In a nutshell, it’s about a highly advanced group of sentient beings, the zebras, and how they face and ultimately defeat their greatest enemy, the lions using: DEMOCRACY, TEAMWORK & CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING.
The title of the book, ZEBRATHENIA, steals from the first recorded democracy established in 6th century BC, the Greek city of Athens.
Where did the inspiration and ideas come from?
For 2 decades, I have drawn and painted nothing but pictures, and every month, the feedback I have received has always been, “COOL ! “ and, “These would make great picture books.” It’s always been a dream of mine, too.
Growing up I had no family members who really drew anything nor was really interested in art like I was. The public library was where I found everything, everything on my favourite painters, cartoonists and story tellers, and even though my paintings grace the walls of beautiful homes, it might be time to muscle in a little room for myself on the bookshelves.
But why now?
Maybe because I’m finally settled in a place of mental freedom. What do I mean by that. I can paint and draw whatever I want and on any timeline I want. I have a fantastic day job (home care nursing) that affords me time and resources to. My ideas therefore answer to no one except myself, I don’t have to worry about market demands or altering my art to put food on the table. Artistically, I have complete and total freedom. Maybe also I recently became a mother of two toddlers, and I have a new audience to think about.
But what story?
Every painting has potential to be developed into a character, a theme, a plot. All the beginning elements of interest were there. I had over 300 ideas to choose from until I finally zoomed in on something.
Previous to this decision, I had just finished a marketing class helping me to hammer out my own personal mission statement. I grew up in a strict upbringing, in part of having immigrant parents struggling to set up new life in a strange new land offering freedom, Canada. My parents originally came from China, then Hong Kong, and finally made it to Canada in the 70s. Growing up not much was revealed about their upbringing nor journey, I only ever overheard snippets, I know there was the Japanese occupation of China, and I know there was immense hardship. I am in the midst of squeezing out their detailed stories, but from what I gather, they moved because they wanted better freedoms. Art has always been my outlet, a place to fill the unknowable void, a place to wrestle with the silence. Art to me offers freedom, a place to express, a creative outlet you can use to tackle problems with and win minds over. Finally, I came up with my mission statement:
To safeguard the realm of freedom of thought and expression, to excel and fascinate, by painting !
Soon after writing this sentence, I was approached by the Canadian Constitution Foundation to illustrate a book. I never would have done it normally, I hate working for other people when it comes to art, but they were asking for pictures for a picture book and the story revolves around how natural gardens became a protected right of freedom of expression here in Canada. The theme resonated with me and it mattered a lot that they believed in me, that I could illustrate a children’s book and do a good job of it. The publisher and author both LOVED my work, it comes out this August, “Maple’s Garden,” authored by YouTube Channel Canadian Justice host, Christine Van Geyn and illustrated by myself. I’m pretty excited, more on that later.
It was a fun and challenging project that really lit the fire within. It was time for me to take the inevitable leap, I’ve always known I’d only ever be truly happy as an artist as an auteur.
There a million ways you can take a children’s book and I will likely explore other themes as I embark on my journey, but for this one, my first one, I really wanted to know I could write a story. ABCs and 123 books are a dime a dozen and I could do an alphabet Animal Furniture book, or an Ugly Animals In Cute Outfits counting book easy peasy, and I likely will in the future. When you come to know yourself, as an artist, a creator, that you have the ability to draw anything, that you can ultimately figure out how to make what is in your mind reality, the endless choices, the endless options, the real work then becomes, the choosing: The what, when and why. Not straying from the ideas that could be harder to execute. I can spend days just thinking about what the next move on my painting is without actually painting anything. It is all a very important and valuable part of the journey into the unknown.
I wanted to know if I had what it takes to write a meaty, yet simple story that you could take a life lesson from, gain a perspective on something, and something that could be expanded into a series. Turns out I do! So far I have applied to 8 publishers with the manuscript and received 3 hybrid contracts. I’ll likely wait for a traditional contract (not a lot of publishers want to take the risk of a new author) or self publish ( I do like having to only answer to me), but that’s besides the point. The fact is only 10% of manuscripts hear any feedback at all out of the hundreds they receive every month and my manuscript is landing in the top 10%! Also, I wanted something that honoured my parent’s journey half way around the world in search for better freedoms, and my own up studious up bringing. Finally, I landed on an old idea I had a painting of from 2012:
This painting has always captured the attention of audiences. It reminds me of my brother’s childhood bedroom. He really liked zebra prints, and so did my mom. My mom had no formal art education but she was a slick seamstress with an eye for patterns. She upholstered our whole house growing up, immigrant culture means being thrifty no matter your circumstance. So my brother had zebra print bed linens, curtains and chairs. I subconsciously took the room with me and threw some lions in. The end result was so fascinating I repainted the idea two more times, once in 2021 and again in 2023:
In these paintings, it looks like the lions are winning, but the zebras in hiding, look like they might just surprise us. I wanted to do an origin story. How did the zebras find themselves in this situation, what happens next and how can I weave in a theme of, in the pursuit of freedom and resiliency into the stripes?
..and that is what my children’s picture book is about 🦓
#freedom #democracy #childrensbook #zebras
LISA NG ART 