Isn't Love Good? A Poem Comic With My Five Year Old

A poem comic written by my daughter, Juni. Illustrated by Juni & me (mom). 

Juni wrote this poem weeks ago. As soon as she wrote it I said, "This is amazing!" and hung it up in my studio. 

Since then, I’ve thought about how I would illustrate it. This morning, after marveling at several of her drawings- I asked her for help! You should’ve seen her face when I said “And we can use my pencils!” 

It was so much fun to color in her characters, draw beside her, and absorb some of her imaginative, spontaneous, five year old creative energy. 

Sketching And Walking With Juniper

My biggest source of creative inspiration is this artist I know who lives with me, my daughter Juniper. Yesterday, we walked around outside in the slightly windy afternoon and made drawings in our sketchbooks. In the past I have taken many photos of her with my phone because she's my kid and makes the best drawing reference for my picture books. But lately on our walks, I have been taking my sketchbook (and leaving my phone behind).

While sitting on dirt or grass, under trees, I will start to draw Juniper while she is poking something with a stick, drawing, or hopping from rock to rock. Since she is four years old, she moves very fast. This forces me to do two things: pay attention and observe her body and posture, and draw quickly.

I am always amazed by how sketching and walking can be one of the simplest ways to excavate creative ideas.