Kid Lit Dish

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who spent hours in her room drawing and painting.  Over the years, her mommy and daddy bought her several easels… hundreds (maybe thousands) of pencils and artist-quality oil pastels… sketchbooks galore… watercolor, tempera, and oil paints… and, well, you get the picture (so to speak!).

As the little girl grew, she drew.  She drew and drew.  She drew as she grew.

Everyone thought the little girl would grow up to be an artist.

Alas, as she entered high school, the little girl (who was then a much bigger girl) crossed paths with the sinister Prince of Confusion.  It was then that she discovered a love and a knack for writing.  As well as an interest in the stock  market. And philosophy.  And books.  She even thought about becoming a doctor or a veterinarian during those years.

Confusion continued to rear its ugly head as she started college, where not one illustration curriculum was to be had (not that she was focused on that anymore, anyway)… so she opted to major in graphic design, which was decidedly NOT suited for her, and she changed majors before her first two years were over.

For a while, she thought she’d major in economics, which she found fascinating…

Then, it was back to philosophy, because those famous five words by Descartes just brought it all home for her (not to mention the fact that she easily aced all essay exams just by “waxing philosophic”… even though she didn’t really know what the heck she was saying!)

Then it was English Literature, but she thought to herself, “What on earth would I do with THAT?”  (She didn’t want to become a teacher– she knew she didn’t have the patience.)

Finally, she settled.  The Prince of Confusion was delighted that she settled for a degree in communications, one of the most non-committal majors she could have possibly committed to.  (No disrespect to other communications majors.)  What a triumph!

In the (many) years since, the little girl (who obviously became a woman) “communicated” her butt off– she sold… and cajoled… and marketed… and, yes, WROTE.  A lot.  A lot of business stuff like ads and articles.  And, yes, she even wrote a business book that was published and very well received (and still sells on Amazon today).

But as she grew (older), her dissatisfaction with her career choice(s) grew.  They grew and grew.  So what did she do?

She drew!

And that’s when it hit her.   That FINALLY maybe she was ready to write– and, quite possibly, illustrate— a children’s book, which was a lifelong dream that she never felt quite prepared for.

Until now.

So that’s where my story ends… but it’s also where it really begins.  Welcome to my magical journey.  Begin lift-off.  Now.