The power of picture books that embrace "It's okay just the way you are"

About the amazing truth about imagination and creativity
10 European Picture Book Authors Answer

* 2nd Brunch Book Project Grand Prize Winner *

『Asking European Picture Book Writers』 (published by Eunhaengnamu) has been published, seeking inspiration for imagination and creativity through encounters with European picture book writers with unique perspectives.
This book is a compilation of interviews conducted by the author at the ateliers of 10 picture book artists active mainly in France and Belgium, along with actual work scenes.
Through honest and lighthearted stories about their childhoods, their philosophy as picture book writers, and their approach to communicating with children, we can realize that the secrets to amazing imagination and creativity surprisingly lie in the small things around us right now.
A book that allows you to feel the power of picture books that are effective not only for children but also for adults in the gap of comfort.

Author Choi Hye-jin, who was fascinated by the picture books she encountered in a bookstore while studying abroad in France, used her experience meeting numerous interviewees over 10 years as a magazine feature editor to ask questions to the authors.
Sometimes the conversations were longer and more in-depth than the writers had intended to devote, and the pointed questions brought out intimate stories that the writers rarely shared even in the local press.
Additionally, the photographs of photographer Shin Chang-yong, who has been active in both Korea and Japan, capture the vivid images of the serious yet cheerful artists and the charm of the ateliers decorated by their hands, adding a vivid sense of presence to the book.

I think observation is the ability to empathize with or admire something you see.
I think that admiration is the beginning of observation.
There is definitely an element of love in the act of observation.
I have been doing observational croquis in cafes and subways for several decades, ever since I was a college student.
When I come across someone we often dismiss as ugly, I find beauty in their unique lines and forms.
It may seem like a characteristic of people who draw, but I actually believe that all beings are beautiful.

--- p.27 From “The Observing Gaze” by Joel Jolivet

When I was six, my parents first recognized my disability and fitted me with a hearing aid.
I went to a regular school with other kids, but it wasn't easy for me to keep up with my peers, to the point where I even repeated a grade in the third grade.
I always felt lonely and was frustrated that I would never be happy.
As a child, there was always a loud, chattering voice in my head.
“Why are all the kids laughing now?” “What is this?” “What is going to happen next?” “What is that?” It was a questioning voice.
That was the only way to fill in the missing auditory information with intuition and grasp the situation.
It was an inevitable habit for survival, and although the voice has quieted down a bit, it is still within me.
“Why?” “How?” I still ask myself these questions all the time.

--- p.43 From "'Questions that Create Imagination' by Kitty Crowder"

Rather than being self-absorbed, we need to look out at the world, reach out to people different from ourselves, talk to them, and see where new experiences take us.
That way, you can grow by breaking your limits little by little.
The essence of empathy is imagining what it would be like to be someone other than yourself.
Without empathy, your imagination will inevitably be weak.
For example, when I was drawing the “Rita and Marchant” series, I asked myself the question, “If I were Rita, what would I do in this situation?” so many times that I even reached the point where I could hear the voice, thinking, “Rita would be a little girl with this kind of voice tone.”
The characters were vivid and alive.
Empathy breathes life into our imagination and adds detail to our thoughts.
--- p.85 From “The Usefulness of Empathy” by Olivier Talec

I'm asking how close to reality is what we so easily label and describe as reality?
You know the story of Nessie, the monster said to live in Scotland's Loch Ness? Countries send expeditions, but each researcher offers a different description of its appearance.
It means seeing what's in your own head.
We see what we believe and what we know.
To me, imagination is not something absurd, but rather another explanation for interpreting reality.
I draw imaginary worlds to show children that there are many different ways and perspectives to describe reality, and that there is no single right answer.

--- p.109 From “Claude Ponty’s ‘Healing Imagination’”

I think creativity just means having the courage to do something.
That's all.
The mind that gives you permission to try something, the thought, 'Why not?', 'It's okay to fail.
An attitude that says, 'It's nothing.'
This is the only difference between creative people and those who are not.
Here's my secret.
I remember the attitude and posture I had during recess at school.
When you play with kids during recess, it doesn't require a huge decision.
I just jump in with the mindset that I'm arguing with the situation in front of me.
The spirit of play is important.
A playful mind creates leisure, and leisure creates small courage.
When you have the mindset that "I'm playing right now," you want to have a variety of experiences in various areas of life, such as cooking or meeting friends, and you want to express your creativity.
--- p.145 From "Small Courage" by Serge Bloch

Creating with flaws means deciding, "Don't try to be perfect, don't try to be someone else, just tell my story."
Of course, it's not as easy as it sounds.
Even now, I still try not to be swayed by other people's results that look good.
I wonder if I'm being generous in understanding the shortcomings of others and even finding charm in their clumsiness, while holding myself to a harsh standard.
What moves me in the works of other creators is not their machine-like perfection, but their human flaws.
The reason we are not the same is because of those gaps and clumsiness.
You have to cherish it.
If everyone painted perfect pictures, every picture in the world would be completely boring.
--- p.175 From “Benjamin Shaw, Creativity Born from Defects”

I was watching the sticks and asphalt shapes flowing down the drain on the road.
I also doodle on paper and put it up like a poster at the entrance of every neighborhood store.
There was nothing spectacular or unusual.
I think it was because I had nothing to do and was bored that I learned to play with everyday objects like paper and rocks.
When children are bored, they find their own way to entertain themselves.
Even now, I like boredom and the gaps in time.
I get the most ideas when I'm on a plane because I have free time waiting at the airport.
Giving yourself time to be bored is very important for creators.
--- p.198 From "'Deep Boredom' by Hervé Tullet"

Dreaming is the nest that nurtures creative thinking.
Dreaming is a time to see the world differently, to look at it for a long time, and to ask questions about what's beyond.
Moving from one mental state to another is not an easy task.
Move, move, move efficiently according to the use... This way, creativity is not expressed.
I'm often asked where my inspiration comes from, and I'd like to say it comes from daydreaming.
We are often fooled into thinking we are doing something.
For example, if I draw a picture by moving my hands, I feel like I've spent my time more usefully than if I just sit there doing nothing.
It's easy to be fooled by that feeling.
I believe that knowing how to choose and discard is what allows the mind to be centered and creative.
--- p.223 From "'Seeing Differently, Seeing Longer' by Anne Erbo"

Is it possible to know and be confident about what you like and what you want to do from a young age? When you're young, you don't really know what you want to do.
That's why we absolutely need time to think and explore.
Sometimes you may try this and that and think, 'It's not working.'
I didn't come to France with any certainty, I came to give myself time to explore.
When I was in Japan, I liked cooking and playing the piano.
When I asked myself, 'Is this my path?', the answer I got was, 'I don't know.'
At that time, I didn't even know that I could draw.
Since I wasn't sure what my dream was, I decided to spend some time exploring it until I could get my hands on it.
It takes time to mature.
It makes no sense to ask someone to pursue their dream without allowing them time to think about it.
--- p.258 From "How to Use Time" by Ichikawa Satomi

Comparing my youth, when I struggled in the prison of criticism my father created, to my present, when my perspective has completely changed thanks to the gift of time, the biggest difference is my attitude toward my shortcomings.
In the past, I was obsessed with how to fill my shortcomings, but now I think that weaknesses can become strengths depending on your perspective.
I want to convey the message in this book that even if we are lacking in one area, we can be sufficient in another, and that we already have ample potential and strength within us.
I'm sharing my experience of not trying to be someone else, but being myself and being completely happy in my own place.

--- p.299 From “‘Self-belief’ by Beatrice Alemagna”