WHEN SOMEONE DEEPLY LISTENS TO YOU

This was an extremely fulfilling project to be a part of as I was asked to create all the illustrations from cover to cover for this heartwarming poem. Author Marcie Schwartz brought me in early on and we collaborated to come up with the imagery and representation on every page.

When Someone Deeply Listens to You, describes what it feels like to be truly heard. Using vibrant language and beautiful imagery, each turn of the page describes how a child feels when deeply listened to. There are 18 emotions including courageous, connected, loved, empowered etc.

I had so much fun working on the characters and compositions and hopefully, that comes through as you read it. The poem is followed by fun, hands-on activities to expand language, teach listening skills, and intuitive listening.

We planned on having one full-page spread to stand out in the book and this page felt like the perfect opportunity to do it. I wanted to take advantage of the space and make something that shows the beauty around us along with the joy of sharing that with those close to you - it could be family, friends, or friends that have become family.

This is a special page for me as it’s one of 2 pages that’s inspired by my close friend’s son. A big part of this book has been injecting my own joy of remembering that childhood imagination as well as including my friends’ children. It’s so important to me to keep that awe and feeling of play as you grow older and I hope these illustrations help bring that to a new generation.

And fittingly, this is the second page based on another friend’s child. I wanted to capture the joy of movement within and around us through the physicality of dancing and the colors flowing throughout. The poses along with the colors are meant to be fun and silly so children reading it can laugh along and have some fun.

LET’S TEAM UP

I’m always looking for new opportunities and am comfortable working with teams big and small to bring your ideas to life.