I started my upcoming picture book with a short story and a few paintings.

Then I created a storyboard (something I learned to do in another lifetime as a website developer). The storyboard helped me figure out the layout for the book.

But things always look completely different in your head.

When my husband Brian finished the digital layout (using InDesign), my heart sunk. It just didn’t feel the way I had pictured it.

So I had to make a lot of changes.

At first, I completely did not think I could make it work.

But I followed every new inspiration and idea. And I remembered that with each creative project, whether it’s putting together a new painting, a class or a book, it never works the first time. It takes lots of beautiful mistakes, following what I like and covering up what I don’t like.

And through it all, I always remember to have fun.

My hope is that this picture book will be enjoyable and fun for you to read and for your children and grandkids to love too. I cannot wait to share more of it with you soon!

Happy painting!

xo,

Ps. If you’ve been wanting to get over creative blocks and find new inspirations, there is an incredible community building in my online class Happy Painting – A Mini Course.

In Happy Painting, I share a variety of techniques and characters to help you overcome creative blocks and easily develop your own style. By the end of class, you’ll have five gorgeous paintings and the painting template to get you started again and again, so you can keep creating in a style that is unique to YOU.

Click here for more details and register here.