by Tannie Smith, Becky Porter, Julia Mann and Kristin Wauson, “The Big Dillustrators”
Hi everyone! We are a critique group of four female illustrators in Austin, Texas. The best thing about having a critique group with specific goals and purpose, is the power and support we give each other to generate and grow new ideas. When we met to discuss what we wanted to share with you all, we discovered each one of us comes up with ideas in completely unique ways, so we thought we would share with you, not just one, but four different tools to inspire your storytelling all year. Enjoy!
Tannie Smith
Each of us is amazingly unique, not just in how we look, but also how we process information. I’m a visual person by nature. Taking endless notes or listening to lengthy explanations has never clicked with me. Just ask my husband anytime he tries to teach me a new game! Show me, don’t tell me. For ideas to flow, I need to see and do. That’s why I rely heavily on what is called the creative bank account. Your creative bank account is that place in your mind where you store all the little tidbits throughout the day. That moment you stopped and observed the way light shines through trees, or that cute thing you heard a kid say, or a color you felt particularly drawn to in a museum. All those little moments get stored away and allow your brain to start making connections in the background.
In order to keep my bank full, I have to be sure I’m getting out there and experiencing life! I love to look at “Art of” books, or read a book I wouldn’t normally read. I walk a lot and take the time to stop and notice little things. If I see a cool acorn, or leaf or even a small bird skeleton, I bring it home and put it in my curiosities cabinet. When I go out to eat, I look at the people interacting around me. What is their story? Why are they there? One of these actions alone might not generate an idea. But all of them together do! “But Tannie, it sounds like you just do normal things and then … ta-da … an idea …” Yes, its kind of like that, but really it has a lot to do with shifting your mindset. For example, I could go to the grocery story, buy my list, and come home. I would have filled my pantry, but not my creative bank. Instead, I go to the grocery store, and while buying my list, observe the way they display cereals boxes by texture. I take the time to notice the interesting pattern of the concrete floor. I tune-in to conversations around me. It’s all about putting my mind in a place to receive information. Then later, as I draw, my mind starts feeding it all back to me. It’s all about letting your creativity as an artist/writer seep into the rest of your life. You can hear more about this type of idea generating in a great podcast called Cultivating Creativity by 3 Point Perspective.
My challenge to you is to go on an ordinary errand. Maybe to the grocery store, or the gym, or a doctors visit—something you normally consider routine and boring. While doing this errand, I want you to observe three things you never noticed before. Was your doctor’s office always that yellow? Go to a flower shop or park and literally stop and smell the roses! What is the texture of the petals? What kind of bugs are hanging out there? Taste a new fruit you’ve never seen or tasted before. Take time to soak in your environment and see what inspires you. Perhaps you’ll see a face peeking out in the patterns of a wood floor. Why haven’t you seen that little person before? What is their story? What if there’s a whole world living between the grains of wood on that floor? Before you know it, you’ve got the beginnings of a story!
Becky Porter
I listened to a podcast a few years ago in which two great minds discussed what they thought makes an idea interesting. One argued that something is interesting when it defies our expectations. The other argued that a thing becomes increasingly interesting with increased specificity. I have thought back to that podcast often because it directly influenced my process for generating visual and textual narratives.
I have learned to never stop on the first iteration of an idea. My best ideas are usually buried under a boring one. I pick something that speaks to me in that moment (no matter how cliche or hum-drum) and start digging. For example, a few years ago, I created an illustration of a little girl walking into her vacation home to find bears inside. It was dull and lifeless, but I liked the bears and wanted to try to salvage it. How could I make it more interesting? An obvious response to finding bears in your house would be surprise or fear. Cross those off the list. Obvious = boring. What response would defy expectation? Delight? Maybe the bears are trying on her costume jewelry and makeup, and she knows she’s just found big, cuddly kindred spirits. How about aggravation? Maybe they’re watching TV and eating her beloved Cool Ranch Tortitos…for the third time this week. I liked that idea, so I kept digging. How might the bears respond? Growl and attack? Roll their eyes and change the channel? Blush and hide? Try to look innocent and blame the other? Next, my attention turned to their environment. It was nondescript and didn’t help tell the story. It needed specificity. It was a vacation home, but which vacation home? A swanky ski lodge? Memaw’s musty Appalachian lean-to? A cozy lake house cabin? You get the idea. By the time I was done with this illustration, it had a much more interesting visual narrative and I had some fun ideas for a story, as well as some great jumping off points for other narratives—visual and textual.
The next time you’re scraping the bottom of the idea barrel, crack open one of your old Storystorm notebooks, pick an idea that you wrote off as cliche, and start mining. Defy the obvious! Laugh in the face of your first 5 iterations! Go straight-up berserk with specificity! You might be surprised at the gems you dig up.
Julia Mann
Ideas for my illustrations come from so many places. In order for me to generate ideas, my creative bank account must also be full. I love being in nature, going hiking, observing wildlife and the colors in nature. I listen to podcasts, look at “Art of” books, watch favorite movies, and go to the zoo or museums. I also spend time looking through photos online and on Pinterest which is what sparked the idea for my sweater cat illustration.
When looking for ideas, think about what comes easiest to you. What do you naturally love to draw or write about? Animals? People? Trucks, robots or aliens? I love drawing animals, and animals in silly situations—especially cats. So I began looking through pictures of animals I had saved and came across a photo of a cat in a sweater that made me laugh. It sparked my imagination and the idea for the illustration. I started asking myself all kinds of questions: Why is he in that sweater? Does his owner do this to him often? Does he like dressing up? Surely, he can’t be happy in that thing. What is he thinking? “Ugh, I can’t believe I have to sit here for another picture in this dumb, ugly, itchy sweater.”
Then, I asked myself more questions: What could be going on behind the scenes that we don’t see? What is hidden? What else could be making him mad? Maybe the mouse has seen him and is laughing at him too. And that was it! From there, I can start sketching out thumbnails to create the illustration.
So next time you see a photo that inspires you or grabs your attention, notice what ideas it sparks. Figure out what could be going on behind the scenes. It could be the beginning of an idea for an illustration or story!
Kristin Wauson
Illustrators who write say it’s hard to switch off their “drawing brain” and turn on their “writing brain.” But what if we actually didn’t need to flip any switches? At the end of the day, we’re all just storytellers who want to make our audiences feel something.
Since 2017 I have been approaching Storystorm with my “writing brain” using lists and words, because that’s what writers do. There’s nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, an idea from my 2018 list is now out on submission. But, orderly lists don’t always encourage me to expand on my ideas, and unintentionally I’ve been switching off my drawing brain, which is more visual. What if I used both sides together to develop my Storystorm ideas the same way I develop illustration ideas—with visualization and mind maps?
Start with a place. Imagine a place that makes you feel something—a place you love, that inspires you. Maybe it feels nostalgic, or evokes sadness, or scares you. It can be a place you remember from childhood, or one you’ve visited as an adult, or one you’ve only dreamed up. Think of places where something funny or embarrassing happened (like the children’s museum where I laughed until I peed all over the floor. That’s one of the made up ones. Sort of.)
Write it down. Then start branching off to explore the scene. Who is there and what do they look like? What are they doing and why? What are they feeling? What do they want? What is the time period or the time of day? What happened in the moment before or after?
Fill in details until you have explored every nook and cranny of your idea.
Even if you are not an illustrator, consider things that might seem purely visual because these can inform the mood. Consider: color palettes, lighting, objects in the scene, perspectives.
And you don’t even have to start with a place. Maybe you just have a character, or a feeling and you go from there. An idea can grow out of anything, so go forth and get those two brains working together!
Thank you so much for joining us and we hope you’ll use these tips long after Storystorm is over. The Big Dillustrators wish you a prolific 2020!
Tannie M. Smith is an illustrator and author by day, and a Jedi by Knight. Her mission is to defeat the dark side by creating stories and art that are a force of light in the galaxy. She loves to collaborate on picture books, middle grade projects, and editorial illustrations. Tannie has a BFA from Texas State University in Communication Design. She currently lives in Lago Vista, Texas, where she fervently fosters her love for Star Wars, Korean dramas, yoga and tacos. But the thing she loves most is spending time with her ultra-running husband, 2 entrepreneurial teenage boys, 1 energetic pupper, and 2 cats that fiercely work to support whatever stereotype you may have about cats.
Visit her at tannniesmith.com and on Instagram @createdby_tanniesmith.
Becky Porter is an illustrator living in Round Rock, TX. She’s been drawing, painting, and writing for as long as she can remember. It’s the only ambition she’s ever had besides being a mom–and singing and dancing on broadway (a dream unrealized due to an inability to sing or dance.) When she’s not drawing or writing, Becky spends her time running, reading, book-clubbing, and retiring early to the Nerdery with her husband and three nerdlings for games or movie night. She loves anything that makes her laugh hard, think hard, or both. Anything else puts her to sleep, which is something else she loves to do and is, therefore, a net gain.
You’ll find her at beckyporterillustrates.com and on Instagram @beckyporterillustrates.
Julia Mann’s favorite thing about being an illustrator is getting to inspire others with her art. She loves colored pencils, and the challenge to keep improving as an artist. Since moving to Austin in 2014, she spends most nights drawing after her kids go to bed. When not drawing, she is either homeschooling her two boys, going to the gym, hiking, listening to an art podcast, or exploring the Texas hill country with her family. Julia has a B.A. in studio art with a biology minor from Virginia Tech.
Visit her at juliamann.squarespace.com and on Instagram @juliamannart.
