At some point, as a creative, you have to decide that your project is done, even though it’s never really finished. There are always changes that can be made. After years of working on our book, Tina and I finally found the courage to finalize Travel Tails and let it go.
That courage quickly turned into insecurity and doubt. Shortly after we published, Travel Tails: All Bark and No Bite, I wanted to pull the plug, press rewind, turn back time. Fear set in. My mind, a runaway train, flashed through self-deprecating thoughts: What if people don’t like it? What if readers see the imperfections that we see? What if our readers don’t see our intentions? What if…? What if…?? What if…???
Why was I looking through a lens of fear? Genuine love and care went into the creation of our story and illustrations. Tina and I work really well together. Every part of the process has taught us something special. Sharing the book in our classrooms has been an absolute joy and has led to insightful discussions that empower our students.
So where was the fear coming from? Something was missing. I realized that we have more to share. We can share our journey of transforming fear into love simply by changing our lens, or perspective. We can also share our vision. A vision of building good character in and out of the classroom. A vision that values creative expression. A vision that honors vulnerability and authenticity. A vision of being perfectly imperfect and letting the world see that.
For those of you who have felt the pang of anxiety or the paralyzing fear of judgment, you are not alone. We are grateful to be able to share our vision and for all who would like to join us on this journey.
The adventure begins...
With gratitude,
Stefanie
That courage quickly turned into insecurity and doubt. Shortly after we published, Travel Tails: All Bark and No Bite, I wanted to pull the plug, press rewind, turn back time. Fear set in. My mind, a runaway train, flashed through self-deprecating thoughts: What if people don’t like it? What if readers see the imperfections that we see? What if our readers don’t see our intentions? What if…? What if…?? What if…???
Why was I looking through a lens of fear? Genuine love and care went into the creation of our story and illustrations. Tina and I work really well together. Every part of the process has taught us something special. Sharing the book in our classrooms has been an absolute joy and has led to insightful discussions that empower our students.
So where was the fear coming from? Something was missing. I realized that we have more to share. We can share our journey of transforming fear into love simply by changing our lens, or perspective. We can also share our vision. A vision of building good character in and out of the classroom. A vision that values creative expression. A vision that honors vulnerability and authenticity. A vision of being perfectly imperfect and letting the world see that.
For those of you who have felt the pang of anxiety or the paralyzing fear of judgment, you are not alone. We are grateful to be able to share our vision and for all who would like to join us on this journey.
The adventure begins...
With gratitude,
Stefanie
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