A Book Born in Three Hours

Two days ago, I wrote the first draft of a new children’s book.

Late last night, after the kids went to bed, I managed to illustrate the entire thing in just three hours.

I’m still reeling. I didn't know I had it in me. And it's really good!) 

Usually, my stories take months (even years) to unfold. This one came sprinting — as if it already existed and just needed me to catch it. Twelve double spreads, a beginning, middle, and end, all complete in less than a day.

I’ve never worked this fast, this free, or this joyfully. This also proves to me one of my favorite quotes, "We can do hard things," meaning we are capable of so much more than we know.  

Of course, it’s not finished. The artwork is rough, the characters are only placeholders, and the whole thing will need layers of polish. But the bones are strong. The heartbeat is there. And that’s the part you can’t fake.

I can’t share the specifics yet — it’s still too new, too tender, too unprotected. But I’ll say this: it feels alive, funny, magical, and deeply satisfying. A story kids will want to read again and again.

For me, this is a reminder: creativity doesn’t always trickle out in careful drops. Sometimes it arrives like a storm — fast, messy, and ready.

Today, I said yes to the storm. And a new book was born. This is something my soul yearns to do, again and again and again. Bring it, universe. Bring on the storm of life. I'm hunkered down and ready.