Kristin Wauson is a children’s book author/illustrator from Austin, Texas. She has a degree in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin and for 10 years worked as a graphic designer and yoga instructor. Today she is a stay at home mom and a proud member of several amazing kidlit groups, including the Puddle Jump Collective, and The Big Dillustrators. When she’s not drawing, painting, dreaming up story ideas, or taking an online class, you’ll find her perfecting her handstand, helping with her family’s home building business, trying new recipes, and spending time with her husband, their boys and their big brown ‘Hank the Cowdog.’ She is represented by Adria Goetz of Martin Literary Management.
You’ll find her at kristinwauson.com and at Instagram @kristinwauson.
The Big Dillustrators are giving away a Pickle Pack to one lucky winner! This is a collection of four 5×7 prints. These prints are made using high end archival ink and top quality paper stock to ensure they will stand the test of time. Each artist will chose one of her favorite illustrations to donate.
Leave one comment below to enter.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm participant and you have commented once below.
Good luck!
458 comments
Comments feed for this article
January 30, 2020 at 7:07 am
Linda Mitchell
What’s great about this article is the four perspectives reinforce the idea. You CAN get ideas in your ordinary life…and you should set time aside to recognize and process them. Great advice from all of you. Thank you so much! I love the name of your group. Cute and funny!
January 30, 2020 at 8:25 am
michelemeleen
I totally agree! This post is kind of a big dill🤣
January 30, 2020 at 7:10 am
thecrowsmap
I love all of your methods for coming up with ideas. Thanks!
Gail Hartman
January 30, 2020 at 7:13 am
Sarah Hetu-Radny
I would love to win this package!!! You four are inspiring!!! I want in!! haha But I don’t illustrate, I write (and I draw and paint for fun!) I am going to take T’s challenge and see what three things I never noticed about 1. the nursing homes where I work and 2. the airport (two weddings and a bachelorette weekend coming up…). 🙂 Thank you!!!
January 31, 2020 at 5:16 pm
Tannie Smith (@CreatedByTannie)
I’d love to hear what you come up with!
January 30, 2020 at 7:19 am
Sara A
“One argued that something is interesting when it defies our expectations. The other argued that a thing becomes increasingly interesting with increased specificity.” I’ve never thought about it in quite this way before!
January 30, 2020 at 7:23 am
Anne LeBlanc Gr 4/5 teacher (@AnneLeBlanc2)
Thanks for a great quarto of inspirational ideas that work for illustrators and writers alike!
January 30, 2020 at 7:24 am
Ashley Congdon (@AshleyCCongdon)
Great suggestions! Thank you.
January 30, 2020 at 7:24 am
Writer on the run
Thanks for the quadruple dose of inspiration! Loved it! So many gems and pearls in this!
January 30, 2020 at 7:28 am
Laurie
I lived all the advice! And I bet you all have so much fun together.
January 30, 2020 at 7:29 am
Rebecca
Loved this! 4 for the price of 1, so to speak. Great tips, Ladies! Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 7:29 am
betlw
What fun! You Dillustrators made me laugh at 5:30 AM when I couldn’t sleep. What terrific ideas for coming up with story material. I can barely draw a straight line, but I can see how viewing nature and life, in general, will put writing ideas in my brain. Terrific post! Just what I needed to wake me up.
January 30, 2020 at 7:31 am
tinamcho
Thank you for sharing all these methods!
January 30, 2020 at 7:37 am
Suzanne Lewis
Defy expectation and increasingly increase specificity. Platinum words for storytelling, for sure! Hmmm…tattoo, perhaps?
January 30, 2020 at 7:37 am
Robin Jordan
Dillustrators!!! Out of a Pickle!!!!🤣😜 You’re killin’ me!!!!!😂
I loved hearing from an entire group. In my superterrificawesome CG, we all bring different talents and challenges to the table and everyone’s perspective is appreciated. I appreciate you Dynamic Dillustrators for sharing your methods for netting ideas today!
January 30, 2020 at 7:41 am
debobrienbookscom
This post was just too exciting for me. I am an author/illustrator who is drawn to books because of the art. I would cherish these four prints. I can’t wait to check out your websites. Thank you for your suggestions on coming up with new ideas, and for taking the time to participate in Story Storm.
January 30, 2020 at 7:43 am
Meli Glickman
Hooray for uniqueness and finding inspiration even in the ordinary! What fabulous insights! Thanks so much for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 7:47 am
Sarah Tobias
My curiosity cabinet is full of nature things, including insects found dead, bones, rocks, acorns and the list goes on. Thanks for the podcast recommendation. I love the idea of defying the obvious and developing specificity. And combining the writing and drawing brain.
January 30, 2020 at 7:47 am
kimpfenn
What a fun quartet of inspiration! Love that each of these encourages us to keep looking at things in a different way!
January 30, 2020 at 7:50 am
Janet
Loved your unique ideas and kindred spirits. It’s empowering to turn back and take another look at all the seemingly ordinary things around me, to defy expectations and delve into increasing specificity, to brainstorm around one point, asking myself questions. Thanks for helping me see how to get out of a pickle of no new ideas the last few days. 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 7:50 am
rosecappelli
Thanks so much for all the great ideas and ways I can fill up my creative bank account. This was a fun post to read!
January 30, 2020 at 7:53 am
Cathy L. Murphy
Y’all had me at your name, Dillustrators! What fun and what talent! Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 7:54 am
Lori Dubbin
Thank you, Dillustrators! You’ve given us a “big dill” jar of new methods to try! I think crisp, new ideas will follow!
January 30, 2020 at 7:57 am
Lori Sheroan
You had me at “dillustrators!” Thank you for these great idea-generating ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 7:58 am
heatherbell37
Loved reading all of these tips! And I will HAVE to check out the podcast. Thank you for sharing! ❤️
January 30, 2020 at 7:59 am
M.R.
Wonderful tips! I haven’t actually brought home a bird skeleton, but I did take a photo of one a few years ago that haunts me to this day. Maybe because the bird’s ghost is trying to tell me its story…. BTW, I’d love to win the “Pickle Pack!” 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 8:04 am
Lauri Fortino
Wow, four awesome ways to generate ideas! Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 8:05 am
kiwijenny
What an awesome post. A four-for…four for the price of one. Hmmmm now there’s a story idea. Four pickles , friends for life devise ways to not get eaten in a sandwich but to draw instead. I like it.
January 30, 2020 at 8:06 am
Robin Perkins
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to turn off my visual sense to concentrate on text. It takes a lot of the fun out of writing. You’ve shown me ways to work with both together. I’m dazzled. I’m excited. I’m going to go get started. ❤️
January 30, 2020 at 8:09 am
Becky Shillington
Thanks for this very helpful post! I love ALL of your great ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 8:16 am
Jay
A great post, full of different ideas. I’m off to open a creative bank account with my Storystorm notes.
January 30, 2020 at 8:17 am
Brittanny Handiboe
this year its just so difficult to make my mind wander like this. I have a hard time stopping to smell the roses or notice things outside my seemingly never ending thought mashup. Goal for tonight: let mind wander on a walk.
January 30, 2020 at 8:17 am
kaleegwarjanski
I love the advice of being specific. Get past the generic. Thank you ladies!
January 30, 2020 at 8:17 am
tanyakonerman
Wow, so many great ideas in this post! Can’t wait to put them to the test!
January 30, 2020 at 8:20 am
Jennifer Weisse
This is great advice & you all sound like a lot of fun! A great group! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 8:21 am
Shirley fadden
You guys are a big dill! Thanks for the tips.
January 30, 2020 at 8:22 am
authorjanetparkinsonbryce
I love all the ways , all of you, showed us to get ideas for stories. I will certainly use these as I go out and about doing errands. Thanks so much!
January 30, 2020 at 8:27 am
Karrie Zylstra
The mermaid in a washer!! I love this! Thanks for all the wonderful ideas and your inspiring illustrations, ladies.
January 30, 2020 at 8:30 am
Andrea Mack
Wow! Thanks for a treasure trove of suggestions! As I was reading you post, I got a glimmer of an idea and expanded on it as I read along.
January 30, 2020 at 8:47 am
Barbara Senenman
Wonderful suggestions! My brain is itching to get started. My brain is itching … Hmmm!
January 30, 2020 at 8:47 am
Jennifer Phillips
This is so rich with so many ideas and examples. Wow. What a boost to our creativity. I’ll need to unpack this one more. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 8:49 am
Beth Charles
Your advice about digging deeper into an idea is great. Thanks for the artistic perspective. I wish I could draw!
January 30, 2020 at 8:50 am
Jeanette Stampone
I love the idea of exploring the ordinary. I’m going to be so conscious of this when I’m next out doing something mundane!
January 30, 2020 at 8:50 am
Mark Ceilley
Great ideas with wonderful examples! Thanks for helping me to think visually as a writer.
January 30, 2020 at 8:53 am
Louann Brown
Thank you for your illustrated posts! Seeing a boring idea turned into an interesting idea was great.
January 30, 2020 at 8:58 am
Manju B. Howard (@ManjuBeth)
As a writer and doodler, I connected with your post and love how a boring idea came alive. Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 8:59 am
Lisa black
Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 8:59 am
Amy Houts
Thanks for sharing your process! As a writer who has trouble drawing stick figures, I admire your talent!
January 30, 2020 at 9:00 am
Krista Maxwell
Thanks for the great ideas and perspectives!
January 30, 2020 at 9:01 am
Sandhya Rose
A goldmine of ideas on this post! I’ve never read ‘Art of’ books, but now will look it up! Becky, I’m intrigued by your ‘cross off the first and obvious response’. I have to learn to do that! Thanks The Big Dillustrators!!
January 31, 2020 at 10:41 am
Becky Porter
I’m so glad the post was helpful! Definitely check out “Art of” books! Most successful animated or fantasy/sci-fi movies have one, and the concept art is always breath-taking and even better than what you see in the movie! 🙂 Happy inspiration-hunting, Sandhya!
