We talk with Liz Goulet Dubois about the intersection of writing, art, and picture books—and how to find the best version of you, and amplify your potential, to make your best, most authentic work.

We talk about adults lose that creative spark (and how they can get it back), the agents she’s worked with who were (and were not) a fit, and the walls adults put up emotionally—and how to bring them down again.

Liz says:

Whether writing and illustrating for children or brainstorming new product concepts, I want my creations to be full of character, and to connect in a personal way. Finding that sweet spot is not easy, but the pursuit is endlessly interesting to me.

After earning a BA in Illustration from The Rhode Island School of Design, I found myself falling naturally into designing products for children. Designing teddy bears, figurines, greeting cards and all kinds of giftware at my first job paved the way for my long, almost 30-year career as a product designer. My top-selling and award-winning items have appeared in Oprah at Home, Every Day with Rachael Ray, People, Family Fun, and Marie Claire. They’ve also been featured on HGTV, ABC News, The Today Show, and even on NBC’s Parks and Recreation! While I have recently stepped back from design work to focus on my children’s books, many of my product designs are still available at retail shops around the globe.

I have been writing an illustrating (simultaneously with design) since 2002. In that time, I have created hundreds of pieces of art for educational markets and children’s magazines, and several children’s books. Clients include PSS/Penguin, Simon and Schuster, Golden Books, Scholastic, and Highlights. I’m currently working on a fun (and funny!) new book series called Duck and Cluck, written and illustrated by me, which will debut in Jan. 2022 from Sourcebooks. I can’t wait for you to meet this pair!

No matter what I’m doing, my work typically starts out with a pencil and paper, and then migrates into the digital world. I love working digitally- it gives me the freedom to fully explore worlds in ways I never could have anticipated. I have many more characters and stories in the works, and I look forward to sharing them in the future!

I am represented by Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency.

Learn more at https://www.lizgouletdubois.com/