When I hold an original, an inner voice, “This is the only one of these in the world.” I don’t get that from a book. Is that OK?
The value of originals
Author: Matt Shanks
Artificial constraints
While there’s value in imposing constraints on one’s art practice, the opposite is probably true, but how do we decide?
A book illustrator’s portfolio: Images without words
One of the number one pieces of advice I give to emerging illustrators is to amplify your voice by using words and images in your portfolio.
Writing with pictures
I find writing with pictures much easier than writing with words? But people always say start with the words?
If you have an idea, just make it
Unless your idea is made, it joins the pile of ‘ideas I should make’, not the pile you can call ‘my body of work’.
Art as therapy
What if we were able to tell ourselves a story to be OK with prioritising art in our lives? What sort of work would we make?
Drawing as an energy-giving activity
Drawing gives me energy in different ways, but there’s nothing quite like watching it give power to a child.
What do I really care about?
Anyone can write a story about anything, but only I can write a story about the stuff I care about.
Something always comes from nothing
Something always comes from nothing – but giving ourselves the space to feel nothing is the difficult bit.
The slow death of fiction in picture books?
What happens when children’s publishing is too afraid to focus on good fiction?
