AJ+ Interview
- Jul 27, 2017
- 1 min read
I sat down for an interview with Anna Sterling from AJ+ about my new book Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History. We chatted about the origins of the project, why representation matters and some of the most inspiring stories from the whole experience!
*there is one little teaser in there: My book will feature 40 American women, so my Hatshepsut drawing will hopefully make into another book!;)
98 win mình mới ghé thử vì thấy mọi người nhắc nhiều, chủ yếu tò mò giao diện thôi. Vào trang thấy bố cục khá dễ chịu, kiểu chia khối rõ ràng nên lướt xuống không bị ngợp chữ. Mình để ý họ có nhắc thời gian xử lý giao dịch tầm 1–3 phút, đọc cái con số cụ thể vậy cũng thấy đỡ lăn tăn hơn (ít nhất không nói chung chung). Với lại có đoạn kiểu giải đáp thắc mắc “có lừa đảo không” nằm ngay trong mạch bài, nên ai đang phân vân nhìn là thấy liền, không phải mò ở đâu xa. Nói chung trải nghiệm lướt nhanh ổn, vì tiêu đề và các box thông…
Representation aside (which is obviously huge), I’m also just impressed by the sheer organizing it takes to tell 40 stories without it feeling like a checklist. Did you find yourself grouping them by theme as you worked, or was it more chronological/instinctive? Slightly nerdy aside: the “origins of the project” part felt like decoding your own motivations over time—sort of like turning the wheel on Caesarcipher and watching meaning click into place.
The interview angle is nice because it pulls out the process-y stuff you don’t always get from a book announcement—what made you start, what you had to leave out, what surprised you. I’d honestly watch a whole series of you talking through “why this person made the cut.” Also, your illustration style makes me think about how different aesthetics change the way we absorb history (I had a similar thought messing with Imgg—same subject, totally different emotional vibe).
The way you describe the project’s beginnings makes it sound like equal parts research and emotional stamina, which doesn’t get talked about enough. I also appreciate that you’re not treating these women like “fun facts,” but actual full people with impact. (This is a weird comparison, but changing your mental picture matters—kind of like playing with hairstyle ai on Stylelooklab and realizing how much your self-image shifts with small visual cues.)
I’m glad you and Anna Sterling talked about representation as something that shapes what kids think is “normal” leadership. It’s wild how much a single illustrated portrait can stick in your head longer than a paragraph of text. Side note: when I’m stuck in that “too much info, brain won’t sort it” phase, I end up zoning out with Blockblast for ten minutes and then I can come back to reading with fresh eyes.