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The Breath of Our Stories

Catalyst

Posted on October 25, 2022October 25, 2022 by Erika James

Catalyst

Posted In Words

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byerikajames

Mama + Aspiring Children's Book Author | The Writing Process from Pen to Publishing | "What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?"

Our children want to be the artists, the seekers,

Our children want to be the artists, the seekers, the creatives, the rulers of pirates and fairies. They innately want to challenge what they’re told and run beyond the horizon. Art has no rules. Life imitates art. Our children ARE art, breathing and dreaming before our eyes. Our challenge lies in letting the masterpiece unfold.

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”
May 1, 2025

For all the Mamas encouraging wild wonder, this one’s for us.

#letthembewild #letthembefree #raisingwildlings #bohomom #homesteading #crunchymomlife #naturalmotherhood #artforchildren #parentingtruths #bestchildrensbooks

We are less than one month away! And here’s wha

We are less than one month away!

And here’s what I’ve been up to … I’m basically tying up a lot of loose ends. My manufacturer is going to reproduce the books, so that they’re absolutely perfect. I’m opening accounts, taking product photos, thinking packaging, planning marketing, and even dabbling in fun products that will bring some extra magic to all the little hands that are soon to hold this book.

Until then, here’s a sneak peek of one of my favorite illustrations from the book.

Our children walk this line between the untrodden and what they know or are told. In whimsy, they just want to dip their toes beyond, but so many voices bring them back to this line.

What if …

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”
May 1, 2025

#foryoupage #authorandillustrator #parentingph #momthoughts #parentingtipsandtricks #letthem #letthembekids #artforchildren #momcommunity #parentingtruth #whatifthiscouldchangeeverything

They’re here! If I’m lacking emotion in this

They’re here!

If I’m lacking emotion in this video, it’s because I was so nervous that they wouldn’t be perfect. I couldn’t even get myself to open the first box. 😅

I’ll share more soon, just resting in the reality that this is happening. XX

#forthemoms #momstrength #newauthoralert #chasingdream #writeabook #newchildrensbook #threedaughters #formygirls #selfpublishedauthor

My website is LIVE! www.byerikajames.com “What

My website is LIVE!

www.byerikajames.com

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?” will be available for purchase here on May 1, 2025.

In the meantime, please subscribe to my mailing list if you want to be the first to know when the book is released and any other updates or new things!

Link is in bio.

XX

#newwebsite #authorpage #authorwebsite #publishme #publishyourbook #publishersweekly #mondaymotivation #whimsicalartist #childrensbooksforsale #mamablogg

Writing a children’s book felt a lot like writin

Writing a children’s book felt a lot like writing poetry. One of the challenges of writing both a children’s book, and poetry, is that there’s few words. This means every word is magnified, sharp, and marked in every breath.

So when I tell you I edited and hovered over every word …

Giving my manufacturer the go ahead to print my book in bulk was really scary because it meant I had to stop hovering. The words, and any mistakes, would be set in ink.

So here I am, waiting for my 18 boxes of books to arrive from oversea. And it’s the letting go that’s hard.

#selfpublishingauthor #selfpublishbehappy #whimsicalchildrensbook #publishingjourney #childrenswriter #poetryforkids #whatifyoufly #fridayinspo

What if… Oh the infinity of ways we can finish

What if…

Oh the infinity of ways we can finish that sentence.
This is mine.

I had my manuscript and these beautiful illustrations, but it was time to create an actual book. To prepare for production, I was faced with a huge learning curve. So I studied.

I studied books I loved.
I studied Photoshop and how to use it.
I studied ISBNs, Library of Congress numbers, dedication and copyright pages, dust jackets, bleeds, and every detail of any format and creative choice that needs to be made to publish a book, and I created my own PDF.

And just like that, my book was real.
And I was steps away from holding it in my hands, sort of.

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”
May 1, 2025

#instagramauthors #letthem #parentingbooks #readtochildren #newauthors #newchildrensbook #poetrybookshelf #photographyandpoetry #selfpublishingjourney #whatif

Art is everywhere, from our words, to our drawings

Art is everywhere, from our words, to our drawings, to the way we greet our loved ones in the morning. And if you were to stand back and see us, the entire human existence would be a mosaic of all of us creating.

But like all art on its own, my words have limits.
So to see my words expressed in another form was like giving them an entirely new breath.

Finding and working with my illustrator was definitely the most time extensive, but also my favorite and most magical part, of this book journey.

I reached out to my illustrator in April of last year, and we are still sending emails back and forth today as we tie up loose ends. I initially emailed her with an inquiry translated into Italian, only to learn she speaks English too! That was the beginning of months and months of back and forth communication and collaboration to bring this book to life.

