Jo Watson and the process of writing

Jo Watson is a writer, artist and all-round creative person who grew up and still lives in Melbourne. Before settling down to work in television as a writer, she did lots of different jobs: waitressing, movie popcorn maker, chambermaid, bar tender to name a few.

We chat to Jo about her writing, the creative process, and the Kickstarter campaign for her delightful picture book ‘Larry Leadbeater.’

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How did you get into creating picture books?

Looking back, I was always a writer. In primary school, I wrote huge stories and drew the pictures for them. But somewhere along the way, I took on the idea that writing wasn’t a sensible pursuit.  Fortunately, I found work in television, where you get to be creative and collect a pay check. I lucked out with “breaking in” in Melbourne. I went to L.A. to work in the television industry there and found breaking in impossible. That experience definitely humbled me and knocked me around a bit. But I learned so much about how to sell myself, how to verbally pitch a story and how to create stories that are specific enough to have universal appeal.

It’s taken me a weirdly long time to realise I’m a creative person. The thing that finally hammered it home was learning to draw. I love being a beginner at things -- I find that early learning curve really exhilarating. I stopped drawing in grade 3 and started again when I was 39. I had a lot of catching up to do! I was one of those people who said “I can’t draw to save myself”. But there’s a difference between “can’t draw” and “don’t draw”. Drawing is a skill you can learn just like writing, cleaning toilets or making popcorn. I spent a year studying foundation visual art subjects at Melbourne Polytechnic. After that, it was a lot of practice and a lot of YouTube. Screenwriting is often referred to as a visual medium. So I’ve found moving into picture books a natural and joyful progression.

You’ve just kickstarted a campaign for a new children’s story ‘Larry Leadbeater’. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Sure. Larry Leadbeater is an adorable but rather fussy fairy possum who seriously needs a new home. After losing his 300 year-old tree, Larry’s in quite a pickle. Fortunately, he’s not alone. A trip to the city and a new friend - the bold and resourceful Clementine - set Larry on a course to change the world… in a most surprising and unconventional way!

Although it’s a work of fiction, the story’s based on the real-life travails of the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum, affectionately known as the “fairy possum”.

Where did you get the idea for Larry, and what made you decide to tell that story?

The year I started working on Larry Leadbeater, my kids were coming home from kindergarten with a burning desire to do what they could, in their own way, to improve the planet. They really led by example and got me thinking about how I could use my skills as a writer and an artist to have a positive impact. I was and still am inspired by young people, around the world, stepping up to safeguard our planet. I wanted to write a story that captures their undaunted enthusiasm and sense of purpose.

Are the characters inspired by anyone/ anything in real life?

 Clementine got her name from a girl who went to my son’s kindergarten. I really liked her drawings.

What inspires you to write?

I find writing extremely difficult. I’m not sure what drives me to keep doing it! I have gotten better over the years at discerning which ideas have enough “va voom” behind them to keep me engaged over the long haul. Sometimes it’s a really interesting character flaw, or it could be the concept or something that sparks a strong emotional response. In the case of Larry Leadbeater, it was the ridiculous irony of Victoria’s state animal emblem being pushed to extinction by state-sponsored logging activity. From there, the work was making sure the story stood up without the message. It was very important that the plot and characters be just as engaging as in a purely entertainment-driven story.

One other important reason I write is to get ideas for the next story. I find writing begets ideas. It’s probably my brain going “ooh, this is hard, let’s think of something else shiny and new instead”. I write down those ideas in different folders I have labelled for different mediums – television, film, books or picture books. I always like to have more material than I can possibly use.  

Tell us about your creative process.

The nuts and bolts of it are: start early, take regular food breaks, exercise 3 times a week. What I do outside of the writing is just as important as what I do when I’m at my desk. If I force myself to overwork (which I do, often, and it’s rarely a good idea) the quality of the work declines and my mental health goes to bits.

