Remarkable

TL/DR: My self-published picture book Remarkable is available for purchase on Amazon.

Remarkable is the story of a marker who loses his lid and completely dries out. Because of his full reservoir of ink, he’s later revived by the artist, who gives him a second chance to “accomplish his marker mission.” I’ve felt like that marker quite a few times in my life, and I hope that this book will encourage readers, young and old, who might be experiencing times of discouragement, of feeling all dried up.

But why in the world did I choose self-publishing for my debut picture book? Had I tried to be traditionally published and failed? Well, no, and there’s a story behind it (isn’t there always?)

My art teaching job has always been part time, and when my ten-year-old son was little, it was absolutely perfect for our family’s schedule. But in 2018, when he was in full-day pre-K, I started to feel like I was wasting my mornings. I’d always wanted to learn Adobe CC, and I saw that a certificate program at a local technical school had a Graphic Communications program. I enrolled that August and began one of the most fulfilling educational experiences of my life.

There I was, a part-time elementary art teacher with a Masters degree in a vo-tech classroom. I was older than my teacher by several years, surrounded by high school students and twenty-somethings, and feeling hopelessly out of my depth. But then, suddenly, miraculously, I started learning, really learning. My teacher urged me to compete in student competitions, and even though I felt silly at first, I won a few awards and got to compete at a national conference in Anaheim. It was a blast.

One of the highlights for me was the inclusion of a picture book project in the second year. The purpose of the assignment was to devise and carry a theme through multiple spreads, illustrate with Adobe CC, self-publish on Amazon, and market on social media. When I finally made it to the book project, it was spring break 2020, after which we went into lockdown and never returned to school. But I cherished every moment of making my own book that spring and finally seeing it in print.

So, Remarkable may have come from a simple classroom assignment, it may just be a self-published pandemic project that has only sold a few hundred copies, but it will forever and always be my very first picture book, and I love sharing it with fellow art teachers, students, and friends.

Have you read Remarkable? Leave me a review on Amazon and I’ll send you a sticker (design above). Additional stickers are available for $1. Contact me for details.

There’s a video of me reading Remarkable here.