February 10, 2020 at 8:15 am
Sandhya Rose
Thanks Becky.
January 30, 2020 at 9:01 am
Marsha Diane Arnold
You have some fabulous ideas here. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 9:02 am
authoryvonafast
Thank you for your ideas! Digging deeper… observing your surroundings… and being conscious of the place… most of all, imagining a place / setting and filling in the details of scene. All great ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 9:03 am
pathaap
Wow! These are all so great! I’m not an illustrator, but could really connect with this. Thanks so much!
January 30, 2020 at 9:05 am
Kathy Halsey
You Dillustrators have given us “dill-licious ways to mine ideas, get past the usual, and mind map. I like mind maps & haven’t done one in a long time. TY all.
January 30, 2020 at 9:06 am
dinatowbin
I love all these ideas especially the creative bank account and using mind maps. Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 9:07 am
Jane Heitman Healy
Each of you has offered some dillicious ideas about ideas! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 9:08 am
dinatowbin
Thanks for all the ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 9:10 am
Joy
Great ideas! I love hearing how other people process and create!
January 30, 2020 at 9:10 am
dinatowbin
Great ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 9:11 am
Deb Buschman (@DebBuschman)
Great ideas and it sounds like you have a really fun group. All the best with your careers.
January 30, 2020 at 9:12 am
Cathy Lentes
What a pack of pickle pals!
Great ideas,all. Thanks.
January 30, 2020 at 9:14 am
ptnozell
Thanks for sharing your varied perspectives and an entire barrel of idea-generating strategies!
January 30, 2020 at 9:17 am
Dayne Sislen, Children's Book Illustrator
Wow, this is a lot of great ideas in one post. How fun your critique group as a name. Thank you all.
January 30, 2020 at 9:17 am
Thelia Hutchinson
Thank you ladies for your insights. It can be hard to come up with ideas. I definitely try very hard to get ideas from past events and daily activities. I am try to expand to ideas lurking around me so the creative juices will flow.
Thank you
January 30, 2020 at 9:19 am
Melissa Mwai
Awesome! I love the nugget about Julia pushing yourself to find out what is happening behind the scenes to tell a story about what is happening. Thanks all for sharing your process.
January 30, 2020 at 9:24 am
Darlene Koppel
Love all your ideas. I will be listening to the podcast. And i’m printing your post out too. So many delicious ideas to savor..
January 30, 2020 at 9:27 am
Rebecca E. Hirsch
What a barrel full of ideas. Thanks so much, Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 9:27 am
karammitchell
This one is so PACKED! Thanks ladies. Go illustrators!!
January 30, 2020 at 9:29 am
Janet Smart
Thanks for the post. I’m going to go to some of my old ideas and give your advice a try!
January 30, 2020 at 9:31 am
Carole Calladine
What a fun post full of ideas about ideas. Thanks for sharing, Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 9:34 am
bgonsar
Thanks for sharing! Love your pickle portraits.
January 30, 2020 at 9:35 am
Joan Longstaff
If anything can make that weekly “chore” more interesting, this is it – be on the look out for things you haven’t noticed before. Great stuff. Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 9:38 am
Gail Atherley
Fantastic, robust, and abundant strategies for generating ideas! I would enjoy being a “ladybug on the wall” during one of your critique group meetings! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 9:39 am
Matt Forrest Esenwine
Great ideas all around! In fact, when I’m in a waiting room like a doctor’s office or someplace similar, I often try to find a magazine I wouldn’t normally read – because there’s always something new to learn inside!
January 30, 2020 at 9:40 am
Bru Benson
Saving the best for the last I see. I always had the problem of too many ideas but were any of them really “bookworthy”. This is a great ending to Storystorm.
January 30, 2020 at 9:41 am
Robin Wiesneth
I can’t wait to poke around at my story ideas and turn them from ordinary to extraordinary! Perfectly Dill-icious post!
January 30, 2020 at 9:41 am
Robin Brett Wechsler
Thank you, all, for all your unexpected and specific suggestions!
January 30, 2020 at 9:45 am
Hollie Wolverton
Favorite line: My best ideas are usually buried under a boring one. Fun post! Love the illustrations.
January 30, 2020 at 9:47 am
Laurie Carmody
This post was SO FUN! I loved reading everyone’s different perspectives, and the pickle puns are always a favorite. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 9:50 am
gayleckrause
What a cool way to culminate (or almost) Storystorm. I ❤️ All of your suggestions. So cool to have a great critique group with a great name. You’re not gherkin around when it comes down to your bread and butter. 😉
January 31, 2020 at 10:39 am
Becky Porter
“Gherkin around”! Love it! I would not have thought of that one! 😄
January 30, 2020 at 9:50 am
Michele Helsel
Wow, that was great! Thanks for all the different avenues to go down. Love your illustrations!
January 30, 2020 at 9:55 am
Kim Erickson
I love the concept of specificity!
January 30, 2020 at 9:55 am
Polly Sena Renner
Thank you Ladies!! How fun to hear from all of you and see your beautiful and inspiring dillustrations:>
January 30, 2020 at 9:57 am
ryanrobertsauthor
Some great ideas in here. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 9:58 am
Susan Wroble
This year, I have two Storystorm lists. The first is my ideas for books list that is part of Storystorm. The second is key insights — the ideas for sparking creativity that really spoke to me. And even for a writer with limited artistic abilities, this post really spoke to me. Thanks so much!
January 30, 2020 at 10:00 am
Mary Worley
Wonderful post! It made me laugh and think hard. You all had so many useful tips. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 10:00 am
Sue Reichard
These are great ideas! I am going to try the mind mapping. Sounds like that would be good for me!
January 30, 2020 at 10:02 am
Mark Bentz
Thank you Ladies for posting.
A lot of great ideas.
Very talented illustrators.
January 30, 2020 at 10:03 am
steveheron
I am not an illustrator (yet) I found this collective of ideas brilliant. Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 10:04 am
fspoesy
Four great posts that post great together! The money quote for me was “At the end of the day, we’re all just storytellers who want to make our audiences feel something.” Thank you Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 10:06 am
Marsha Weiner
quite the POWER PUNCH!
mucho gusto
marsha
January 30, 2020 at 10:06 am
Viviane Elbee
Thank you for sharing how you get ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 10:08 am
KRISTINA COOPER CASTILLO
What a great collection of idea generators! Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 10:11 am
Lara Elliott
Wow, lots of great gems of advice! Thank you all!
January 30, 2020 at 10:14 am
Deb Sullivan
Wow – four for one! What terrific ideas to keep the juices flowing…thanks for passing them along.
January 30, 2020 at 10:15 am
Leslie Leibhardt Goodman - Writer
I’m printing out this post so I can read it often. I feel like I attended an SCBWI conference. Wow! Thanks so much for starting my day with loads of inspiring ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 10:21 am
EmmieRWerner
Love. Love your post! Sparked lots of ideas❤️
January 30, 2020 at 10:23 am
Sue Heavenrich
This was fun – and I love the sketches, the web exploration, 3 new observations of the same-old same-old. And washer mermaids! Going to check our laundromat next time I drop by.
January 30, 2020 at 10:23 am
Zoraida Rivera
What a heavy. post! I need a big crate to carry away all these ideas! How’s that for using my visual brain! Success to all four of you. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 10:26 am
Anita Banks
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 10:27 am
lmconnors
This was a super helpful and engaging post. Thank you! I have a goal of becoming an illustrator and I am going to start practicing your ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 10:28 am
judyrubin13
Thank you for sharing your individual and collaborative efforts. What a great group of creative minds you are.
January 30, 2020 at 10:29 am
Mrs. Vandivier
I loved reading how each one of you get your ideas….I especially appreciated seeing the story web. I hadn’t thought about charting my ideas in that way and I love it because I pooped out on how to piece together one of my ideas, this has inspired me to pick it up again and not worry about being so organized with it. Thank you…
January 30, 2020 at 10:30 am
Joan Swanson
This was really fun! I came up with so many ideas, thank you!!!!
January 30, 2020 at 10:31 am
goodtimegreatstory
Love these ideas! Thank you for sharing all that wonderful Dillustrator wisdom!
January 30, 2020 at 10:32 am
nrompella
I loved hearing different answers. Fascinating.
January 30, 2020 at 10:34 am
Rona Shirdan
I enjoyed your post with all of the different ideas. Thinking visually and then stretching the idea to the most unlikely outcome sounds fun!
January 30, 2020 at 10:38 am
Cheryl Johnson
Love your critique name and your pickles!
‘Take time to soak in your environment and see what inspires you.’ ~ I do this and get ideas, but I think I need more intentional about it.
January 30, 2020 at 10:39 am
Liz Steinglass
These are great! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 10:40 am
Elizabeth Brown
Such a great post! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 10:41 am
Melanie Ellsworth
Wonderful post, jam-packed with ideas! I tried out Kristin’s mind-map activity and am now inspired to work on a new story.
January 30, 2020 at 10:45 am
Genevieve Petrillo
Now that January is pretty much over, “mining those old, cliché ideas” starts soon. Fun post!
January 30, 2020 at 10:47 am
doreenrobinson
So much good stuff here! I am ready to deposit ideas in my creative bank account!
January 30, 2020 at 10:50 am
Susan Johnston Taylor
Thanks for all the tips!
January 30, 2020 at 10:51 am
Debra Kempf Shumaker
Love this so much!
January 30, 2020 at 10:53 am
kswemba
Thank you!
This is an amazing post ladies! I love it all! I especially liked the idea of taking an idea and exploring every aspect. I’m going to start implementing all those questions until my idea is completely answered.
Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 10:55 am
Eileen Mayo
Wow! This has got to be one of my favorite posts yet on StoryStorm. You four have such concrete methods of generating new ideas and teasing out dull ones. Thanks for all the inspiration!
