Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with the immensely talented Nadja Sarell! Her newest board book, EAT UP, BEAR!, written by Terry Pierce, came out earlier this month with Yosemite Conservancy. As a longtime freelance illustrator, I’m thrilled to have her with us today to share her experiences and advice.
So without further ado, please welcome Nadja Sarell!
Where do you live?
I live in Helsinki, Finland.
How many years have you been in publishing?
About 15 years, on and off.
How did you first get published?
I had shown my portfolio to an editor in a publishing house I knew well during my illustration studies. Soon after my graduation I received my first commission from her—a book with black and white illustrations.
Do you illustrate full-time?
Yes, I work as a full-time freelance illustrator for children's books and educational publishing.
What inspires you to create picture books?
I'm inspired by characters—who they are, how they feel, where they live. For me, illustrating a picture book is like creating a play on stage, maybe because I was a dancer before changing into children's book illustration. I love the stage, but I prefer to be the one hiding behind the scenes!
What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?
How the world is full of excellent authors and illustrators! I feel humbled to be able to fit in among them all.
What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?
I love to work with books that the children will read again and again with their families, in schools and so on. It's the child reader that is the most important thing for me. The whole experience of a time spent together reading and looking at pictures, and the child learning to read both text and visual narrative.
What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?
Sometimes it's hard to make the ends meet, if you only work for children's publishing. I think a lot of illustrators need to do other jobs like teaching, running online shop, graphic design, etc.
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
I look for inspiration from outside my studio.
Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?
I need to get started in the morning!
Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?
We have a great association for illustrators in Finland and it's such a big help to be able to get support from fellow children's book illustrators close to home. I'm also a part of a small virtual support group of five designers/illustrators from around the world.
What has been the highlight of your career thus far?
Probably signing up with my illustration agent Astound and being able to receive commissions outside Finland, from clients like Yosemite Conservancy! This board book was really special and one of my highlights, definitely.
What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?
Don't expect anyone to come and knock on your door. This advice was for the days before social media. It has changed the game completely, especially for visual artists.
Can you tell us about your newest book?
This spring brings several published books for me, always very exciting. "Eat Up, Bear!" by Terry Pierce is a book where I had an opportunity to try a new technique and I really enjoyed it. We don't have black bears in Scandinavia, but you can come across a brown bear in the forest. This is why the children are taught to make some noise, so the bears know to avoid people. I did a lot of research for the board book, because it had to be informative and accurate as well as sweet and colorful. I love the research part!
Interior art from EAT UP, BEAR! written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Nadja Sarell
Interior art from EAT UP, BEAR! written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Nadja Sarell
Interior art from EAT UP, BEAR! written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Nadja Sarell
Interior art from EAT UP, BEAR! written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Nadja Sarell
What’s up next for you?
I'm working on two picture books at the moment, one for an indie publisher in the US, and one for a Finnish publisher. They are both based on real life main characters, so it's a whole new experience again. Then there will be some chapter books and a story book for the educational market. So it is quite a hectic time of the year!
Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?
You can always ask advice from your colleagues, especially when it comes to contracts, pricing, and other non-illustration things that are an important part of this job. And you're never ready as an illustrator, there is always room to grow! And don't work for exposure only, something that newcomers are often asked to do.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.
Huge thank you to Nadja for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on EAT UP, BEAR! We can’t wait to see what you come out with next!
NADJA SARELL is an illustrator living in Helsinki, Finland. She graduated with MA in Dance from Theatre Academy Helsinki. Soon after that she moved to a small town in North Wales to study children's book illustration. She graduated from North Wales School of Art and Design with BA in Illustration for Children’s Publishing in 2004.
Since then, she has worked as a freelance illustrator for children's publishing in Finland and abroad. Her clients include Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Yosemite Conservancy. She loves to teach art, illustration and dance for both children and adults.
If Nadja was an animal, she would be a cat living in an old mansion with a large fireplace and a comfy sofa. Her favourite things are music, dancing, black coffee, and chocolate.
FOR MORE INFORMATION about Nadja or her books, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.
ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of EAT UP, BEAR! click here.
WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of EAT UP, BEAR!? Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, April 22nd! US addresses only please.