I had the pleasure to interview the multiple award-winning author-illustrator Duncan Tonatiuh! He shared so many things with me and my colleagues at the Bilingual Book Buddies Podcast & Webcast (and behind the scenes).
For example, I was surprised that he was profoundly inspired by ancient Mixtec codecs when writing his very first illustrated story and that's how he discovered his own artistic style which for many artists some times it takes decades to find!
I also noticed (and admired his humility), as he shared how he had many “side” jobs and “other jobs” before he could become a full-time author-illustrator. If you’re in that situation, it’s totally ok - you’re not alone. Many authors, artists, and/or illustrators have side jobs or full-time jobs besides their craft, at least until they're able to pay the bills with their creative work.
But without further ado, here are the FOUR key things that I learned from my time with Duncan during our interview:
1) Perseverance is key to making it in the world of picture books writing and illustration. Duncan was turned down his fair share of times but did not give up!
2) Revision is a BIG part of publishing! From when you’re wiring and even after the work is sold and is in the process of getting published. Duncan said "Be patient, persevere but don’t be attached too much to your works."
3) Be open to try new things! For Duncan it was hand lettering and onomatopoeia for example.
4) No matter how close or far away children/people are from each other, they always have more similarities than differences.
Check out the full interview with video at our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q26KVYFdv_k&t=2145s or listen to it with your favorite Podcasting app!
Also note, that there were TWO parts - that's right! The interview was amazing that we had a hard time ending it so we went a bit over time. AND there's a sneak peek surprise in the second part! Enjoy!
--Claudia