Each illustration would begin with me sharing my ideas, and as someone who doesn’t have much experience in the art world, this meant a lot of Pinterest searching for inspiration. Sometimes it would take me days to just ruminate on the words until an idea popped into my head. It was usually like a lightbulb moment amidst the chaos of my Mama life.

I always looked forward to mornings because I knew I’d wake up to a draft in my email from Daria. Sometimes we’d get the illustration perfect with the first draft. Other times, it took more trial and error. But in between the contracts, copyrights, mood boards, color palettes, wire transfers, and emails, we were creating. And to be in that headspace felt like touching the wonder that enchants our children.

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”
May 1, 2025

#illustratorgram #whimsicalillustration #selfpublishingjourney #childrensbookartist #newchildrensbook #magicalartwork #poetrybookshelf #poetsofinstragram #bestchildrensbooks

Since I chose the self-publishing path, the illust

Since I chose the self-publishing path, the illustrations were in my hands. I’ll share more about the process later, but a deep dive in Instagram connected me to an artist who lives continents away. From the edge of a forest in Northern Italy, my words came alive.

When Daria sent me the first sketch of our girl, I instantly felt like I knew her. And I feel honored to share her with all of you, as she’s the heart and spirit of this book.

Meet our main character!
She is my daughters.
She is Japanese-American.
And wherever she goes, she goes bravely.
Not because she isn’t afraid, but because she trusts her wonder more than doubt.

She is for every child who ever held on to a question or idea in fear of being wrong or weird.
And she’s for every Mama who wants to protect that brilliance that blooms in our children.

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”
May 1, 2025

#newchildrensbook #newauthoralert #selfpublishedauthors #selfpublishingtips #childrensbookillustrators #whimsicalillustration #magicalartwork #mamabloggers

Hi my loves! From pen to publishing, here’s mor

I’d like to say that I wrote my first book on a

I’d like to say that I wrote my first book on a boat, overlooking the ocean, or in a cottage somewhere, on my own retreat, but the truth is that I wrote these words in the light of my dining room while the rest of my family was sleeping.

I’d like to say that the words were perfect the minute they hit the page. And while I did write this book in one night, it became a cycle of questioning my ideas and dissecting my words for nearly a year. Even today, as I am about to officially enter production, I am hesitating to let her go.

I want to share the honest process of what it meant and what it took to create “What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?”

This was a true labor of love, revisited when the baby was napping, on my way to school pick up, or when the world was dark. In every quiet moment I could hold on to, I wrote this to hold space for the mamas.

• The first thing I did was write the words on a Google Doc. I’m very visual but was lacking the technology skills to create a better story board, so I went back and forth with my scribbles on paper to attempt and create an outline. Stay tuned, I eventually and totally taught myself Photoshop through this!

#firstbook #picturebookart #authorjourney #howtowriteabook #whimsicalillustration #whimsicalartist #childrensbookpublishers #writingprocess #dandelionseeds #dandelions #selfpublishingtips #selfpublishers

Why did I write a book? . . . Part IV 💌 Garrett

Why did I write a book?
.
.
.
Part IV 💌
Garrett James, the yin to my yang. I love you for giving my dreams wings.

Why did I write a book? . . . Part III 💌 Poet J

Why did I write a book?
.
.
.
Part III 💌
Poet James, the minute I knew you, in my womb, you had a story to write and the world at your feet. Your unwritten pages helped me see my own. This is for us, babe.

#selfpublishingtips #newchildrensbook #newauthors #writerssupportingwriters #forthemoms #adventureisoutthere #thirdbaby #threedaughters

Why did I write a book? . . . Part II 💌 Alba Ja

Why did I write a book?
.
.
.
Part II 💌
Alba James, as much as I want to hold you close and keep you mine forever, you are chasing this world. And what do our children deserve, if not to run confidently in the direction of their awe?

Why did I write a book? . . . my WHY comes in four

Why did I write a book?
.
.
.
my WHY comes in four parts.
Stay here with me for a while. 😅

Words have always been a part of me, but it wasn’t until I became a Mama that I felt their weight.
“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?” is a message I hope reaches all of our littles.
💌
River James, you glow brilliant and bright. Keep burning, through and beyond anybody who tells you otherwise.

#childrensbookpublishing #picturebookoftheday #empoweredmom #forthemoms #familyreadingtime

First things first. Meet the whimsical, poetic, ma

First things first. Meet the whimsical, poetic, magical, and obviously talented illustrator who brought “What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?” to life.

DARIA GEMMA lives on the edge of a forest in Turin, Italy and graduated from the European Institute of Design.

Her art is a world of fairy tales and nature that truly built a bridge between my story and its readers. Her illustrations express where my words cannot, and the dance between the two is poetry.

“What if You Dare The Dandelions to Sing?” MAY 1, 2025 🪿

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