Friends and Family: The Faces of Inspiration
In my upcoming book I included many hidden characters. What does this mean? Well, I thought, since this is my book and I am doing all my own illustrations, why not add some of the people I love?
So, that’s what I did!
Boardwalk Scene
One illustration is a boardwalk scene. I drew my sister Faith, my close friends Isabelle, Lydia, and Brooklyn, and myself walking together. My sister and I have been lifelong friends (most of the time… HA!), and I met Isabelle, Lydia, and Brooklyn years ago through our local homeschool group! We enjoy many of the same things like gymnastics, playing outside, and having lots of laughs! These girls are so close they feel like sisters to me!
Some other people I drew into the boardwalk illustration are my little brother Gracyn and my two younger cousins, Kane and Brecken. These boys are all about the same age, and when they’re together their energy seems to be non-stop! They get to be quite inventive with the games they play! I also couldn’t forget my little cousin Landry. She can keep up with the boys and with her older cousins! The last cousin I added to the boardwalk scene is my older cousin Ayden. I remember Ayden teaching all of us younger girl cousins how to play Captain, May I? when we were younger and outdoor night games and hide-and-go-seek tag as we got older. Now that I’m even older, I realize that must’ve taken A LOT of patience on his part to put up with our questions and bossy comments!
The last group of people in the boardwalk illustration are my mom, my dad, and my two little sisters, Noelle and Lily. My parents are both hard-working, and my two adorable little sisters always make us laugh!
Airport Scene
In one of the airport illustrations, I included my two cousins Mya and Lola. My younger cousin Lola and I have lots of fun doing gymnastics together! At almost every family get-together or cousins sleepover we can be spotted somewhere doing a flip! We share tips and teach each other new tricks! My younger cousin Mya loves basketball and tries to teach me how to play. I think I’ve only made three baskets. Something we cousins enjoy doing together is choreographing dances to our favorite tunes. One of my favorite memories with Mya and Lola is the time we all performed a dance to This is Me for a variety show at Mount Carmel family camp!
Last, but not least, I included my grandparents (a.k.a. Poppy and Nana) in the same airport illustration. Poppy and Nana are my dad’s parents, and they are always finding ways to have fun with us grandkids. Whether it is fishing, shopping, playing at a park, or enjoying a fun movie night at their house, I am so thankful to have such amazing grandparents who generously share loads of kindness and love.
What’s Next?
That’s a wrap on some of the hidden characters within my book. Next time I’ll spill the beans on something else I’ve hidden in my book. Can’t wait to share!
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Read my previous posts if you want to catch up on the whole story!
- How to Turn a Big Idea into Reality: Choose the Right Tools
- How to Turn a Big Idea into Reality: Set Clear Goals and Get to Work
- How to Turn a Big Idea into Reality: Organize All Those Thoughts
- From Layout to Proof Copy: Designing and Editing my Children’s Book
- From Layout to Proof Copy: Taking a Trip Around the “Reading Circle”
- When a Child’s Big Idea Grows Up
- Norwegians and Nana: Creating my Book Dedication