Writing and drawing children’s books is definitely a dream job. What other job is there where your imagination can be unleashed to go wherever it will? Where almost nothing is off limits and the possibilities are endless?
That’s what childhood is all about … imagination and possibilities, discovery and potential … and we writers and drawers of children’s books get to go back and experience it all again every time we’re back at our keyboards and in our studios.
Because we have a storyteller’s heart ... that special kind of heart that gives us a unique perspective that so many people lose when they’re all grown up. That special kind of heart that children carry with them on their journey through exploring and discovering their world.
We walked that path once, and what we write and draw will encourage and help show the way to the ones who are coming along behind us.
I know, it’s just books for children. And most of those are pretty simple, especially for younger children. A lot of them are really kind of silly.
But we only think like that, because we’re serious and sensible grown ups. Serious and sensible grown ups don’t waste their time with such childishness, but being childish and childlike aren’t the same thing. If you’ve got a storyteller’s heart, you know what I’m talking about.
If you’re one of those grown ups who has lost that childlike ability to look at your world with wonder and amazement, don’t panic! It’s a fixable condition!
Maybe you could go down to the park and find a kid who can show you how to throw a frisbee. Or play softball.
If it’s raining, how about going down to your local library or bookstore and spending a couple of hours browsing through the children’s books.
Or better yet, maybe try writing one of your own!
Yeah … I know … there’s really not a lot of time this afternoon ...
There’s work to be done and bills to be paid. Somebody needs to buy groceries and mow the lawn and change the oil in the car. You’ll get it all taken care of, because you are a serious and sensible adult. Serious and sensible adults are reliable, because they don’t fritter away precious time with such silliness and childish pursuits. They get things done.
So while you go take care of those sensible things, the rest of us will get back to our writing and drawing …
We’re the lucky ones who grew up and discovered our dream job ... we get to stay home, make up stories, and draw pictures all day!
We’re still sensible and reliable adults who can keep up with the chores of life, but we’ve traded away bit of seriousness for the joy of spending hours every day working away at our dream job.
There might come a day when some serious mature grown up will show up at the studio door and tell us to put away the pencils and go get a real job.
Until that happens, we'll just keep drawin' and writin' ...
... because that's what you do when you've been blessed with a storyteller's heart!
Truly blessed.