I like to finish each day by writing down one or two really specific, microtasks to be resumed.  For example, if I’m writing it might be: “brainstorm 3 settings for this scene, pick one”. If I’m illustrating it might be: “add texture to the rocks”. It helps the next day, when I sit down, to know exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. It eliminates a lot of anxiety and lost time because for the first few minutes, I’m not thinking, I’m doing. Then the thinking part comes naturally. I recently heard someone call this strategy “parking on the hill”.

What has been the most challenging/ rewarding aspect about this project?

The method I chose to use for rendering the illustrations was incredibly time intensive. I thought it would get quicker as I went along. It didn’t. So logging the hours and trying not to get impatient was tough. The rewards are all the new tricks and techniques I’ve learned – far too many to list here. I got a kick out of learning to edit and sound engineer a video for the Kickstarter campaign.

What made you decide to use Kickstarter?

Because Larry Leadbeater is sort of a social enterprise, in that I want to direct a lot of the profit toward conservation organisations, it made sense to publish in a way where I had more control over the profits. Publishing independently means financing the cost of production yourself. It’s more work but it also gives you greater control. Kickstarter is one piece of the finance puzzle. It’s a great way to get the book out there, start selling and finding an audience early.

What has been the response so far?

Fantastic! The project is now 140% funded and steadily climbing with 2 weeks to go. I researched crowdfunding best practices before I created my campaign. I made sure my campaign content ticked all the boxes as best I could: things like quality video, a compelling “why” and good photography are all really important. Another key element is trying to get your campaign 30% funded in the first week. I did a lot of groundwork, telling people about the project, emailing people and so forth and was able to get the project 30% funded in the first three days. Larry Leadbeater has been selected as a “project we love” by the Kickstarter platform, which helps send more traffic my way. The response has been overwhelming. I feel very fortunate.

What’s next on the horizon?

I have another picture book story that I’ll start pitching around. I want to set up an online store for my artwork. And next year I’ll be getting ready to exhibit Larry Leadbeater’s artwork at the Gallery at the Dock in Melbourne’s docklands. Another learning curve for me!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to break into the industry you are in?

Put as much effort into showing your work as you do into refining your skill or craft. Also, being a creative professional has many challenges… so don’t feel guilty about enjoying the perks. If you need to have a nap after lunch, do it!

To see more of the book visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/larryleadbeater/larry-leadbeater

or follow Jo on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/see.jo.watson/

Interview and studio visit with Jess Racklyeft

Jess Racklyeft is a freelance illustrator who works from her home studio in North Fitzroy, Melbourne. It’s a two-story building across her courtyard garden that wears many hats. The ground floor serves as a music studio for her husband while the upper floor is Jess’s studio, a granny flat for visiting parents and in-laws and Winston the dog’s day bed.

Filled with books, papers, artwork and craft-market inventory, Jess’s studio is undeniably, gloriously chaotic. Jess is a whirlwind of activity who clearly adores her job—but she didn’t set out to be an illustrator. As she describes it, ‘I always wanted to work for myself, and I always drew, but I hadn’t been brave enough to put them together.’

A vocation lost and found

When Jess was twelve years old and attending a family friends’ wedding, the photographer asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up. Jess told him that she wanted to illustrate books. It just so happened that this photographer had written a picture book manuscript, which he sent to her afterwards. Jess remembers drawing pictures for it. ‘I did the whole book, but I never sent it back to him. I was too shy,’ she recalled. After that, she forgot about wanting to illustrate books.

‘I had really arty friends at Uni,’ Jess explained, ‘so I didn’t think of myself as arty [by comparison].’ She did a degree in communications in Perth, travelled overseas, then moved to Melbourne and took a job in customer service at Lonely Planet. From there, she was invited to work in a sales role in children’s publishing. That job was a turning point. She attended industry book fairs in Frankfurt and Bologna, saw what it might look like to work as an illustrator and got valuable insight into the business side of selling books.

She used her maternity leave as a window to try working as a self-employed illustrator. ‘I went into a frenzy. Every nap, every spare minute, I was going at it,’ she said. Jess got her big break when a publisher at Omnibus, to whom she’d been submitting her folio on a yearly basis (‘because she sent me an encouraging letter’), offered her a book. That first contract gave Jess the belief she could make a go of it as an illustrator and she’s been doing it ever since.

