I spent my childhood in a small town in Wyoming. It was a great place to grow up, but I knew the world was out there waiting for me. I first got into children’s publishing in 1998. I was able to take the messages that are part of my art and make them into a satisfying reading experience about acceptance, differences and empowerment for kids to feel better about themselves in a simple, fun way. But I didn’t always have a signature style, and I wasn’t always considered a go-to-voice on emotional wisdom for kids, or addressing relationships that kids want to celebrate or issues that young people have questions about.

In high school, art was a passion of mine, but I failed art class. Because of that failure, I lacked the self-confidence to pursue it further. I worked at many things before finally coming back to my original dream of painting. I continued with my work because I knew being an artist was what I wanted to do with my life.