January 30, 2020 at 10:55 am
slushpilestory
You ladies are amazing! Lots of gems in there. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 10:56 am
Alice Fulgione
I’ve used some of these methods, such as objects brought home, myself. Thanks so much for the post!
January 30, 2020 at 10:56 am
June Sengpiehl
Interesting post which gives us plenty to think about.
January 30, 2020 at 10:57 am
Darcee Freier
What a treasure trove of idea generation ideas. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 10:58 am
Jennifer Blanck
Well, I’m in a pickle about who to thank first! Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 10:59 am
June Sengpiehl
Interesting post full of ideas for us to use.
January 30, 2020 at 11:00 am
Wendi Silvano
These were all great ideas… thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 11:02 am
Natalie Lynn Tanner
DILLISTRATORS: Hello, Ladies! I SO LOVE your INSPIRATIONAL post! THANK YOU for sharing each of your views on finding inspiration–showing that everyone truly does find inspiration in different ways. Just like you said about your little group, “the power and support we give each other to generate and grow new ideas,” I feel the same way about our StoryStorm community. I have learned SO MUCH from ALL of the writers, illustrators, and other StoryStormers!!! I am EXCITED to try your different ideas on searching -out ideas! THANK YOU!!!
January 30, 2020 at 11:05 am
authorlaurablog
So cool to see an illustrator’s POV – even better to see four of them. I’d really be in a pickle if I had to pick just one.
January 30, 2020 at 11:05 am
Laura Purdie Salas
What fun! I love these thoughts from the visual side of things. One question: what is an “art of” book? Do you just mean looking at the art by a specific person?
January 31, 2020 at 10:52 am
Becky Porter
Most successful animated or fantasy/sci-fi movies have one (like “The Art of Finding Nemo” or “The Art of Lord of the Rings”). The concept art is always spectacular and even better than what you see in the movie, and their creative process is always inspiring! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the post Laura! Happy creating!
January 30, 2020 at 11:07 am
Lydia Lukidis
I loved hearing about the artistic process of these “dillustrators”!
January 30, 2020 at 11:10 am
dedradavis03
These are great ideas for storming up ideas! And, I live in Waco and love the Austin SCBWI!
January 30, 2020 at 11:12 am
Lauren Barbieri
Great, great post—this resonated with me on several levels! I especially appreciated the segment about getting the visually- and text-oriented parts of the brain working together.
January 30, 2020 at 11:13 am
Katie
Fun! Thanks for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 11:15 am
Hélène Sabourin
Let’s keep filling that creativity account!
January 30, 2020 at 11:15 am
Cathy C. Hall
A four-for! And love your illustrations, too–thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 11:21 am
Sherri Jones Rivers
Oh my, ladies. What an absolutely delightful post. I love your drawings and how you look at your craft. Makes me wish I were talented in art. You all are having so much fun.
January 30, 2020 at 11:22 am
Angela Padron
As an illustrator who often struggles to come up with ideas this was a very helpful post. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 11:25 am
suzannepoulterharris
Love this post – packed full of ideas and got me thinking creatively. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 11:26 am
Sara Fajardo
So fun to see all these different approaches to idea generation. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 11:28 am
Judy Bryan
Thank you for this inspiration! So many different – and great! – tips, ideas, and advice. Love your group name. 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 11:29 am
Jolene Gutierrez
As a non-illustrator, I’ve gained so many ideas regarding how to approach my writing with a visual intent–thank you so much for your dill-lightful post! 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 11:29 am
bymaggiebrown
I LOVE the name and illustrations for your group! Super adorable and I am inspired for pb ideas from that alone. Thanks for all the great info, too.
January 30, 2020 at 11:32 am
Laurie Bouck
I really enjoyed this post! All are great ways to inspire ideas. Thank you for sharing! 😀
January 30, 2020 at 11:32 am
Paula B Puckett
Great ideas and four times as much FUN! Thank you for your inspiring post.
January 30, 2020 at 11:34 am
Paula B Puckett
Great ideas and four times the fun! Thanks for your ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 11:35 am
Barbara Lowell
Love the Dillustrators! Great posts, great art!
January 30, 2020 at 11:35 am
Sheri Radovich
Interesting to see how an illustrator comes up with ideas and sees the world. It sounds like a fun group of girls and differences in the way they come up with illustrations. Thanks for the insight.
January 30, 2020 at 11:35 am
matthewlasley
My wife and I have been discussing how to help illustrators access their “writing” mind. Great to see so many different approaches.
January 30, 2020 at 11:36 am
Jacqueline Adams
Wow, so many gems here! I’ll come back and read this one again and again. Thanks to all of you for your help!
January 30, 2020 at 11:37 am
jenabenton
Fantastic post for illustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 11:40 am
Johnell DeWitt
Wow, what fun. An amazing group for sure. And great insights. Thank you.
January 30, 2020 at 11:45 am
Laura Jean Watters
Of course The Big Dillustrators are from Austin. I was there for a conference a year ago and just loved the energy in Austin. I would have loved to have met any of you watching the bats come out at sunset from under the bridge.
January 30, 2020 at 11:45 am
Laura Renauld
Haha! Love your pickle-themed name and all of your illustration styles. Thanks for the wellspring of ideas for finding ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 11:47 am
Dawn Prochovnic
I got so much out of this post. It’s one I will go back to and read again and again. I also love how you have found each other and support each other. The shared brand you have created is fabulous! I’ve followed you all on Instagram and look forward to YOUR work inspiring MY work as time goes on.
January 30, 2020 at 11:49 am
Lisa Riddiough
Thank you, Big Dillustrators! You’re ideas are wonderful! How lucky that you all live in the same city and can meet regularly in person!!
January 30, 2020 at 11:52 am
rgstones
This might be my favorite post of the month. And now I want a curiosities cabinet. 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 11:55 am
kyavorski
Great ideas. I find looking at things in a new way (in this case, more visually) often makes me think differently. A couple more ideas sparked here!
January 30, 2020 at 11:58 am
Belinda Fallon
Thank you for your thoughts.
January 30, 2020 at 12:07 pm
DK Ryland
Love the advice of just getting out there! Life is interesting when we are paying attention…
January 30, 2020 at 12:09 pm
Julia
Great idea generators!!!!!
Love your work!!!
January 30, 2020 at 12:14 pm
Susan Macartney
Thank you all for sharing your different approaches to illustration – always interesting!
January 30, 2020 at 12:18 pm
tiffanydickinson
Thank you, Big Dills. I most appreciate the common theme in your notes reminding us of the need to fill our wells. It’s very easy to deplete without replenishing to dig deeper for great ideas. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 12:19 pm
Lauri Meyers
I love how Becky goes from expected to unexpected.
January 31, 2020 at 10:54 am
Becky Porter
Lauri, so glad it was helpful!
January 30, 2020 at 12:22 pm
susanzonca
What great ideas, Dillustrators! Thanks for all the great ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 12:23 pm
susanzonca
Great ideas! Thanks, Dillustrators.
January 30, 2020 at 12:25 pm
Alicia Lopez
Wonderful ideas! Thank you for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 12:25 pm
Dawn M.
Great tips! Thank you all for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 12:26 pm
susanzonca
Thanks for getting us out of a lack of creativity pickle!
January 30, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Karen Yin
What a dillicious post. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 12:29 pm
Peggy Dobbs
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful variety of idea gathering techniques. What inspiration!
January 30, 2020 at 12:30 pm
vgraboski61gmailcom
Wow, what an informative post! All great ideas! Love the name of your critique group-clever!!
January 30, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Traci VW
A wealth of information and inspiration. Thank you! Words and visuals are both so important with picture books. And my creativity bank is open for deposits.
January 30, 2020 at 12:32 pm
Christine Pinto
Thank you for sharing all your great ideas! I especially liked seeing the mind map page!
January 30, 2020 at 12:35 pm
Gretchen McLellan
Absolutely dill-ightful! Thanks for the invitation to play! When I’m in a pickle with one of my stories, I’ll turn to your juicy ideas for discovering a way out of my dill-emma! Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 12:37 pm
Faith Pray
What a fun post. I loved reading about how different writers and illustrators explore stories. Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 12:37 pm
Cathy Ogren
Wow! Four different ways to gather ideas. Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 12:41 pm
Sylvia Mary Grech
Great ideas. Thanks.
January 30, 2020 at 12:42 pm
Colleen Owen Murphy
Wow! Your critique group meetings must me pretty amazing! Thank you so much for sharing all of these wonderful and different ideas! Now to go listen to that podcast….
January 30, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Leah
I loved seeing the different processes you all have.
January 30, 2020 at 12:53 pm
Claire W Bobrow
These four different approaches are revving up my creative engine. Thanks for the great ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 12:53 pm
asiqueira1307
I love that idea because I hate doing groceries, but now I might have fun trying to tune in to ideas. Thanks.
January 30, 2020 at 12:58 pm
Susan Twiggs
Dillustrators,
I love your ideas of filling the creative bank account. Thanks
January 30, 2020 at 12:58 pm
nicolesalterbraun
Good ideas and love the illustrations!
January 30, 2020 at 12:59 pm
LJ Laniewski
Thank you for the idea generating strategies. I can tell from your posts that you work together. 🙂 I completely get “putting my mind in a place to receive information.” I used to be known as “The Idea Lady.” I thought this meant I would never run out of ideas…but somehow, for a while, I lost touch with that place in my mind where I could receive information in the form of new ideas. Your post and Storystorm is helping me with my creative “idea generating” recovery. And…now, I am so hungry for pickles!
January 30, 2020 at 1:00 pm
Danielle Dufayet
It’s true -an idea can grow out of anything. We just need to remember that and be vigilant! Thanks for the reminder.Congrats!
January 30, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Linda Schueler
I love all these ideas from four different perspectives!