There’s an urgency to the way Jess works that seems to spring from gratitude and delight at finally doing what she loves. Interestingly, for someone who was once too afraid to show her work, a hallmark of her practice has become posting and sharing illustrations online.

Now working on her ninth picture book, due out in 2018 and tentatively titled Dreaming A to Z, Jess also runs an Etsy store, sells originals on Instagram and has her charming illustrations turned into pins, wall decals, cards and gift wrap. Yes, Jess crams a lot into those two days a week her kids are at childcare. How does she juggle it all?

Jess's artwork next to the printed book.

Jess at work in her studio.

The list

After dropping off her kids, Jess grabs a coffee on her way home and is at her desk by 9 a.m. She starts every workday by making a list. It’s a democratic, back-of-the-envelope affair: a combination of illustration work, business admin and household chores. Jess numbers the items, putting the jobs she least wants to do first. She starts at number one and moves through the list, spending twenty minutes on each item. Anything that can’t be finished in twenty minutes gets revisited later in the day (for another twenty minutes) or goes back onto the list tomorrow.

Jess has been using this system to structure her days for the last couple years. ‘By the end of the day, I know I’ve touched each thing I need to do at least once,’ she said.

Process

Jess has experimented with a bunch of mediums and techniques but watercolour is her favourite. Her approach has evolved from doing illustrations entirely in watercolour to using a combination of watercolour and digital. She often paints the background separately from the foreground elements, then puts them together in Photoshop. This gives her the flexibility to move elements around, lighten or darken them, and have more than one go at people’s faces, which she does digitally. ‘The eyes make such a difference to a picture,’ she explained. ‘With watercolour, you only get one go. If you get it wrong, you’ve killed the picture.’ On her current book—the first one she’s writing as well as illustrating—Jess has digitised her kids’ artwork and is using it to create background textures. ‘Hopefully they won’t sue me when they grow up!’ she said.

Jess considers practicing your craft daily to be the most valuable thing an illustrator can do. Like the small birds she loves to paint, Jess skips lightly over her busy schedule, in constant motion. ‘I chip away at a tiny bit of everything each day,’ she said.

For more about Jess visit jessesmess.com or follow her on Instagram (@jessesmess).

 Jo Watson is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and artist. Visit her on Instagram (@diary_of_a_picture_book_maker).

Studio visit and artist interview: Sam Michelle

In three years, Sam Michelle has gone from being a salaried employee in banking to a professional artist on the cusp of achieving her ‘forever goal.’

For Sam, following her childhood dream has been as simple (and as difficult) as one humongous risk, habitual goal setting, a truck-load of hard work and a handful of faith. Let’s unpack that, shall we?

Risk

After a co-worker had a heart attack from stress, Sam knew it was time for a change. She’d chosen banking for security and stability but now she wanted a career that would make her happy and that she could flex around her kids. Oh, and it also needed to work financially. That was the part she was unsure about.

Sam thanks her husband for giving her the push she needed. ‘He encouraged me to just go for it and let all that stuff take care of itself,’ she says. Not that she left any of that ‘stuff’ to chance. Sam’s approach to the business side of her art practice is meticulous. ‘Working at a bank taught me how to communicate with clients and value service,’ she says. She answers emails promptly, communicates openly and often with customers who commission her work, and mines Google analytics for intelligence on which paintings attract the most interest, feeding that information back into her practice.

The rigour has paid off. In July of this year, Sam was able to take on a studio space to create some much-needed separation between work and home. She shares a converted factory shell in Mornington with four other painters. It’s an incredibly supportive environment. ‘Most days we have lunch together and we’re always exchanging tips and ideas,’ Sam says. She loves her forty-minute commute through cow pastures.

Another trick she uses to keep a healthy work-life balance is scheduling weekly dates with her young sons. ‘No matter how busy I get, they know Monday afternoon is all about hanging out at their choice of café. It’s lovely, quality time.’

