Look and Listen

Biography

I love the process of writing and making books. Each one is different from the other, and each ends up as a surprise to me. I think that making books, like in gardening, as you dig into your foundation, your life and imagination, you never know what will flourish. My books cultivate the imagination. I have always loved books, and still have some favorites from my childhood and school years. I have spent countless hours in bookstores, mostly looking at Children’s picture books and imagining what it would be like to have a book in a bookstore, where characters spoke and came to life through words and art. It seemed overwhelmingly extraordinary to me, so it never occurred to me that I would be an author. But, I began to write my own stories, and discovered that writing was a bit like gardening. I learned to plant ideas in my mind like seeds, and if they sprouted, to patiently help them grow. Sometimes my ideas would grow as fast as weeds, and just as fast they would get away from me. But sometimes they would slowly develop and blossom. My books are wide-ranging in subject, style, and age groups. They don’t teach strong lessons, or deliver strong messages, out of my belief that young children are bombarded with lessons every day, and that reading should be reserved for entertainment, or to relax the mind and cultivate the imagination.

Inspiration

Inspiration is different for everybody. Maybe it starts in childhood by taking care of your special toys and books and treating them with great respect. Maybe it comes by being crafty and making art with your hands and developing a silent mental story to go with them. Inspiration to write a book can start from many different avenues. Maybe you are at a point in your creativity where a story is developing in your mind, but if you don't listen and take action, no one will ever have the priviledge of reading your book. Make your inspiration come from your imagination.