Little Bird and the Quest for Happiness

I am so excited to announce that my latest book, Little Bird and the Quest for Happiness, has been published by the Mystery School Press and is now available on Amazon!  

INSPIRATION

As it has been over ten years since I started, the very beginnings of this project are a bit hazy.  But what is clear looking back is that two books were my main inspiration.  I have always loved folk art designs and when I came across a used copy of Lu Pu's book, Chinese Indigo Batik, I was totally obsessed.  The book contains page after page of beautiful illustrations of white on blue flowers, birds, plants and repetitive motifs found in traditional Chinese batik.  The illustrations are impressive because they have no shading and only rely on flat, strong, gorgeous design to depict their subjects.  I knew I wanted to someday do a book in this style.  

In addition to folk art, I have also always had an interest in quotes and proverbs.  I don't remember when I purchased Jack Kornfield's, Buddha's Little Instruction Book.  But through the years the book has had a great impact on me.  I found myself returning to the book often...especially when I was struggling with something in my life.  Somehow the wisdom contained in just a couple lines of text would have the power to soothe me or to help me take a step back and see things from a different perspective. 

"Learn to let go.  That is the key to happiness."

— Jack Kornfield, Buddha's Little Instruction Book

The last, over-arching idea of this children's book ironically came from struggling to achieve a goal that I thought would make me happy.  When one has a goal and attempts to achieve it unsuccessfully month after month, and then year after year, one begins to ask the question, "What happens if I never achieve this goal?"  "Can I be happy if I never achieve this goal?"  I began to understand that I would be miserable the rest of my life if I depended on external circumstances to make me happy.  Ever so slowly, as the months turned into years, I came to a deep and visceral knowing that what I was searching for could not be found by attainment of anything on the "outside."

The goal I was trying to achieve was to have a child.  And ironically, instead of birthing a child, I birthed a children's book!  That is probably simplifying the situation too much, but it is true that the lack of a child put me on a spiritual path and began an incredibly prolific and creative period in my life (and also gave me the precious time for both).    I had no idea when I began this journey, the magic and gifts that lay ahead of me.  I discovered, to my surprise, an imperturbable presence and inner light so loving that there are not words.  And what I was looking for had been within me the whole time!   This was my original theme for the book, although other themes also emerged.

Looking back on it now, it appears the book was birthed by combining my three passions: my love for folk art, Buddhist quotes, and my own quest for happiness.

"“Each of us is born with a treasure, an essence, a seed of quiescent potential, secreted for safekeeping in the center of our being."  

— Bill Plotkin, Soulcraft

ILLUSTRATIONS

I began working on this book in 2011, and it is now the end of 2023.  There were definitely times when I didn't know if it would come to fruition.  I looked back at the original files from 2011 and it jogged my memory a bit.  It reminded me that I began illustrating the book and had done two very detailed pages when my hard drive crashed.  All I had was a print out of the first page.  I took me two years to have the stomach to start over again.  So in 2013 I re-made the first two pages.  I also re-designed my main characters, making them more stream-lined.  Below you can see early sketches of both Little Bird and Mother Bird.

When I first begin working on a spread, I often do little thumbnail sketches to try out different body positions.  Below you can see my thumbnails for the "fish" spread.

After choosing my favorite thumbnail, I do a larger sketch and then scan it into the computer.  My sketches are often quite rough and simple at this point.  I think my strength lies in my tenacity to keep working on them in Illustrator until I feel the design is perfect.  Below you can see my sketch and the finished illustration.

Once all the spreads were finished, I printed them ad nauseum, making edits and changes until I could stand looking at them no more.  Here you can see a handful of printouts from my recycle bin.  I printed them in black and white so as not to use up all my blue toner.

And a final peek at another one of my favorite spreads..."The Octopus".

COVER

When I had all the spreads completed I began working on the cover design.  Working on the cover not only entailed choosing illustrations from the book, but also working on the title font and layout.  I experimented A LOT with fonts and title layout.  In addition I probably had about twenty options for various illustrations.  Below you can see some of the variations.

SUBMITTING FOR PUBLICATION

Once the cover was finished, it was time to start sending the book out to publishers.  I looked back at my records and found that I sent my first publisher letter in 2015.  I would send out three to four letters and would occasionally get feedback that was positive, but not ultimately a yes.  Six to nine months would go by and then I would send out another batch.  This went on for years.  I remember repeatedly asking the universe to "please find me the perfect publisher!"  Earlier this year, I had decided that if I didn't find a publisher in 2023, I was going to self-publish the book in 2024.

Little did I know that when I signed up for a meditation retreat in the mountains of North Carolina, I would find my publisher!  The teacher of the retreat, Jeff Carreira, was not only a meditation teacher, but also a philospher, writer, and owner of a publishing company called, "Mystery School Press."  I mentioned to him one day that I had a manuscript for a Buddhist themed children's book.  I remember asking if he published any children's books and his response was, "No, but send it to me anyway and we will see." 

When I returned home after the retreat I sent him the manuscript.  A few days later he texted me and said he loved the book and wanted to publish it!  I couldn't believe that after 12 years of fits and starts, I found the perfect publisher!  So cool to have a book published by "The Mystery School" and so amazing how the timing worked out perfectly!  Part of what made me infinitely happy was that I felt he really "got" the book...from playing around with traditional Buddhist themes, to looking inward for answers, to using your gifts.  It felt like truly being seen and I thank Jeff and the Mystery School Press for helping me "sing my song!"    

Little Bird and the Quest for Happiness is now available on Amazon!

I would also like to thank my husband George for making this book possible in a thousand ways.  His love, cooking, patience, proofreading, and generosity have supported this little bird on her long quest.  Thank you.