One Step at a Time
Welcome aboard!
The Creative Canvas
by Noreen Anne
“You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.”
Maya Angelou
Welcome to my inaugural newsletter! I’m happy you’re here.
Allow me to introduce myself briefly. I grew up on the Southside in Chicago in a teeny, tiny bungalow with my five siblings and parents. I hold an MBA from DePaul University in Finance. My professional journey included working as a portfolio analyst in finance to serving as a Site Acquisitions Supervisor with T-Mobile (back in the early years) when they were just launching their network in Chicago. Picture climbing water towers, scaling the rooftops on towering skyscrapers (when you have a fear of heights) and petitioning zoning boards to secure approvals for our design and structure.
Things changed when I got married and had kids. I realized the importance of early childhood education, leading me to enroll in education classes and eventually open a preschool and child care center in Lake Barrington, IL. Working with children profoundly impacted my life. As Henry Ward Beecher so eloquently stated, “Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.” Being a guiding presence in a child’s life is an unparalleled privilege. Even after two decades in education, my passion for nurturing young minds has never left. After I retired, I went on to self publish four children’s books.
The pandemic prompted me to embark on a new creative journey. I enrolled in a few on-line classes to refine my skills in writing and illustrating children’s books. At the conclusion of one of these classes, a fellow member asked, “is anyone interested in continuing to illustrate and meet?” That was almost three years ago and we’ve been meeting ever since. Our Illoguild group is a collective of 14 talented creatives from all over the globe and time zones with members residing in Australia, Europe, Malaysia and the United States. There is so much talent in this group with many of the members working with esteemed agents, art directors and publishing houses. In a future newsletter, I will include a comprehensive list of the Illoguild published works, a testament to the outstanding projects that have emerged from our collective creativity. It’s quite impressive and I think you will truly enjoy these wonderful projects. I’ve learned so much from all of them.
Here’s a picture of one of the first books I wrote and published with Friesen Press. FANCY FLAMINGO MAKES FRIENDS shares a timeless message that even the littlest among us can be brave.
I have written about real topics that children and families often face, addressing important issues such as mental health, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), grief, and the impact of Alzheimer’s on young families and other social-emotional themes. I’m currently working on self-publishing a story about a five-year-old girl named Cecelia who learns how to be brave and stand up to one of the bossy kids at school! I’ll be writing more about that in future versions.
Most importantly, I’m excited that you’re here and the opportunity to get to know you, dear Reader. I invite you to leave a comment or question on different topics you would like to see here. I value your input and look forward embarking upon this creative journey together.
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Don’t forget to explore the newsletters from other Illoguild members.
Wishing you all the best,
Noreen Anne
