Are there still things to be grateful for?

(Illoguild question #29)

Nov 12, 2024

Hey there,

This month, as Thanksgiving is celebrated in the USA, we at Illoguild are taking a moment to reflect on gratitude. While many are going through challenging times, this season reminds us to appreciate what we have. As children’s book authors and illustrators, we know that instilling gratitude in young minds is a powerful gift. Through stories, we have the opportunity to nurture kindness, empathy, and appreciation—qualities that help shape a compassionate world.

Here’s some insights about thankfulness shared by Illoguild members :

“It’s easy to let gratitude slip into the background. Then I catch myself focusing on what I don’t have, which leads to nowhere. I realize how destructive that is and recognize it’s time to reset” - Noreen
“Packing a travel sketchbook is the latest of things I am grateful for, I finally found a perfect size I can always carry in my purse” - Damjana
“It’s so important to teach kids about gratitude, especially from a young age. Being thankful helps build empathy, kindness, and resilience in children, making them more aware of the positive things in their lives.” - Carla
"Spend time reflecting, accepting, and finding gratitude in the lessons learned. Even if lessons were learned the hard way." - Brenda

This month we shine a spotlight on the talented Katie Stack. Since launching her business in 2021, Katie has designed over 50 greeting cards, illustrated children’s books, and completed various custom projects, like pet portraits and wedding maps. With a background in education, she also teaches at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, combining her passion for art and storytelling to engage audiences of all ages.

The illoguild live session is on 19 November ‘ILLOGUILD Talks: Gratitude’. Join us for the Live Zoom (register here) or you can sign- up to the illoguild newsletter to watch the replay.

RSVP Here

You’re invited to the LIVE ZOOM (It’s free) - Replays available for Paid Subscribers.

We also had a Illoguild Live last month -‘ILLOGUILD Talks: Lessons Learned in Illustration’. You can catch the replay here.

We share some thoughts on gratitude:

Noreen shares her habits around gratitude.

The Creative Canvas by Noreen Anne

Thank you dear Reader,

Our theme for November is “thankfulness.” Each month, my illustrating group, aka, the Illoguild, dedicates time to a meaningful topic. I love this theme of thanksgiving because it’s something I try to practice daily. I’m deeply thankful for you, my readers and supporters…

8 months ago · 2 likes · Noreen Anne

Damjana shares what she is thankful for and how she has found the “perfect” items for sketching.

The Lemon Tart Bandit

Thank you!

Hello everyone and a warm welcome to new subscribers, I’m happy you joined…

8 months ago · 9 likes · Damjana Loddelina

Carla shares the importance of learning gratitude from a young age and a list of books to share with young readers.

Carla’s Crowd

What are you grateful for?

Hey there…

8 months ago · 1 like · Carla Hoffenberg

Brenda shares wisdom about life’s seasons.

On The Creative Road

How to Move Forward in a New Season

One bit of wisdom I will never get used to is this…

8 months ago · 3 likes · Brenda Harris

Jen shares a “mixtape” of children’s books about being grateful.

Rhymes with Pizza

Picture Book Mix Tape

Every month, our critique group Illoguild answers a question. This month’s question is: What are you grateful for…

8 months ago · Jen Gubicza

Tammy is grateful for change…

Tabbykat chats

Gratitude

I’m winding down from finishing my day job after 2+years with the same public sector client and should be looking for work but I’m battling my innermost desires to draw, paint and sew all day! The cables and electronics have been put away in favour of drawing materials and scissors. Once my left eye has stopped twitching from the drama of project manage…

7 months ago · 4 likes · 1 comment · Tammy Angelis

Illustrator Spotlight

Q and A with Katie Stack

What are you working on?

I just finished illustrating my fourth book! Now I’m using the down time to do admin work like outreach for new projects, but I’m also taking time for my personal projects, one of which is an author-illustrated book.

What’s a dream project?

If my author-illustrated book got picked up, that would absolutely be a dream project! I think it’s a marketable concept and it’s about a topic I draw all the time - dogs! It’s a bit of a longer book, too, so that makes it fun. I’m constantly collecting ideas for it, and I’m super excited to pitch it hopefully within the next month!

What is a career highlight for you?

It’s a toss up between seeing my first illustrated book in print and traveling to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair! Both of these career moments made me realize, “I’m really doing this thing— I’m really an illustrtor.” Now I’ve done four books and have attended the fair twice! I’m truly so grateful for the opportunity to have a creative career and to share about the journey here on Substack with fellow artists!

Announcements

The illoguild live session is on 19 November - ‘ILLOGUILD Talks: Gratitude’. Join us for the FREE live chat (register here). If you miss it, you can catch the replays here.
Last month during the live ‘ILLOGUILD Talks: Lessons Learned in Illustration’ You can catch the replays here.