We were lucky to catch up with Sydney Goodwin recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sydney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

I’ve around firefighters my whole life, with my dad, grandpa, uncles, and more being in the fire service. From a young age I was taught the importance of fire safety and how having a plan could save your life. A couple of years ago, my mom took over as the Executive Director of the Central Ohio Fire Museum & Learning Center, focused on teaching fire safety to people of all ages. One of the educators there had always wanted to make a children’s book based on some of what they teach at the museum. Finishing up at art school, I collaborated with her to create Boots the Firehouse Mouse – Good Fires, Bad Fires, a fire safety children’s book highlighting the different ways fire can help or hurt us. Not only did this solidify that I want to be a children’s book illustrator as my career, but seeing the impact it can make is huge! I get to see my little cousins repeating the important messages of the book and understanding what makes a bad fire harmful. Books like Boots can help save lives, so it was an incredible opportunity to work on and I am looking forward to creating even more books with helpful lessons like this in the future!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Sydney Goodwin, a children’s book illustrator who just graduated from art school in December 2024. I strive to create artwork that anyone can relate to, no matter who they are. Children’s book illustration called to me for the way it brings families together- an experience not just for the kid reading the story, but also the adults and loved ones who read it with them. Connecting with the Kidlit community has been an incredible experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. Everyone has been so welcoming!

While my career is just getting started, I already have a published book thanks to the Central Ohio Fire Museum & Learning Center; Boots the Firehouse Mouse – Good Fires, Bad Fires, which I will talk more about in a bit. Not only do I emphasize important messages such as fire safety like in Boots, but I also aim for every kid who reads my books to feel like part of the story. Creating an inviting atmosphere with my work is an important way to bring the reader into the world I’ve created, fully immersing them in the book. My style ranges from textured digital illustration to watercolor and mixed-media approaches, with soft yet vibrant visuals. Being creative from a young age, I want to spark that creativity in the kids who read my stories too.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started art school, I dreamed of doing concept art for video games, movies & T.V., and animation. Unfortunately these past few years theres been a huge upheaval in all of these industries. Between AI, massive layoffs and insane crunch schedules, this isn’t possible for me anymore. However, when I began to pivot to children’s book illustration, a professor taught me a very important lesson- they were just getting into children’s book after being an illustrator in the industry for 20 years. You don’t have to lock your art into one box, and pivoting in your career can be an important part of your artistic journey. I may still eventually end up working in the games industry, or even other industries I hadn’t really considered like editorial and advertising illustration. Each job gives you new skills to add to your toolbox that can be used in so many different ways!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Part of why I chose illustration and the arts as my career path was due to being chronically ill. I have had a lot of different health challenges the past couple of years, and freelancing allows me to be my own boss. I can set my own schedule each day, work from home (sometimes even while stuck in bed), and manage my workload at my own pace.

I do also want to emphasize the importance of stretching as an artist! Keeping good posture, taking regular stretch breaks, and exercising regularly is super important to keeping your body in tip top shape. Your body is a tool, just like your paintbrushes, pencils, and technology! You gotta maintain it to the best of your ability.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sgoodillo.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sgoodillo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneygoodwin/
• Other: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sgoodillo.bsky.social

  I am currently looking for representation for children’s books as well! Please reach out via my website for any inquiries.