The Book Bump

Many of my recent blog posts have been reflective, written with hindsight. This one is different. I wanted to share what I’m working on right now — no big announcements, just a snapshot of my current projects.

On the training side, I completed the third phase last week by sending off my final assignment for evaluation. I feel nervous about this assignment because I poured a lot of heart into creating concept art for a video game. I feel rather proud of the output, having noticed progress in my technique.

I am about to begin the final phase, the last stretch before qualifying. I am excited to see where this next chapter takes me. It’s hard to imagine that I’ve been training for the past seventeen months. It feels like only yesterday that I took the leap to train professionally.

On the personal side, I’m working on a children’s picture book idea about the relationship between a grandmother and her grandson as they navigate ageing and memory fog together. What started as a gentle exploration of emotion and relationship has turned into something more personal than I expected. I’m learning how to maintain a style across multiple pages, express emotion without words, and create a visually appealing world for toddlers and adults alike. I recently completed a full watercolour spread and was very pleased with the outcome.  

This personal project has also opened questions about defining my anchor style. As I near the end of my training, I feel it’s time to start thinking about creating a visual language that feels recognisable and sustainable.

Writing-wise, I’ve slowed down a little since the release of my debut last October. I’ve decided to put more focus on honing my illustration skills. While writing remains a constant, it is less in the spotlight.

In essence, I’ve returned to an old work-in-progress. I left the story hanging when I went into full “editor mode” with my debut novel last Spring. The story has been hovering in my subconscious for a while now, so I decided it was time to see if it would lead anywhere.

I’ve added very few words to the draft so far. However, I have been working out the kinks in the story and untangling the various subplots. It’s what I like to call “manuscript spring cleaning”. I am a pantser, unfortunately, sometimes the manuscript runs away with itself and wants to be too many things at once. That’s what the “spring cleaning” is for: to remove any subplots that do not serve the narrative arc.

Writing sessions now involve very little word count, but a lot of brainstorming and plotting. I’m in that in-between phase where it’s either make-or-break for the story. I don’t write daily, and I never have. I like to keep at least one two-hour writing session a week, to keep the story from going rusty in my mind.

As for the blog, I realised that weekly posts weren’t a sustainable rhythm for me, with everything else going on. Instead of giving up or burning out, I’ve decided to slow down content creation across all platforms.  For now, I’ve fixed a three-week cadence, which feels much more viable in the long run. Because that’s the aim. I want to be able to keep doing this in six months, in two years.

Learning in public is about documenting my creative journey. It allows me to step outside of my comfort zone and show readers the messy side of creation. I have always kept my creativity to myself because showing my work makes me feel vulnerable. At least until recently. I created this blog to share my process, my doubts, and to let readers follow my projects step by step.

I don’t give advice because, quite frankly, I’m still very much learning how to establish a viable professional creative life.

What does 2026 hold in store? I shall continue honing my illustration skills with my course at my own pace. I shall continue writing in the background. The blog continues, but at a gentler pace. I’ve set no deadlines. Things will evolve at the speed they are meant to.

Slow, intentional, sustainable. They are my keywords for this coming year. Some days are productive; others are slower and full of doubt. But I’m choosing to persevere anyway.

This pace may not look impressive from the outside, but it’s the one that allows me to keep going.

I’ve started a newsletter where I intend to share the thinking behind my work: drafts, decisions, the slow process of making stories come alive… If you enjoy process pieces and seeing how creative projects take shape over time, you’re very welcome to check out Studio Notes and Stories.