I grew up in small-town SW Kansas and recieved my degree in illustration from the University of Kansas in Lawrence.  I later moved to Fort Worth, TX, where I fell into the field of art education.  Although I never would have dreamed of becoming a teacher, I absolutely love it!  My students were the reason that I sat down and finally finished a project! :) The original idea behind my first book was simply a fun way to teach kids about being creative and the uses of Line in art.  Along the way, though, I thought of some other challenges that my kids face daily and decided to include some life lessons like trying hard and being yourself (that's a tough one!). My primary goal, though, is to inspire and encourage creativity in today's youth.  Since becoming an art teacher, I have become more and more shocked by the lack of creativity in the classroom, and the students' resistance to it.  As more and more school districts focus on "tested" materials like math, language arts, and science, the entire right side of their brain (creativity, problem solving, imagination) is being left behind.  For more great information on this trend in education, check out this great speech by Sir Ken Robinson.