On being self-taught

Sam’s art training happened in high school, with a brilliant teacher who gave her confidence in her ability. After that, her progress was self-directed, on weekends or after work. ‘I’d say, “I need to get better at painting light or doing skin tone” and practice until I’d learnt it,’ she says.

Sam credits social media with helping her work find its niche. Through Instagram, she connected with some small galleries and interior décor stores, which took a few paintings to test how they went. After they sold reasonably quickly, the relationships grew from there. Sam’s lush use of colour and her bold brushstrokes have struck a chord. Her paintings routinely sell before they make it to the gallery wall and after every exhibition, there’s a flurry of commission work. Pedigree is still important in the art world but it’s hard to argue with demand. ‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to get into commercial galleries because I didn’t go to Uni. Now, I don’t worry about that so much,’ she says.

The forever goal

Setting goals is an integral part of Sam’s art practice and business. The Maker’s Yearbook is her go-to planner for articulating goals, setting targets, keeping track of progress and remembering past accomplishments. ‘I view this book as my boss,’ she explains. And if you’re worried about being your own boss, delegate! Whether it’s earning enough to hire a cleaner, providing for her kids, or being able to purchase a piece of art she’s fallen in love with, having a ‘carrot’ definitely helps when it comes to doing the work.

Sam’s forever goal is being a professional artist, creating work for commercial galleries—a goal that has advanced from fantasy to reality, a remarkable accomplishment at thirty-five. 

Faith

It’s not all number crunching and pragmatism. When Sam talks about her evolution as an artist, there’s an undercurrent of intuition, an element of human connection pinning it all together. Her transition from acrylics to oils, for instance, happened when she visited her grandfather, also an artist. Sam was a sixteen-year-old high-school student and she told him she loved painting. His eyesight was going and he gave her all his oil paints. She created two big paintings with them and, in terms of materials, has never looked back.

Similarly, when Sam does a commission, she’s acutely aware of the connection between the painting and the buyer. ‘A commissioned painting is like a tattoo. There’s always a story behind it,’ she says. Sam handles these jobs with the utmost respect. She welcomes feedback and involvement from her buyers, making them comfortable with the process and ensuring they get a painting they love.

Whether painting on commission or for herself, Sam imbues her subjects with personality. She gesticulates with her arms to show me different leaf poses and explains how certain angles make for ‘happy’ paintings while others are dull or sad. When painting plant stems, she thinks of legs, elegantly crossed. In Sam Michelle’s art, the personal is pleasurable and meaningful.

Even as she’s showing me around her studio, Sam spends as much time championing the work of other artists as she does describing her own. It’s that human-connection factor. She draws inspiration from friendship, connection and other people’s success—a deep well of inspiration, indeed.

Sam’s current show, the Cloth Collection, is at Gallerysmith until November 11. If you’re in Melbourne, do head down to enjoy these beautiful paintings in the flesh. For more information about Sam Michelle, visit her website, sammichellepaintings.com.

Jo Watson is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and artist. Visit her on Instagram (@diary_of_a_picture_book_maker).

Interview with Deb Hudson, illustrator

Deb Hudson welcomed me into her home for a cup of tea at her rustic kitchen table, which doubles as an art table. Her pencils, organized in tins by colour, are spread out at one end of the table. The room is flooded with natural light. Sometimes, it’s a case of too much of a good thing and Deb has to draw under a brimmed hat, tilted askew to shade the midday sun. Her border collie chases sun shadows about the room and her canary chirrups in the background. Today, her seven-year old son, home from school sick, adds to the menagerie. Deb’s bright, intricate illustrations and daily posting have attracted thirteen thousand followers on Instagram. But as she explains, it took her a while to find her groove.

No, I want to do art In high school, everyone said, “Don’t do art. You’ll never make any money.” So I studied teaching. Then I travelled. I lived in Japan. I taught English at an all-girls school and at an English conversation school. When I was approaching thirty, I was living in the Solomon Islands. I was doing office work. I wasn’t using my teaching degree, and I’d never even really liked teaching. The part I liked most was organising craft activities! I’m not sure—maybe it’s because I thought I hadn’t done anything with my life—but I realized, no, I want to do art.