January 30, 2020 at 1:03 pm
Anne Appert
Thanks for all the good tips! Love your illustrations.
January 30, 2020 at 1:10 pm
Heather Stigall
These are great ideas. I love that you all come up w/ideas from different perspectives.
January 30, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Kathy Doherty
This post is jam-packed with inspiration and ideas. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 1:14 pm
Janet Johnson
I loved hearing about all of your perspectives and how you fill your creative well. I’m going to need to read through this one a few more times!
January 30, 2020 at 1:15 pm
LeeAnn Rizzuti
Four perspectives, four idea generating methods! Riches for our lagging brains as we reach for the finish line. Thank you.
January 30, 2020 at 1:21 pm
Cathy Ballou Mealey
These ideas are as cool as a cucumber! Thanks Big Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Karen Greenwald
Thank you for helping us avoid being in a pickle! Great suggestions! Great post! Great illustrations!
January 30, 2020 at 1:24 pm
Kim Larson
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing. Adorable illustrations, too!
January 30, 2020 at 1:26 pm
Lisa Billa
How funny, a pickle story idea came to me just before I read this! Thanks for sharing your advice and fun techniques- this will keep ideas going long beyond Storystorm!
January 30, 2020 at 1:31 pm
Kari Lavelle (@KariALavelle)
I heart the Big Dillustrators! Thank you for sharing the different ways that can spark an idea!
January 30, 2020 at 1:34 pm
Sallye O'Rourke
So inspiring!
January 30, 2020 at 1:36 pm
Naana
Thank you Big Dillustrators for all the suggestions for generating ideas!! I love the creative bank account.
January 30, 2020 at 1:39 pm
Janie Reinart
Thank you ladies for the tips on filling the creative bank account. Love your group name too❤️
January 30, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Linda KulpTrout
Loved the ways all of you find your ideas. Thank you for the reminder to use mind maps!
January 30, 2020 at 1:40 pm
Bev Baird
So much inspiration in one post! So many great ideas. Love the idea of combining our writing/drawing brains by brainstorming. We really have to “defy the obvious” Thanks so much to all of you.
January 30, 2020 at 1:45 pm
donnacangelosi
Such a fun post! Loved seeing your different illustration styles and reading your sources of inspiration. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 1:45 pm
Terri Sabol
Hello from Houston! I love that we get 4 posts in one for the final day of StoryStorm. Thank you for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 1:48 pm
Cortney Benvenuto
Oh my, so much goodness in this post! Thank you for all the tips and inspiration!
January 30, 2020 at 1:55 pm
seschipper
Loved this post from the “Big Dillustrators”! Throughout storystorm 2020 we have learned that “ideas” are everywhere ! Hooray! 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 1:59 pm
Pamela Harrison
I love this post! You all share wonderful tips for generating story ideas. I am going to use the “story generating map” shared by Kristin to flesh out my ideas! Thank you Big Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Cathy de Lorimier
I’ve saved this article for future reference because it is full of GEMS in the form of grocery store visits, bears at a lake house, cats in sweaters, and mermaids at the laundry mat. Thanks for sharing your creativity tips!
January 30, 2020 at 2:03 pm
Kaylynn Johnsen
Obvious = boring. Mermaid in the laundromat = not boring!
January 30, 2020 at 2:05 pm
Krista Harrington
You all give such great suggestions on generating ideas.
Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 2:08 pm
Chelle Martin
Thanks for four different ways of looking at art and writing.
January 30, 2020 at 2:09 pm
sjwmeade
Thanks for this wonderful post!
January 30, 2020 at 2:15 pm
Juliana Lee
Engaging post! Love the word play too… it’s kind of a big dill!
January 30, 2020 at 2:18 pm
Poupette Smith
Thanks for your inspiring takes. As a text-only writer, I just LOVE gleaning from illustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 2:19 pm
Debra Daugherty
4 great illustrators + great ideas. I love this post based on 4 illustrators and their perspectives on writing ideas. Thank you, Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 2:21 pm
Carol Gwin Nelson
Great tips! I especially like the idea of adding to the original idea to make it go beyond the obvious. Just what I needed to hear this morning! Thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 2:22 pm
Pamela Haskin
Love all your ways off approaching your illustrations. Makes me excited to get to work with my own illustrations. Thanks for sharing with us.
January 30, 2020 at 2:24 pm
Maria Bostian
What great ideas today. I love mind-mapping, but haven’t thought about it for writing ideas. That’s a genius idea. Thanks, Dillustrators!
January 30, 2020 at 2:28 pm
Judy Sobanski
Wow, even though you all are illustrators or illustrator/writers, you have some very different and varied techniques for finding ideas. Thanks for sharing them with us!
January 30, 2020 at 2:34 pm
Jen
Thanks for all the great tips!
January 30, 2020 at 2:38 pm
Nicole Loos Miller
Love all the different ways you generate ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 2:43 pm
Shawna JC Tenney
You guys are my favorite! I love your idea-generating tips are great. Hope I can see y’all again sometime. Love, your honorary member, Shawna. 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 2:50 pm
Kassy Keppol
Love to hear from illustrators, thank you.
January 30, 2020 at 2:58 pm
ruthwilson48
So many wonderful ideas here. Thanks, ladies!
January 30, 2020 at 2:59 pm
Daniele Arndt
You girls were cracking me up! I love that you all have different ways to come up with ideas! Thanks for sharing your process and thanks for making me laugh!
January 30, 2020 at 3:00 pm
Deborah Foster
These are such amazing ideas! Thank you for sharing them!
January 30, 2020 at 3:01 pm
Mary Ann Blair
What great ideas. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 3:02 pm
Mary York
Hello, Dillustrators! I was fascinated to see how you generate your ideas! I’m not an illustrator, but I can generalize some of what you said into my writing mindset.
January 30, 2020 at 3:03 pm
mommamoocow
Inspiring!
January 30, 2020 at 3:12 pm
Shanah Salter
Great processes!
January 30, 2020 at 3:14 pm
stiefelchana
Dillustrators! How hilariously brilliant! Just your title is enough to get my pickle juices flowing. Thanks for the crunchy, spicy, fresh ideas!
January 30, 2020 at 3:20 pm
Nancy Furstinger
Love the name of your group plus the pickles with personality–many inspiring ideas here!
January 30, 2020 at 3:24 pm
brittanypomales
Thanks, Great post!
January 30, 2020 at 3:25 pm
Marty Bellis
Thank you x 4! Entertaining as well as instructive, and full of tidbits to keep me working/writing/doodling.
January 30, 2020 at 3:26 pm
Maria Marshall
Great post. Thank you all for so many inspiring ways to dig for ideas to look for inspiration. The face in the grain of wood is such a cool idea. Thank you so much.
January 30, 2020 at 3:28 pm
bookfish1
Wow! That was a real power post with so much information to digest
January 30, 2020 at 3:40 pm
juliannahelt
Thanks! Great giveaway and post!
January 30, 2020 at 3:54 pm
Sheri Dillard
I love this post! Signed, Sheri DILLard 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 3:54 pm
alisongoldberg
Thanks to all of you for so many great tips!
January 30, 2020 at 4:01 pm
ashleykoney
Love these ideas, especially the idea mapping! Thank you!!
January 30, 2020 at 4:06 pm
LenoraBiemans (@BiemansLenora)
Wow. I love all of these ideas. Thanks, ladies!
January 30, 2020 at 4:07 pm
writeremmcbride
Thank you so much, Ladies! How nice of you to combine your many insights to share with us! I have to say that I am also quite visual when it comes to idea generation. Always good to imagine how an idea could be conveyed in a book. Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 4:07 pm
jenniemacdonald
It’s inspiring to hear from all of the members of a critique group and be reminded of how valuable it is to allow ideas to bump up next to each other. There’s nothing like juxtaposition for generating something new. Thank you.
January 30, 2020 at 4:12 pm
Gayle Veitenheimer
Hey Austin peeps! My two oldest children live in Austin, so I’m up and down I-35 frequently! Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 4:15 pm
Heidi Yates
This was such an inspiring post! Thank you for sharing your creative ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 4:15 pm
anneiversonbellsouthnet
What fun you 4 must have in your group! Your diversity compliments your abilities. Great suggestions for expanding story possibilities!
January 30, 2020 at 4:20 pm
Heather Gallagher
Wow – what a generous giveaway! Thanks for the opportunity 😀
January 30, 2020 at 4:24 pm
Bettie Boswell
Thanks to all four of you for your fantastic insight and inspiration!
January 30, 2020 at 4:26 pm
Kathy Erskine
You guys are hilarious, and smart–thank you!!
January 30, 2020 at 4:36 pm
Marty lapointe-malchik
Wow Tannie, Becky, Julia and Kristin!!! What a dill-lightful post! I am dill-erious about the prize some lucky Storystormer will win from you inspirational dillustrators. Tara, I appreciate all the organizing time and effort that goes into this January idea month.
January 30, 2020 at 4:38 pm
Jill Lambert (@LJillLambert)
I loved all four posts! What a great group! Thank you for getting the creative juices flowing!
January 30, 2020 at 4:40 pm
jenwritespbs
Thank you for the inspiration, Big Dillustrators! This is a great collaborative post!
January 30, 2020 at 4:43 pm
Janet Halfmann
So many great ways to find ideas. Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Jodie Parachini
Dill-lightful! It’s always interesting to look at the process through illustrator’s eyes.
January 30, 2020 at 4:51 pm
Rachel
Amazing illustrations. The story of their developments were also amazing. Thanks for sharing such great advice.
January 30, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Rachel
Wonderful detailed explanation of how the story develops
January 30, 2020 at 4:56 pm
kathrynjeanhagen
Thank you, Dillustrators, for your inspiration. I love the idea of a creative bank account!
