I have begun writing again. It feels exciting to have a new challenge, but I am approaching the writing process slowly because … well, why rush? I have so many images forming in my mind, and I am starting to get quite emotionally invested in my protagonist. Exciting times!
It seems fitting that I begin this new journey in spring: a time of rebirth, growth and transformation in our natural world. As I watch my garden come alive after a long winter, the start of a new book’s life seems a natural extension of this.
This past month, I have also been considering my path forward as an artist and illustrator. But, what is my brand? Do I need one? Do I have one already, but just can’t define it?
Questioning is a natural process in my learning. It is good to challenge thinking or wonder why. Life isn’t black and white, yes or no, but a sliding scale between fact and perception. Every book we pick up to read, or every image that we view in exhibitions, everything we hear, do, and see lies somewhere along a continuum. Very little is at one or the other end of the spectrum. Life isn’t polarized.
So, what IS my brand? I want to become known as an author and illustrator who primarily writes imaginative work based on factual elements in our natural world. I want to illustrate my work realistically but creatively. I enjoy writing for children, but don’t want to be pigeonholeed as a children’s author. Adults read children’s books too. Can they not enjoy them and get something from them also? Can they only read books I write and illustrate if they have a child to read them to?
In my first book,’ The Paper Butterfly’, animals talk, and a piece of paper becomes a living ‘real’ butterfly with all the accompanying emotions. In reality, however, she is just a folded piece of paper. The ‘story’ of the monarch butterfly is based on fact. Monarchs begin as an egg, hatch into a caterpillar, eclose, and become a butterfly, then make a very long migration south. Many characters have human emotions and were inspired by both fictional theatre and real life. How do you classify all this into one genre?
Life isn’t black and white, and writing and illustrating aren’t either. And yet, each time I publish a book, I am asked to give it a genre; in essence, to brand it. I am asked if my illustrations are realistic or imaginative…to brand me as an illustrator. Can they not be both? Why do we feel the need to pigeonhole everything? Isn’t this exclusive rather than inclusive? As an author and illustrator, surely I am somewhere on a sliding scale, and each book I write and illustrate will slide to a different place along maybe more than one continuum. Readers may also perceive a book to be at a different place on that line because of their own experiences. And that to me is OK.
Until we spread our creative wings, we have no idea how far or high we can soar. Why limit ourselves and others by branding?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Such an interesting read. I think you already have a strong brand carried over from your exhibition art. It may need to be slightly adapted but the core is there already. Your kindness empathy and compassion for the environment and the ability you have through both your stories and your stand-alone art to encourage us to think and question. I know, in The Paper Butterfly’ I questioned some of my preconceived ideas without feeling I had been wrong before. My grandson also had many questions.
Thanks for your thoughts Lily.
Thank you dear Ona for your thoughts to which I can relate so well! Having followed your artsy journey for so long, and your writing too, I can see so clearly how much we have in common – I love story writing almost as much as painting… You don’t need anyone’s advice, you already know: you are the one who follows her instict in the most creative way.
This reminded me of my very first exhibition in 2013. I had just moved here, a village with the best known and largest Naive Art exhibition in Finland. Someone had seen my playful wateroclor paintings and I was invited to participate at the next Naive Art exhibition. How exiting and frightening, yet the audience liked my work. Once the exhibition ended, the Naive Art Committee defined me being “in the neighbourhood of naive art, – however, the painting style being too free and thus not pure naive art”. I was so disappointed, until I realized: I just came out of closet (first exhibition) – and I don’t really want to be put in a drawer (limited room to create and develop freely). What a freedom we have!
Thank you Raxu, Yes, i think sometimes artists find it hard to be ‘defined’ as having a style or brand because our very nature as creatives souls means we often bend reality and make it our own. Loved reading your thoughts.