A degree interrupted I enrolled in fine art at Queensland College of Art. I knew right away I wanted to specialize in illustration. Two years into the three-year degree, I deferred to go overseas again. I had children and, when I wanted to go back to university to finish my degree, I was told I would have to start from the beginning. I didn’t want to do that.

eBay inspo What got me started again was seeing people sell their artwork on eBay. My sister said, “You could do that.” I created a series of three paintings: a bee, a butterfly, and a beetle. I called it The Three Bs. I put them up on eBay. I had tracings of the designs and a stack of blank canvasses. When a set would sell, I’d go out to my workroom and paint them. It was a lot of work: executing, packing, and shipping the paintings. But it was exciting to see my work sell. Then I had my third child and the artwork sort of petered out.

A reboot, by way of adversity I have rheumatoid arthritis. There was a period where I was unwell, and I was really unfit. I couldn’t close my fist for six months. When I got better, I was so happy to be able to hold a pencil that I couldn’t stop drawing. I like drawing birds because they’re a symbol of freedom. Also, you can decorate them however you like. I used to use Gerald, my canary, as a model. Now I’m inspired by folk art.

The pencil person I’ve always used coloured pencils. At university, I was called the “pencil person.” I like them because they’re clean, colourful, and easy to transport.

Last Christmas, I did a series of cards in red and blue. That was good because I only had two tins of colours to pull out and pack up! Sometimes the drawing gets waxy and the white pencil won’t lay down. I spray it with fixative and that helps give it some tooth so the white will stick. People often ask what materials I use: Prismacolour (premier) pencils and plain old Kraft paper.

Online tribe I first saw the 100 Day Project [#100dayproject] three years ago, and decided to try it. Now I’m addicted; I have to do a drawing every day. I also do [Lilla Rogers’s] Make Art That Sells Assignment Bootcamp, which is a five-month online program. I’ve made great friends through those online communities. I use Redbubble to sell my work on a variety of merchandise. I don’t do heaps of marketing. People don’t like it when you use Instagram for advertising. When the Redbubble site features me on their home page, I see an increase in activity. I recently created artwork for the swing tags on a friend’s clothing line. Next, I’d like to execute on the advice I was given by an agent: to design a new collection of greeting cards and refresh my website. With three kids, the challenge is finding the time. But I love it.

For more about Deb Hudson, visit her website or find her on Instragram (@debi_hudson).

Jo Watson is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and artist. Visit her on Instagram (@diary_of_a_picture_book_maker).

Studio visit: Anna Walker, picture book author and illustrator

Anna Walker is one of Australia’s most established and beloved picture book creators. She has published twenty-fivebooks in a career spanning twenty years. Her newest book, Florette, has just landed in bookstores and is a beautiful meditation on how to become comfortable with change.

I met Anna in her studio, a converted shirt factory she shares with a printmaker, an interior designer, a tea importer, and a book designer. You know you’re talking to a visual thinker when she says, “I wish I could respond to your questions with a painting instead of with words.” But as you read on, I think you’ll agree that Anna’s words more than suffice!

Starting out

Anna had the good fortune of knowing what she wanted, right from the get go. “I remember looking at the illustrations in a book of fairy tales and thinking, ‘Those are so beautiful; that’s what I want to do when I grow up,’” she said. How did she turn that early inclination into a rewarding career? It was hard, she explains, and there were obstacles, but she would “try to find ways of overcoming them.” Anna is petite but possesses a stubborn determination, to which she largely credits her success.

After studying graphic design at Swinburne University (where “there were no illustration courses,” she said), Anna set up shop straight out of school. Her parents ran their own business, so working for herself felt more like a natural step than a leap of faith. Besides, she says, “I had nothing to lose.” At first, it was all design work. Whenever there wasn’t enough work, she would invent briefs for herself and treat them as real commissions. After a few years, all of her work was illustration-based. Gradually, picture-book illustration became the foundation of her business.

