Nastaja nova slikanica!/A new picture book is in the making!

Nekaj novega se pripravlja!
Nastaja slikanica za založbo Miš.
Zgodbo je napisala čudovita Tina Arnuš Pupis.
Ob taki fini družbi živali, ki v zgodbi nastopajo, mi ni prav nič dolgčas!

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Something exciting is in the works! 
I'm illustrating a brand new picture book for Miš Publishing.
The story is written by the wonderful Tina Arnuš Pupis.
With all these curious little animals in the story… boredom doesn't stand a chance!

Book Birthday: Zajec, lisica in noč

Danes je dan prazničen. Poleg hrušk sem prejela še izvode knjige Zajec, lisica in noč, ki je izšla pri založbi Zala. Zgodbo je napisala Mateja Sužnik, tehnično uredil Jure Preglau, jaz sem jo ilustrirala. Izid knjige je podprla Javna agencija za knjigo RS.

Zgodba je nežno zapisana, ganila me je s svojo občutljivostjo do življenja in z ravno pravim kančkom navihanosti. Hvala za zaupanje, draga Mateja. Rada sem bila del tega projekta.

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Today’s a special day—my copies of Zajec, lisica in noč / Rabbit, Fox and Night just arrived! The beautiful story was written by Mateja Sužnik, published by založba Zala, designed by Jure Preglau, and I had the joy of illustrating it. Published with the support of the Slovenian Book Agency.

It’s a tender, heartwarming tale with just the right touch of playfulness—it truly moved me. Thank you for the trust, dear Mateja. Loved being part of this project! 

Drobtinice iz studia/A Little Crumbs from my Studio

Ustvarjalnost in umetnost nista pomembni!

Kako velikokrat slišim, da umetnost ni pomembna. Da ustvarjalnost ni pomembna. Da smo samozaposleni v kulturi navadni lenuhi. Pa je res tako? Bi bil svet res boljši brez ustvarjalnosti in umetnosti?

Kaj nas ne spremlja ustvarjalnost, umetnost od samega začetka, če imamo srečo? Ko za naše rojstvo starši prejmejo čudovito voščilnico, za katero si je nekdo vzel čas, da jo je nekdo ilustriral in oblikoval. Izbral pravi papir in lepo natisnil.

Ko imamo lepe sobe, z ličnim pohištvom, ki ga je nekdo oblikoval, pobarval in izdelal. Ko naše omare, še posebno, če ljubimo knjige, postanejo mini knjižnice. Knjige in slikanice so izjemen portal v mnoge svetove, ki bogatijo našo domišljijo in jo ohranjajo živo. 
Kakšna bi bila šola brez slikovnega in drugega uporabnega gradiva? Učbeniki in delovni zvezki brez slik, ilustracij, brez primernega oblikovanja? 

Da ne naštevam še drugih področij, ki potrebujejo pri oblikovanju in izdelavi občutek za estetiko: radijski in TV programi, glasba, videoposnetki, oblikovanje prevoznih sredstev, oblačil, embalaža za hrano, pohištvo in drugi izdelki,  …

Ustvarjalnost nam v življenju pomaga, da na čim boljši način rešujemo probleme, s katerimmi se soočamo. Kakšen bi bil svet poln ustvarjalnih ljudi? Ljudi, ki bi iskali in našli rešitve? Ki bi svoj ustvarjalni potencial pretvarjali in vnovčili za lepši, boljši svet? Kako bi živeli? 
Bi bil svet res boljši brez umetnosti in ustvarjalnosti?

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Creativity and Art Don’t Matter!

How often do I hear it—
“Art doesn’t matter.”
“Creativity doesn’t matter.”
“People in the creative industries are just lazy.”
But… is that really true? Would the world really be a better place without creativity and art?

Isn’t creativity with us from the very beginning—if we’re lucky?

When we’re born, maybe our parents receive a beautiful card. Someone took the time to illustrate it, to design it thoughtfully. They picked the right paper, printed it nicely. That’s art.

We grow up in rooms filled with carefully designed furniture—painted, crafted, shaped by someone’s vision. Our bookshelves, especially for those of us who love to read, become mini libraries. And books, picture books, are magical portals into countless worlds. They feed our imagination, keep it alive.

What would school be like without visual materials?

Textbooks and workbooks without images, illustrations, or thoughtful design? Lifeless and dull.

And let’s not even get started on all the other fields that need a strong sense of aesthetics: Radio and TV, music, videos, the design of cars, clothes, food packaging, furniture, and countless everyday products.

Creativity helps us solve the problems we face in life in the best possible way.

What kind of world would we live in if it were filled with creative thinkers?

With people who search for solutions—and find them.

With people who turn their creative potential into something real, something that makes the world better, more beautiful.

So again: would the world really be better without art and creativity?

Zlata hruška/Golden Pear Label

Dozorele so zlate hruške!
Hvala založba Miš in Mladinska knjiga za zaupanje.
Čestitke vsem prejemnikom znaka za kakovsto zlata hruška!

