A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups

or Why I'm Not Writing a Children's Book

I’ve been working on a series of paintings with an idea. The idea is to create a collection of folk art style animal portraits. Each animal has a story, each story is part of a larger narrative. This gives the art some context and allows the collector to be invested in the story, to become a caretaker of their chapter. As I’ve been painting, the idea has been crystallizing further.

Timothy Had Always Wanted to be an Artist

The characters are cute, but these paintings aren’t intended for children. A few folks have suggested that I turn this idea into a children’s book. I understand the sentiment behind their suggestion. Truth told, I’m not a children’s content creator. Part of that revolves around the complexities of creating content for children and part of it revolves around my penchant for sprinkling my speech and sometimes writing with a judicious smattering of juicy expletives and topics that are not child friendly. I also prefer to use non-spicy words that are more sophisticated than those used in children’s books.

I have friends who have tried to write books for children. It’s a tough market. I know several illustrators who have explained to me that publishers tend to want to hire their own illustrators and it is extremely rare for a writer to be able to sell a book and the illustrations as a package. The concept that I have been working on here, were it to evolve into a children’s book, would be a tough sell for a publisher. I lack an audience of children. This is both a problem were I to try a traditional publishing route where they want to see potential sales and for the self-publishing route where you also need a viable audience that wants to buy your books.

Beyond that, not all fairy tales are for children. We, as adults, living through the current chaotic moment in time, also need some magic and wonder. I feel as if I need it now more than ever before. If you came to visit our home, you’d see that I surround myself with joyful, colorful, fun. I like cute things. I like silly things. I like folk art inspired things. I am not interested in living in a somber, monotone, serious environment. (This isn’t a judgment of how other people choose to live, it’s merely how I choose to live.) It isn’t a stretch for me to paint whimsical subjects or write whimsical narratives about them, but it isn’t my desire at this time to write books for children. If this concept did become a book, it would be more likely a fairy tale for grown-ups which children might also enjoy.

The Tales of Sebastian Fox: A Fairy Tale for Grown-ups

I’m still learning how to paint. I’m on a journey and I don’t yet know where it’s going. I don’t feel compelled to define it. For now I want to paint whimsical animal portraits that each have a story that is part of a larger story that is a fairy tale for grown-ups. I want to keep painting and let it unfold as it will. I like the not knowing. I like the lack of definition or limitation.

The original paintings will be available once I figure this out. There may be cards or prints or products featuring these images eventually, but I’ve not yet decided. There may be a book eventually, but I’ve not yet decided that either.

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.”

 Jean-Jacques Rousseau

I’m inviting you to join me in trusting the process, letting go of a need to define it, and allowing it unfold as it will. Sometimes the best adventures are the ones without a pre-determined destination! FORWARD!

xoxo,

Margot