January 30, 2020 at 4:58 pm
Chang H
Wow! Wonderful to have your different perspectives and love the illustrations. Thank you all for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 5:16 pm
Jill M Proctor
Thanks for the inspiration to dig deeper into my ideas. Great post!
January 30, 2020 at 5:20 pm
Charlotte Offsay
What an interesting post, thank you for this great reminder to stop and smell the roses!
January 30, 2020 at 5:26 pm
writeknit
A quartet of minds bringing us a mountain of good tips and inspiration today is just what I needed! Thank you fair ladies for inspiring me to dig deeper.
January 30, 2020 at 5:38 pm
Janet Frenck Sheets
As someone who only creates texts, I really enjoy hearing how illustrators approach things. Thanks for sharing.
January 30, 2020 at 5:44 pm
Franny G
It’s lovely to read about how other artists work. The tips in this post alone could keep me going for months. thanks!
January 30, 2020 at 5:52 pm
Garnett Natasha
I enjoyed reading how you four kindred spirits take different approaches. Thank you for taking the time to share illustrators’ thoughts here on Storystorm.
January 30, 2020 at 5:56 pm
8catpaws
So something unINTERESTING can contain something INTERESTING!
January 30, 2020 at 6:02 pm
jbbower
Thank you Dillustrators for that inspiring post! If we look hard enough, I suppose we will indeed learn that ordinary is not really ordinary at all.
January 30, 2020 at 6:03 pm
Rinda Beach
Love the big dillustrators and how they spin old ideas or the world around us. Thanks for giving us a big deal on spinning stories!
January 30, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Kaye Baillie
Thanks for the inspiration to dig deeper and how to take the boring and ask it questions.
January 30, 2020 at 6:31 pm
Lynnor Bontigao
I love pickles and I love the Big Dillustrators! Watch out world and pucker up, these illustrators will take kidlit world by storm(er, Storystorm)!
January 30, 2020 at 6:33 pm
Kim Wilson
What amazing perspectives! Thank you all for sharing your process!
January 30, 2020 at 6:34 pm
Jennifer Hunt
Thanks for the inspiration and the insight into the Dillustrator’s mind. 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 6:36 pm
Stephen S. Martin
Great perspective from a set of very creative minds.
January 30, 2020 at 6:41 pm
Amy Bradshaw
You dillustrators have quite a great thing going! I’m sure you’re so thankful to have each other! Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
January 30, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Juliann Caveny
Fun post to read! So many wonderful suggestions and perspectives. I especially liked the suggestion to keep digging. (That seems to be where I spend most of my time.) I’m not a fan of pickles, but I’ll make an exception for the four of you!
January 30, 2020 at 6:47 pm
Karin Larson
Amazing post! Thank you so very much for the inspiration.
January 30, 2020 at 6:50 pm
Sara Trofa
Such a great post! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 7:14 pm
Linda Hofke
What a great idea to have a group post with the Big Dillusrators.
I’m off to check out that podcast…
And find some new ideas.
January 30, 2020 at 7:21 pm
bluerabbit
This post is a whole treasure book! I’m saving it and keeping it close. Thank you so much!
January 30, 2020 at 7:22 pm
bluerabbit
Reblogged this on One Way to Wonder and commented:
This post is chock full of great ways to capture the wild idea.
January 30, 2020 at 7:38 pm
Jilanne Hoffmann
It’s almost the end of the month, and I am now chockablock with ideas about getting ideas. Thank you for four more perspectives on idea generation. This should carry me through until the next Storystorm! Cheers!
January 30, 2020 at 7:39 pm
Becky Woodall
Fantastic advice, thank you all. ☺️
January 30, 2020 at 7:51 pm
whitcoma
My 12-year-old daughter is a budding artist who would be so inspired by your drawings. Thank you for your consideration!
January 30, 2020 at 7:54 pm
Lynne Marie
It was so fun to do the airport run with you my friend. Stay well and write on! Come back to Miami soon! XO
January 30, 2020 at 8:00 pm
Nancy Kotkin
Love these panel-type posts which include various perspectives on the same topic. Your group sounds creative and playful.
January 30, 2020 at 8:09 pm
Midge Ballou Smith
Thank you! Wonderful post!
January 30, 2020 at 8:10 pm
stephaniewildman
Thanks for the reminder not to go auto-pilot. best to you all,
January 30, 2020 at 8:11 pm
brendamay28
Thank you Tannie,Becky,Julia and Kristin. What a wonderful and creative post that was. I enjoyed each of your outlooks and advise.
January 30, 2020 at 8:18 pm
Lori Mozdzierz
Great inspiration! Look forward to the podcast.
January 30, 2020 at 8:21 pm
Jen Bailey
Dill-icious ideas. Thanks!!
January 30, 2020 at 8:33 pm
Rebekah Lowell
Love these ideas. Thank you all for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 9:14 pm
Corlie Aldrich
All of you are so talented! Thank you for your post 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 9:23 pm
Virginia Rinkel
Great ideas come in all shapes and sizes. This foursome sounds ready to try on many ideas – from anywhere. Thanks for the encouragment.
January 30, 2020 at 9:29 pm
Virginia Rinkel
Love Jill and her stories. Hope I can get a critique from her someday.
January 30, 2020 at 9:35 pm
DaNeil Olson
What a Dill-ightful post! Tee hee 🙂 Thank you
January 30, 2020 at 9:43 pm
jessica shaw
Thanks for the reminder that we don’t have to be illustrators to use these strategies!
January 30, 2020 at 9:59 pm
Lisa Tolin
Great ideas! Funny I listened to that podcast this morning. It’s Revisionist History season 3 with Adam Grant if anyone wants to hear! (To be specific. 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 11:07 am
Becky Porter
A fellow RH listener! What crazy fortuitous timing! I debated whether to name the podcast to drive home Tannie’s point that inspiration comes from everywhere, but I was trying to keep it brief since there were four of us writing. I am inordinately pleased that someone recognized it! 🙂 RH is my FAVORITE. You made my day Lisa.
January 30, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Teresa Robeson
I totally adore their group name! What fun.
January 30, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Abby Wooldridge
LOVED this post! Thank you so much! 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 10:05 pm
denarose
Wow! So many great ideas–thank you! I especially like the idea of going on an ordinary errand but making a point of observing three new things. I’m going to try that! All your books sounds so wonderful, too!
January 30, 2020 at 10:05 pm
cbcole
I absolutely love the idea of a creative bank account. Making deposits as you go about your day and withdrawals when you sit down to write.
January 30, 2020 at 10:12 pm
gattodesign
Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 10:15 pm
angie9091
Thank you all for this!
January 30, 2020 at 10:29 pm
David McMullin
Thank you, you all. That was terrific.
January 30, 2020 at 10:31 pm
deirdreprischmann
This was a really unique, inspiring post – and I LOVED the pickle illustrations!
January 30, 2020 at 11:06 pm
Julie Reich
Four perspectives for the price of one–how great! Thanks for all the great ideas. My brain is already gherkin.
January 30, 2020 at 11:15 pm
Kimberly Marcus
Well first off, I really want a pickle! What a treasure trove of ideas – thank you all!!
January 30, 2020 at 11:26 pm
Janice Woods
What a great post! Thank you for sharing!
January 30, 2020 at 11:43 pm
Rebecca Herzog
These are all great suggestions! Thank you!
January 30, 2020 at 11:45 pm
Maryna Doughty
I’m not an illustrator, but I think this is great advice! I need to think in pictures to help me figure out my story/character/setting/etc. Thanks for the post, ladies! 🙂
January 30, 2020 at 11:47 pm
saintamovin
Great post Tannie thank you😊
January 31, 2020 at 12:04 am
beckylevine
Thanks for sharing your processes!
January 31, 2020 at 12:11 am
Joel Chalmers
Thanks Tannie, Becky, Julia, and Kristin!
It is great to hear the four of your thought processes for developing story ideas and illustration ideas and how they really should be one in the same. I appreciate the level of detail you go into in talking about taking plain Jane ideas and making them something more. Best of luck with your collective creative years.
January 31, 2020 at 12:18 am
Nancy Riley
Wow, you 4 are amazing! Thanks for a dilly of a post!
January 31, 2020 at 12:36 am
Joanne Roberts
Thanks for ending with a bang! This is one of my favorite posts and speaks directly to me. I love all your visual ways of thinking. THANK_YOU!!!
January 31, 2020 at 12:37 am
Jenn
So many great suggestions here (I love mind mapping!) but the universe must be telling me I need to work harder on making deposits to my creative bank because this is the fifth piece I’ve read this week (from various, completely unrelated sources). Maybe it’s just frequency bias, but I’m listening!
January 31, 2020 at 12:54 am
Gaby Lagos
Becky, some ideas are better than others, and since I learned from you, I will not let escape any. I like it!
Tannie you showed us another way to look around us, it´s like wering creative eye glasses wherever we go, whatever music we listen and so on.
Julia I love to listen to podcast, choosing art postcast, sounds great.
Kristin I like the idea of combining our writing with the drawing when we are exploring on an idea, I think as a result the image should be more cohesive.
Thanks all of you!!!
January 31, 2020 at 1:30 am
Susan Orton
All of your ideas are exciting and inspirational. Thank you, ladies for specific strategies to dig past the obvious to real treasures. I found something helpful in each of your segments. Thank you and may you each have continued success.
January 31, 2020 at 1:34 am
ingridboydston
The most inspiring part ( of the many inspirational parts) of this article is that you all work on this together! Awesome and, dare I say it again, inspiring! Only in the Kidlitverse!
January 31, 2020 at 1:37 am
Judith Snyder
Thanks for your artistic thoughts that totally work for a writer with little artistic talent. Creativity in any form has similar origins and thus good for everyone.
