I found myself happily drawing these silly creatures the other week, in between signing books with Mark Robson at Waterstones in Oxford. It struck me, not for the first time, how curious it is that people are surprised that I should be doing this for a living. There I was bent over a corner of the picture, rendering a bit of toe nail, when a discreet cough over my shoulder had me jumping to attention. I turned around and was met by a man with a look of amusement on his face. Mildly impressed by my efforts (that’s fair enough), he then asked me what I did for a living. I told him I wrote and illustrated children’s books. He looked at me, blinked, and asked what else I did?
I almost apologised. “Um, that’s it!” I said. We smiled and I went back to the toe nail. I could feel him standing there for a while, silent in thought, but by the time I turned my attention to the nose hair (or should that be beak hair?), I noticed he had gone.
I can’t deny, it is a funny way to make a living. But, quite frankly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I consider myself very lucky indeed.
Um…sorry.
19/11/2009 at 1:44 pm Permalink
People often seem to have a narrow view of what constitutes a ‘proper job’. Being confronted by you and your awesome art, and having to accommodate them into the way he’d decided the world works, must have just about broken this bloke’s brain.
Carry on, and let justifying or understanding what you do be other peoples’ problem, I say. HEE HEE HEE!
19/11/2009 at 1:58 pm Permalink
And wasn’t it nice of the lovely Julia Golding to come over and buy us both coffee? She is clearly an angel of an author! Perhaps we should see if the monsters will let her visit … she might bring cakes next time!
19/11/2009 at 3:23 pm Permalink
first of all mark, probably not a good idea, remember when the monsters invited you? secondly, i think that although writing is a brilliant career, if you are just starting out, you may need another job while writing and getting your name out their.
19/11/2009 at 3:42 pm Permalink
I love your phrasing here Sam. Spot on!
Yes, Mark, Julia was a caffeine-coated angel. Just a shame Waterstones didn’t think of it themselves!
And Scott, you’re right, of course. It was just something about this bloke. He had an air about him that implied I should probably be doing something a bit more grown up.
Hmm, I’ll say nothing…