We recently connected with Susie Ghahremani and have shared our conversation below.

Susie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

When it comes to illustrating and authoring children’s books, I learned almost everything I know about the industry from making connections with peers, taking workshops, attending conferences, and reading books. One of the most wonderful part of a career in children’s literature is how accessible it is to anyone who is interested.

I’m sure I would have sped up my learning had I taken any classes on the subject in school or having a mentor in the industry when I was younger, but it wasn’t on my radar at the time.

The skills that I consistently find are most critical to my work are the willingness to revise and make corrections. It’s a collaborative process and requires a lot of patience’s.

I think the obstacles that stand in my way of learning are both tangible and intangible. The tangible obstacles are having to make a living — I wish I had more time to experiment and learn, but I need to work to be able to pay for things like health insurance and utilities. The intangible obstacles how I might stand in my own way. — telling myself I’m not ready for something when I actually might be, for example.

Susie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The truth is, you likely already know Susie Ghahremani’s award-winning books and art, even if you don’t know her by name! Her author-illustrator debut STACK THE CATS delighted young readers and was named both Amazon and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of Year. Her work spans children’s picture books and adult books, gift items in popular boutiques and even tee shirts for your favorite band!

A highly seasoned illustrator, Susie’s work creates connection through whimsy and joy. Her illustrations are hand-painted in gouache and often make use of natural materials and patterns.

Born and raised in Chicago to Iranian parents, with their support, Susie broke with tradition, pursuing her BFA in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she later returned to teach! She now runs an illustrated stationery and gift brand Boygirlparty®, an online shop featuring more than 500 products that is one of Etsy’s all-time bestsellers; the brand is also popular at independent boutiques and galleries as well as retailers including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Nordstrom.

Susie is also an editorial illustrator with clients including The New York Times, Target, T-Mobile, Bank of America, Nickelodeon Magazine, Parents Magazine, Martha Stewart Kids, Scholastic Storyworks magazine, SCBWI and many, many more.

Find more about Susie Ghahremani at http://www.boygirlparty.com, on Etsy: http://boygirlparty.etsy.com, or on Instagram at: http://instagram.com/boygirlparty

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love solving problems, and being an artist gives me the opportunity to seek needs in my community and to solve those problems visually. I’m a puzzler, and it’s a quality I bring to my art-making that keeps me thinking creatively!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

This is a magnificent planet we live on. So much of my work is either created to honor the nature and animals around us, or out of respect for it, making ecological choices. Whether using eco-friendly materials or fundraising with my artwork (like how my picture book LITTLE MUIR’S SONG fundraisers for Yosemite National Park), being a steward for the planet is core to my mission as an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.boygirlparty.com
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/boygirlparty
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/boygirlpartyfb
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/boygirlparty

Image Credits
The photo with the books is by Joy Chu, taken at the San Diego Festival of Books. The photo of just me (no books) is by Jasmine Fitzwilliam / Let’s Frolic Together