January 31, 2020 at 1:39 am
Dani Duck
Thank you Tami, Becky Julia and Kristin. So many great ideas. I need to do the mind map idea more. It’s so neat. What a wonderful post to end Storystorm!
January 31, 2020 at 2:01 am
Linda Silvestri
Great way to end Storystorm! All of your ideas are fantastic!
January 31, 2020 at 2:10 am
Rachel S. Hobbs Gunn
Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 2:36 am
JillDanaBooks
I love your critique group name! Thanks for all the great ideas! 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 2:39 am
JillDanaBooks
I love your critique group name! Thanks for all the great ideas! 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 2:45 am
JillDanaBooks
Sorry this comment accidentally posted twice, Tara and I don’t know how to delete this multiple comment. Oops.
January 31, 2020 at 3:20 am
Elle
Thank you for such an amazing story storm!
January 31, 2020 at 3:41 am
Sylvia Chen
Wow, so cool to hear more about illustration inspiration!
January 31, 2020 at 4:06 am
Shar
Your Combined sense of humor is awesome and has me smiling before I even read all the great info you had to share. 🙂 Loved hearing from your group and the focus to look at the details in new ways and ask many questions.
And this: “One argued that something is interesting when it defies our expectations. The other argued that a thing becomes increasingly interesting with increased specificity.” What podcast is this from? I’d love to listen. Thank you all!
January 31, 2020 at 11:18 am
Becky Porter
Hi Shar! The podcast is called Revisionist History by Malcolm Galdwell. It’s a bonus episode in season 3 “Malcolm Gladwell debates Adam Grant” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revisionist-history/id1119389968?i=1000411070041
It is my favorite podcast ever (and I listen to a lot of podcasts.) 😄 Riveting, fascinating, and funny. I hope you love it. 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 4:22 am
cravevsworld
Fun and inspiration. Thank you for sharing!!!
January 31, 2020 at 4:37 am
Catherine
Great advice – thank you everybody! I particularly like Becky’s idea of working away on a boring idea – I’m going to have fun with that one :o)
January 31, 2020 at 11:19 am
Becky Porter
So glad the post was helpful! Happy idea-hunting!
January 31, 2020 at 5:33 am
percyandcat
Great insight from the Dillustrators. Love your pickles each one unique I am sure to your individual personalities. thank you for all the great tips.
January 31, 2020 at 6:04 am
Colleen Dabney
Thanks ladies! Good advice from four perspectives.
January 31, 2020 at 7:27 am
Margaret Flint Suter
Very much enjoyed this post! Was interested to see that Becky Porter is from Round Rock. For several years, late at night on New Year’s Eve I would receive a phone call from what was obviously a bar and all I would hear would be celebratory Yee Haws and music and laughter then be wished Happy New Year!!! before they hung up. Since I have no knowledge of anyone in Round Rock these calls were always a mystery. They have not come in recent years, and I have missed them! Perhaps they painted over the stall door where my number was scrawled!! Bwahahahahaha! Thanks Dillustrators I enjoyed hearing all your process information!
January 31, 2020 at 11:31 am
Becky Porter
😂 I’m sorry to say I was not among the revelers. If its any consolation though, I wish you a belated Happy 2020 from Round Rock, Margaret! And may your number be scrawled on the stall doors of our hearts, etc. 😄
January 31, 2020 at 7:29 am
Krissy
Great post! Great ideas! Great inspiration x 4!!! 4 is always better than one! Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 7:45 am
jacquesartandbooks
I really enjoyed reading you Dillwords. During my reading my brain sparked off FIVE new ideas! Thanks 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 8:06 am
Patricia Alcaro
Truly inspirational. Thank you for reminding us to mine our cliche ideas.
January 31, 2020 at 8:31 am
Sarah Wolfe
Thank you for all of these great ways to turn inspiration into a story!
January 31, 2020 at 8:31 am
Debbie Lodato
Love each of your perspectives on generating
Ideas. Especially from an illustrators POV.
Some really great tips. You ladies are super talented.
January 31, 2020 at 9:00 am
Michele Ziemke
Such great ideas and perfect to begin February’s #drawsquawl. Thank you ladies!!!!
January 31, 2020 at 9:07 am
Marianne Knowles
DILL-ightful suggestions! Thank you so much.
January 31, 2020 at 9:44 am
carolmunrojww
Great post! I’m not an illustrator, but glad to be encouraged to think like one when searching for or exploring ideas. I’m not sure I’ve ever been inspired by place, but I’ll pay more attention to that as a way to generate ideas. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 9:46 am
Dee Knabb
How fun to read processes from illustrators. These creative minds shared really helpful tips. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 10:20 am
Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri
As an aspiring write and illustrator it is great to hear your visual process!
January 31, 2020 at 10:20 am
Prairie Garden Girl
Dear Tannie, Becky, Julia, Kristan aka The Dillustrators:
Thank you for sharing dilly and delightful inspiration.
Suzy Leopold
January 31, 2020 at 10:42 am
Elizabeth Saba
You four are wonderful! What an excellent prize offering. I love art!
January 31, 2020 at 10:54 am
Carolyn Currier
Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 10:57 am
Mary Zychowicz
I love the name of your critique group: The Big Dillustrators! Too clever! And I love and appreciate illustrators so much. I am not an artist. You have inspired me though, to fill my “creative bank account.” I rush through my day and probably miss so much that could be entered into that account. Thank you for sharing your inspiration, ideas and suggestions. I may even pick up some colored pencils and start sketching just to see what transpires. Thank you again! Great post.
January 31, 2020 at 11:22 am
mona861
Wow! This post is bubbling over with pickle juice. Four prompt ideas in one post! And the prize sounds exciting! Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 11:59 am
Elizabeth Curry
What great ideas! I’m feeling ready to dig deeper! Thank you Tannie, Becky, Julia, Kristan and Tara.
January 31, 2020 at 12:05 pm
mginsberg10
You four are so fortunate to have each other! I loved your posts.
January 31, 2020 at 12:16 pm
Damon Dean, SevenAcreSky
Loved these insights, Dillustrators! You gave us the full tour of idea-ing, and such great approaches and views. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 12:20 pm
mathbookmagic
Wow, this post was a treasure trove of idea-generating gems. Thank you all!
January 31, 2020 at 12:30 pm
Shirley Ng-Benitez
Thank you for so many great tips!
January 31, 2020 at 12:36 pm
Tina
Wonderful! Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 1:02 pm
Carrie Tillotson
Ha, The Big Dillustrators! What a great critique group name. Thanks for sharing your creative processes.
January 31, 2020 at 1:25 pm
Kelly Vavala
How inspirational…from your name to your four different perspectives! Each post sharing a different value! Thank you for the insight! What fun you all must have working together! I wish you continued success!
January 31, 2020 at 1:30 pm
Sara Matson
I love you guys! Your logo made me laugh, and your suggestions made me think. You truly are a “big dill”!
January 31, 2020 at 2:10 pm
susan schade
Great post! Thank you for all the ideas. I can’t wait to get to work!
January 31, 2020 at 2:25 pm
Helen Lysicatos
Wow, what an amazing post! So many ideas and inspiring thoughts. Thank you.
January 31, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Gabi Snyder
Wow! This is a goldmine of great advice and inspiration! Thank you Big Dillustrators!
January 31, 2020 at 2:55 pm
Susan Eyerman
Thank you for all the advice!!
January 31, 2020 at 2:56 pm
kirstenbockblog
What great advice from some talented artists! I love seeing your beautiful illustrations.
January 31, 2020 at 3:43 pm
Denise Engle
Y’all are great! Made me smile!
January 31, 2020 at 4:20 pm
Mary Jo Wagner
I think one of you should write a PB based on your critique group name. 🙂 Great advice from all — thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 4:21 pm
Mary Jo Wagner
I think ya’ll should write a PB based on your critique group name. 🙂 Great advice all around — thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 4:39 pm
SUSAN
wow! so much great advice….. Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 4:45 pm
Michele R
First of all, I love the name of your critique group! 🙂 Second of all, even as a non-illustrator, I found a LOT of good advice in this post. Thank you all very much!!
January 31, 2020 at 4:52 pm
Gabriele
Thanks for all the fabulous tips! I look forward to dill-igently applying each one!
January 31, 2020 at 4:58 pm
Joannie Duris
Thank you, Dillustrators, for sharing such visual ways to explore both new ideas and old to make them sparkle in interesting ways. And I’ll be playing the “notice 3 things” game whenever I head out.
January 31, 2020 at 5:06 pm
seethewin38d687e232
Whether you are dill or Kosher, these pickle ideas tickle!
January 31, 2020 at 5:22 pm
melissamiles1
Great post! Love the pickles and the ideas! 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 5:26 pm
aidantalkin
What a great quadruple post! Thank you. Gotta go do some digging.
January 31, 2020 at 6:09 pm
Joyce
Lot’s to work with here. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 6:10 pm
Melissa Stoller
Great ideas times four! Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 6:32 pm
Rachel Funez
All great tips and wonderful illustrations!
January 31, 2020 at 6:41 pm
adavis6385
So fun! Thanks for all the DILLicious ideas!
January 31, 2020 at 6:41 pm
Karen Lawler
OMG !!!! The ideas from the four of you are ALL wonderful and are making my mind churn with craziness!! Thanks 🙂
January 31, 2020 at 6:43 pm
lanearnold
Such great stuff here…thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 6:46 pm
Keila Dawson
Loads of advice here to fill our creative bank. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 6:48 pm
Laurel Santini
Chock full of ideas here! I hope there are laundromat mermaids!
January 31, 2020 at 7:59 pm
Cinzia V.
Fabulous post!! So much to think about and so many things to try. Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 8:18 pm
Maria J Cuesta
Great post full of ideas and info.
