My mother made me learn poetry by heart so that I could stay sane in solitary confinement.
I’m not sure why she thought I’d end up in solitary confinement, but I like the poetry.
Fortunately I'm an adult now and can growl as much as I want and also go look at the sea any time. So it's largely viable, distilling some cheer.
That really didn't work with me, I'm grumpy as all heck when things are awry. But I did somehow choose a career that demands being at least a bit of a sunshine to the world no matter where my head gets stuck.
When I was a child my grandma once told me off because I told my dad that I still had a bit of a headache the day after getting my head caught in a car door. She said I must always be a sunshine for my parents.
I think of that sometimes, how some of us are brought up to be delightful at all costs.
The persistent fog hasn't been helping of late, or everyone being tired for good reasons. Snack foods aren't loadbearing this week. Might need to go look at the sea soon
Thinking about that scene in one of Douglas Adams' books with the software designed to find a chain of reasoning that leads to a thing you've already decided to do and he really nailed that one didn't he
Hand-lettered a book cover today and added a lot of confetti to a scene. Changed the plug on the studio heater. That kind of day. Melancholy
Thumbnails of nine fairytale scarves (dancing skeletons, fairytale hands, foxes, girls fleeing houses, etc)
Scarves! With fairy-tale, Gothic, and fairy-tale Gothic illustrations.
These are vast but very very light scarves — they twist up quite small.
And there are many available here: www.redbubble.com/people/tanau...
No I've not done the maths. If I did that I would not write a word ever again I think
And then illustrate the longer books. That'll be satisfying. It's a plan
Don't get me wrong, I really believe in making art at the kitchen table, potato printing and ink pens cut from reeds and soda cans. But I feel cramped and I need to get out there and wander around and make notes and type a lot in library corners now.
Some of them yeah
I just want to spend some time writing, instead.
I do enjoy making picture books but it was a lot more fun when illustration studios still had big analogue equipment. Not something you can make happen easily any more, you'd need a big shared space that's not full of computer desks. We still got messy paint in ours which is the main bit but...
Fingers crossed that a bunch of you buy "Maud is Moving" so the numbers back me up on that plan. It's got at least one ghost in it and a good number of words.
Almost everything I ever write is ghost stories, sometimes obviously, sometimes less so, I don't think that'll change. It would be really nice to get a year of just doing that.
My plan this year is to concentrate on writing longer books. That and the card game publishing. There are three picture books coming out that I've finished and they should keep me afloat long enough so I can write a lot for a few months.
Yes that would be ideal. I found a barely glowing one but it's very audible.
I think I need some sleep
Wait I forgot the context
Your mum
I don't mind digital either if it's not GLOWING
Oooh epaper display is perfect actually! I just don't want it to glow in any way, or whirr or click. Nice
I need a wall clock that doesn't make noises but I don't want a digital display. Don't know what to do about that, frankly
I guess it's technically a horror story but I'm sure I can make it funny and reassuring.
Sign on white paper, stuck on a vending machine: "OUT OF ORDER Removing this sign will not make it work"
Monday Mood
In other words YOU CAN GET IT AND READ IT RIGHT NOW
This is launching this week, and I'm starting to get pictures from friends who already spotted copies out in the wild!
Decided on a chapter book to finish writing. It's got crabs in it.
holy shit
