You might call this a “Here’s What’s Been Happening” post. Even though I am only working four days a week as a part-time employee now, it still seems as if there is never enough time to do everything I need to do and want to do!

While I have been waiting for Barnes & Noble Press to resolved their system issues and working to figure out why Kindle Direct Publishing will not accept my files, I’ve been working on a few book cover projects as gifts for other writer friends here on WordPress.

These projects include an adult non-fiction book cover for my friend Dave and a children’s fiction book cover for my friend Cathy. (After all, the main theme of “How To Explain Christmas To Chickens” is the importance of giving! It seemed only natural to give away some artwork.)

Honestly, I’ve learned and grown more as an artist by giving towards their projects rather than becoming a “drawing board hermit“ and only focusing on my own projects. Neither project looks like anything that you would find here or in my own books. 

I am looking at taking on one more book cover gift project before the end of the year, and I am leaning towards it being a book of poetry. Not sure why. Just seems to be “what’s next.” If your are a poet and need some help with a cover for a soon-to-be-published book, let me know. It would be my gift to you to help you share your gift with the world.

One of the most surprising things I learned has been that I felt much more creative freedom when working on projects for someone else! While I don’t totally understand why that was so, this awareness opened up some new possibilities for my own projects, and I’m very grateful for that.

So now I have been very eager to try out some new things for my own projects, like the simple line and ink wash you see in today’s illustration. Though I’m unsure how any of this will evolve, I am reminded that it is all about the journey.

Oh, and by the way, I almost forgot to mention this…Our latest paperback book, “How To Explain Christmas To Chickens,” is finally now available through Amazon around the world! With its 64 pages, 6 inches x 9 inches trim size, 10 chapters, and full-color illustrations, it will be sharing the story of Blanche and Pearl with readers around the world. It’s definitely time for a happy dance!