Heidi Sheffield:

Heidi Sheffield's favorite memory is of her mom giving her a crayon and letting her draw all over the wall (just before wallpapering it). Her world has been about words and pictures ever since. In a previous life, she worked as an Art Director for Young & Rubicam, but is ever-happy now illustrating for children. Heidi looks forward to the day when a child will hold one of her books. You might find her walking down the street, staring at the ground, taking a picture of some cool texture in the cement. It's sure to be seen in one of her collages.

Did the feedback you received during the mentorship critiques either change or confirm the direction of your illustration?

The feedback really helped me confirm the direction my art has been headed in. In general, the mentors were enthusiastic about my work. Collage can get overly busy really fast and the mentors suggested simplification in some of my pictures. I was also told the emotion captured in my characters was good. They mentioned that’s the part that’s often lacking in most collages they see. Sometimes collage art can swing more toward the decorative, rather than the narrative. 

The pictures of mine that seemed most successful were those that were the most organic and loose. (And also the ones I had the most fun creating!) That’s part of why I do collage. It mutes that perfectionistic inner critic chick. When I do it right, it surprises me every time. That’s when I know I’m on to something good, when a piece is full of life, all wonky and wonderful. It makes me feel five again and I love that.

What kind of projects are you working on now?

I am refining two of my picture book mockups, with the hope of submitting them soon.

Is there any type of illustration (or other work) that you’re hoping for in the near future?

While I love fiction, I'd also like to try my hand at illustrating an nonfiction piece. There are so many cool ways you can run with nonfiction these days!

Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  Any one piece of bad advice?

A friend of mine who worked at Hallmark said, "Sometimes you gotta paint a picture to paint a picture." If something's not working, try a different angle. Don't let your work get so precious that you can't let go of something that's not going well and start again. Just because you made it doesn't mean you have to stick with it. 

What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference? 

Laurent Linn: "When you can put two contrasting emotions in a picture, there's a story there."

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

• A HOLE IS TO DIG, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
• HILARY KNIGHT'S ABC, 
• THE SNOWY DAY by Ezra Jack Keats
• Little Golden Book art
• GO DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman
• the WINNIE THE POOH series by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard
• A BEAR CALLED PADDINGTON by Michael Bond, illustrated by Peggy Fortum
• the VELVETEEN RABBIT by Margery Williams, illustrated by William Nicholson.

Learn more about Heidi and her work on her website, Twitter, and Instagram pages!

Thanks, Heidi! Welcome to KidLitArtists!

Interview with Amber Alvarez, 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award winner

This interview series introduces the talented recipients of the SCBWI Mentorship Award at the 2017 Summer Conference. Please welcome Amber Alvarez to the KidLitArtists Blog! 

About Amber Alvarez:

Amber Alvarez grew up on a white strip of sand bordering the Pacific Ocean. While other kids had cats and dogs, she had a pair of green sea turtles. Amber holds a BFA in film from Pratt Institute in New York City. Now she lives and makes art in Utah, under a mountain, but above a railroad track. Her steamy chef husband lives there too.

Did the feedback you received during the mentorship critiques either change or confirm the direction of your illustration?

It is remarkably confirming to hear the same things over and over again by a group of people you esteem. The mentorship critiques got me laser-focused on one of the paths I have been cautiously edging my way down. Abandoning the other paths has been the best part of summer.

Each mentor picked the same pictures from my book as their favorites. Of course, I like those pieces too - but seeing them pulled out, again and again, was a wild sensation. 

My favorite criticism of the pieces left behind was that the children in those scenes were not as authentic as my other kids. One mentor recommended I draw imaginary siblings of kids I know in real life. This trick is proving a great formula for genuine characters! 

Seeing my portfolio the way the mentors saw it, reintroduced me to my work. Here's something I realized later, they only chose pieces I'd sketched a lot of times before I'd started painting. All the pieces were mixed media with rich colors and loose details.  Strangely enough, they picked every piece in my book that I made during the daytime, in streaming sunlight, after a good night's sleep.

What kind of projects are you working on now?

I'm working on a few stand-alone manuscripts inspired by character art before moving on to full-blown dummies. When I write, I like to pretend I'm a children's author instead of an author/illustrator. I want to make my words good enough to stand alone. One of my favorite PBs I'm working on right now is about a group of monsters that CANNOT GET IT TOGETHER - they have no chill.