The importance of presentation

For illustrators still building their businesses, Anna stresses the importance of presentation and attention to detail. Small details—like a visual link between your website and your business card—matter. She also suggests finding ways to put your work in front of potential clients, both online and in hard copy. This might mean incorporating an illustrated element into your email signature, or sending out postcards, bespoke holiday cards, or, occasionally, original artworks. “People don’t get that kind of thing very often,” she said, “and they appreciate it.”

Giving work space and time

Anna and her character Mae in Florette have something in common. They like to be immersed in an environment that is beautiful and familiar. While Anna’s studio retains the exposed brick and pipework of its industrial heritage, she has transformed it into a bright, welcoming space. It feels like a loft, though it is actually a basement.

Her desk looks out through an arched window at street level. She enjoys watching the passing foot traffic, including a Greek neighbor who always bends down to wave hello and children who look through her window.

“I’ve always shared a studio,” she said. “I go a bit crazy working by myself at home.” Having others around provides moral support and an exchange of ideas, both vital to a happy work life. And from a business perspective, having to meet an overhead (rent) pushes you to find work.

Just as important as environment is time. Anna devotes a year to each book, a pace that allows her to let the work develop fully, take on select commissions to subsidize her picture-book work, and be present for her three teenage children.

Personal style

Anna uses a variety of techniques in her work, including collage, woodblock printing, etching, watercolour, and ink. She’ll sometimes redo an illustration twelve times before she feels it’s right. Regardless of the method, her illustrations always seem to strike the perfect harmony between detail and simplicity.

Anna suggests not worrying too much about developing a personal style.  “It was years before people started saying, ‘I recognize your work,’” she said. “You can’t have a style until you’ve got a volume of work behind you. Just do the work.”

The power of knitting

Like many creatives, Anna references self-doubt as one of her biggest challenges. She tempers those unhelpful thoughts by running three times a week, sharing a studio, keeping in touch with other illustrators, and…knitting. Anna knows she’s bringing too much work anxiety home when her husband says, “Now, where’s your knitting?”

I asked Anna what she does with her ideas-in-waiting: ideas she’s had but hasn’t had the chance to use. Her response was golden. She thinks of ideas as little scraps of fabric. A book is like a sewing project: you assemble the bits you need, make a start, and keep going until it’s finished. “You don’t need to feel badly [about the ideas that] haven’t been used yet,” she said. “They’re just waiting there, ready to make the next thing.”

Meeting business challenges

For many illustrators, the biggest challenge is making a living. “Getting your folio out there and meeting with publishers is important,” she said. “When things are quiet, you worry about when the next job will come in. But that’s when it comes back to sending out postcards, freshening up your website, reminding people you’re here. If your focus is book illustration, joining the Australian Society of Authors is a must.”

Certain things, like cold calling and quoting, never get easier. Anna doesn’t have to do the former as much these days, but her motto when something’s difficult is: do it anyway. She suggests viewing cold calling, networking, or whatever “thing” you find difficult as just one part of your business.

If you’re not sure how much to charge for a job, Anna suggests talking to other illustrators. Take into consideration how the artwork is going to be used. Is it for one product, or multiple products? Will it be used locally, or globally? Also consider the duration of the usage license. Is it for one month? One year? In perpetuity?  “I don’t part with copyright for anybody,” she said. There’s a way to give the client what they need and protect yourself. As she explains, “An exclusive license has just as much weight as copyright.” Don’t be afraid to request amendments to your contract.

What’s next?

“I’m working on a book with Janie [Godwin, a long-time collaborator],” Anna explained, “and I’m also working on my own story about a walrus.” Anna often starts a project by crafting her character in toy form. She showed me a loosely stitched walrus plushy. “So far, that’s what I’ve got,” she laughed. Recently, the final step on her projects has become creating a book trailer using stop-motion animation.

“I’ve always believed in the picture book as an art form,” she said. “It’s important to me that every aspect is crafted to be the best it can be.”

For more about Anna Walker, visit annawalker.com.au.

Jo Watson is a Melbourne-based screenwriter and artist. Visit her on Instagram (@diaryofapicturebookmaker).

Photos by Jo Watson