It’s been a dream of mine to write and illustrate my own book. After four years of creating, hand-lettering, cutting paper, painting, drawing, writing, and editing, I’m proud to announce that it’s officially out in the world!
I couldn’t have written this book four years ago. I needed time to dabble, play, learn who I was, and lean into the creative parts of myself that were dormant for much of my life. I describe the 12 years I worked at a hospital as “painting with gray.” There was much more I wanted to pursue, create, and offer the world. Since 2017, it’s been a journey of rediscovery. I did that through lots of experimentation. Making daily art. Being vulnerable in my writing. Exploring poetry. This book feels like the color palette I knew I had, and finally was brave enough to paint with. It’s an offering of my art, stories, nutrition tips, poetry, and wisdom teachings I’ve learned along the way.
The process of writing and illustrating this book reflects my coaching philosophy—
•Treat everything like an experiment
•Follow your curiosity
•Break huge goals down into small, daily tasks that feel doable
•Expect setbacks
•Be kind to yourself (esp when things don’t go as planned)
•Always remember your “why”
If your relationship with food has felt like the color gray- monotonous, lackluster, or boring, I hope this book reinvigorates it. Transforms it into something more fun, enjoyable, and playful. And even deeper, I hope it invites you to reimagine parts of your own life. To behold the ordinary and ask, “What has yet to be discovered? What can I become?”
Like all good food, I hope you slow down to enjoy it, savor it, and share it with a friend.
You can BUY IT HERE or if you prefer a personalized autographed copy from me, send me a message HERE.
Above are some sweet memories from my author talk at Chopsticks Alley Art Gallery during the First Friday San Jose Art Walk. I shared about the process of writing and illustrating this book, read my favorite story from the book, and wove in some spoken word poetry. The best part of the evening was hearing my dad share in response to me reading our story (the chickpea page) which brought many of us to tears. Friends traveled great distances to celebrate with me from all chapters of my life, and this is an evening I will always remember for the rest of my life.
As a child, my mom would take me to the annual Children’s Book Illustrator show every April. We went every year through junior high, high school, and even when I returned home from college for Easter break. I always enjoyed meeting the authors and seeing their original art displayed in the gallery. Decades later, to now share some original art from my book and have an intimate conversation about my creative process with loved ones was a surreal, full-circle moment.