Header_Background2.jpg
 

LULU WHO?         WHY I WRITE         MY INSPIRATION        WHY I DON'T DRAW        THE PROCESS        PHOTO GALLERY


 

Why I Write

Engrossed in a good story

Engrossed in a good story

I write because I love to read. I love a good story. I love when you get so involved with the characters that you feel like they are your friends. When you finish the book, you long to hear from them again and see what they’ve been up.  I started journaling and writing poems when I was young, mostly about emotions swirling in my head or nature in plain sight.  When it was time for a subject change, I realized that I have always been drawn to children and a good children’s book. Not having kids of my own, I was motivated by all the childhood experiences of my nieces and nephew.

The joys of my life, my nieces & nephew

The joys of my life, my nieces & nephew

I was fascinated with their adventures and began taking notes.  My first idea was to write stories about the funny things they did and said. However, those stories were forced. They weren't my voice. They weren't my stories.  Writing must come from the heart. So I put my pen down for a long while, until 2001 when I began traveling a  great deal for work. In order to stay connected to my husband, I would email him with my rhyming poems. This is how I found not only the characters of Rana and Lulu but their voices and purpose.  

Nikki's adventurous spirit

Nikki's adventurous spirit

Gianna & John's funny ways of trying anything

Gianna & John's funny ways of trying anything

The idea further developed while riding the train to New York City. I realized we all seemed to quickly jump, to say and do things that weren’t as nice as they could be. I thought, “What is the rush? Where are we going that is so important that it warrants or permits us to be rude to another human being?” I found myself following suit and acting in ways that were not thoughtful. It was that moment that I decided to stop and take a breath, and for just one moment to think before I jumped. And so began my journey of trying to be more considerate, more thoughtful, kinder.  Simply put… more mindful.

thinking… not yet jumping

thinking… not yet jumping

I thought back on other children’s stories that moved me and realized that the ones that demonstrated how one simple event could alter a person’s life and the lives of those around them had the most meaning to me. There is a pureness to the idea that each one of us can make a difference and that the things we do and say and think have a strong effect on those around us, because we are all connected. I once read “all the sorrow and trouble of this world is caused by unhappy people.” I believe that is true. If you are unhappy, that feeling spills out in the world causing pain and sadness to others. It’s not just your unhappiness anymore, it's everyone’s. The reverse is also true, the goodness you spread is like the child’s game of duck duck goose. With each tap on a head, you pass along happiness.

One simple act = Make a difference

One simple act = Make a difference

Passing happiness along

Passing happiness along

And so I begin with a tap on the head.
 
One word, Think
One action, …then Jump™
One step at a time. 

 

"Life is a gift. Rejoice in our abilities. Share them with the world."

Lilypad-1.jpg