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The Golden Pears are out!
Big thanks to Miš Publishing and Mladinska knjiga for the trust.
Congrats to everyone who got the Golden Pear quality label!

Drobtinice iz studia/A Little Crumbs from my Studio

Ko se ustvarjalnost rokuje z likovnimi slogi

Ustvarjalnost je lepilo med idejo in uresničeno formo. Je vitalni del v procesu nastajanja ilustracije, knjige. Polega tega pa je, vsaj kar se mene tiče, pomemben del tudi moje doživljanje sveta in odnos do njega. 

Ko rišem, to, kar me dela tako kot sem, nenehno odzvanja v mojem delu. To hkrati pomeni tudi, da ko se spreminjam, ko rastem (vsaj upam, da osebnostno rastem!), se s tem spremeni tudi moj likovni izraz. Moje delo se izraža v različnih tehnikah, včasih tudi slogih. In tega nisem nikoli zavirala. Ravno nasprotno, še bolj bi se rada odprla vsemu, kar je likovno mogoče doseči v ilustraciji. Četudi gre za majhne korake, so zame osebno veliki.

Načeloma prejmem pohvale, ker se znam preleviti še v kakšen drug slog. Včasih slišim pa tudi kaj drugega. Pomembno se mi zdi, da negujem svoj ustvarjalni plamen, sicer se bom začela dolgočasiti. Rada raziskujem, moje delo ima smisel, ko ostaja živo. 

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Where Creativity Meets Style

Creativity is a vital part of the process of making an illustration—or a book.
But beyond that, at least for me, it’s also deeply connected to how I experience the world and my relationship with it.

When I draw, everything that makes me who I am constantly echoes through my work. That also means that as I change and grow (hopefully I grow in a personal sense!), my artistic expression evolves with me.
My work comes to life through different techniques, and sometimes even in various styles. I’ve never tried to suppress that. Quite the opposite—I want to open myself even more to everything that’s creatively possible within illustration. Even if the steps feel small, to me, they’re significant.

Most of the time, I get compliments for being able to shift into different styles. But every now and then, I hear other kinds of feedback too. What matters most to me is keeping my creative spark alive—otherwise, I’d start to feel bored. I love exploring. My work has meaning when it stays alive.

Drobtinice iz studia/A Little Crumbs from my Studio

Ilustriranje moje zgodbe v primerjavi z zgodbo drugega avtorja

Ko se pogovarjam z ljudmi, me pogosto kdo vpraša, ali je kakšna razlika med tem, ko ustvarjam svoj lasten avtorski projekt in ko ilustriram zgodbo drugega avtorja. Še ne dolgo nazaj bi rekla, da ni razlike. Sedaj pa ne mislim več tako. 
Obstaja razlika med ustvarjanjem lastnega projekta in med ilustriranjem zgodbe drugega avtorja. Ko ustvarjam svoje delo, se mi zdi kot da plavam med neštetimi možnostmi iz ustvarjalne juhe, ki so na voljo. Drugače je, ko ustvarjam iz svojega jedra. Navadno še bolj vključim vrednote in stvari, ki jih cenim in so mi pomembne. Bolj sem neobremenjena pritiska ob misli, ali bom dovolj počastila delo avtorja zgodbe. Ta skrb ni prisotna, ko ustvarjam svojo zgodbo in mi daje več svobode. 
To pa ne pomeni, da mi je muka ilustrirati druge zgodbe. Sploh ne! Čutim pa veliko odgovornost do nekoga, ki mi je zaupal svoje delo v ilustriranje. Ko slišim želje uredništva in pisatelja, moram v vseh željah in omejitvah najti prostor za svojo svobodo, kjer bom lahko združila čim več želja, ohranila svojo integriteto ter hkrati počastila avtorja, ki je zgodbo napisal. Zdi se, kot da drugače okušam zgodbe, ki jih dobim v ilustriranje od teh, ki jih ustvarjam sama. Vse to me bogati. Izjemno sem hvaležna, da lahko ustvarjam.

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My story vs a story from another author

When I talk to people, I’m often asked whether there’s a difference between working on my own personal project and illustrating someone else’s story. Not long ago, I would have said no. However, I now see things differently.
There is a difference between creating my own project and illustrating a story written by another author. When I’m working on my own, it feels like I’m swimming in countless possibilities, choosing freely from the creative “soup” available to me. It’s a different experience when I create from my own core. I usually bring in more of my values and the things I care about deeply. I feel less pressure, because there’s no one else’s work at stake—only mine. That absence of concern gives me a sense of freedom.
But that doesn’t mean illustrating other people’s stories is a burden. Not at all! I simply feel a stronger responsibility toward someone who has entrusted me with their work. When I hear the wishes of the editor and the writer, I need to find a space within all those requests and limitations where I can express my own freedom—where I can bring their vision to life, while also staying true to myself, and at the same time honor the author who wrote the story.
It feels like I “taste” the stories I illustrate for others differently from the ones I create myself. And all of it enriches me. I’m deeply grateful for the trust I receive from my dear publishers and writers.

