Through a referral from a former KnowledgeWorks colleague I connected with Lauren Renée, a Cincinnatian with a creative family tradition. Lauren has a personal commitment that every time someone in her family becomes a grandparent she authors a children's book about the grandparent—to be read to the grandkids—to celebrate the grandparents in her family. With the addition of her nephew, Lauren reached out to me to illustrate a children's book telling the life story of her stepdad, William, titled Billy and the Bright Side. My childhood fantasy of illustrating a (published) children's book had landed in my inbox! With zeal and great care to incorporate historically-appropriate dress, hairstyles, and color palette, I digitally illustrated young William (with the help of old photographs and sketches). Billy and the Bright Side is available for purchase on amazon.com and can be viewed on issuu. It's story time!
