Story and Interview Ideas

Susan is available to speak about:

• Writing and illustrating picture books

• Finding stories in childhood memories and everyday life

• Creativity during difficult seasons

• Art and creativity while living with chronic illness

• Independent publishing and creating a book from idea to finished product

• Developing a personal creative practice

• The connection between art, writing, music, and storytelling

• Community-inspired children's books

Featured Story Ideas

The Small Moments That Stay With Us
Why ordinary childhood memories...a strawberry field, flowers along a fence, a family recipe...can remain with us for decades and eventually find their way into art and stories.

Creating on Hard Days
How creativity can change when illness, pain, energy, or circumstances limit what we're able to do, and why creativity doesn't have to be productive to be worthwhile.

From Memory to Picture Book
The childhood experience behind Strawberries and Sunshine: Saving the Perfect Day and how Susan transformed a personal family memory into a story for children.

One Person, Many Creative Paths
Writing, illustration, music, memoir, nonfiction...what happens when we stop believing we have to choose only one way to be creative?

Making Books Independently
A behind-the-scenes look at taking a book from the first idea through writing, illustration, design, publishing, and sharing it with readers.

Finding Stories Close to Home
How neighborhoods, gardens, animals, community members, family traditions, and ordinary places can provide rich material for writers and artists.

Suggested Interview Questions

• What kinds of small moments tend to make you think, there's a story here?

• How did a childhood strawberry-picking memory become Strawberries and Sunshine?

• Has becoming an illustrator changed the way you notice the world as a writer?

• What does creativity look like on a day when you don't have much energy?

• How has your creative practice changed over the years?

• Why do nature and the changing seasons appear so often in your work?

• What have you learned from writing for both children and adults?

• What does the process of creating an independently published picture book actually look like?

• How do you decide which personal memories belong in your writing?

• What would you say to someone who believes they aren't creative?

Current Projects

Susan continues to write and illustrate stories for children while expanding her creative nonfiction for adults. Her current work explores childhood memories, nature, creativity, family stories, and the ordinary experiences that continue to shape us long after they've passed.