Če želit izvod knjige, so na voljo/Books available here:

- Kje si?, Miš / Every Little Kindness, Chronicle Books

- A smo že tam?, Miš

- Finding Forgiveness, Chronicle Books

- Dogodivščina v žepu, Miš

- Tam se srečava, Miš

Pozor!/Fraudulent messages!

 I just wanted to let you know that someone is using my email address to send spam and fraudulent messages (spoofed email). It's not me! 

Pozor, če dobite kakšna čudna sporočila iz mojega email naslova, to nisem jaz. Nekdo pošilja sporočila o dobitkih, dedovanju etc iz mojega emaila  oz deluje tako kot da sem pošiljala jaz. To nisem jaz!

Brothers Acrobats

This is one of the illustrations that I made for the October issue of Ciciban magazine. Two brothers love to play acrobats. The story was written by Barbara Hanuš.

Ustvarjanje dobrih zgodb me drži pokonci

Sladko-kislo-grenki so zadnji dnevi in precej razburkani. Šokirana sem nad potezami, ki jih izvaja vlada, ki očitno ne želi podpirati delovnih ljudi, ki bi v življenju radi nekaj dosegli. Dajatve se le povečujejo, samozaposleni pa naj se znajdemo kakor vemo in znamo. Požrešna je ta mati država, prava mačeha, ki svoje ljudi tepe s trdo palico. Mislim, da bi višina novega prispevka samozaposlenih v kulturi morala biti bolj življenjska. Prav tako prispevki, ki mi vzamejo veliko letnega dohodka, na koncu pa malo ostane.

Sladki pa so zaradi dela, ki ga ljubim. Čeprav zapolnjuje skoraj cele dneve, tudi vikende in praznike. In velikokrat utrujena padem v posteljo, za hobije, dopust ali bolniško (bolniško lahko samozaposleni v kulturi koristimo samo, če smo bolni oz bolniško odsotni več kot 31. dni!!!) pa niti pod razno nimam časa. 

Prilagam pa sladki del te objave. Ustvarjam slikanico, ki bo letos izšla pri založbi Zala. Zgodbo je napisala ljuba Mateja Sužnik. Čaka me še naslovnica, ki bo pika na i tej dogodivščini. Ljubim te zgodbe, ki so včasih navihane, včasih skrivnostne, napisane z izjemno občutljivostjo in tankočutnostjo, ki jo danes pogrešam. To zgodbo čutim kot brezčasno klasiko, ki bo zvenela tudi prihajajočim generacijam. 

In the Middle

When a Dream Grows: Every Little Kindness, Are We There Yet? and Finding Forgiveness

Since I was little, I have felt a creative force within me and a huge love for drawing and painting. Mom asks me, "Do you remember when you were a little girl? You once said, all inspired, 'Something is happening in the woods!' "A dream was alive.

I still remember the feeling of imagining fairies, pixies, little beetles dancing, trees whispering, red mushrooms growing... But I never imagined I would be where I am today. I'm still in awe of how life has led me to become an artist and to tell my own stories in the form of books.

My first book, Every Little Kindness, was created during my Master's program at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. I was inspired by my friend's action when she adopted a dog named Brko, the main character in the book. He was saved from a shelter where he would have been put down. I wanted to honor her act of kindness. She showed as an example of action. And this is how the story starts. The accent color in the book is red. This color represents life (the color of blood), love (the affection for the dog), and anger (due to the dog being lost). Miš Publishing published the book. In 2021, it was released in the US by Chronicle Books. This edition includes a few changes that contributed to the storyline and its message even more.

Are We There Yet?/A smo že tam? is the second wordless book in this series. The inspiration comes from my life. From my fears and sometimes frustration: what if everything planned goes wrong? Then what? How can I cope with the unknown and uncertainty? The main accent is yellow, signifying warmth. I wanted to create a warm atmosphere as a reminder that life, bigger than myself, is always taking care of everything. However, I must show courage and take the necessary steps. The book was launched into the world by Miš Publishing.

Finding Forgiveness is my third book in the series of wordless picture books as a graphic novel. The inspiration came from my dear agent, Allison. She gave me the courage I needed. Forgiveness is a precious quality, but steps toward it can be quite difficult at times. It feels like working within ourselves reflects the change happening outside. When barriers and heavy emotions melt, life changes, and also connections with others. In the book, the main color is blue. In my country, Slovenia, blue represents the color of forget-me-not. And blue is the color of the sky, but also the color of sadness. All those connect beautifully with the storyline. The book was published by Chronicle Books. The rights are held by Stimola Literary Studio.

So, here they are, three books that I never imagined I would bring to life with the help of wonderful people. Each one was created with passion and love, and each one has its own distinctive accent: red, yellow, and blue. I didn't plan to use those primary colors. It happened intuitively. And just like all other colors are made from the primary ones, many stories can be created with the wordless books I'm writing about.

I don't know why I'm looking back. Maybe because I want to believe in a kind world where we could live together as one family. Maybe to realize that all this (success really) happened. I feel so much gratitude. And amazement. And I wonder where this dream leads from here.