Reunion with my Year 1 teacher

nori — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:55:56 +0000

Last August, I was giving a talk at Hachinohe Book Center in Japan, promoting my newly published book.

When it was time for Q&A, an elderly lady stood up from the audience seat.

That was Mrs Tsuda, my teacher at first grade of elementary school.

I recognised her face right away even though we hadn’t seen each other for over 30 years.

I was the slowest child in the class. It took me so long to do anything. I came to school late because I was dawdling. I couldn’t finish eating school lunch in time so I continued eating while everyone was tidying up the classroom. I was so slow doing work that I continued working after everyone finished and left the class.

But Mrs Tsuda was patient. Rather than looking at what I wasn’t good at, she focused on what I was good at. Although I was slow in writing, she found I was actually good at writing. So she allowed me to work outside the class time so I could finish what I was working on. That year I wrote an essay about a book and won an award, thanks to her patient and continuous support.

Mrs Tsuda said to me when I was seven:

“Noriko, there is shine in your eyes. Many people lose their shines as they grow up. Keep your shine and never lose it.”

Her words resonated with me and still stay with me after 35 years.

I often ask myself in the mirror, “Do I have shine in my eyes?”

Sometimes I answer “Yes.” This is usually the time when I’m doing what I’m passionate about.

When I answer “No,” I’m not enjoying what I’m doing.

I found this question a great indicator to know the state of my heart and helps me keep the right focus.

The impact of events in childhood are great. If I didn’t meet Mrs Tsuda when I was seven, I might never have become a children’s author and illustrator.

I’m very lucky to have met people who helped me to get where I am now. Life is so mysterious. It brings me right people at the right time, although I’m not aware of it at that time.

You can watch my talk at Hachinohe Book Center in Japan below (it’s in Japanese – sorry, no English subtitles!)

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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Interview with Children’s Author/Illustrator Gillian McClure

nori — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 22:53:28 +0000

I love what I do – working as an artist, children’s book author and illustrator. But I have challenges. How can I find more time to work while raising a young family? How can I earn more income from what I do? How can I get more inspiration?

I decided to interview experienced authors and artists to learn from their experiences, and share them with people who might benefit.

I got in touch with Gillian McClure, an author and illustrator whose career spans four decades. Since she started her career in a rather unusual way in 1974, she has had many books published as well as running her own publishing company, Plaister Press, for six years.

In this interview, we cover:

0:11- Introduction

2:31- How Gillian became a published author and illustrator

5:21- Gillian’s artwork and mediums

7:00- Process of creating a picture book

7:40- How Gillian managed to work while raising a young family

9:47- How Gillian gets ideas for her book

10:57- Events and people that had a great impact on Gillian’s life

12:30- Pros and cons of working with big/small publishers

13:50- Gillian’s involvement in typographic design

16:04- What kind of workshops Gillian gives in schools/libraries

18:32- What Gillian enjoys the most amongst all the things she does

20:19- How schools/libraries can get in touch with Gillian

20:48- How authors/illustrators can earn more income using their books

22:06- Gillian’s tips for aspiring authors and illustrators

23:22- Gillian’s current/future projects

Visit Gillian’s website here

Gillian gives talks and workshops in libraries, schools, and at festivals and conferences.

To book her visit, you can contact Gillian directly here or through the links below:

Authors Aloud

Contact an Author

Authors Abroad

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

The post Interview with Children’s Author/Illustrator Gillian McClure appeared first on NorikoArt.

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Reunion with my Year 1 teacher

Interview with Children’s Author/Illustrator Gillian McClure