Is there any type of illustration (or other work) that you’re hoping for in the near future?

I most want to make picture books. *squeezes eyes shut and crosses fingers

Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  Any one piece of bad advice?

I've been drawing every day since I was old enough to hold a crayon. A few years ago it started to seem futile. I've always made my living as an artist, but it felt like making picture books was still so far away. I started debating getting my master's degree or going to coding school. My dad intervened. He said I just needed to keep trying. I could go back to school, or work as a UX designer - but dreams on a shelf, don't go away. Instead, I should stop wasting time trying to talk myself out of the "song of my soul." That helped so much. I went back to drawing every day, and I stopped vacillating on Plan B.

The worst advice I ever heard was via a college professor who used to lecture non-stop on the evil waste of spending money on high-quality paper. While there's some merit to the idea that tools are only as good as their master, the sentiment is plain wrong when it comes to Arches 300lb cold press. That stuff can make just about anyone into Rembrandt.

What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference? 

Sean Qualls beautiful keynote was exactly what I needed. I find myself revisiting his simple guidance, "let your art be your constant."

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

• LITTLE BEAR, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak was the picture book that I carried into adulthood and re-read most often.

• WHAT DO YOU DO, DEAR? and WHAT DO YOU SAY, DEAR? written by Sesyle Joslin and illustrated by Maurice Sendak were favorites that stand the test of time. I remember laughing until I couldn't breathe over them. I cherish all of Sendak's line-art. I'd read OPEN HOUSE FOR BUTTERFLIES over WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE any day. 

• THE PAIN AND THE GREAT ONE, written by Judy Blume and illustrated by Irene Trivas is comedic gold. 

• I'm always disappointed when someone tells me they don't know Syd Hoff. His I CAN READ books were my ride-or-die. I carried them everywhere.

• The GEORGE AND MARTHA books by James Marshall were pure genius. Everyone loves THE STUPIDS, but they had nothing on G&M.

• I spent Sundays plastered to my bedroom floor with every scrap of Bill Watterson's CALVIN AND HOBBES I could get my hands on.

• A few years ago I was lamenting a book I'd loved as a child but could never find again. I didn't know the title but I described everything I remembered about it on my blog. To my utter delight, a total stranger sent it to me that very week, MOUSE TALES by the great Arnold Lobel!

• I loved THE B.F.G written by Roald Dahl, with my whole heart. I used to sit at my window late at night, absolutely sure The Big Friendly Giant would come find me too. Above all, Quentin Blake continues to be an inspiration.

Where can we learn more about you and your artwork?

You can see my illustration portfolio work at http://AmberAlvarez.com

I'm most available on Instagram, where I post a daily sketch.

Thanks, Amber! Welcome to KidLitArtists!

Interview with Diandra Mae, 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award winner

This interview series introduces the talented recipients of the SCBWI Mentorship Award at the 2017 Summer Conference. Please welcome Diandra Mae to the KidLitArtists Blog! 

About Diandra Mae:

Diandra Mae has a love of stories as big as the Lone Star State. Thanks to a steady diet of  comics and cartoons while growing up, her work is full of emotion and humor. She is currently exploring what it means to be a storyteller through a variety of media. Diandra lives in Houston, Texas with her family.

Did the feedback you received during the mentorship critiques either change or confirm the direction of your illustration?

The feedback confirmed that a new path I had just started on with my work was the correct one. I had several brand new pieces (black and white work) in my portfolio that were held up with delight over and over again. I remember thinking, "I had so much fun making those. I need to make sure I keep having fun going forward."

What kind of projects are you working on now?

I have these two characters that I couldn't figure out what to do with. I recently realized that's because their story is wordless. Nothing like a challenge, right? I'll be dummying up their story this month.  Once I see that through I'm going to explore the story possibilities for a group of young characters. I'm really looking forward to that. 

Beyond that, I'm taking a creativity workshop online and I'm really enjoying the exploration of media and techniques without worrying about the final outcome. Process can be its own reward.

Is there any type of illustration (or other work) that you’re hoping for in the near future?

I feel like the more I create, the more I want to try! I currently have sitting on my drawing table, outlines or sketches for a) a board book, b) a webcomic, c) a picture book, d) early reader/early chapter book. And that's not to say I wouldn't mind illustrating a middle grade book. I would! I love it all!

Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  Any one piece of bad advice?

The advice that really resonated with me was, "Why are you the one to tell this story? What makes you stand out from all the rest?" It's made me dig deep and figure out the kind of illustrator I want to be, and the kinds of stories I want to tell. It's turned my work in a completely new direction.  

Bad advice: In a portfolio critique, I was told several things that went completely against the grain of who I was as a creator, and what was presented in my portfolio. That was one of those times where I considered what was said for about a minute before I realized that they didn't get me, and that was okay. Even bad advice can help you stay on your path.

What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference? 

I got so much out of the Illustrator Intensive. I enjoyed the exercises and there were so many fantastic points made that entire day. However, I think overall the lessons shared by LeUyen Pham at the SCBWI Summer Conference were some of the most concrete take-aways I've received in years. She is an amazing presenter/teacher. The message I got from her (and the one that thrilled my gardener's heart) was, "GROW."

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

When I was little, the details and world building in both Mercer Meyer's Monster books as well as Richard Scarry's Best Ever books completely fascinated me. I cut my teeth on the "I can Read" collection published by Harper Collins. (Hi, eighties kid!) I would spend my allowance on the Uncle Scrooge comics you could buy at the grocery store. When I was older the humor of Sideways Stories From Wayside School completely sucked me in and I read my copy to tatters. The mysteries of Bunnicula helped build my love of the mysterious and weird, as did Roald Dahl's James & The Giant Peach and The Witches.

Thanks, Diandra! Welcome to KidLitArtists!

Find more about Diandra on her website diandramae.com, or on Instagram and Twitter.

Interview with Shannon McNeill, 2017 SCBWI LA Mentorship Award winner

This interview series introduces the talented recipients of the SCBWI Mentorship Award at the 2017 Summer Conference. Please welcome Shannon McNeill to the KidLitArtists Blog! 

About Shannon McNeill:

Shannon is an illustrator from San Diego. Her fate as a young artist was sealed when she took on The Drawing Book of Animals by Ed Emberley and made it all the way to the dragon. The creative momentum that followed led to a degree at Art Center, a stint at Disney Interactive, and lots of freelance work including several picture books. Two countries and two children later, she is back in San Diego doing what she loves best: working with shapes, line, nature, and books.

Did the feedback you received during the mentorship critiques either change or confirm the direction of your illustration?

The feedback confirmed much of what I had suspected, which was that my work needed to show a stronger representation and range of narrative situations. What I really appreciated were the very specific notes on ways to approach solving this problem, boiled down in a way that may have taken me a long time to get to on my own. For instance, even the simple concept of "action, reaction, interaction" is something that I can easily keep in mind from now on. There were many many other useful tips, this is just a small example.

What kind of projects are you working on now?

This portfolio is a first stab at showing new work after a long hiatus raising family. At this point in time, I am focused on technique refinement, narrative and storytelling practice, and exploration of personal points of view. Now I have a chance to take that even further with the mentorship feedback I've been given, so this opportunity could not have happened at a better time for me.

Is there any type of illustration (or other work) that you’re hoping for in the near future?

In the past I loved working with the stories by other authors, which I want to continue. But lately I also have a growing interest in non-fiction, especially related to the natural sciences or historical biography. I would also like to write my own book one day, although that will take more time and practice to successfully sort out. Illustrating poetry could be really great. The musical and rhythmic qualities of language gives me goosebumps, ever since I was a kid.

Is there one really helpful piece of advice that you’ve gotten since pursuing illustration?  Any one piece of bad advice?

• Some good advice, that I find repeated and validated over and over again: To accept as artists that we already have innate style, not worry about it, and just get on with making things that resonate.
• Some bad advice, from college days: That no one is interested in sketches or personal work. I find this to be consistently untrue!

What was one of your favorite quotes or lessons from the SCBWI Summer Conference? 

When Vanessa Brantley Newton said that kids do look for themselves in books. Everyone wants to feel seen.

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid?

I have ONE MILLION favorites but two that go straight to my child heart are: The Drawing Book of Animals by Ed Emberley because of how long I stared and studied those elegant and delightful shapes, and In a People House by Dr. Seuss and Roy McKie, because I hear my mother's voice every time I read it.

Thanks, Shannon! Welcome to KidLitArtists!

Find Shannon's work on her website at www.littledrawings.com, or on Instagram and Twitter.