Embracing Detours

If I had a nickel for every time I thought, “Ooh, I want to try that,” I’d have… well, enough to fund the next creative detour. From sculpting in ZBrush to making weird little dolls to animating a witch with a broom twice her size, I can’t help it—when a new tool or idea sparks, I have to follow it.

I’ve always had a bit of creative hyperactivity. Before freelancing, I art-directed disaster books, built early e-learning curriculum, led a video game art team back when being the only woman in the room was practically part of the job description, and even made puzzles and stories for kids’ magazines. The common thread? I like making things. A lot of things. All the things. Especially if it means learning new software along the way.

These side roads don’t always make it into the final picture books—but they’ve made me a better artist, storyteller, and relentless tinkerer.