The grown up's big question. -

 What 'inspires' you? What is your process? 

The Creature Creator's process

First the inspiration - my cat lying belly up .and stretching across my star-themed duvet cover (Creature), the beauty of light through a crystal (Little Diamond Dogs), a hope that all children get a chance to feel heard (I Am Giant). 

Then  - does the idea have enough strength to hold my added wishes and still stay engaging?

Then  - it (normally, naturally) develops a secret message from the list below.

My stories serve as a bridge between the hidden emotional landscape and the world we live in.

1. Universal Inclusion (The "Baseline")

• Neutrality of Identity: I try not to make gender or specific labels the focus; instead, the stories celebrate the universal human experience of identity. I want my books, where possible, to be read by everyone—especially the child discovering they don’t feel they fit into any specific gender. Everyone is allowed five minutes off from the heavier issues in life.

• Integrated Narratives: I create stories for neurodivergent, trans, and gender-nonconforming children that don't isolate them, but instead offer a space where they naturally belong alongside all other children. Ultimately, I am writing about the inner human spirit; anything beyond that is for the reader to add, or has no relevance at all.

2. Externalising the Internal (The "Visual Metaphor")

• The Hidden Landscape: I didn’t grow up with the daily "therapy-speak" that’s so common today; my parents and I have had to learn these things as we’ve gone along. Every child—and every adult—carries a complex emotional landscape that is often invisible to others. That is important stuff to acknowledge if we plan to get to the end of our lives with a collection of good memories.

• Visualising the Unspoken: We all have those moments—the things we see but let pass because we don’t have the words, or the "I have this feeling, I’ll ignore it and maybe it will go away" instinct. I use art and aesthetic contrasts (like Lino-print vs. Woodblock) to give physical form to these internal feelings, providing children with a visual vocabulary for the outsider, internal, or family experiences they may not yet have words for.

3. Transformative Empathy (The "Conflict Resolution")

• Dismantling Bullying: I show that bullying often stems from a deep-seated fear of difference, a need to feel powerful, or a desire to be liked, rather than simple cruelty. While it is always cruel for the person receiving it, I believe all pain inflicted on another has its roots in personal suffering.

• Conversion Over Confrontation: My stories are placed in emotional scenes of difficulty. For example, Little Diamond Dogs is, on the surface, a playful look at the "Sun Dog" phenomenon, made mythological through history. But it also speaks to families with an anxious parent whose fear feels like it is taking over. By not deliberately labelling that fear as "bad," I offer the angle that merging the playful and fun with the cautious and careful is a more realistic, gentle way to go about things.

• Authenticity as Armour: My stories demonstrate how vulnerability, joy, and "fabulous" authenticity can disarm fear and transform a hostile environment into a welcoming one. As someone who is neurodivergent—raising neurodivergent kids—I know these themes run through childhood. They may be more severe for some, but they have their roots in universal needs: companionship, acceptance, and anxiety. I write for the memory of younger kids, and while a neurodivergent experience is undeniably tougher, it is not totally alien to a "normal" childhood.

4. Co-Creation & Participation (The "Engagement")

• Active Authorship: I deliberately treat children as intelligent partners. By building in participation—like shout-alongs or "vibe choices"—I invite them to co-author their own emotional experience. Traditional learning isn't for everyone, so I enjoy using real-world science or the laws of physics. Real education happens in inspiration, not stagnancy. I don't shy away from the odd challenging word or concept; curiosity is worth its weight in gold.

• The Power of Togetherness: Connection is built through the act of doing—shouting, choosing, imagining—rather than just being told what to think. Loneliness isn't just "how many friends have I got?" It is the reality of living through unfair trauma: being in the room but not a part of it, playing the part, but never feeling it. In my opinion, a feeling of emotional safety is the bedrock of easy learning.

• The Space Between: I write for the 'new people' on this earth who, by virtue of being children, do not know some stuff yet. I assume they need to know things, and things well there are so many. Being 'feeling' beings is complex—everyone has a moment of existing in the space between fitting in and feeling on the outside again. My stories provide a sanctuary, a place where feeling seen, validated, and ultimately, accepted feels more like "oh yeah" than "am I weird?" 

THEN- Is the story beautiful? What images can carry this tale and add that special magic only they can? 

Finally, the ultimate reality test - can I break the story down to fit a publisher's preferred format? Does the story have 'enough' about it to withstand (often merciless and market-driven) edits? 

IF the story can keep its magic or hold a lot of its original after that... 

I wonder... does this little story have legs?  Is it fun, or is it just a set of beliefs dressed up in the words of a picture book now?  Honestly, bin it if it is, because my friend that's boring dressed up in nice pictures.