Thanks a lot!
January 31, 2020 at 8:21 pm
kmshelley
Thanks for those great ideas!
January 31, 2020 at 8:23 pm
Brinton Culp
Thanks for the inspiring ideas and sharing your creativity!
January 31, 2020 at 8:34 pm
Lucy Staugler
Tannie, Becky, Julia, and Kristen, I bet you girls have a blast in your critique group! What a creative bunch! Loved your post. Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 8:35 pm
dlapmandi
Thank you all so much for your post. Great ideas and lots of useful ideas to try.
January 31, 2020 at 8:52 pm
Arlene Schenker
What a great post! Four for the price of one. And so many great ideas. Thank you!
January 31, 2020 at 9:39 pm
Erik Ammon
Such great ideas: look deeper into the ordinary, going berserk with specificity, a graphic of ideas branching off each other and digging deeper into an illustration or picture for ideas. Thanks!
January 31, 2020 at 9:42 pm
writersideup
Wow, you VERY talented “dilly” ladies have put me in a pickle — the “sweet gherkin” kind 😉 Thanks so much for these approaches…all the banking and digging and mapping…great stuff!
January 31, 2020 at 10:02 pm
Tasha Hilderman
OOH this was a juicy post!
Curiosities Cabinet
“Let your creativity as an artist/writer seep into the rest of your life”
“My best ideas are usually buried under a boring one.”
Defy Expectations
Defy the Obvious
January 31, 2020 at 10:15 pm
Aimee Lorge
I love the mind map and visualization example and photo illustrating the process!
January 31, 2020 at 10:35 pm
teacherwriteracker
The need for further iterations of an idea is so important. Apple didn’t make one iPhone and stop.
January 31, 2020 at 10:52 pm
Jen Sheckels
Great post—very insightful!
January 31, 2020 at 11:21 pm
Jim Chaize
The Big Dillustrators gave us some big advice on finding and developing ideas. Thanks, Tannie, Julia, Kristin and Becky.
January 31, 2020 at 11:33 pm
shirley301
Thanks for sharing your story ideas.
February 1, 2020 at 12:49 am
Mita
What adorable pickles!!
February 1, 2020 at 12:51 am
Mita
What adorable pickles!
February 1, 2020 at 1:02 am
Nadia Salomon
Thank you Tannie, Becky, Julia, and Kristin for your awesome suggestions – observe, dig, go behind the scenes, and using visualization and mind-maps! I especially am sweet on behind the scenes and mind-maps!
February 1, 2020 at 1:05 am
Michelle Kashinsky
Thank you pickles!
February 1, 2020 at 1:51 am
sharongiltrow
Love the switch on both brains.. and now I’ve met new illustrators and instagram friends.
February 1, 2020 at 1:56 am
Dina Ticas
What a wonderful post. I love the theme of collaboration in this one!
February 1, 2020 at 2:51 am
saputnam
Great post, Tannie, Becky, Julia, and Kristin!! We get four for the price of one! What a great way to end STORYSTORM!!! Thank you for all your great suggestions on how to generate story ideas.
Becky, I loved your advice about digging deeper into an idea, and I really connected with Tannie’s suggestion of having a creative bank account. Julia, I also love being in nature and cats… as someone who has shared their life with 99 cats… yup, you read that right, I’ve have had 99 cats share my life, ever since Buttons followed me home in my pants pocket! The most I have had at one time was 26, and the oldest, Snaps, lived to be 24 1/2. Just call me the crazy cat lady!! I also loved Kristin’s idea of using both sides of our brain… our “drawing brain” and our “writing brain” at the same time.
February 1, 2020 at 4:18 am
Jocelyn Rish
Digging deeper really worked for me with one of my Storystorm ideas from last year. The idea was for a nonfiction PB, but after lots of mining, it ended up as a silly rhyming PB.
February 1, 2020 at 4:28 am
Dee Leone
Dill-icious inspirational post! I’m pickled pink to learn about ya’ll. The name of your group is too cute! Thanks ya’ll for your various insights.
February 1, 2020 at 7:40 am
Freda Lewkowicz
Four great posts! Thank you for the ideas.
February 1, 2020 at 8:53 am
Amy Wagner
I love how you each approach your craft in a different way. Thanks for sharing!
February 1, 2020 at 9:03 am
Jill Friestad-Tate
Love your group name, thanks!
February 1, 2020 at 9:11 am
Aimee Satterlee
I love seeing how ideas are generated from illustrators. I never thought about a “creative bank account” until now. You all are so talented! Best wishes!
February 1, 2020 at 9:38 am
yangmommy
Ladies, I really enjoyed learning about how you approach garnering new ideas, especially how much of it boils down to “Putting your mind in a place to receive (creative) information.” Too often we barrel from one activity to another, going for quantity instead of quantity. And I loved your illustrations, too! 🙂
February 1, 2020 at 10:14 am
storyfairy
I love your post! These are some great ways of coming up with story ideas. 🙂
February 1, 2020 at 11:20 am
Lucky Jo Boscarino
Fellow Illustrator here, I want to win the prize pack, please.
February 1, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Angie
Such creative cleverness! Thanks for sharing your strategies!
February 1, 2020 at 1:21 pm
LaurenKerstein
Thank you for sharing your creative process!
February 1, 2020 at 1:46 pm
Laurel Ranveig Abell
Great ideas!
February 1, 2020 at 2:01 pm
Kara Newhouse
Love the variety of ways to spark ideas shared here. Thank you!
February 1, 2020 at 2:58 pm
Lori Alexander
Thanks for sharing your various processes. Good stuff!
February 1, 2020 at 5:19 pm
Pat
Thank you for sharing your side of the story!
February 1, 2020 at 5:27 pm
Noelle McBride
Absolutely dill-ightful! Thanks so much gang!
February 1, 2020 at 7:59 pm
thesheilster
I loved hearing what inspires all of you. Thanks!
February 1, 2020 at 9:50 pm
Alexis
Thank you for the ideas and advice!
February 1, 2020 at 10:08 pm
Heather Rowley
Thanks for all of your great ideas!
February 1, 2020 at 10:09 pm
rjtraxel
Love the idea of combining my writer brain with visual side of things (I’m not an illustrator but still worth a try!)
February 1, 2020 at 11:41 pm
julielacombeauthor
Great advice and thanks for the podcast recommendation!
February 2, 2020 at 3:01 am
Amanda Malek-Ahmadi
Love your mascot ladies. Thanks for all the tips.
February 2, 2020 at 9:40 am
Mardi Edwards
Thanks for sharing your illustrations and ideas.
February 2, 2020 at 10:08 am
Mary Warth
Thanks so much – this was a big dill!
So many approaches to inspiration!
February 2, 2020 at 11:13 am
cantsing1
; )
February 2, 2020 at 10:49 am
Kathy Cornell Berman
Thanks for sharing your strategies. Very interesting to read different perspectives.
February 2, 2020 at 11:13 am
cantsing1
So many wonderful ideas I’ll have to sign on for another life to try them all out! Thnx ; )
February 2, 2020 at 12:26 pm
Kyle McBride
Great Post! Thanks everyone!
February 2, 2020 at 1:41 pm
Jane Dippold
Thanks for all of the great art inspiration tips!
February 2, 2020 at 2:11 pm
colleenrkosinski
Great post!
February 2, 2020 at 7:13 pm
Elizabeth Ross
thank you for this extra bonus post with input from not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 creators!
February 2, 2020 at 10:22 pm
topangamaria
Now I’m on a pickle roll.
February 2, 2020 at 11:45 pm
Shauntrell Leaks
I would display them in my classroom proudly 😊.
February 3, 2020 at 2:32 am
claireannette1
Such great ideas! Thanks to all of you!
February 3, 2020 at 9:20 am
Leigh Therriault
Love everything about this post and all the fantastic ways to spark creativity! Long live the Big Dillustrators!!! #awesomename 😆🥒🎨
February 3, 2020 at 9:42 am
Angela De Groot
Yay for this post and all the things to try and consider. Those pickles are adorable.
February 3, 2020 at 2:22 pm
Kellie
Wow! Four for the price of one … thank you so much. It’s wonderful to see Storystorm from an illustrator’s perspective – and really, there’s little difference. Mining for ideas just seems so obvious when I read it – but I always forget to do it. Thank you for taking the time to write this post.
February 3, 2020 at 3:46 pm
megcason1
Oh my goodness. This was a trove of information. Thank you Big Dillustrators for the inspiration!
February 3, 2020 at 5:37 pm
michelebacon
This post was dillicious!
February 3, 2020 at 9:23 pm
sarahmdm
This was just what I needed today! Thanks for all the inspiration!
February 3, 2020 at 11:31 pm
debbiemoeller
Great post. Thanks.
February 4, 2020 at 1:21 am
Brenda Grant Lower
I love all the different perspectives and ideas. Thanks!
February 4, 2020 at 9:15 am
Lucretia
A big “thank you” to all four of you for sharing so many inspirational and creativity sparking ideas!
February 4, 2020 at 12:05 pm
Susanne Whitehouse
Love that you found each other! Thanks for the fun post!
February 4, 2020 at 4:51 pm
Karan Greene
This was a dillicious post! Thank you!
February 4, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Meredith Fraser
Great post! Thank you all for the info.
February 4, 2020 at 10:32 pm
rhumba20
Thank you Dillustrators!! Love your posts and ideas:)
Anna Levin
February 5, 2020 at 11:53 am
Maria Barbella
How fun! This is an exciting challenge! Thank you for sharing for creativity tips.
Maria Barbella
February 8, 2020 at 6:27 pm
jeanjames926
What a fun post, so much information and inspiration.
February 17, 2020 at 10:42 pm
dinatowbin
Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a fun group.