For most projects I begin with a brain dump, mind map, or some kind of storyboard, where I spew out all of my ideas onto paper. I like to think of these ideas as clouds swirling in my head. Some are light and fleeting, some are heavy and storm-like, bursting at the seams with inspiration. This particular idea of a dancing bird, has been brewing in my head for quite some time. I decided to sketch out vague little thumbnails on paper, and rearranged them on my drawing board until a narrative began to emerge…

To begin, I must point out that the process I follow for most book projects is far from coherent. It’s essentially a long stream of problem solving in which I have to, at some point, decide on my characters, colour scheme, narrative flow, setting, the message I’m trying to convey, the number of pages, the size of the book … Right?! So many options. So. Little. Time.